Have you heard about how VPNs can cut down lag when playing online video games? Or maybe what’s caught your eye are the claims that it can speed up internet connections, let you play region-locked games or prevent DDoS attacks?
For years now there’s been a lot of hype about VPNs and its benefits to online gaming. But as much as some people swear by it, there are others who say it has barely made any difference to their experience.
Want to know what the truth is? Here and now we’re going to find out whether VPN providers really are a ‘quick and easy fix’ for online gaming – or not.
Lower Pings and Less Lag
Want to play with less lag and a lower ping? It is definitely one of the most enticing benefits of VPNs – but unfortunately also one that is somewhat misleading.
The truth is that technically VPNs can lower latency and pings by providing a better route to game servers. However it is not guaranteed, and results can vary quite a bit.
To be honest, most popular games in heavily-served regions do a good job routing players to servers with low ping without any need for a VPN. If your current ping is already less than 100 ms, odds are switching to a VPN and lowering it a little bit won’t really make a noticeable improvement.
In some cases, the VPN you use may have a worse route – resulting in a higher ping and more lag. Free VPNs in particular have been known to be sketchy, so you’ll want to pay close attention if you try them out.
The verdict: Some premium VPNs may help lower ping, but others (especially free VPNs) can make it worse. Furthermore unless your ping was pretty bad to begin with you may not really notice the difference anyway.
Speed Up Internet Connections
Right off the bat it is important to make one thing clear: No VPN can increase your internet connection beyond its maximum capabilities. However what it can do is help overcome any throttling that’s reducing your internet speed and making it slower than it should be.
What does that mean? Well, some ISPs deliberately slow down the connection of users who are gaming or downloading video games. Although this is mainly done to avoid congestion, it can be frustrating when downloading updates takes several times longer than it should – or your game starts to lag.
The good news is that VPNs can help you bypass most activity-based throttling. It encrypts your connection and routes it through its own network so your ISP can’t track what you’re up to – and therefore can’t restrict your internet speeds based on your activity.
The verdict: VPNs are a very effective way to overcome throttling. However it only applies if your ISP is throttling your connection in the first place – making it a niche solution at best.
Access Geo-Restricted Games or Servers
Want to play a game that is locked to a different region? Or maybe you want to join a different region’s servers for matchmaking? In theory it is possible to do both by using a VPN to ‘fake’ your IP address and trick the game into thinking you’re from that region.
What’s the catch? Simple: It could land you in trouble. This behavior is not just frowned upon, but may violate the game’s terms of service. That means if you’re caught your account could end up permanently banned and you’ll lose access to the game completely.
Is that a risk that you feel is worth taking? Only you can decide.
The verdict: While it is possible to use VPNs to access geo-restricted games or servers, it recommended that you check the terms of service first and refrain from doing so if it is prohibited.
Mitigate DDoS Attacks
Heard about gamers who have been exposed to Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks? Normally this happens when someone wants to harass another person and floods their connection with junk data so they’re forcibly disconnected from the internet.
Sounds bad? It is – but to carry out such attacks, the attacker will need your IP address. Using a VPN can mask your IP address, so all attacks will be redirected to the VPN which should have the security measures necessary to handle it.
While this is definitely a legitimate perk of using VPNs, it is also something that isn’t very common. Few casual gamers will ever have to face a DDoS attack, and it is mostly only video game streamers or professional players who have to worry about it.
The verdict: VPNs can definitely prevent DDoS attacks, but unless you are a prominent gamer with some level of fame it is not something you’re likely to have to deal with.
“Should You Use a VPN?”
Long story short, VPNs can be useful in some circumstances. However in others they could end up hurting more than they help.
If you’re hoping to lower your ping, the right VPN can definitely do that – but you’ll have to test them out first. Similarly if you suspect your internet connection is being throttled, want to access geo-restricted games or servers, or need to protect against DDoS attacks – a VPN will definitely pull its weight. For most casual gamers however who already have a decent ping and have no issues with throttling or DDoS attacks – the benefits of VPNs will be marginal at best.