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A VPN for gaming will shut up that kid in that chat who swears he hacked your PC.
- Hide your IP on Discord and chats
- Protect yourself from DDoS attacks
- Bypass bandwidth throttling
- 30-day money-back guarantee (beat that, Valve)
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Why do you need a VPN for gaming?
Enjoy awesome speed
Do you have questions like “how to get better ping in Fortnite?” One way to do this is to stop Internet Service Providers (ISP) from throttling your data. They analyze your data and limit your bandwidth when you’re engaged in intense activities, such as playing online multiplayer games. Stop them with Surfshark and enjoy the speed you deserve!
Grab early access to games by switching time zones
Pre-loading is nice, but what if you could switch your VPN server to one in the timezone that’s getting the pre-load (or just the release) the earliest? Get that day-one streaming advantage!
Get Distributed Denial of Service protection
You don’t want to lose a match because your internet connection was intentionally crashed, do you? To DDoS you (execute a distributed denial of service attack), some cheater has to know your IP address. But when you’re connecting via a VPN connection, they can only get the VPN server’s IP. Let them try their tricks on that - we will be ready.
Play with friends worldwide
So, are your friends playing on gaming servers in a region you can’t access? Are there some geographical matchmaking shenanigans getting in the way? Hop on a server close to them and get into the same matches as your buds.
Overcome game censorship
They don’t ban games as much these days… but some countries still do! Is the Platinum GOTY title of your dreams barred access into your land? Connect via a VPN service and break through all the blockades!
Game anywhere
Unfortunately, not every Wi-Fi hotspot is welcoming to gaming. Some may be configured to block game servers altogether. But if you’re using VPN services, they can’t detect you connecting to the game server and block it.
Disclaimer: We prohibit using Surfshark services for any unlawful purposes as it is against our Terms of Service. Please be sure to act in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations of streaming service providers.
Can you use a VPN to reduce ping?
Yes, a VPN may help reduce ping. Ping or latency is the time needed for data to travel between your device and server. This is a very important factor in online gaming: the lower the ping, the more up-to-date the information is on your screen, and the faster your actions are recorded on the server.
Lag is a phenomenon that occurs when ping is high. You may miss the shot because the enemy wasn’t there by the time you shot him, and you may have been hit because the enemy moves hadn’t reached your device yet.
Ping is influenced by how far you are from the game server. To decrease ping, connect to a VPN server near the game server. Sometimes, a VPN will establish a more direct connection than your ISP, making the internet traffic move faster. This reduces the ping.
Why Surfshark VPN is the best for gaming
Enough servers for online gaming
The closer a VPN server is to you, the lesser the impact the VPN has on connection speed. That’s why you need to choose from VPN providers that have many servers. So a VPN like Surfshark with more than 3200 VPN servers is likely to have one close to you.
No bandwidth limitations
A free VPN will hit you with bandwidth limitations harder than a free-to-play game with suggestions to buy premium currency. A good VPN has enough server or good server infrastructure and no speed limits — just like Surfshark.
High-capacity ports
All Surfshark servers have up to 10Gbps ports — friggin’ fast! Combine that with 3200 servers being available, and you should never face lag due to server congestion.
All the device compatibility
A VPN that supports only Macs does nothing good for a PC gamer — and vice versa. With Surfshark VPN, you can expect to have an easy time installing the VPN client on any system that can support it.
Use a gaming VPN with all your popular games
Online multiplayer games are among the most popular titles out there. So whether you’re camping spawns, farming creeps, or “pwning n00bs,” you can use a gaming VPN with all of them.
Warzone / Call of Duty
Fortnite
Pokemon Go
Roblox
Minecraft
Lost Ark
League of Legends
PUBG
FIFA
FFXIV
Apex Legends
World of Warcraft (WoW)
Overwatch
Destiny 2
Maplestory
Runescape
Rocket League
Battlefield 2042
Genshin Impact
Dota 2
A gaming VPN for all your gaming platforms and devices
There are so many gaming platforms out there, and all of them can benefit from additional protection. Get a VPN for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, or any other platform by downloading our app.
If there’s no dedicated app for your gaming platform, you can set up a VPN on your router or use our smart DNS feature.
Remember: you get unlimited simultaneous connections with a single account — secure all your devices!
Chrome
Firefox
iOS
macOS
Android
Windows
Linux
FireTV
Edge
How to set up Surfshark VPN for gaming
1. Pick a plan that suits your needs
2. Download the app that suits your device
3. Log in & game on!
Start the free trial
Try the free gaming VPN trial!
Not yet convinced that Surfshark is the gaming VPN for you? Then give the free trial a go!
It’s available on Android, iOS and macOS, giving you access to full Surfshark VPN capabilities for 7 days!
Start the free trial
FAQ
Does using a VPN affect gaming?
No, a VPN will not affect gaming. Just make sure you’re not connected to a far-off server! There are two ways you could do this:
- Use the Quick Connect feature on our apps. It will automatically select the server closest to you with the lowest load. This way, you will get the best speed;
- Use smart DNS for devices that do not support VPN apps — such as Apple TV, Xbox, or PlayStation. Smart DNS, however, doesn’t offer the same security and privacy benefits as a VPN. But if you only want to change your location while also benefiting from the best speed, it’s a great option!
If you’re worried about the VPN’s impact on system resources, you shouldn’t. A VPN uses a negligible amount of computer juice to do what it needs to do.
Do pro gamers use a VPN?
Some pro gamers use a VPN. They have various reasons for this: preventing high ping that comes from bandwidth throttling, preventing DDoS attacks, and stopping possible SWATing attempts. Not all cases apply to all of them, but VPNs do have uses in the pro gaming circuit.
Is it legal to use a VPN for gaming?
Yes, it is! Of course, it’s still illegal to commit crimes while doing so.
What is the best VPN for Android gaming?
Surfshark is a good choice for gaming on Android devices, as it’s fast, offers a lot of servers, comes with modern protocols like WireGuard, and has many other benefits.
If you want to enjoy Android games on your computer, you can use a VPN with Bluestacks and transfer your Android games to the big screen.
Which VPN protocol is best for gaming?
WireGuard is essentially the best VPN protocol for gaming on any platform.
What is the best no-lag VPN?
“No lag” is either a marketing term or an outright lie because all VPNs take up some of your bandwidth. However, if your ISP is throttling bandwidth or something, a VPN can decrease the lag by overcoming such measures. In that case, Surfshark is the best no-lag VPN.
Is there a good free gaming VPN?
There are no good free gaming VPNs. A good gaming VPN has a large amount of server locations to choose from and good speeds. Free VPNs can’t provide either, plus, they come with data limitations and other ways to push you to buy the full version.
Do I need a VPN for Steam?
Accessing the Steam store with a VPN is against their Terms of Service. However, you should use a VPN when playing online games on Steam to protect yourself from DDoS attacks, ISP throttling, and bad actors online.
