Have you ever heard about the term “VPN”? VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and most people use it to make their internet connection safer when browsing around the internet. You see, although it’s highly beneficial, not every place on the internet is safe.
Hackers always have some ideas to fool users, and one of them is by creating fake and malicious websites. At a glance, you might find it hard to distinguish a fake website from the real one. And when you are caught off guard, that’s when the attack hits. Your personal data, including sensitive ones, could be taken as easily.
And surely, you don’t want this to happen to you, right? That’s why a VPN service is definitely important, especially if you tend to work online a lot.
Aside from the regular VPNs, you can also opt for gaming VPNs. These work in the same way as the regular ones, with slightly different purposes. If regular VPN services are used to make the data connection safer, gaming VPNs offer additional benefits that are important for gamers.
So, in this article, we’ll talk more about gaming VPNs and the reasons why you need them in the first place.
Understanding The VPN
Wait, wait, hold your horses. Before we go deeper into the gaming VPN, it’s always better to learn about the basics first.
As previously explained, VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, the internet service which you can use to channel your connection into one of their servers. Generally, there are two kinds of VPN services depending on the quality: free and premium.
The free VPNs usually pack the basic features, including the ON and OFF buttons to channel your connection, some server options, etc. However, the options here are really limited. Oftentimes, you’ll be left with more than 100 ping servers. And, of course, these are terrible for gaming.
Meanwhile, the premium VPNs are generally more recommendable since they have more features, more safety, and the user experience is way better on this version. If you have the budget for it, use the premium VPNs instead.
The way VPNs work is by channeling your connection with one of their servers. Each VPN service usually has servers all around the world. And as a user, you can basically connect to any server you wish; the less ping, the better.
Since the connection has been channeled and encrypted, it’s also possible for you to enjoy the content or games that are banned in your country. Ultimately, a gaming VPN will open all kinds of entertainment for you, for a price, of course.
Benefits of Gaming VPNs
When using a VPN that’s specialized for gaming, surely you can expect something great out of it. Below are some notable benefits of using gaming VPNs:
1 – Good Security When Playing Games
When playing games, especially online games, some scary factors are always lingering in the background; among them is security. These days, security has become a thing that should always be a top priority. And thanks to the gaming VPNs, you can now play games more safely due to the encrypted connection.
2 – Better Internet Speed
If you think that you’re still lagging despite how good your connection is, it might happen because your location is too far away from the game server. So, with the gaming VPNs, you can move virtually closer that the server, so you may have better ping.
3 – Play Games on Different Servers
Online games are usually locked into various servers. If you live in an Asian country, then the Asia server should be the best since it’s closer. However, if you have friends abroad, living in the US, you can’t meet them in the game due to the server difference. With gaming VPNs, it’s possible for you to play in his server without having technical issues.
4 – Keep You Safe When Using Public Wifi
Public Wifi is dangerous, and it’s a known fact. And that’s why having a gaming VPN for security purposes definitely helps when you have no other connection than public wifi. So, you don’t have to worry anymore when playing online gaming using a public connection.
5 – Enjoy The Games Early
Some parts of the world are getting the game updates earlier than others. By switching your area to that region through VPN, you can enjoy the updates as early as possible.
6 – Play Blocked Games
Certain regions are blocking games for multiple reasons. If your area blocks access to your favorite game, the gaming VPN can help open the access again.
How to Use a VPN to Play Games
The way to use gaming VPNs is basically the same as you use the regular ones. First, you have to buy a package from a particular VPN provider. In this case, there are a lot of choices in the market, so better choose wisely.
After that, log in using your account to access the platform after you download the program, open it, and activate the VPN connection. It is that easy.
So, although there are differences in how they function, the way they operate is the same. When you use a gaming VPN, make sure to pick a server that’s closest to your actual location. That way, you won’t have terrible pings due to the location distance.
So, if you want to play online games more safely, you can download the VPN application directly through the official website. It’s fairly easy to do. Moreover, it’s a good idea to use a VPN for gaming. Aside from giving you ultra safety during game sessions, gaming VPNs may also offer better ping and less lag, which is definitely useful.
What to Look For In a Gaming VPN
Some people may have a rough time picking what’s the best gaming VPN provider, and we understand that very well. That’s why we have already prepared some tips you may apply to find the top gaming VPN provider for your gaming sessions. Without further ado, let us start with the first tip.
1. Server Quality
If we’re talking about gaming VPNs or games in particular, speed is the most important factor. The connection speed may determine your chances of winning the game. If you’re a heavy FPS gamer, we know that speed connection always plays an important part.
So when choosing a gaming VPN, make sure that they have a good speed connection. Make sure that the VPN has a reputation for quality servers. You can see it from the user reviews or listen to your friends who were previously using it.
2. Compatibility
Nowadays, we can play games on various devices. In fact, some people can even play games on a calculator or a digital watch. Imagine that.
But normally, people play games on mobile devices, desktops, and consoles. A VPN that may work and support all these devices is definitely valuable. And it’s important because when you have a VPN that only supports certain devices, you’ll have to rebuy another VPN for them. It costs you time and money.
So, it’s better to have a VPN that has VPN protocols and supports for various devices. It’s even better when the connection can be used for more than one device.
3. Excellent Customer Support
We have to agree that not all providers may serve perfect services. And that’s when the customer support is definitely needed when something wrong happens. VPNs may not work sometimes, and there are many reasons that can cause it. During stressful times, good customer support will be there for you to explain the situation and look for solutions.