As a gamer, you probably go about your day thinking that a VPN isn’t something you need. If you enjoy gaming and believe that you should be having the highest quality experience, then maybe you should think again.
A VPN essentially will help hide your location and protect your information as it moves around the internet, according to Forbes. A VPN protects your data from potential hackers online, and brings with it many other bonuses!
Can you use a VPN on gaming devices?
If you have never used a VPN, or don’t exactly know what a VPN site looks like, see an example here on surfshark. It can seem a bit confusing when you first get one, and you may not even know if you can use it on your gaming system.
Most VPN providers have apps that can easily be installed on most of your platforms, including:
- Android
- iOS
- Mac
- Window
- Linux
However, if you are a gamer who uses a console, then it may be a bit more difficult. While it is still possible to use a VPN with consoles, they do need to be used with a router that has been configured with a VPN. If you are not tech-savvy enough, you can easily find a preconfigured one online.
How it can benefit you
Now that you know you can use a VPN for gaming, you may be wondering why you should even bother.
1. Geoblocking
The biggest reason why most people use a VPN for gaming is geoblocking. This is when certain content is restricted to a certain area. With a VPN you can have access to games that are banned in your area, or simply games that are only available in others. This is
especially handy during game releases because certain regions get access before others. With a VPN, waiting for your favorite games is a thing of the past.
2. DDoS Attacks
A huge problem, especially in the gaming industry is a DDoS attack (distributed denial of service attack). This is when so much malicious traffic is sent to a single network that it either slows down or completely stops working. Using a VPN makes it much harder to pinpoint your IP address, therefore making it very difficult to harm your gaming.
3. Bandwidth Throttling
An unfortunate thing that actually happens with very many ISPs (internet service providers) is bandwidth throttling. This means that they throttle, or slow down, the bandwidth of your service for any number of reasons. Sometimes this is done during certain times of the day to have less congestion. While other times it is done if they see too much certain traffic on a certain network, such as streaming or gaming. Having a VPN makes it much more difficult for your ISP to track what you are doing by encrypting your data. According to the NYTimes, the Covid-19 situation is not helping, with internet speeds slowing due to an increase in people being online. So there’s never been a better time to grab your VPN.
Final Thoughts
Installing a VPN on any device you want is only getting easier. Whether you are looking to get access to unreleased content or just want to have a better gaming experience, you can see why having a VPN on your gaming device is a good idea.