How to improve your gaming experience with a VPN

Posted on Aug 14, 2018 by Jayson Q.

There are many webpages that you can read online which will detail why you should use a VPN whilst gaming with claims such as it will solve latency (ping) issues, allow access to regional DLC and games earlier and various other claims. A VPN will not magically solve latency issues or make you an amazing gamer. However a VPN can improve your gaming experience in a number of ways.

1. Cheaper Regional Availability

As we demonstrated in our How to get cheaper flights with a VPN guide, online stores have their own regional data and prices. Some regions have higher prices which a VPN can help reduce. Additionally some countries have limitation on specific games which can be bypassed with a VPN.

This can be easily resolved by logging out of your marketplace account, switch VPN servers to a new country, then log back in. The prices should instantly update to reflect your virtual location.

2. Ensure your Security and Privacy

A lot of games expose your IP whilst gaming and this means your digital identity is compromised. In a worst case scenario targeted attacks can occur such as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) or SWAT’ing.

Best practices dictate that you should always protect your digital identity where possible and VPN usage is part of the toolset.

3. Bypass ISP Throttling

ISPs sometimes throttle or traffic shape and give lower priority to online gaming traffic. It’s unfortunate but it does happen.

You can bypass ISP level throttling or traffic shaping by using a VPN which encrypts your traffic. This means your ISP won’t be able to tell if you’re playing a game or paying your bills.

At Private Internet Access we understand the needs of gamers however a VPN is for security and privacy purposes and won’t magically improve your connection speeds, reduce your ping times or make you an unstoppable force of nature.

Maybe you’ll see our Support Staff floating lurking around Fortnite or Mortal Kombat. If you fancy your chances, feel free to add us on PSN or Xbox Live with the gamertag PIASupport.