The best VPN for gaming

Get the fastest gaming VPN

Gaming online with a VPN can help to lower ping, minimize lag, and enhance connectivity.

Whether you’re at school, traveling abroad, or using a public Wi-Fi network, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for gaming.

Risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee

Here's why ExpressVPN is the best gaming VPN

In addition to being one of the fastest VPN services around for gaming, ExpressVPN also offers the following essentials for online gamers:

Four falling dots.

Powerful protection

Mask your IP and avoid DDoS attacks. Benefit from 256-bit AES, leak protection, a kill switch, and split tunneling.

Speedometer.

Boosted connectivity

Enjoy unlimited, premium bandwidth. Minimize ping and lag with VPN servers in 105 countries.

Swipe gesture through buffering icon to illustrate going past throttled internet connection.

Bypass throttling

Limit your ISP from slowing your connection. With a VPN, data can’t be inspected, so your bandwidth won’t be throttled.

Video game buttons.

Access more online

Get the latest DLC and games from early launch date countries. Play games even if they’re censored where you are.*

Access content you want on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and other devices.

Play on all devices

Whether you prefer to play on a PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, tablet, or phone, ExpressVPN has you covered.

Two computer monitors linked by a gradient circle.

Game without borders

No matter where you are around the world, simply change your region and play together with your friends.*

How to game with ExpressVPN

What is a gaming VPN?

A gaming VPN, or virtual private network, is a secure tunnel between your gaming device and the internet. Gaming online with a VPN can help with optimizing speed and stability, provide security against DDoS attacks, and protect against ISP throttling.

A game device connecting directly to a server through a VPN tunnel.

How does a VPN reduce ping?

Ping, or latency, refers to the time it takes for information—in this case, packets of data—to be sent from your machine to a server and its subsequent response time. Ping is measured in milliseconds, so the lower the ping number, the faster the connection.

Shorter connection routes between your device and gaming servers are preferable for lowering ping as they reduce any noticeable delays between your actions and what happens in-game. Using a VPN can help to shorten this route by connecting to a VPN server closer to the gaming server.

What is a good ping for gaming?

What is a good ping for gaming?

A good ping can vary across what games you're playing or your playing style. It is important to note that it is impossible to achieve 0 ping. That said, here's a general outline of ping speeds:

Under 20ms

Exceptional
This usually means clean, crisp visuals and quick reaction times. Gamers should not be experiencing lag.

20ms-50ms

Very good
The most common range for gamers looking for smooth and responsive gameplay on local or regional servers.

50ms-100ms

Fair
Gamers connecting to international servers are often in this range. Expect occasional lag and some dip in performance.

100ms-300ms

Poor
While not unplayable, pings in this range can be extremely annoying. Expect lags during gameplay and pixelation in graphics.

Over 300ms

Bad
To some gamers, pings in this range are absolutely unplayable. Gamers will notice lag, delays in response times, and stuttering in graphics.

Whether you’re slaying demons, building strange new worlds, or taking your team to the playoffs, get more out of the most popular gaming titles. ExpressVPN makes it more enjoyable to play all your favorite games anywhere, anytime with your friends across the world.

Various gaming consoles and devices.

Get ExpressVPN for
all gaming devices

ExpressVPN offers easy-to-use apps to enhance gaming on your platform of choice. Alternatively, the ExpressVPN app for compatible routers lets you secure every device in your network, including gaming consoles that can’t install a VPN directly.

If you’re using a gaming console for live or on-demand video, ExpressVPN’s included MediaStreamer service can help you unlock the games and content you want* with no buffering, but it does not offer the privacy and other benefits of a VPN.

Amazon Luna+ and Ubisoft+ gaming channels.

Get an edge with a VPN for cloud gaming

Much like streaming platforms, cloud gaming services stream games directly from remote servers to a variety of compatible devices, circumventing the need for high-end gaming machines—which means access to more games no matter your device of choice! ExpressVPN is perfect for upgrading your cloud gaming experience, no matter what platform you’re on.

Gaming setup guides

Take your online gaming experience a step further with our gaming guides.

Can I use a free VPN for gaming?

Free proxy services are not recommended for gaming online as they do not offer the same privacy and security benefits of a paid VPN. Many do not work as advertised, some may even sell your data, and most will leave your networks vulnerable to attack.

Read more about free proxy services vs. VPNs.

Paid VPN vs. free VPN
Express VPNExpressVPNMost free VPNs

Monthly data limit

Unlimited

10GB

Number of countries with servers

105

<10

Customer support

24/7 live chat

Email

Compatible devices

All popular devices

Desktop and mobile

Tracks your online activity

Never

Maybe

Simultaneous connections

8

1

Custom VPN protocol

Lightway

None

Download ExpressVPN
on all your devices

A single ExpressVPN subscription lets you download a VPN for every popular platform. Need a VPN for multiple devices? Set up ExpressVPN on everything you own, and use it on eight at the same time.

Download ExpressVPN apps.

FAQ: Gaming VPN

* While you can use a VPN to change your apparent location while gaming or streaming, doing so may violate copyright or infringe upon the content provider’s Terms of Use and the ExpressVPN Terms of Service. As a privacy and security tool, ExpressVPN is designed so that no one can see or control what you do when connected to our VPN service—not even us. So you are responsible for verifying that your use complies with all relevant terms and laws.

ExcellentRated 4.5 out of 5 based on 23352 reviews

What gamers say about us

NickolasEdmunds Twitter avatar.

@expressvpn I was able to get the service i needed for gaming 10/10 all platforms thx well worth service i needed!

User HUMECHGAMES recommending ExpressVPN for Apple TV.

Wow, @expressvpn thank you for the stable connection, allowing me to stream and game with minimal issues on my rural connection!

First #vpn to do that well for me.

User SKY_MASTERS737 recommending ExprssVPN for Nvidia Shield.

Yeet! Yup. Its the fastest VPN I’ve ever used to date. I dont even bother switching it off for gaming anymore. Hardly notice it.

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Try the risk-free VPN for gaming

Take advantage of our risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee:

If you’re not satisfied using ExpressVPN, contact Support within 30 days and get a full refund.