The 5 Fastest VPNs for Online Gaming in 2023
Milliseconds can make the difference between winning and losing in online games. Enjoy lag-free gaming with these VPNs.
Last Updated on Sep 11, 2023
- Balanced latency and upload and download speeds
- Below 40 ms ping when connected to the nearest server
- Over 5,000 servers ensure access to fast connections anytime
- App allows for quick and convenient access to low-latency servers
- Kept the latency below 80 ms even when connected to faraway servers
- Offers OpenVPN and WireGuard for more security and IKEv2 for faster speed
- Customizable app and connection settings
- Option for lower encryption settings to enjoy better speeds
- Low download speed loss and latency gain
- With unlimited connections, everyone in your household can safely game at the same time
- Fast speeds mean no lags or hangups in gameplay
- Set it up on your router and protect all your gaming systems at once
If you’re an online gamer, whether for fun or professionally, you’ve surely invested in good gaming hardware, but that’s not the only thing you should invest in. You also need personal security tools, such as a VPN and antivirus software, for safer online gaming.
We’re going to focus on VPNs here. A virtual private network encrypts your online data packets and hides your IP address to prevent threats such as DDoS attacks — an online gaming menace more common than many people think.1 A VPN is also useful in hiding personal information, such as your location if you’re a popular streamer on platforms like Twitch.
Using a VPN can introduce additional latency to your network, however, due to the encryption and routing processes. It could also affect your download and upload speeds. In another guide, we discussed the best gaming VPNs, meaning the most balanced in terms of security and speed. Here we’ll give you the five fastest VPNs so you can stay safe without having to slow down.
The Fastest Gaming VPNs: Specs and Features
| System |
NordVPN
|
IPVanish
|
Private Internet Access VPN
|
ProtonVPN
|
Surfshark
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Ratings | 9.7/10 | 9.3/10 | 9.4/10 | 8.8/10 | 9.5/10 |
| VPN protocols | OpenVPN, NordLynx | OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 | OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 | OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 | OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2 |
| Average latency* | 78.3 ms | 78.8 ms | 86.7 ms | 78 ms | 135.8 ms |
| Average download speed loss | 5.78% | 4% | 4.84% | 8.18% | 7.76% |
| Average upload speed loss | 4.11% | 5.02% | 84.26% | 4.08% | 49.98% |
| Works on consoles? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Read Review | NordVPN Review | IPVanish Review | Private Internet Access VPN Review | ProtonVPN Review | Surfshark Review |
*Based on our VPN speed test results when connected to a server in Australia.
Summary of the Fastest Gaming VPNs
- NordVPN - Most balanced latency, upload, and download speeds
- IPVanish - Best for quick access to low-ping servers
- Private Internet Access VPN - Most customizable VPN for gamers
- ProtonVPN - Best VPN for responsive gaming
- Surfshark - Most reliable gaming VPN
What Makes These VPNs The Fastest?
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1. NordVPN - Most Balanced Latency, Upload, and Download Speeds
Product Specs
Multi-hop Yes Camouflage Mode Yes Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes NordVPN is a top-notch VPN in terms of privacy, but it also did incredibly well in our VPN speed test where we compared the speed of the highest-rated VPNs. That is largely thanks to its expansive network of almost 6,000 servers in 60 countries.
Much like in real estate, VPN speed is all about location, location, location. The closer you are to the VPN server, the faster your connection will be. When we connected to the nearest NordVPN server, our network’s latency spiked up to 36 milliseconds (ms), but it was still well within the recommended range for professional gaming.2
NordVPN on Mac Even when we connected to a NordVPN server a few thousand miles away, it managed to keep the latency at less than 80 ms while retaining about 95 percent of our original download and upload speed. Overall, it was the most balanced VPN in terms of latency, upload speed, and download speed. You need good readings in all those to enjoy a smooth playing experience, and NordVPN delivers in a big way.
Pros
- Global server availability
- Meshnet feature for virtual LAN gaming
- Lightweight NordLynx VPN protocol
- 10 Gbps servers
Cons
- Works best when connected via an Ethernet cable
- Pricier than other options
- Limit of six simultaneous connections
- Harder to set up on console
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2. IPVanish - Best for Quick Access to Low-Ping Servers
Product Specs
Multi-hop No Camouflage Mode No Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes, with uTorrent Much like NordVPN, IPVanish is a fast VPN that provides incredible latency, download speed, and upload speed. It kept our latency below 80 ms when connected to a server in Australia (one of the controls we used in our VPN speed test experiment), while reducing our download and upload speeds by only around 4 percent.
IPVanish works especially well for online gaming because it makes it easier to find the server with the lowest ping. There’s no guessing or trial and error involved. In the IPVanish app’s server menu, you can sort the servers based on their latency, from lowest to highest. Of course, you’ll want to choose the one with the lowest ping.
IPVanish Desktop App The app also shows how much load a server is currently carrying. A server with a higher load (70 percent or more) is more likely to experience slowdowns due to traffic congestion, so it’s best to choose a server with less than 40 percent load.
Not many VPN apps provide that much insight. Paired with the VPN’s excellent speed, it makes IPVanish one of the best and fastest VPNs for online gaming.
Pros
- High upload and download speeds
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Well-designed VPN app
- More than 75 server locations
Cons
- Pricier than other options
- Based in the U.S. (Five Eyes alliance member)
- Tends to be slower on Windows
- No servers optimized for gaming
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3. Private Internet Access VPN - Most Customizable VPN for Gamers
Product Specs
Multi-hop Yes Camouflage Mode No Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes One of the keys to online gaming success is being able to adapt. Every good gamer does it; they customize their video game controls, graphics, and a host of other features to better suit their playstyle. It makes sense, then, to choose a fast VPN that can adapt to different gaming scenarios.
Private Internet Access showed up with respectable results in our VPN speed test. It ranked sixth overall, with a download speed loss of less than 5 percent. It secured the fifth spot in terms of latency, and maintained an average ping of 86.7 ms.
Private Internet Access Connected Those weren’t the best speeds we’ve seen, but we tested Private Internet Access in its most secure configuration. More security means bigger speed loss. That’s the thing with Private Internet Access: It’s customizable to the point that you can make it the fastest VPN by changing a few settings.
You can choose from a number of VPN protocols, for example, some of which are faster than others. We particularly like the IKEv2 option for gaming. You can also reduce the encryption from the standard 256-bit AES to 128-bit AES. Not a lot of VPNs let you do that, giving Private Internet Access quite an edge in terms of customizability.
Pros
- Customizable and intuitive VPN app
- Fast speeds on Windows
- Affordable pricing
- Expansive server network
Cons
- Based in the U.S. (Five Eyes member)
- Hit-or-miss customer support
- Slower performance on Mac
- Most servers are concentrated in the U.S.
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4. ProtonVPN - Best VPN for Responsive Gaming
Product Specs
Multi-hop Yes Camouflage Mode Yes Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes Proton VPN was the fastest VPN in the two categories responsible for responsive controls when online gaming: upload speed and latency.
Think of it like this: Your upload speed is your car’s top speed, while the ping is its rate of acceleration. Your car needs to be good at both to win a race, in the way your network needs a good upload speed and low latency to be as fast as possible.
ProtonVPN App When we measured Proton VPN’s speed, it notched an upload speed reading of 95 Mbps on our 100 Mbps network. That’s a speed loss of about 4 percent compared to others that recorded a loss of more than 80 percent. It also recorded a 78 ms latency, which is half the ping of the slowest VPN in this category. Of course, download speed is important too. Proton VPN wasn’t the fastest in this category, but it maintained a respectable 86 Mbps on our 100 Mbps network.
Pros
- Annual transparency reports
- Fastest in terms of upload speed and latency
- Security-focused email, password manager, and calendar
- Lightweight app for mobile and PCs
Cons
- Can be expensive with the extras
- Fewer servers
- Relatively new browser extension
- Limited peer-to-peer availability
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5. Surfshark - Most Reliable Gaming VPN
Product Specs
Multi-hop Yes Camouflage Mode Yes Kill switch Yes Split Tunneling Yes Netflix Yes Torrenting Yes A fast VPN is good for gaming, but reliability is important too. You want a VPN that can deliver fast speeds consistently, even if you’re playing during peak hours. That’s where Surfshark’s high-capacity VPN servers come into play — not to mention its vast global availability.
Surfshark has over 3,000 servers spread evenly across 100 countries. All the servers support the WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols. On top of that, the servers have at least a 1 Gbps bandwidth capacity for each port. According to Surfshark, the company is adding servers with 10 Gbps capacity regularly.
Surfshark VPN Connected The bandwidth capacity measures how much traffic can pass through each server at a given time. If a server has low bandwidth capacity, users are more likely to experience slower speeds during peak hours. Meanwhile, with Surfshark’s 10 Gbps maximum bandwidth capacity, congestion is less likely to be a problem, resulting in more consistent speeds.
What We Like
- Up to 10 Gbps bandwidth per server port
- Easy-to-use app
- Extra-secure connections with Camouflage Mode
- Dedicated IP addresses are available
What We Don’t Like
- Lower upload speed than other options
- P2P servers are not super reliable
- Pricier monthly plans
- Not the fastest in establishing VPN connections (but fast once connected)
Summary
Using a VPN can help safeguard you from the many online dangers that exist in online gaming communities. If you’re worried it will affect your gameplay, there are fast VPNs that can deliver a smooth gaming experience while offering unmatched security. Check out our top picks to see which one works best for you, or read our guide to the best VPNs for more options. You can also check these other VPN recommendations for gamers:
FAQs
There are lots of questions and misconceptions about using a VPN when gaming, so let’s clear up a few things.
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Will using a VPN increase my internet speed?
In most cases, using a VPN will slow down your internet speed. That’s why choosing a fast VPN is crucial. If your internet provider takes part in ISP throttling, using a VPN could remove that throttle and improve your internet speed.
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What is the recommended speed for online games?
It depends on which online games you’re playing, but typically we recommend 5 Mbps upload and download speeds. If you’re a Twitch streamer, you need at least 10 Mbps for a smooth experience. You should also consider the latency of your network. Anything below 40 ms will give you smooth gameplay, while 40 to 90 ms is the average acceptable latency. Anything above 100 ms may cause some lag.
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Do VPNs work on consoles?
Yes, but you’ll most likely need to set up your VPN on your router. Most consoles don’t have native apps for VPNs. Rather, you’ll need to install the VPN on your router and connect your console to it to enjoy VPN features.
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Are VPNs expensive?
VPNs range in price from a couple of dollars per month to about $15 per month. Once you find a VPN you like, we recommend buying a long-term subscription (one year or longer) to get the best possible rate.
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Do online games allow VPN use?
Most online games allow the use of VPNs, but some are against it. It’s best to check with the game developer’s website.
Microsoft. (2023, Feb 17). DDoS Attacks in Gaming.
microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-life-hacks/privacy-and-safety/ddos-attacks-in-gamingAT&T Business. (2023). AT&T Dedicated Internet.
business.att.com/resources/knowledge-center/what-is-latency-impact-on-gaming-streaming.html