Most gamers are skeptical about using VPNs because there’s an untrue myth going around that VPNs slow down your internet connection. In reality, this depends on the VPN service you’re using. VPNs can sometimes even increase your internet speed.
You see, some Internet Providers can cap users’ download speeds to avoid congestion, and a VPN service can help you override this.
Keep on reading the rest of the article to find out more gaming benefits you can get from using a VPN on your console.
But before we get to that, let’s back up a bit. Firstly, what exactly is a VPN, and how does a VPN work for gaming?
VPN Basics
To understand the benefits of a VPN for your gaming console, first, you have to know the basics of how a VPN works. A VPN is a virtual private network service that encrypts your internet traffic and changes your IP address to one from a different location, by connecting you to remote servers that the service provides.
This means a good VPN service can give you total online security and complete anonymity online. Not only that, but VPNs can help you override geo-restrictions imposed by websites and services. Or you can bypass regulations made by totalitarian governments that are trying to censor online information and ban access to specific websites and apps.
So why does any of this matter for gaming on a console? Because depending on where you live, you might have limited access to content from the store of the console brand you’re using.
But a VPN helps you access games that might be restricted in your country.
Unblock games that are banned in your country
There are tons of popular games banned in some countries. For instance, Saudi Arabia bans all Pokemon games. Mortal Kombat has been banned in Australia, South Korea, and some parts of Germany. Rockstar’s Bully was banned in Brazil, the UK, and the USA. PUBG is banned in Gujarat and India. And the list goes on.
The way this works is Internet service providers (ISPs) use your IP address to determine what content is available to you online. So, if you want to download, play or watch somethings that that’s banned in your country, all you have to do is change your IP address to one from a different country.
Luckily, that’s easy to do with a stable VPN. Just connect the VPN to your console and then select a server from a different country. Your IP address will instantly change to one from that country, and your ISP won’t be able to know. So, you’ll get to play all the games you want.
If a game is banned on a specific platform, like how Apple and Google banned Fortnite, you can’t do anything about it. You can only access it if the game is somehow available on your platform in a different country.
With a good VPN, you can also unblock new streaming content from platforms like Netflix, Amazon Video Prime, or Disney Plus straight from your console.
But what else can you do with a VPN on your gaming console?
Keep your online details safe
One of the main benefits a VPN can have on your digital life is security. Most people use VPNs to keep all their private information safe. When using a reliable VPN service, all your online information like banking details, emails, pictures, and passwords are kept safe even from the world’s most skilled cyber-criminals.
And the same goes for your banking details stored by the PlayStation Store, the Microsoft Store, or the Nintendo store.
Once a hacker knows your IP address, they can use your credit card information, find out where you live, and access all the social media and email accounts you have linked to your console. But with a powerful VPN encryption, nobody can crack your router and access any of your personal information.
Protection from DDoS attacks and hackers
Gaming consoles are typically secure, but that doesn’t mean you’re 100% shielded from hacking, phishing attempts, DDoS attacks, or serious data collection.
Luckily, a VPN can be the perfect tool to stop DDoS attacks on PlayStation or Xbox.
You see, when somebody knows your IP address, they can launch a DDoS attack on you, which overcharges your internet connection. This makes it impossible for you to use the internet. So, you won’t be able to play anything online or use any online features.
But since a VPN channels your internet traffic through an encryption tunnel, it hides your real IP address. So hackers won’t be able to target you. Instead, they’d see an IP from a remote server, and the attack won’t have any effect on you.
Get early access to games
Games typically release at the same time in every country. But since we live in different time-zones, all of us get access to newly released games at different times. That’s why many US gamers, for instance, use VPNs on their consoles to connect to servers from New Zeeland or Australia.
Since the New Zeeland time-zone is ahead of America, they get to play new games almost a day in advance.
If you ever wondered, “Do pro gamers use VPN?” the answer is yes. That’s how many YouTubers get to play games ahead of time. But they also do it, so nobody steals their data and to get faster internet speeds.
Improve ping in online games
If you’re an online gamer, you probably already know how important ping is. Ping is the responsiveness of your controls to your display.
So basically, the lower ping you have, the faster your controls communicate with your display. And low ping also reduces lag. Therefore, improving the responsiveness from your device to the servers of the game you’re playing.
So, does VPN reduce ping? Yes. A reliable VPN service with high speed and quality servers can definitely improve your internet speed and lower lag and ping. ISP connections tend to slow down because of congestion, but with a good VPN, you can connect to a server with fewer people online to get better speeds.
The Best gaming console VPN
CyberGhost VPN is one of the best VPNs for gaming out there. You can set-up your VPN connection directly on your router, and if your console is connected to your Wi-Fi network, it will instantly be protected. CyberGhost offers over 6200 servers from 90+ countries worldwide. We have the latest VPN protocols available, including WireGuard®, IKEv2, L2TP/IPsec, or OpenVPN, and we use military-grade encryption to keep your data safe. Plus, our 100% no-logs policy ensures we never record any of your data, so you’ll be completely anonymous online.
Try out CyberGhost VPN now by clicking on the link. You’re not risking anything because you’re covered by a 45-days money-back guarantee period.
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