Fastest gaming VPN

Fastest VPN connection with 6800+ ultra-fast servers in 111 countries
Play LAN multiplayer with our secure Meshnet feature
Bypass ISP throttling your bandwidth for gaming activities

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What is a gaming VPN?

Person uses gaming vpn on gaming console

A gaming VPN is a virtual private network (VPN) with features that are particularly useful for multiplayer gaming, like a fast internet speed, stable connection, and low lag. In addition to these general gaming VPN features, NordVPN also comes with Meshnet — a tool that lets you create virtual networks for LAN gaming over the internet with your friends.

Why do you need a VPN for gaming?

Friends are playing games online while using VPN

Play safely anywhere, at any time

Link up with others for virtual LAN parties
There’s no party like a LAN party — and NordVPN’s Meshnet safely brings all your friends right to your room, no matter where in the world they are. Powered by NordLynx, our flagship technology based on WireGuard®, Meshnet lets you directly connect to other devices to form your own secure virtual LAN. This gives the best option for online gaming between friends: better internet connection speed, less lag, same security as connecting to a VPN server.
Play online games on any platform
NordVPN supports all major platforms, including Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and even Android TV. If you want always-on protection on your consoles, install NordVPN on your router. A VPN router for gaming will protect all connected devices in your home with bulletproof encryption – including your gaming consoles.

Boost your gaming performance

Avoid bandwidth throttling
Everyone hates lag — especially when it blindsides you in the middle of a match. Unfortunately, internet service providers (ISPs) can strangle your connection based on your online traffic type, and this might include prolonged gaming sessions. If that’s the case, NordVPN can protect you from bandwidth throttling, reducing lag in the process.
Protect yourself from DDoS attacks
Our powerful gaming VPN protects your computer from unwittingly participating in or becoming a victim of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. If you become a target, simply connect to a different VPN server and evade the attack.

No-lag VPN for secure gaming

A no-lag VPN is a VPN that won’t cause your online games to jitter due to high latency. Latency is the delay between you pressing a button and game servers acknowledging your action. It’s measured in ping — the lower your ping, the better your gaming experience. Gamers are always on the lookout for a zero-lag VPN to boost online security without causing high ping.

Your multiplayer game will feel smooth as butter below 50 ms, but you’ll start noticing real lag at 150 ms or above. You can check your VPN connection with the OpenSpeedTest tool — try connecting to different server locations to find the best VPN country for you. With over 6800 ultra-fast VPN servers, NordVPN is as close to a true no-lag VPN that you can get.

Want to learn more about connection speed and online gaming? Read our article on internet speed for gaming.

Old-school LAN gaming with Meshnet

person plays multiplayer games on LAN with Meshnet enabled

LAN gaming

Local area network (LAN) gaming lets friends enjoy fast-paced multiplayer action in private matches. Many classic and current games support LAN play, but setting up LAN sessions over the internet can be quite tricky. Normally, you have two options:

Get direct internet access with a public IP address on your gaming device, which is not commonly offered by ISPs
Set up port forwarding on your router, which requires some technical expertise and requires the router owner’s permission (in rented properties)

But there’s now a third option. Meshnet lets you play multiplayer LAN without any complicated setup. Simply create a private encrypted network, invite your Meshnet buddies, and let loose. No muss, no fuss, no lag — just gaming in its purest form.

Best games to play over Meshnet

Minecraft
Stardew Valley
Starcraft
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Star Wars Battlefront 2
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Borderlands
…and many more

Take console gaming to the next level with NordVPN

NordVPN isn’t just for your gaming PC. Install NordVPN on your Wi-Fi router to protect your gaming experience on the Nintendo Switch, Oculus Quest, Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, and any other home console you own — or simply get a wireless VPN router with NordVPN pre-installed. This way, you’ll be able to avoid bandwidth throttling and enjoy encryption-powered security on unlimited devices.

How to choose the best VPN for gaming

Get a VPN that meets all your gaming needs.

Compatibility with every device

With NordVPN, you can protect your computer, phone, and even your router. Installing a VPN on your router lets you enjoy private internet access on unlimited devices — including every internet-connected gaming console you own.

No speed limits

NordVPN provides the fastest VPN experience on the planet with unlimited bandwidth, making it one of the best VPNs for gaming. Gain access to secure gaming without perceptibly impacting your network speed.

Huge number of servers

With over 6800 ultra-fast NordVPN servers in 111 countries, you can easily switch locations, avoid congestion, and try out different regional leagues.

Person gets familiar with additional NordVPN features

Unparalleled security

NordVPN provides state-of-the-art encryption for all of your online traffic and packs extra security features like Threat Protection, Kill Switch, and Dark Web Monitor.

Get more with our gaming VPN


Number of VPN servers:	6800+ in 111 countries
Protocols:	NordLynx, IKEv2/IPSec, OpenVPN
Data privacy:	No logs of your activities
Active devices per account:	10
Extra security features:	Threat Protection, Kill Switch, Dark Web Monitor, Meshnet, split tunneling

How to use a VPN for gaming

Download

Download NordVPN for your gaming device. NordVPN is available on all major platforms.

Connect

Click “Quick connect” to automatically pick the best available VPN server for speed.

Play

Gank, farm, or frag — get your game on safely.

Try the fastest gaming VPN risk-free

No loot boxes, no microtransactions. Just a sweet 30-day money-back guarantee — if you’re not satisfied, we’ll return the money, no questions asked.

Try NordVPN Now

Available on all major platforms

Download the fastest gaming VPN for your device and dive straight into secure online gaming.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best VPN for gaming?

The best gaming VPNs have wide networks of servers and lightning-fast VPN protocols — the VPN service you ultimately chose should have as little impact on your internet speed as possible. A nice selection of servers will allow you to use the VPN for gaming with your buddies in other countries or give you good connection speeds when playing locally.

NordVPN operates 6800 ultra-fast servers in 111 countries and comes with the revolutionary NordLynx protocol for top-tier multiplayer gaming speed. It also offers Meshnet for an easy way to set up LAN games with friends and additional security features to help you in your life outside of gaming. NordVPN’s performance and features have received praise from both cybersecurity experts and the gaming community, marking it as one of the best VPNs for gaming.

What is a good ping for gaming?

Anything below 150 ms is generally considered to be acceptable ping for multiplayer gaming, with 50 ms and below being especially desirable in pro matches. Go above 150 ms and you start noticing definite lag as you play. This is why when looking for the best gaming VPN, it’s good to use online speed tests to make sure security won’t interfere with your game.

What is DDoS in gaming?

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) is a cyberattack against gaming servers and player devices. In DDoS attacks, a host of bots bombard the target with requests, rapidly overwhelming it and bringing it offline. Some salty gamers resort to DDoS to boot opponents off the match and secure the win. The best VPN providers can protect you against DDoS in this case, as VPN servers hide your real IP address and absorb the brunt of the punishment.

Is a VPN good for gaming?

A VPN is good for many things, including gaming! In addition to protecting your privacy and preventing anyone from intercepting your data, a VPN will mitigate the effects of DDoS attacks. If you’re gaming VPN-free, you risk not only becoming a victim of a DDoS attack, but also unwittingly participating in one.

Keep in mind that while data encryption can have a slight impact on your internet connection speed, it might also prevent your ISP throttling you based on your traffic type and may even lead to less ping.

Do pro gamers use a VPN?

Professional online gamers are even more likely to use VPN services for gaming than regular users. They need stable speeds, so they must make sure their ISP won’t mess with their internet connection. But more importantly, they need protection from DDoS attacks that are prominent in the online gaming world.

Jealousy, competitiveness, or simply hate drives other players to team up and try to flood their opponent’s network and slow them down. But they need their victim’s IP address to do that, and using the best VPN services on the market hides it from other players.

Is there a free gaming VPN?

Never trust free VPN providers to secure your privacy while gaming. Free VPN providers cover their costs by exploiting their users with advertising malware, embedding third-party trackers in their software, and selling your bandwidth for a profit to their paid users. All the while choking connection speeds to coax you into a paid VPN service plan. It might even make you more prone to falling victim to hackers.

Premium VPN services are your best gaming VPN choice when it comes to online restrictions, high connection speeds, and DDoS attacks. The best VPNs for gaming also pack extra privacy features to let you play your favorite games with peace of mind.

Can a VPN reduce ping?

You shouldn’t expect low ping times or latency just because you’re using a VPN. In most cases, a VPN won’t improve your ping, although choosing the best gaming VPN for your circumstances shouldn’t visibly slow down your connection, either. However, a VPN service might improve your overall gaming experience if your ISP is throttling your internet connection speed based on the traffic type, such as online gaming.