2022’s 5 Best VPN Services for Gaming

A VPN allows you to circumvent filters and firewalls and let you access gaming storefronts from different countries. It also allows you to remain secure while on public networks, and it offers access to communities and games that don't rely on a low-latency connection. As a bonus, a VPN also has the ability to remove certain geo-restrictions for streaming platforms, which means you can hit up Disney+ or Netflix in your country of choice.

A VPN basically just acts as a tunnel; it allows you to tunnel through your normal network and pop out wherever the VPN has you stationed. This also means that exact performance is going to depend almost entirely on your point of origin, how the servers are running at the time, and a litany of other smaller factors. This means that predicting exact speeds or performance with a VPN is going to be nearly impossible, since your individual results will likely vary wildly. With that in mind we’re going to be looking at how feature-rich and secure VPN providers are to determine if you should add them to your list of potential candidates to test.

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is a US-based VPN that offers anonymous payment methods, does not log any traffic or DNS requests, and accepts cryptocurrency. In late 2019 they were acquired by Kape Technologies, which has raised some red flags for the security conscious due to their very questionable past in the security world. But as of yet, no known foul play has come out of PIA since their acquisition, and they remain one of the stronger contenders in the VPN space as far as features and speed go. Some remain suspicious of both their new parent company and status as a US-based company, but they continue to provide solid, affordable, and, by all accounts, speedy service.

Related: 2022’s 6 Best Big and Tall Gaming Chairs

Mullvad

Mullvad launched out of Sweden back in 2009 and uses the WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols. The WireGuard protocol in particular provides better speed over the likes of IPsec and even OpenVPN, and Mullvad was one of the first VPN providers to adopt the technology. They also have a strong reputation in the security world, backed by their openness about their operation and logging. They also accept Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash and do not require an email, so you can stay truly anonymous even when paying for your VPN service. If you’re after a reliable, non-US, privacy forward VPN service, then it’s hard to go wrong with Mullvad.

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a PrivacyTools verified VPN (along with Mullvad and IVPN) based out of Switzerland that offers Bitcoin payments, over 1200 servers, and service in 55 countries. They don’t log traffic but do log timestamps and require an email address to access their support team, so full anonymity is a bit tough. That said, they’re a highly reputable service in the VPN space and also operate ProtonMail, which is often touted as one of the most secure email services on the market.

IVPN

IVPN is coming out of Gibraltar and has been in operation since 2009, with no logging, crypto payment options, and a well-deserved reputation in the VPN world. They’ve submitted to multiple types of audits and security testing by an independent security firm and have a very readable privacy policy. They do offer WireGuard, but it’s still only in beta as of the time of writing. If you’re just after a no-frills VPN with a high level of security, then IVPN is very well trusted.

Mozilla VPN

Mozilla VPN is a relative newcomer in the VPN space, launching in July 2020, and it’s owned and operated by the Mozilla Foundation. While you may or may not use Mozilla products, such as Firefox, the Mozilla foundation has been a very strong, driving force in the free software community and continues to push for a more open and accessible internet. Mozilla VPN has been audited independently by security firm Cure53, who found some vulnerabilities. But Mozilla quickly addressed them and made the reports publicly accessible a short time later. Mozilla VPN uses WireGuard and optional multi-hop servers for increased security (at the cost of speed). Despite being one of the newer services, they’ve already shown a decent record of reliability and security.

Related: When does the PlayStation VR2 come out?

Where is NordVPN?

Chances are you’ve heard the name NordVPN before. They’ve been a very active sponsor on YouTube and pop up frequently in the podcasting space. And while they’re certainly a very well-known company they’ve also run into quite a few security issues in recent years that knocks them out of the running. In early 2019 they suffered an attack that resulted in a leaked private key (a huge problem from a security standpoint), and their response was slow at best. Later that same year, they suffered a separate attack that resulted in the theft of thousands of usernames and passwords. They have since claimed to re-commit to their security issues, but in the world of computer security, trust is earned very slowly.

So many different factors change how an individual VPN service will perform for you at an individual level that the best thing you can do is select a few and just try them out for a month at a time. Speeds will also change almost daily depending on all kinds of factors outside of your control, so patience and looking at a few weeks of usage, not a few minutes, will be the best way to determine what’s going to work for you.

For more hardware guides check out How to stream VR games on Twitch and Best Android Phones for Gaming on Pro Game Guides.

This article includes affiliate links, which may provide small compensation to Pro Game Guides.