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Gamers are promised lower ping one moment and protection from attacks the next. Here is what is true, what is a myth and when turning on a tunnel really makes sense.
Does a VPN lower ping
Usually not. Traffic goes through an extra point, so the path gets longer and ping more often rises.
There is an exception. Providers do not always pick the best route to a game server, and sometimes a VPN gives a more direct path. It can only be checked by measuring: look at in-game ping without the VPN, then with the VPN in the chosen country.
When a VPN can help
- Playing with friends from another region. Connecting from another country can change the available servers and matchmaking.
- Releases in different regions open at different times; service terms depend on the publisher.
- Network address. In games that show a player's address, opponents see the VPN server's address, not your home one.
What matters more than ping
Stability. Latency spikes are more noticeable in a game than a constant 60 ms. A route through a VPN is sometimes smoother than the home one and sometimes worse: you need to test it.
How to test it for your game
- Choose an available country where, as far as you know, the game servers are located.
- Check ping in the game itself, not in a browser test: the routes differ.
- If ping rises a lot, try a neighbouring country or another network.
Split tunneling for games
The general idea: let the game go directly while the browser and downloads use the VPN. Whether the feature exists depends on the app and platform, so check it in your app. More in our article on split tunneling.
What not to expect
A VPN does not increase the performance of your device or fix a game server. Its effect on ping, speed and stability depends on the route and network conditions; compare results in the game with and without the VPN.
Related reading
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