VPN for Gaming
Hide your IP from DDoS attacks, play on servers in other regions, and keep lag low with WireGuard and servers in 70 countries.
Why use a VPN for gaming?
Four common gaming problems, and what changes when your traffic goes through GatewayVPN.
DDoS attacks
Without a VPN: A rival pulls your IP from the lobby or voice chat and floods your connection mid-match.
With GatewayVPN: They only see the VPN server's IP, and server-side DDoS mitigation absorbs the attack.
Other regions
Without a VPN: Your friends play on US servers, but your location keeps routing you to EU matchmaking.
With GatewayVPN: Connect to a US server and join them. Servers in 70 countries.
ISP throttling
Without a VPN: Your ISP spots gaming traffic and slows it down at peak hours.
With GatewayVPN: Your traffic is encrypted, so your ISP can't tell it's gaming or single it out.
Public Wi-Fi
Without a VPN: On hotel or dorm Wi-Fi, others on the network can try to intercept your logins.
With GatewayVPN: AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption keep game logins and store payments unreadable.
How a VPN protects you from DDoS attacks
A DDoS attack floods your IP address with junk traffic until your connection drops. Attackers find your IP through peer-to-peer matchmaking, hosted lobbies, voice chat and IP-logging links. GatewayVPN protects you in two layers.
Hide your IP
Everyone in the match sees the VPN server's IP instead of yours. With no home IP to aim at, attackers can't reach your router.
Absorb the flood
If someone attacks the server IP instead, GatewayVPN's DDoS mitigation filters the junk traffic so the server, and your session, stay online.
What a VPN can't stop: attacks on the game's own servers. If a publisher's servers go down, every player is affected, with or without a VPN.
Does a VPN lower your ping?
Usually not. Your traffic takes an extra stop at the VPN server, so the server's location decides your ping.
A server close to the game server adds a few milliseconds. One on the other side of the world adds hundreds. If your ISP routes game traffic on a detour, a well-placed server can even lower it.
Try it: you're in Paris, the game server is in Frankfurt. Pick a VPN server:
Figures are illustrative. Real ping depends on your ISP, distance and the game's servers.
GatewayVPN features built for gaming
What works for you at each point of a gaming session.
Get a fast connection
- WireGuard, picked first by automatic protocol selection
- Fastest server in one tap
- Ping in the server list (Android, iOS)
- Servers in 70 countries, close to game servers
Stay in the game
- DDoS mitigation filters attack traffic on the server
- Kill switch keeps your IP hidden if the VPN drops (Windows, macOS, Android)
- Auto-reconnect gets you back online on its own
Download and stream freely
- Unlimited bandwidth for game downloads and patches
- 5 devices at once: PC, phone and a router for your console
Split tunneling for gaming
Choose which apps use the VPN. Two ways to set it up, depending on what you want.
Only the game goes through the VPN
Hide your IP in matches while voice chat, browsing and streams keep your regular connection.
- Your game VPN
- Voice chat Direct
- Web browser Direct
Everything but your downloads
Keep every app protected, and let a launcher pull a 100 GB update at your full line speed.
- Your game VPN
- Voice chat VPN
- Game launcher Direct
Windows, macOS and Android: Settings › Split tunneling › choose Exclude apps or Include apps › add apps.
Learn more about split tunneling →Gaming on every device
One account covers up to 5 devices at once: your gaming PC, your phone and your console.
PC
The full gaming setup: WireGuard, kill switch and split tunneling.
- How
- GatewayVPN app
- Protocol
- WireGuard
Mobile
Ping shown in the server list, so you pick the best server before you queue.
- How
- GatewayVPN app
- Free trial
- 7 days
Console
PlayStation, Xbox and Switch connect through a router running GatewayVPN.
- How
- Router setup · counts as 1 device
- Protocol
- OpenVPN · slightly higher ping
How to set up a VPN for gaming
Four steps, about two minutes.
Get GatewayVPN
Download the app for Windows, macOS, Android or iOS and sign in. For consoles, follow the router setup guide instead.
Connect near the game server
Pick a server in the same region as the game server. Not sure where it is? Tap Fastest server.
Launch your game
Start the game with the VPN connected. Other players now see the server's IP, not yours.
Check your ping
Compare in-game ping with the VPN on and off. If it's much higher, switch to a server closer to the game server.
Lag after connecting?
- Switch to a server closer to the game server, not to you.
- Make sure Automatic Protocol is on (Settings › Network Protocol), so the app uses WireGuard.
- Exclude your launcher with split tunneling while it downloads.
- Still stuck? Contact support, available 24/7.
Can you get banned for using a VPN?
VPNs are legal in most countries, and protecting your connection won't get you banned. The risk depends on what you use the VPN for.
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Low risk
Protecting your connection
Hiding your IP from DDoS attacks, gaming on public Wi-Fi, avoiding throttling, and joining friends where the game lets you pick a region.
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Check the rules
Ranked play and region-locked games
Some anti-cheat systems block VPN connections in ranked queues or flag sudden region changes. Playing games not released in your country can break the publisher's terms.
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Against store terms
Buying games at another region's price
Stores like Steam prohibit disguising your location to get cheaper regional pricing. Accounts can be restricted for it.
Rules differ by game and store, so check the terms of service. This isn't legal advice.
Play every match with your IP hidden
DDoS mitigation, WireGuard and servers in 70 countries.
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 5 devices at once
- Same price at renewal
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to what people ask most about using a VPN for gaming.
Still have a question?
Our support team is available 24/7 and usually replies within 30 minutes.
Contact support →Yes, for protection and access. A VPN hides your IP from DDoS attacks and other players, lets you join servers in other regions, secures you on public Wi-Fi and can stop ISP throttling. It usually won't lower your ping, so connect to a server close to the game server.
A server near the game server typically adds only a few milliseconds. A server far from both you and the game server can add hundreds. GatewayVPN connects with WireGuard by default to keep the overhead low. See how server location affects ping.
Yes, in two ways. Other players only see the VPN server's IP, so they can't target your home connection. And if someone attacks the server IP, GatewayVPN's DDoS mitigation filters the traffic. A VPN can't stop attacks on the game's own servers.
One in the same region as the game server. If you're not sure where the game server is, use Fastest server. On Android and iOS, the server list also shows each server's ping.
Yes, through your router. Consoles can't run VPN apps, so set GatewayVPN up on a router with a built-in VPN client and connect your console to it. The router counts as one of your 5 devices and uses OpenVPN, so ping can be slightly higher than with WireGuard on a PC. Read the router setup guide.
Not for protecting your connection. Some games block VPNs in ranked play, and stores like Steam prohibit using a VPN to buy games at another region's price. Check the game's and store's terms. See what's allowed.
Yes. GatewayVPN encrypts all traffic from your device, launchers included. To download large updates at your full line speed, exclude the launcher with split tunneling on Windows, macOS or Android.
The kill switch is available in the Windows, macOS and Android apps. The iOS app doesn't have one.
The Android and iOS apps include a 7-day free trial. Every plan also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.