VPN for games on PC: ping, routes and locations
With a VPN, every packet goes to our server before it reaches the game server. On a good connection, ping therefore rises a little. In 3 cases the VPN can still help a game. A 5-minute test on your own game shows whether yours is one of them.
3 cases where a VPN can help in games
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A poor route at your provider
Some providers send game traffic over a busy link, and ping rises every evening. Through a nearby location, the packets take another path. That path may give a steadier ping.
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A network that allows only web pages
Some hotel and guest networks load websites but block game clients and voice chat. With the VPN on, all this traffic goes inside one connection to our server.
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Your home IP hidden from other players
Some games and voice apps connect players directly. In that case, other players can see the IP address you play from. With the VPN on, they see the address of our server.
Ping through a VPN: one path in 2 parts
Through the VPN, each packet travels in 2 parts. The first part runs from you to the location you chose. The second part runs from that location to the game server. A location near you, or on the way, adds little time.
A location far from both points adds a long extra distance. Example: you play from Toronto on a server in the eastern US. Through a location in Europe, each move crosses the Atlantic twice. Ping falls only when the path through our server is faster than the route of your provider.
A 5-minute ping test in 4 steps
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Note your ping without the VPN
Many online games show ping on the scoreboard or in a network overlay. The overlay is usually enabled in the game settings. Play a match and note the number.
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Play through a nearby location
Install the app and press Connect. Without a subscription, this first press opens the Buy Ben's VPN window. Choose a plan there and pay. If you have already paid, press Sign in to account. The button is below Already have a subscription? in that window. Then press Location and choose the Fastest tile. The app chooses a location near you. Play a match and compare the ping with the first number.
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Try a location near the game server
Some games name their server region, for example Western Europe or US East. Find a location in that region with Find location. The app connects to it as soon as you choose it, because Automatically connect when changing location is ticked by default. Change locations between matches, not during one. The game loses its connection for a moment while the VPN reconnects.
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Keep the faster option
If a location gives a lower ping than usual, play through it. After the test, the Previous tile returns you to the location you had before. If both locations are slower and the game works in your country without a VPN, press Disconnect.
The whole gaming PC through the VPN
Ben's VPN has a Windows app and a Mac app, plus a Linux version. With Tunnel → Split tunneling set to Off, the whole computer uses the VPN. The launcher, the game, voice chat and the browser all take one route. None of them needs settings of its own.
On Windows, the app can start with the system. The option is Account → Settings → Autostart → Launch the app on system startup. A launcher opened before the VPN connected keeps its old connections. Restart it after you connect.
The Linux version also runs on a Steam Deck in desktop mode. The steps are in the guide to Ben's VPN on the Steam Deck.
Separate guides for specific games
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VPN for Roblox
A nearby location for Roblox. On Android, the game can also bypass the VPN completely.
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VPN for Brawl Stars
Playing the phone game from Russia or Belarus. The guide also covers roaming on a trip there.
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VPN for Steam
Large downloads through a nearby location and online matches. Your store country stays the same.
Each location has a speed tag from 100 MBIT to 10 GBIT. The tag shows the speed class of that location. It matters for a 60 GB patch and much less for a match. A match sends little data, so ping depends mainly on distance.
Plans with no device limit
All countries are open during the trial, and the test above needs nothing more. The trial is available once. Run the test on the connection you play on.
Bonus months come with purchases on this site. Refunds follow our refund policy. Send the request within 14 days of payment.
Questions about ping, protocols and consoles
Support 24/7: the chat on this site, Telegram @bensvpn and [email protected].
Should I choose a lower-latency protocol?
The app has no protocol switch, and you do not need one. Ben's VPN chooses among VLESS + REALITY, XHTTP, Hysteria2 and Shadowsocks and also sets the route. For ping, the setting that matters is the location.
How do I check where the servers of a game are?
Check the game first. Many games show the region in the lobby, the server browser or the network settings. If the game does not show it, its support pages or player forums usually list the regions. Choose a location in that region or between you and it.
A game will not connect while the VPN is on. What can I do?
Some games and anti-cheat systems reject connections from VPN servers. Try another location first. If that fails, open Account → Settings → Server Replacement and press Replace Servers. The IP addresses then change in every location at once. Your other devices may need to reconnect after that. If the game still refuses, play it with the VPN off.
Can my PlayStation, Xbox or Switch use the VPN?
Only through a router. Consoles have no app of their own. On supported Keenetic and Netcraze models, Ben's VPN runs on the router itself. There it can cover only the devices you choose, for example the console. The app also installs on OpenWrt and MikroTik routers. On any of these routers, your account needs an e-mail address. Any other router can connect over PPTP or OpenVPN, with settings from the account page on this site. See VPN on your router.
Start for 3 days, then decide
The trial costs $0.50 and opens all 187 countries and every app.
