Black Friday is finally here, bringing with it all sorts of juicy sales and discounts. Whether you’re finally buying that new console you’ve been waiting for, stocking up on new games and DLC for your ever-growing collection, or just upgrading your gaming accessories to the latest tech, Black Friday is the best time to do it (and save some cash in the process).
For all the online gamers out there, there’s another essential tool you should consider adding to your gaming arsenal: a VPN.
Today’s best VPNs are so much more than just privacy tools. They shield you from threats like DDoS attacks and swatting by keeping your real IP address hidden. Plus, with tons of VPN Black Friday deals out there for the taking, you can level up your online gaming security without breaking the bank. Keep reading, and I’ll highlight my standout deals – as well as how a gaming VPN is a must-have.
How does a VPN protect you when gaming?
A VPN’s main job is to encrypt your internet connection and route it through a secure server. This keeps your online activity hidden from snoopers – including your ISP and any nosy bad actors out there.
For gamers, however, this goes beyond improving your overall online anonymity. A VPN can safeguard your gaming sessions and ensure a smoother experience – and here’s how:
1. Masking your IP address
Every internet-connected device has an IP address. It tells websites and other users where you’re connecting from so that traffic can be directed back to your devices from the internet.
Unfortunately, this also makes it a potential target for hackers or trolls who want to disrupt your gaming session, as many P2P games broadcast your IP address while you’re sharing a session with them.
A VPN hides your IP address, essentially creating a “forwarding address” for your internet traffic that keeps your real location a secret from other gamers and general snoops.
2. Preventing DDoS attacks
This is the main reason you’ll want to hide your IP address. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are a gamer’s worst nightmare, and they’re more common than you might think.
Essentially, a hacker uses a network of computers they’ve compromised to knock you out of your gaming session by having each of them flood your connection with traffic.
VPNs solve this issue in two ways. First, VPN servers usually have advanced DDoS protection that identifies (and neutralizes) these attacks in real time. Secondly, even if you do get shut down by a DDoS attack, getting back into the game is as simple as connecting to a different server. Easy!
Take no chances
The internet is jam-packed with threats – from third-party snooping, censorship, and even VPN bans. Check out our guide to today’s best secure VPNs to see which services you can count on.
3. Protecting against swatting
Thankfully, swatting is far less common than DDoS, but it still happens. Swatting is a type of social engineering attack where someone falsely reports a serious crime at your location, sending law enforcement to your home to investigate.
Most swatting attacks are dealt with without significant consequences – but cutting your stream short to answer questions from the police is massively stressful.
By masking your IP address, a VPN makes it significantly harder for bad actors to find and misuse your personal information.
4. Accessing geo-restricted content
Some games, DLCs, or in-game events may be region-specific. This is particularly true of early-access beta programs – which often have staged rollouts across different global locations.
A VPN can spoof your location, however, and fool the sites, apps, and services you use into thinking you’re somewhere in the world. All you need to do is connect to a VPN server overseas.
This gives you access to content that might not be available in your local area. However, you should always read the terms of service beforehand and make sure that you’re not breaking any agreements with the online store or game provider by doing so!
The best Black Friday gaming VPN deals
This Black Friday, top VPN providers are slashing their prices, making it the ideal time to invest in a subscription and keep your gaming marathons running smoothly. Here’s a rundown of some of the best deals tailored for gamers: