VPNs are often associated with increasing anonymity and cyber protection or with watching geo-restricted content on streaming services. The reality is, however, that the gaming industry is no less restrictive than streaming services, so doesn’t it make sense to use VPN for gaming?
Another myth about VPNs is that these are apps that you mostly use on your PC when VPNs for mobile devices are just as potent and represent a booming industry.
With both of these factors in mind, here are the top five reasons why you want to use VPN for mobile gaming in 2024.
Reducing lag and latency
Lag and latency are usually determined by your physical distance from the server in question; however, with modern internet connections and speeds, this is really not that big of a concern. If your internet connection is decent, why are you experiencing differences in the way games run based on the server you’re playing on?
This is really simple: some games discriminate against players based on their location to preventively protect their servers. In all games, including mobile games, some servers are deemed more prestigious than others. Just think about League of Legends and the fact that being a challenger in NA and being a challenger in Korea is not the same thing.
If there were no discrimination of this type, everyone would play on the most prestigious server. In other words, even though you have a connection that could make the latency caused by the distance null and void, the company is preventively discouraging you from playing on that particular server.
By installing a VPN on your mobile device and choosing a server closer to the server that you’re playing on, you’ll actively avoid this sort of lag and latency discrimination. Here, you can find the best VPN for mobile devices, reviewed by Technopedia specialist Nick Saraev.
Avoiding ISP throttling
Sometimes, your internet service provider will throttle your internet in order to preserve their network. They do this to anyone they deem is using too much data at that given point, but there’s a problem with this, and it’s quite substantial. Namely, while they claim that it’s about data, they don’t really focus on data (at least not all the time).
Instead, they try to identify your activity and, based on this, they “anticipate” your data use. In other words, they catch you uploading, streaming, or, in some cases, gaming, and they’ll put you into this high-data-consumption category. This means that they’ll throttle your internet and slow down your connection even if you’re not using that much data.
There’s a way to avoid this with the use of VPN.
If this is the case (where they throttle based on activity and not data use), a VPN is a solution to your problem. While your ISP will still be able to see how much data you’re using, they won’t be able to see your activity.
In other words, while it doesn’t protect you from all forms of ISP throttling, it does protect you from this most nonsensical and unjust form. To sum it up, in some scenarios, a VPN will help you maintain a steady connection while gaming on your mobile device.
Access to geo-restricted games
There are so many geo-restricted mobile games, some of which you’ll only be able to access with a VPN.
Even games as big as Brawl Stars and Among Us can be geo-restricted. This is why having a VPN is your only option. Also, think about it this way: modern video games are a form of socialization, and for a lot of people, their social circle consists of people from all over the globe.
You have friends you made in your favorite streamer’s community, on your political forum, or on Reddit. You don’t want to be left out just because a game is restricted in your region, and you don’t want to download a VPN.
This problem exists on other platforms as well. For instance, Nintendo Switch has a store that’s not available in a lot of countries. This means that you have to buy physical copies of the game or use a VPN to get around it. Also, just look at what recently happened with Nintendo Accounts and Helldivers 2, where a lot of people who actually bought the game were unable to play because their region didn’t support the Playstation Store.
A VPN can make all these problems go away.
Bypassing IP bans
The default ban in a video game is for the moderation team just to ban your account. The logic behind this is that, while you can just make a new account, you’ll lose all your progress, and that should be enough of a punishment. Some people, however, are so toxic that the team just might want to remove them from the community permanently.
Now, we’re not suggesting that you actively try to avoid bans, but there are instances where you are unjustly banned, and finding a way around it might just help you avoid this injustice.
As we’ve already mentioned, gaming moderators are sometimes afraid that gamers will look for ways to avoid account bans by registering new accounts. This is why they ban IP, and they believe that this way, a person creating a new account won’t be able to join.
This won’t hold true if you use a VPN to change your IP. On some older modem versions, turning your internet modem off and on again would reset it; however, this no longer works with some of the newer modem versions. Moreover, doing it with a VPN is just simpler, more efficient, and more elegant.
Some games are just better with a VPN
There are some mobile games that are just better with a VPN.
Some games, like Genshin Impact, restrict you to your local server, and the servers in question do not display a sufficient level of consistency. Different servers perform better at different times. If you just want to enjoy the game at peak performance, with a VPN, you can switch a few servers to find what you need.
Games with huge audiences can sometimes have crowded servers, and the only way to ensure that you’re not dropped or that you cannot connect is with a VPN. These games often have silent quotas that only allow a certain number of people from each server region to join (so that they can always have a global audience).
Then, there’s the e-sports aspect of gaming. Some tournaments are region-specific, and you can only join if you are from your home region. Well, while this is technically cheating, you might be from a region that doesn’t host too many tournaments per year. Why not try your luck or just hone your skills elsewhere?
The bottom line is that some games have roadblocks that you need a VPN to move past. It’s a low-effort move with a high payoff.
VPNs can help you play these games in an optimal way
Ultimately, VPNs will help you get the most out of each of these games. You’ll get lower lag and latency, less ISP throttling, and a cunning way to avoid IP bans. You’ll also have a way to avoid geo-restrictions and play these games the way you want to play them. Ultimately, some games have complex server systems that you can take advantage of if you use a VPN.
