The best VPNs for gaming in Australia

Virtual private network (VPN) software is primarily used for greater online anonymity and security. But VPNs are multifaceted tools, which are great for streaming, plus certain VPNs are beneficial for online gaming.

For a great gaming VPN, the primary focus should be on a minimal impact to latency once connected, whether that’s in Australia or stretching out to opposite corners of the world like the UK and the US. A minimal impact to download and upload speeds can be important but are ultimately secondary to latency. Prices range from around €5 to $19.99 per month for a VPN that works great with gaming.

We’ve tested more than a dozen VPNs at Reviews.org and only Hotspot Shield had a double-digit impact on latency (at a comparatively high 22ms). While every other VPN had a single-digit change to latency, there were a few that had no change whatsoever when connecting from Sydney home office to Sydney-based VPN servers. Of those, Private Internet Access is our top pick after its recent updated review redemption. For starters, it’s a competitively priced VPN that offers unlimited simultaneous connections. While it’s great for Australian gamers (and non-gamers), there’s a network of 35,000+ global servers, which also makes it a good choice for gaming in other faraway places. Best of all, Private Internet Access is easy to use, reliable and fast to connect.

For VPN alternatives that also scored 0ms changes to latency in our Sydney-to-Sydney tests, consider Proton VPN, PureVPN and Hola VPN.

Not only does Windscribe have bragging rights to the equal lowest US latency, it’s also equal first for the best latency in Australia. There’s a minimal impact on Australian download and upload speeds but, admittedly, that starts to change when you shift to the US (acceptable) or to the UK (noticeably slower). Still, latency is what matters most when it comes to a gaming VPN. One of the best perks of Windscribe, though, is it allows for unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can install it on any compatible gaming device in the home. While it does have a low global server count, Windscribe is an excellent streaming companion for bypassing geoblocks.

For low-latency US alternatives, consider Mullvad, TunnelBear or IPVanish.

NordVPN isn’t just our pick of the best VPN for streaming games in the UK, it’s also our pick of the best VPN service available today. In terms of UK latency, it was a mere 2ms slower than Proton VPN, albeit with a lesser impact to download and upload speeds. For those curious to use NordVPN for gaming in other parts of the world, it was only 3ms slower than Windscribe and IPVanish for US servers, and only 1ms slower than our best results for Australian latency. While restricted to six simultaneous connections, NordVPN is also great for streaming and has plenty of servers around the world. If you’re after an extremely versatile VPN for gaming and everything else, NordVPN is well worth considering.

For alternatives, consider Proton VPN, ExpressVPN or Atlas VPN.

The main way we determine the best gaming VPNs for our categories is by first running a variety of speed tests. We start our comparisons with a baseline speed test without a VPN connected. All tests are performed on an Ethernet-connected Windows 11 PC with no other devices or apps using the internet.

We then connect to the fastest available servers in Australia, the US (typically Los Angeles) and the UK (usually London). If there’s an option for a manual server connection, we may test these for differences in results. The logic with testing these locations is not only because they’re popular places to play for Australians, they’re also at extreme distances from Australia (Sydney, specifically). This paints a picture of how well a VPN should perform with shorter connection distances.

Finally, we also consider the impact on download and upload speeds, depending on the region, though this is secondary to latency. We also use other factors—such as the number of simultaneous connections, server counts and locations, as well as price—to help separate contenders from category winners.