You may think that your PlayStation doesn’t need a VPN, but you may be wrong. It all depends on where you live and the level of privacy you’re willing to accept — as in, how much of your personal information are you willing to give to major games publishers and their platforms.
Also, a VPN will make your PS4’s or PS5’s connection to the Internet that much more secure, while enabling you to access content and services that may not be available where you live.
But that’s just one piece of the puzzle, cause very few people get a VPN only for their PlayStation. Rather, they get it so they could use it across their devices — including computers, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles.
A single VPN license lets you run it on many if not all devices you have. And this way, you get to benefit a ton, with no one knowing what you’re doing online. Consequently, the same feature lets you bypass various restrictions that could be imposed in your workplace, school, country, or even by some service provider, like Netflix.
That being said, here are the best VPNs for PlayStation which will work both with PS4 and PS5:
Pros
Cons
- 5,000+ servers in the network
- Easy to use - install it and forget it
- One license is good for up to 6 devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Chrome extension is just a proxy
- You can't pay with PayPal
Summary
Its network includes more than 5,000 servers spread across 60 countries, which directly translates into faster speeds. NordVPN is also very secure, relying on the strong 256-bit encryption combined with secure VPN protocols (OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2/IPSec). But as a user, you get a seamless experience with all this technology "doing its thing" in the background.
NordVPN is well suited to pretty much every task you throw at it — whether it's accessing a banned site from some country that filters out the internet, torrenting, accessing streaming services, or just wanting to keep a low profile on the web. It also doesn't keep any logs.
We highly recommend NordVPN to anyone looking for reliable service.
Pros
Cons
- Feature-rich yet easy to use
- One of the best VPNs around
- Strong no-logging policy
- Reliable support you can reach 24/7
- Limited number of servers in Africa and the Middle East
- Kinda pricey
Summary
ExpressVPN has great desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps and browser extensions. Also, it is well suited for video streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and others.
However, what makes it stand out is its ease of use. We can't emphasize this enough. One could tell a lot of time has been spent making sure even the advanced features are easily accessible. And we love it for that. Plus, let's not forget ExpressVPN's speed which tends to leave other services in the dust.
Pros
Cons
- It's super fast!
- Works with Netflix, BBC and others
- Easy to use apps, browser extensions
- You can try it for free!
- Some advanced features are not configurable
- Not the best for high-censorship countries
Summary
Furthermore, thanks to the availability of browser extensions - Hotspot Shield is also one of our top choices for Chrome and Firefox VPNs.
Your privacy is equally well protected, with the software only collecting some anonymized that help continually improve its service.
There is one caveat though - it won't work in high-censorship countries like China. If you don't need that in the first place, we highly recommend Hotspot Shield.
As that's typically the case with most VPN services out there, the longer you commit - the better deal you get. However, what makes Hotspot Shield even better is the fact that it offers a 7-day free trial of its service. A few other top VPN providers do the same. Plus, its money-back guarantee lasts for 45 days, making for a risk-free purchase. Cause, you can always get your money back. Sweet and just the way we like it.
Pros
Cons
- Reliable download and upload speeds
- Works with Netflix and BBC iPlayer
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Lets you use it on unlimited number of devices
- Low number of servers in Africa and Australia
Summary
You can rely on it for streaming and torrenting, with included extra features like CleanWeb and MultiHop, delivering a that much better — and more secure — experience.
Surfshark, the company, is based in the British Virgin Islands and with its zero-logs policy makes for a powerful combo to anyone looking to keep its web whereabouts under the radar.
The service is easy to use and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
Cons
- One the best VPNs for torrenting
- Works well with Netflix
- Simple setup on all popular devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Doesn't work with BBC iPlayer
- Doesn't work in China
Summary
Its desktop apps are not among the prettiest ones, but they get the job done. The important thing is that installation is easy and straightforward, and that no logs are kept by the company.
When it comes to pricing, IPVanish is somewhere in the middle — it's not the most affordable option but also not the most expensive one. As noted, it will be most appreciated by heavy BitTorrent users, and — related — Kodi fans.
There are two ways to connect your PlayStation to a VPN:
1. Connect PlayStation to a VPN through your router
This is the easiest way but it requires a compatible router and a VPN that can work with it. Luckily, the best VPNs will get the job done but you will still need a compatible router.
There are no apps for most routers (99% of them) and in order to set up a VPN on your router, you will have to manually go through several steps. The good news is that this doesn’t require a tech genius and in most cases, you should just follow easy-to-grasp steps that are provided by virtually all VPN providers — just check their support pages and search for “router.”
The best VPNs even provide detailed instructions for various router types. Also, some of them even let you buy pre-configured routers which is neat and also the easiest way to have your entire network protected.
Once your router has been set up to sing along a VPN, the next step is to connect your PlayStation to your network. After that, every piece of data your console receives and sends will be routed through a secure channel.
2. Connect PlayStation to a VPN through your PC
This setup requires that your PlayStation and PC are connected with an Ethernet cable. Also, you will have to install a VPN app on your computer before starting to configure your console.
Once that part is done, proceed with the following steps on your Windows machine (it’s a bit different on a Mac and we won’t cover it here):
- Press the Windows Key + X to open up the Power User menu.
- Select “Network Connection” and then select “Change Adapter Options”.
- Right-click on the icon of your VPN that pops up.
- Select “Properties” and then click on the “Sharing” tab.
- Check the box to allow other users to connect through your computer’s internet connection.
- Hit Ok when prompted.
The next steps are done on your PlayStation 4 or 5:
- Go to “Settings”, select “Network” and then “Set Up Internet Connection”.
- Choose “Use a LAN Cable” and then “Easy” when asked how you’d like to set up the connection.
- If prompted, choose “Do Not Use a Proxy Server”.
And you’re done!
You should use a VPN on all your devices
As noted above, for PlayStation users – a VPN will let them access content that could otherwise be outside of their reach – cause some of it could be region-locked (i.e. tournaments). With a VPN, you get to “choose your location,” thus being able to access all the content you desire.
In addition, a VPN will also keep you protected online, keeping you safe from the so-called “man in the middle” attacks, while at the same time removing malicious code on web pages. Plus, you will be able to access all other geo-restricted content, anonymously browse the web and download files via BitTorrent, and so on.
To sum it up, a good VPN will have your back at all times, and will:
- Protect your privacy from the government and big corporations
- Bypass restrictions imposed by the government or various organizations
- Change your IP address so you get unrestricted access to Netflix, Disney+, iPlayer, HULU, and other video streaming services
- Encrypt and protect private data from cybercriminals
The top contenders that check all these boxes include the following:
