The best VPN for Xbox

With a VPN on your Xbox, you can take your gaming to another level.

With the Xbox One, Microsoft greatly improved gaming, and you can also take it a step further with a VPN. Yes, a VPN is known for reducing connection speeds and increasing ping at times, but with the best VPN for Xbox, this won’t be much of a concern.

You’ll benefit from early access to games, circumventing geo-restrictions on games, overcoming ISP throttling, DDoS protection, and playing from anywhere in the world.

Similarly, if you like using your Xbox for streaming, you can access any restricted content on Netflix, Hulu, iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and others. Here are the best VPNs for Xbox, and how to install one.

 

Top VPNs for Xbox

1. ExpressVPN

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Editors’ choice 2020

ExpressVPN is the best VPN you can get for Xbox. This is because apart from its superb functionality, it also has a MediaStreamer. This is a unique service that you can’t find in any other VPN, and it lets you stream Netflix on Xbox One and other devices that don’t natively support VPN installation.

Apart from that, it has a huge server network of 3,000+ server in 160 locations and 94 countries.

Privacy & Security

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, and this is good for privacy since it’s not required by the law to keep any logs. Its security is also solid as the VPN uses the industry standard AES 256-bit encryption alongside protocols such as OpenVPN, L2TP-IPSec, and PPTP.

Compatibility

Another factor that makes ExpressVPN great for Xbox is that it has router applets for various VPNs. This means that the VPN can be easily installed on routers, and they also offer guides for routers that don’t have applets. You can also use its Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux clients, as well as extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

ExpressVPN can be used with up to 3 simultaneous connections.

Pricing

The monthly plan for ExpressVPN costs $12.95 which is a bit high, but the service you’ll get is worth every cent. You can also get a 35% discount and an extra three months of use with the 1-year plan. All plans are covered with a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

  • Super-fast

  • Excellent client apps

  • Zero logs & solid security

  • Works with Netflix, iPlayer, and other streaming services

  • 24/7 Live chat support

  • 30-day money back guarantee

  • Relatively costly

  • Only 3 simultaneous connection

Tekcompare has scanned and tested this software for malware

All plans are covered by a 30-day money back guarantee

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2. NordVPN

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NordVPN is known for its huge server network that consists of 5,050+ servers located in 62 countries across the world. This network means that you can always get reliable connections. Though the 62 countries they offer is lower than that of ExpressVPN, you will still get servers in popular gaming regions like the US, UK, Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

Privacy & Security

NordVPN is based in Panama, and this greatly helps the VPN keep their promise of maximum privacy. NordVPN doesn’t log any of your usage or connection details, and this is the best privacy policy you can find. Security-wise, the VPN is also superb as it uses AES 256-bit encryption. This is then complimented with features such as Anti-DDoS, Kill Switch, double VPN, CyberSec, Onion over VPN, and DNS & IP Leak protection.

Compatibility

NordVPN is quite compatible, providing VPN apps for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Android TV, Chrome, and Firefox. You can also install the VPN on a router to connect your Xbox, and they have very detailed guides for that. NordVPN can be used with up to 6 simultaneous connections (router counts as only one).

Pricing

At $11.95, NordVPN’s monthly price is slightly lower than that of ExpressVPN, and you also get a chance to save up to 75% with their 3-year plan. This lets you use the VPN at just $3.99, and you will have a 30-day money-back guarantee.

  • Super-fast

  • Zero usage and connection logs

  • Up to 6 simultaneous connections

  • Most servers

  • 24/7 Customer Care

  • 30-day money back guarantee

  • High cost for month-to-month users

3. IPVanish

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IPVanish is quite popular among gaming and streaming enthusiasts due to its excellent speeds and reliability. The VPN is one of the few tier-1 VPNs in that it owns and controls its server network and infrastructure. This network consists of 1000+ servers across 60 countries. Though these servers are not as many as those of NordVPN and ExpressVPN, they are very well distributed across the world.

Privacy & Security

IPVanish promises its users not to keep any of their logs. This is however still undermined by the fact that the VPN is based in the US. In terms of security, IPVanish uses AES 256-bit encryption combined with RSA-2048 bit key authentication, making it quite secure. The VPN also has other features like Kill Switch and IPv6 & DNS Leak Protection.

Compatibility

IPVanish can be manually installed on compatible routers for use with Xbox and other devices like Smart TVs. Apart from that, the VPN also offers clients for Windows, Mac OS X, Android, iOS, Linux, Windows Phone, Fire TV, and Chromebook. With the VPN, you’ll be able to connect up to 10 simultaneous devices, which is quite generous.

Pricing

For a top VPN, IPVanish is well priced. The monthly plan goes for just $10, and the yearly plan allows you to save up to 73% more. This lets you use the VPN at just $3.25 a month. Further, you will have a 30-day money-back guarantee with any plan that you choose.

  • Zero logs

  • Excellent speeds

  • 10 simultaneous connections

  • Super apps

  • Own their network

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

  • Based in the US

4. VyprVPN

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VyprVPN is another tier-1 network, and this makes its network quite reliable. The VPN is also fast, and so you won’t have to worry about poor connections. You will be able to use any of its 700+ servers in 70+ global locations, and you will also be secure from DDoS attacks thanks to the inbuilt NAT firewall.

Privacy & Security

VyprVPN is registered in Switzerland which is a privacy-friendly location, so the VPN does not keep any logs. This means that they can’t offer maximum privacy, but their security is robust. The VPN uses AES 256-bit CBC and provides protocols such as OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP, and Chameleon. The latter is their proprietary protocol which prevents DPI, VPN blocking and throttling.

Compatibility

VyprVPN can also be installed on compatible routers, and they provide guides to help you install the VPN. They also have a wide array of apps. These include Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS, Routers (Tomato MIPS/ARM Framework), TV (Android), Blackphone, QNAP, and Anonabox apps. The VPN’s premium plan allows you to connect up to 5 devices simultaneously.

Pricing

VyprVPN only has one plan which costs $12.95/month. However, you could save up to 81% if you take the 2-year plan which goes down to $2.50/month.

  • Based in Switzerland

  • Own their server network & infrastructure

  • Prevents DPI

  • Multiple Protocols

  • 24/7 Live Chat Support

  • Doesn't keep connection logs

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

  • No Free Trial

5. PureVPN

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Budget choice 2020

PureVPN’s features help it get into our list of the best VPNs for Xbox. The VPN is the other VPN that owns and controls its server network, and it has the biggest server network of the three VPNs. Its server consists of 2,000+ servers well distributed across 140 countries.

This means that you can always get a server near you and that the connections will be quite reliable.

Privacy & Security

PureVPN is based in Hong Kong, and promise not to keep any of your usage logs. However, they keep connection logs, something that can also be said for most other VPNs. As for security, PureVPN uses the standard AES 256-bit cipher together with RSA-2048 handshake. The VPN lets you choose between 6 protocols, and there are also features like DDoS protection, an automatic Kill Switch, and NAT firewall.

Compatibility

PureVPN, just like most others, can be configured on a router. You can also install the client on Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, iOS, Firestick, Kodi, Chrome, and Firefox. Allowed connections are up to 5 simultaneous devices.

Pricing

PureVPN is fairly priced, going for $10.95 a month. Their yearly plan is however the best-priced plan in this review, going for just $3.3 a month for a whole year. However, note that this price is only for the first year! You will get a 31-day money-back guarantee though.

  • Well priced

  • Own their server network

  • Solid privacy and security

  • Many subscription addons

  • Fully-featured – split tunneling, Ozone, DDoS protection, WiFi security, etc

  • 24/7 Live Chat Supports

  • Some features sometimes don’t work

  • Average speeds

How to use a VPN on Xbox

Gaming consoles like Xbox don’t naturally support the installation of VPN services, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t use a VPN on the device. Here are a few options for using a VPN on Xbox.

Install your VPN on a router

Most modern routers allow you to configure a VPN on a router. If your router doesn’t allow that or you are using an ISP router, you can get one that does and set up the VPN. Your router guide and the VPN’s installation guides should help you with that. Alternatively, you can buy a pre-configured one from flashrouters. These routers are however a bit expensive since the setup has been done for you.

Share your PC’s VPN Network

If you don’t feel like getting a VPN router, you can still use your PC to share your encrypted network. This can be easily done through the use of software like Connectify, or you can configure it directly on your computer.

 

Wrap up

Using a VPN for gaming may not be most people’s conventional way of using a VPN, but its benefits can’t be ignored. Easily set up any of the above VPNs on your network and enjoy safe and borderless gaming as well as streaming.