Don’t freak out, but the moment we have all been waiting for so long has finally arrived. PlayStation 5 is here and ready to be played.
The time has come to prepare your cozy couches, select which game will be given the honor to try out the new PlayStation, tell your office managers that your old office Playstation is broken and you need the new one for productivity and finally forget all the problems of 2020 for a little while and enjoy the game.
One more thing that needs to be done before your PS5 finally comes to you or as soon as it does — buy a VPN for your PS5. Why, how, which one? Continue reading to find out.
Why you need a VPN for your PS5?
Before we jump into buying a VPN, we need to understand why we should use a VPN with PS5 in the first place. Basically, VPN used together with PS5 helps you get the best experience out of your new shiny console.
Geographical restrictions
First and most importantly, VPNs are known to bypass geographical restrictions. Although people mainly use VPNs to bypass restrictions on streaming platforms such as Netflix, PS5 users can also benefit a lot from a VPN.
Some versions or all the games sometimes are available only in a particular region. With the little help of a VPN and its ability to mask your location and change your IP address, you can access games that are not available in your region.
A more common case is when a game is released in one country, and the other countries have the pleasure to enjoy the game only weeks or months from the initial release date. With a VPN you can connect to the country where the game is released at first and enjoy it as a faithful fan — the same day it comes out. I guess the first huge benefit of using PS5 with VPN is clear?
To access whatever you want and as soon as possible, there will be no walls and restrictions for you.
Security
Another benefit of using a VPN together with your PlayStation 5 is security. The primary purpose of a VPN is to provide security and anonymity for their users by encrypting their traffic online. How does this apply to PS5 players?
It protects you from DDoS attacks. I think it is no surprise for dedicated gamers that some people don’t like to play fair and use DDoS attacks on their competitors to kick them out from the game and claim victory. You can bypass this and get better security while playing with your PS5 with the help of a little VPN encryption.
Speed
And lastly, many people think that VPNs reduce your internet speed, but the truth is if you choose the right VPN it won’t just keep your internet speed the same but also will help you fix very frustrating lag experiences while playing.
How to choose the best VPN for PS5
You will find a number of options while choosing a VPN, and most of them might look the same for you and it will be hard to decide. Although if you look closely enough you will notice that they usually vary in some features. Some support a bigger number of devices, some have much more extra features next to a VPN, some more servers, and faster ones.
The most important features to look for in a VPN for PS5 are how fast are their servers, how easy they are to use, do they offer 24/7 customer support, do they work well with bypassing geographical restrictions, and if they collect logs on their user and what encryption do they use.
It might sound a little bit overwhelming, so here you will find my best picks for PS5 VPN.
Best PS5 VPN picks
Here are three good options for PS5 VPN, based on features that will make your gaming experience a little bit better and some features that will help you in everyday life besides gaming.
1. Surfshark VPN — innovative, fast, and cheap solution
Surfshark is a great choice both for security, both gaming, and streaming. And the best part — it is relatively cheap if you get their yearly plan.
Surfshark offers more than 3200 fast servers in 65 countries, so you won’t just be able to connect to various countries but also enjoy gaming without lag or streaming in HD. Surfshark is both easy to use and easy to set up on devices. They have many dedicated apps or useful and detailed guides on how to set it up on basically anything.
This VPN is actually the only VPN that supports an unlimited number of devices when other VPNs usually support up to 7 devices. Talking about security, they offer a non-logging VPN, which uses industry-leading encryption and offers a built-in ad-blocker and GPS spoofer.
The best part is that you can get this VPN with an 82% ($2.49/month) if you get their 2-year plan.
2. NordVPN — for fast and secure gaming
You might have already heard about NordVPN since it is one of the best known and widely used VPNs worldwide. This VPN offers more than 5 thousand fast servers in 59 locations, which will both help you bypass regional restrictions and enjoy secure gaming.
Talking further about security, NordVPN is based in a privacy-friendly location and follows a strict no-log policy, which means you will be safe and anonymous online. A few additional features that should be mentioned are a built-in ad-blocker, double VPN, supports six simultaneous devices, and dedicated apps for major devices.
Good news from NordVPN side is that you can get it right now with an 86% discount for $3.71/month.
3. ExpressVPN — fast VPN for a premium price
ExpressVPN is another well-known VPN in the market, which is considered to have one of the fastest servers, high security, and ease of use. This VPN offers a vast selection of servers in over 90 countries, provides 256-bit encryption, IP and DNS leak protection, and many more security features that ensure your anonymity and privacy online.
Besides security, this VPN works well with streaming, gaming, and other activities online who both need fast servers and the ability to bypass regional blocks.
The only drawback to ExpressVPN is that it is a premium VPN that costs $6.67/month with a 49% discount that you can get by following this link right here.
How to use VPN with PS5?
So far, we all already know why we need to use a VPN together with PS5, which is the easy part, the more challenging part is to actually set up the VPN on your PS5. It is a little bit harder than simply using a VPN on your PC, mobile, or tablet by downloading an app or extension, but everyone will be able to do it with the easy guide you will find if you keep on reading. These ways include setting up a VPN on your router or on your PC, which you connect to your console. Which way is the best for you all depends on your VPN provider and on your router or TV.
How to set up PS5 VPN via PC?
One of the most widely used ways to install a VPN on your PlayStation 5 is to set yo the VPN on your laptop and then use a cable to share the connection from your PC to your console.
Steps you can follow if you use Mac:
- Install the VPN on your PC by simply downloading the app;
- Connect to preferred servers on the VPN app, choose based on the location you want or the fastest servers for you;
- Connect your PS5 to your Mac by using ethernet cable;
- Go straight to “System Preferences” > “Sharing” and then click “Internet Sharing”;
- You will see a drop-down menu next to “Share your connection from” > select WiFi in the menu and also tick Ethernet from the list that says “to computers using”;
- On the list of services on the left, you should see a green icon next to “Internet sharing, “ indicating that the connection was successful;
- Then go to your PS5 settings > Network settings > set up internet connection > Use a LAN cable and choose the easy connection method;
- Select “Do not use a proxy server,” and enjoy.
Steps you should follow if you use Windows:
- Install the VPN on your PC by simply downloading the app;
- Connect to preferred servers on the VPN app, choose based on the location you want or the fastest servers for you;
- Connect your PS5 to your PC by using ethernet cable;
- Open “Control Panel” > “Network and Sharing Center” and click “Change Adaptor Settings”;
- Click your VPN icon and go to Properties;
- Open the sharing tab and select “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection”;
- Choose Home Networking Connection and click the “home internet connection” option on the drop-down menu;
- Then go to your PS5 settings > Network settings > set up internet connection > Use a LAN cable and choose the easy connection method;
- Select “Do not use a proxy server,” and that’s it.
How to set up PS5 VPN on a router
How hard it will be to set up your VPN on your router depends on if your router is VPN client compatible or not. If your router is VPN ready, simply find a guide online on how to set up a VPN on your router. Since every router has different guides, it would take a long time to put them all here. If your router is not VPN ready, you will need to get the firmware for your router, usually, people use the free DD-WRT firmware and then use this guide on how to make your router VPN friendly.
When your VPN is set on your router, follow these steps:
- Go to Dynamic Menu on your PS5;
- Then go to Settings > Network Settings > Set up Internet Connection;
- Select “Use WiFi” and set the connection method > Easy;
- Select “Do Not Use a Proxy Server”;
- Accept all the settings and press “Test Connection”;
- Enjoy playing.
The summary
You can make your gaming experience on your PS5 much better with a magical tool called VPN — bypass geographical restrictions, reduce lag, ensure your security while playing. Besides making your PS5 experience smoother, VPNs can also help you in everyday life, from letting you enjoy anonymous torrenting, to accessing more content on Netflix.
It might sound too much work to set up a VPN on PS5, but it is not rocket science, and everyone can do it with a little bit of help, which you can either get from this article or contact your VPN customer support.
P.S. all of the VPNs mentioned above offer 24/7 customer support services ;)