Why You Can Trust CNET Best VPNs for Xbox in 2023: Top Picks by Our VPN Experts
These virtual private networks can help you avoid a DDoS and hide your IP address when you're gaming.
Using a virtual private network on your Xbox console offers a lot of perks beyond greater data privacy. A solid and well-tested VPN can prevent your internet service provider from throttling your speed based on the kind of data you're using, help you overcome geoblocking to connect with game servers around the world, and ensure that your fellow players can't see your true IP address (making it harder for someone to locate you for DDoS or swatting attacks).
But finding the best VPN for Xbox can be tricky. While there's an array of VPN services to choose from, not all of them offer competitive speeds, not all of them work with video streaming, and only some support Microsoft's Xbox platform. That's why we've hands-on tested all the major VPN players. While these Xbox recommendations aren't based on direct install testing on the device, we've run each VPN through a battery of tests to target the typical needs of Xbox privacy configurations. All of our top recommendations for this list offer strong privacy, high-performance speeds with connection stability, and are compatible across home Wi-Fi routers to ensure home-wide console protection.
Keep in mind that this is an evolving list as we continually do more VPN research and testing. Be sure to check back regularly since we'll be updating this guide as new Xbox VPN contenders emerge. In the meantime, for help getting your VPN up and running on your Xbox console, check out how to set up a VPN on Xbox. Below, you'll find our recommendations for the best VPN for Xbox.
Number of servers: 3,000-plus in 94 countries
Number of simultaneous connections: 5
Cost: 5 simultaneous connections for $13 per month, $60 for six months, or $100 for a year (bonus: get an extra three months free)
When you're gaming, speed is key, isn't it? ExpressVPN consistently bests the biggest VPN providers in the industry in both our own speed tests and those of other review sites. Yes, this paid VPN service is more expensive than the other two gaming VPN options listed here, but for the extra dollar per month you're getting insane speeds, which is important when you're looking for the best VPN for Xbox One or any other Xbox device. The use of any virtual private network can typically cut your internet speed by half or more, but when we ran speed tests on ExpressVPN in 2022, we found it reduced our overall internet speeds by less than 2%.
ExpressVPN's traffic obfuscation is reliable and its war chest of IP addresses large, so it easily works with streaming sites like Netflix, and lets sports fans bypass glitchy viewing area boundaries on a range of streaming consoles and smart tvs. For same-country and non-disguised streaming, its MediaStreamer Smart DNS feature boosts stream stability and makes Xbox VPN setup easy. Meanwhile, its ping rates routinely deliver some of the lowest numbers I've seen in any of my tests. And, even though ExpressVPN doesn't have PlayStation-native apps, you can still cover most modern consoles by putting ExpressVPN directly on your router.
Like the other two providers on this list, ExpressVPN imposes no data caps and offers unlimited VPN server switching among its 100% RAM-disk network. That last bit is a major security boost if you're looking to keep nosy internet service providers out of your business.
Unfortunately, ExpressVPN only offers five simultaneous connections compared to NordVPN's six and IPVanish's 10.
IP address number: 5,000
Number of servers: 5,200-plus in 62 countries
Number of simultaneous connections: 6
Cost: $3.29 per month (72% discount) for a two-year plan
If you want a VPN client whose network connection isn't going to drop out on you mid-headshot, go with NordVPN. Known for its vast, reliable VPN network, solid VPN connectivity, best internet sharing and competitive speeds, NordVPN's bang-for-buck ratio simply can't be beat right now, which is why it's among our picks of the best VPN for Xbox One.
Though not as fast as ExpressVPN in our speed tests, NordVPN only cut our internet speed by a third, while most VPNs reduce it by half or more. Nord's Singapore servers, however, left every other VPN service provider in the dust. To double up your security, NordVPN provides Double VPN feature included in the NordVPN subscription package.
Despite a security breach reported in 2019, NordVPN is also a strong bet on security. The limited nature of the breach, the rapid call for a full-network security audit, and the prompt move to switch all of its network settings to exclusively RAM-disk (a much more secure operation) has allowed it to keep its reputation as a valuable tool for the privacy-minded VPN user.
Like all the VPNs listed here, NordVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee.
IP address number: 40,000
Number of servers: 1,600-plus in 75 countries
Number of simultaneous connections: 10
Costs: $3.99 per month (63% discount) for a yearly plan
IPVanish has grown more competitive with speeds in the past year and is surging ahead of other mid-tier VPN services to become known as a solid, low-latency VPN provider with tiny ping times, solid functionality, unlimited bandwidth and an extended international server network.
This VPN app uses less than half the total number of servers held by ExpressVPN, but about 10,000 more IP addresses to stay ahead of the race. Its fun, configurable interface allows you the option of choosing the speediest VPN connection at any given moment to hop from country to country.
IPVanish walked out of our review with fewer marks for privacy than the above competitors, but for the purposes of bypassing geo-blocked streaming services like Netflix, it gave us no trouble at all. Perhaps best of all, IPVanish VPN offers unlimited simultaneous connections on its basic account. The more the merrier.
FAQs
What's the best VPN for Xbox?
- ExpressVPN received a CNET Editors' Choice Award for best overall VPN. We evaluate VPNs based on their overall performance in three main categories: speed, security and price. Express isn't the cheapest, but it's among the fastest and, so far, is the most secure. (Note that we're currently re-evaluating ExpressVPN based on the news mentioned above.)
- NordVPN is a die-hard heavy hitter. It has an enormous network that's constantly getting faster and more secure and is easily the most reliable service we've tested.
- IPVanish, our third choice, offers competitive speeds and has one of the best user interfaces, encouraging you to get under the hood and learn the mechanics powering the technology.
Why do you need a VPN on your Xbox?
Investing in a VPN to protect your Xbox's privacy opens up a slew of benefits: You can more easily join games on servers around the world, circumvent geoblocking restrictions on YouTube and Netflix content, and dodge any shady data-throttling practices your internet service provider tries to pull.