The Best VPNs for Xbox 2024

We've determined that Surfshark, CyberGhost, and NordVPN are the best virtual private networks (VPNs) to protect your Xbox console. It may not be top of mind for most gamers, but your Xbox is still susceptible to hackers and other cybersecurity concerns.

Surfshark is the most affordable, so you can protect your Xbox console on a budget. CyberGhost is user-friendly and a great choice for VPN beginners. Finally, NordVPN offers the unique Meshnet feature, which is great for LAN gaming. 

The best VPNs for Xbox 2024

• Surfshark: Best for unlimited devices
• CyberGhost: Best for VPN beginners
• NordVPN: Best for LAN gaming

Top 3 VPN services for Xbox compared

VPN	Surfshark	CyberGhost	NordVPN
Starting price	Starts at $1.99/mo (billed every two years)	Starts at $2.03/mo (billed every two years)	Starts at $2.99/mo (billed every two years)
Free version
Streaming support	Yes — Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more	Yes — Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more	Yes — Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get CyberGhost Read CyberGhost Review	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

How we tested the best VPNs for Xbox

We looked at several different criteria when determining the best VPNs for Xbox. Here is how we tested each option:

• Router compatibility — Since you can’t add a VPN directly to Xbox with an app, it was important for us to find VPN solutions that made it easy to add the VPN to your router.
• Ease of use — We downloaded all of the VPNs to our other devices to see how easy it was to set them up.
• Speeds — We tested our internet speeds while connected to the VPN to see how they would be impacted by the VPN connection.
• Content unblocking — The VPNs we chose are all capable of unblocking content worldwide. This means you're less likely to get shut out of your online gaming accounts. 
• Price — While a free VPN is tempting, they don't offer much security for Xbox. But, we made sure you don't have to pay a premium to protect your online gaming.

Surfshark: Best for unlimited devices

Who it’s best for

Surfshark is one of our favorite VPNs because it's simple to set up and easy to use. If you’re new to using a VPN, Surfshark will walk you through everything step by step. 

It’s also a top option for a house full of devices because it allows for unlimited simultaneous connections. If you’re paying for a VPN, you may as well protect all your devices. 

What we liked

Surfshark is thorough in explaining its setup process and its site has a great resource library to help you with any troubleshooting, which we really appreciate. Since you can’t install a VPN directly on an Xbox, Surfshark provides an extensive article on how to install it on your router or set up a VPN-protected hotspot.

Surfshark also has a few extra features that we find helpful when you’re using it outside of online gaming. Surfshark CleanWeb, which is included with all plans, can block ads, protect you from trackers, and even minimize malware risks. 

If you opt for Surfshark One, you'll get also features like Surfshark Alert, which notifies you of data breaches with your personal information; Surfshark Search, which is a private search engine; and Surfshark Antivirus, an antivirus scan for your devices.

We also tested how Surfshark affected our internet speeds when connected, and we didn’t see a drastic change in speeds when connected to the VPN.

What we didn’t like

Surfshark is a solid VPN. However, the company is headquartered in the Netherlands. This can affect your overall privacy because the Netherlands is part of the Nine Eyes alliance, which means its government could request and share information with other countries on matters of national security.

Surfshark specs

Price range	$1.99–$17.95/mo
Free version	No, but it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, routers, and more
Number of servers	3,200+ servers in 100 countries
Number of connected devices	Unlimited
VPN protocol	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

CyberGhost: Best for VPN beginners

Who it’s best for

CyberGhost is a great option for someone new to using a VPN thanks to its user-friendly interface. It also offers a free trial and a 45-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out before committing to a longer-term subscription.

What we liked

CyberGhost ‘s dashboard is simple and easy to navigate, and it even offers servers for specific tasks like streaming and gaming. From the dashboard, you can see a list of servers that are best for gaming, which you can connect to when using your Xbox.

CyberGhost's gaming-optimized servers are handy for getting the lowest possible ping. They're located in Frankfurt, London, New York, and Paris. 

While Xbox doesn’t allow you to set up a VPN directly on your console, CyberGhost does a great job of explaining how to set up an Xbox VPN. You can either configure it onto your router, use your computer or smartphone as a virtual router, or use the Smart DNS feature.

What we didn’t like

CyberGhost restricts the number of devices that can be used at a time. Only 7 devices can be connected simultaneously with each subscription.

In addition, CyberGhost’s user experience isn’t as seamless as other VPNs. In our review, we found that some of the settings were located in different areas of the app, which would normally all be located in one spot for better user experience. We also had some issues connecting to servers, but we were successful on our second try.

CyberGhost specs

Price range	$2.03–$6.99/mo
Free version	Yes
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Linux Android, iOS, routers, and more
Number of servers	Unlisted in 100 countries
Number of connected devices	7
VPN protocol	OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get CyberGhost Read CyberGhost Review

NordVPN: Best for LAN gaming

Who it’s best for

NordVPN works well for any gameplay, but its Meshnet feature allows you to play multiplayer local area network (LAN) games without having to worry about setup. With Meshnet, you can create a private encrypted network for you and your friends.

To use NordVPN with your Xbox or other gaming device, you will need to install NordVPN on your router, purchase a router that already has NordVPN installed, or connect your console to your Windows PC with Nord.

What we liked

NordVPN is one of our favorites because of its added features. Meshnet is just one great feature offered by NordVPN. It also has a great password manager, NordPass, that comes with its Plus and Complete plans.

NordVPN also includes SmartPlay with its VPN. SmartPlay is a built-in Smart DNS feature that changes your DNS when you try to access unavailable content. This feature can be helpful if you’re trying to access geo-restricted content from streaming services or if you’re looking to try a game that isn’t available in your location.

NordVPN also makes it easy to save presets for downloads, speed, or browsing. You can also easily set up a new preset for gaming. 

We also like that NordVPN has multi-factor authentication (MFA) to keep your account secure. Although Nord doesn’t have specific gaming servers, its speed test results show that it boasts fast speeds and low latency. 

What we didn’t like

NordVPN offers a few different plans, which can get confusing. The least expensive plan, Standard, is a basic VPN. The other plans add additional features such as a password manager, data breach scanner, and cloud storage.

Nord also removed mentions of Netflix support from its website. Although we're glad it still worked for us, this means it could be shaky for unblocking Netflix in the future.

NordVPN specs

Price range	$2.99–$17.99/mo
Free version	No, but it does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Linux Android, iOS, routers, and more
Number of servers	6,800+ servers in 111 countries
Number of connected devices	10
VPN protocol	OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, NordLynx (WireGuard)
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

Honorable mentions

There are a lot of VPN providers, so it's important to find a VPN with features that are most important to you. If you're not sold on any of our top three, then here are a couple of alternate VPNs to consider:

• ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN offers a lot of great features for an avid VPN user. For one, it has its proprietary Lightway protocol, which the company touts as being faster, more reliable, and more secure than other VPN protocols. ExpressVPN also includes a threat manager to defend against trackers, split tunneling, a kill switch, and more.

  Get ExpressVPN | Read Our ExpressVPN Review

• Private Internet Access: Private Internet Access (PIA) is another affordable VPN that offers unlimited simultaneous. PIA offers features that are beneficial for gaming, including unlimited bandwidth, low ping, and strong encryption. 

  Get Private Internet Access | Read Our Private Internet Access Review

Why you should use a VPN on your Xbox

There are benefits to using a VPN while using your Xbox, such as protecting your personal information and your home network. Here are a few others:

• Avoid DDoS attacks: A distributed denial of service attack takes place when someone bombards your network resources by sending multiple requests to stop the website from keeping up or functioning properly.
• Avoid swatting: Swatting is a method of harassment where attackers use your IP address to find personal information about you. Then the attacker calls 911 or other emergency services to make false claims about a violent situation, which could lead to a SWAT team appearing at your front door.
• Access geo-restricted content: With an Xbox VPN, you can connect to server locations worldwide and access content that is not available in the United States. If you use your Xbox for streaming, you can use a VPN to access geo-blocked content through the console too.
• Skip internet throttling: Some internet service providers (ISPs) may throttle, or slow down, your network connection if you’re using too much data. In some cases, a VPN can help you avoid this, as long as the VPN doesn’t have a data limit.

Best VPNs for Xbox FAQs

Bottom line: The best VPNs for Xbox

Protecting your internet activity while gaming on your Xbox is important. Using a VPN allows you to encrypt your internet usage and hide your IP address. We looked at several VPNs to determine which works best while playing Xbox and would be a great addition to your overall cybersecurity efforts.

Surfshark, CyberGhost, and NordVPN were our favorite VPNs for Xbox. Each of these offered some of the best VPN services for users and they all walked us through the process of getting an Xbox VPN.

3 best VPNs for Xbox 2024

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
Surfshark	Starts at $1.99/mo (billed every two years)	Best for unlimited devices	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review
CyberGhost	Starts at $2.03/mo (billed every two years)	Best for VPN beginners	Get CyberGhost Read CyberGhost Review
NordVPN	$2.99/mo (billed every two years)	Best for LAN gaming	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review