Unblock Online Game Restrictions

So far in our “unblock” series we’ve covered Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and HBO GO.  Today we’d like to talk about video games.  Specifically online games.  Whether you want to enjoy the latest MMORPG or play some ball with friends in another country you can run into challenges.  The first is geographic restrictions.  Many gamers aren’t able to play with friends in other countries.  A good VPN with servers around the world can solve that problem.

The other roadblock is lag.  Especially for MMORPG players.  The last thing you want to do is camp a mob and have it scooped up by the competition due to lag.  In this case a fast VPN service can help you improve game performance and reduce lag.  We’ll show you how to improve both scenarios and enjoy your online games.

Avoid Geographic Restrictions for Online Games

As you probably already know they put region codes in video games just like they do with movies.  If you want to play with friends in the United States you may very well need a US version of the game.  Assuming you have that taken care of the next piece of the puzzle is obtaining an IP address in the United States.  That’s where a VPN comes into play.  For network size we recommend Hide My Ass.  They have about 200 VPN servers throughout the United States.  Allowing you to choose a location that works best for your needs and switch between servers.

Hide My Ass U.S. Servers

As you can see HMA offers VPN client software and let’s you choose between multiple server locations.

Improve Gaming Performance and Reduce Lag

A fast connection is key for online gaming.  You don’t want to wait forever for scenes to load.  Nor do you want to miss out on an exciting moment due to lag.  Having played Final Fantasy for years I can remember all too well the frustration of disconnecting in the middle of an important battle.  Leaving my friends in a bind and missing out on the experience.  A fast, reliable VPN provider can help you fix that problem.  We recommend IPVanish.  They have a very fast network of VPN servers in North America and throughout Europe.

IPVanish Client

As you can see the response “ping” times in the IPVanish client are very low.  Giving you great performance.

Additional Tip for Console Gamers

If you want to play games with friends around the world on your Xbox 360, PS3, Wii or any other console then you might have an additional challenge.  Most gaming consoles do not natively support VPN.  There’s an easy way around that limitation though.  You can use a custom DD-WRT or Tomato router to send all your network traffic through the encrypted VPN connection.  While you can flash your own router we only recommend that for tech savvy users.  Otherwise companies like FlashRouters and Sabai Technology can take care of it all for you.

Visit VPNSP.com for more recommendations.  There we review hundreds of VPN services and router options.