Best VPN for Xbox 2024: Enjoy Lag-Free & Secure Gaming (2024)

Aside from Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X is the newest, most powerful iteration of Microsoft’s console. It took the world by storm through the introduction of Game Pass, a subscription service that’s cheap, yet, gives you access to thousands of high-quality games.

The great thing about this console is that it’s relatively affordable and allows you to play great PC & Xbox exclusives such as Halo and Forza Horizon 5. However, people search for the best VPN for Xbox to preserve their online privacy and keep DDoS attacks at bay.

Additionally, a great Xbox VPN will help you avoid bandwidth throttling and preserve low ping. Not to mention additional possibilities like avoiding swatting attacks, bypassing geo-restrictions, and buying games at a cheaper price by changing your IP.

The benefits of this service are numerous, but the lingering question is still here – what is the best VPN for Xbox Series X/S in 2024? Well, that’s what you’ll find out now!

Best VPN for Xbox (Series X, S, One, and 360): Our Top 4

Choosing a quality provider is sometimes a hard task if you don’t know where to look for. I’m fully aware that many of our readers aren’t Rockefellers, so I’m sure many of you can’t afford expensive VPNs to use on your Xbox. Don’t worry – all of our choices below will cost you a few dollars a month!

In addition, I made sure to pick the providers that work with older versions of Xbox consoles. Thus, know that you can set up these providers even if you have Xbox One or even an ancient Xbox 360. With that out of the way, let me talk about my favorite providers for this gaming console.

1. ExpressVPN

My #1 recommendation for today is ExpressVPN. It’s a provider that fully supports all Xbox consoles, offering two methods of connection. The easier one is through the MediaStreamer feature, which is here only for streaming and doesn’t require a complicated setup.

However, I recommend installing ExpressVPN on your router to take full advantage of it. This way, you can connect your Xbox to your home WiFi and enjoy the protection of ExpressVPN. The provider comes with 256-bit AES encryption and a proprietary Lightway VPN protocol.

As a result, it’s known as the fastest provider out there, which is essential for low-ping gaming. In addition, its encryption with a kill switch, split tunneling, and IP/DNS leak protection will make sure your IP address stays private all the time, keeping your identity concealed.

This means it’ll protect you from potential DDoS or swatting attacks that more experienced players online can execute. ExpressVPN isn’t just a gaming VPN. It offers servers in 160 locations, so you can switch regions on Netflix or enjoy Disney+ abroad on your Xbox console.

Besides, setting up ExpressVPN is extremely easy, especially because the provider gives step-by-step guides for all of its methods. Therefore, even if you’re a noob (no offense!), you’ll be able to connect it to your Xbox console in pretty much 10 to 15 minutes.

ExpressVPN comes with a certified no-logging policy, ensuring the maximum level of privacy. Plus, it has 5 simultaneous connections and offers 24/7 support if you have any problems or questions. Compared to the next two providers, it’s only a tiny bit more expensive.

This is, however, balanced by a 49% discount and 3 free months for the 12-month plan. To that, we should add a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans, which lets you test out ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days and get a refund if you don’t like it. That, I’m sure, will not happen.

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2. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is another great VPN for Xbox in 2024. It’s a really affordable choice for those on a very limited budget, yet, its support for gaming, in general, is awesome. Xbox consoles get the full treatment, as it supports Xbox Series X, Series S, One, and 360.

This provider works similarly to ExpressVPN. You can use its SmartDNS on Xbox to enjoy streaming or simply install CyberGhost on a router, connect your Xbox to it, and get all the benefits. In addition, you can even create a virtual router on your Mac or Windows PC and connect to it.

Whatever the case, CyberGhost has all the tutorials you need to make this setup as less painful as possible. Here, you’ll get 9,100+ servers in 91 countries, where CyberGhost includes streaming servers for unblocking ABC outside of the US, watching Netflix, and streaming on ESPN.

The provider is known for strong security as well. Thus, you’ll get 256-bit AES encryption coupled with a kill switch, WireGuard support, and an ad blocker, which is useful on streaming sites. Moreover, the VPN has NoSpy servers based in Romania and operated by the company itself.

In conjunction with a no-logs policy, CyberGhost allows you to experience online privacy at its finest, and as such, avoid DDoS attacks that may come your way. Transparency reports are also on its website and they’re a testament to the quality and user care that this VPN is known for.

Performance-wise, CyberGhost is blazing-fast, although not faster than ExpressVPN. Still, I had zero issues playing games online with it, even if we’re talking about using this VPN for Warzone or any other fast-paced shooters and MOBA titles.

If you’re interested in CyberGhost, my advice is to go for its 2-year plan. The entire plan will cost you less than $2.5 a month and you get a 45-day money-back guarantee. You can even get its Security Suite for Windows for a bit over a dollar a month and still make it cheaper than 99% of the VPNs!

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3. NordVPN

NordVPN is undoubtedly one of the best VPNs for Xbox Series X but also for older generations. It’s a highly-secure provider with 5,500+ worldwide servers and blazing-fast speeds produced by its in-house NordLynx protocol.

This provider doesn’t offer a SmartDNS feature for Xbox and I think it doesn’t need it. Instead, it allows you to connect it to a router and use it on Xbox this way. However, I found it much easier to share your VPN connection from your Windows PC to the console, as it requires only a few simple steps.

In doing so, you enjoy all the benefits of NordVPN on your console without losing too much money and putting in too much effort. NordVPN offers a low-ping gaming experience with maximum protection from swatting and DDoS attacks, which is super convenient.

Additionally, it has bank-grade encryption and an automatic kill switch for preventing IP and DNS leaks. I found very useful its Double VPN servers too, as they double your encryption by routing your traffic through two different servers.

NordVPN comes with a Threat Protection bundle where you get antivirus and malware protection, which is great if you use it on your Windows PC as well. Furthermore, it’s an excellent option for streaming and you’ll have no issues accessing Netflix Canada abroad or watching foreign TV channels.

Based in Panama, NordVPN has an audited no-logging policy as well. Aside from rock-solid security, you can expect this provider to support all devices and platforms, as well as give you 6 simultaneous connections on a single subscription, which is more than enough for most users.

NordVPN is an affordable Xbox VPN too, although its value-added taxes might apply to some countries. Still, at around $4/mo for a 2-year plan, you’re looking at one of the best choices out there. And don’t worry – you get a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans as well!

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4. Surfshark

If you’re looking for a VPN for Xbox that’s also inexpensive and reliable, Surfshark can be a solid choice. Surfshark has a wide server fleet of 3,200 servers in 95 countries, making for a great selection of servers and locations around the globe.

For Xbox players, this means the ability to play on distant gaming serves in Asia or any other continent. Let us be clear that Surfshark isn’t a speed champ and it’ll be slower than the previous 3 VPNs. However, it offers WireGuard as the main protocol, which has solid performance and stability.

This, in conjunction with full support for Xbox, makes for an incredible experience. Surfshark even offers Smart DNS, which is great for streaming on Xbox, if you want to avoid the setup step we presented in this guide.

The provider comes with MultiHop servers that’ll double your encryption and give you a higher level of privacy. Furthermore, we also like its Static IP addresses, but the newest addition is the dedicated IP address that you can buy from the site – awesome!

Gamers will like Surfshark’s 256-bit encryption that protects against DDoS and swatting attacks. Also, the service offers IP Rotator, a feature for rotating your IP periodically and preventing hackers and snoopers from tracking you. This is especially great for envious players killed by your hand.

Needless to say, Surfshark will work with all generations of Xbox, so in this regard, you don’t have to worry. We noticed that its kill switch sometimes fails to work but that’s a minor issue. Besides, you get unlimited simultaneous connections per account and that’s something to be happy about.

If you’re interested in this service, we recommend using the button below to get its cheapest deal. Surfshark is really affordable and its 2-year plan will allow for some awesome savings. Oh, and you get a 30-day refund policy with each purchase, so what can you complain about?!

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What Is the Best Free VPN for Xbox?

Our list of the best Xbox VPN services consisted of paid providers that you’ve most likely heard of. But what about a free VPN for Xbox? Does something like this exist? Well, let’s just say that some free providers will work on this platform but with tons of compromises.

You see, when something’s free, there’s always a catch. The catch with free VPNs is that they’ll limit your performance and bandwidth. These providers offer very slow speeds and outdated 1 Gbps servers, which is often exacerbated by limited monthly bandwidth of 500 MB to 10 GB a month.

Additionally, free providers offer limited device support, meaning that the majority of them don’t support routers or gaming consoles. Having in mind their outdated encryption protocols and weak security, they aren’t as capable of protecting you against DDoS attacks as paid VPNs.

The biggest red flag for me lies in their logging practices. VPNs like Hola, Betternet, and Hotspot Shield are especially notorious for these practices that have all but a positive effect on your privacy. Storing logs is their MO (modus operandi) as it allows them to sell this data to the highest bidder.

As such, they seemingly give you everything for free, while in the background, they stab you in the back. So are there any free VPNs that work with Xbox Series X, Series S, and other generations? YES!

Free VPNs That Work With Xbox

If you want, you can try out ProtonVPN. Feel free to check out my ProtonVPN review here, where I reviewed its premium version. Its free version, however, also comes with unlimited bandwidth and offers all the security features from the premium version, but with no Secure Core and NetShield.

What’s the catch? The catch is that you get MUCH slower speeds and only 3 server locations in the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan. ProtonVPN’s free version has no streaming support and it offers no P2P servers for downloading torrents.

Not to mention a single connection per account, which will let you use it only on one device at a time. I tested it on my Xbox Series X and I can tell you it’s painfully slow, especially since it offers just 3 server locations that are overcrowded all the time.

So, despite its unlimited bandwidth, don’t expect it to be good for anything else than browsing.

Hide.me offers amazing device support (including routers), along with a secure free plan that attracts many users. Of course, this is far from the best VPN for Xbox Series X/S in 2024, although its premium plan is pretty good. The free plan is… well, let’s say disappointing.

Despite its security, 24/7 support, and great security features, Hide.me has a bandwidth limit of 10 GB a month. This alone isn’t enough to play games or browse the web for more than a few hours. In addition, only 5 VPN locations are present – 2 in the US, 1 in the Netherlands, Germany, and Canada.

As such, Hide.me is a poor choice for bypassing geo-blocks and achieving maximum performance. Not to mention its lack of streaming support and once again, a single connection per account, making it impossible to protect other devices at the same time.

As you can see, having a free VPN for Xbox means dealing with annoying compromises and shortcomings that premium providers won’t struggle with.

How to Set Up a VPN on Your Xbox Console?

Setting up a VPN on your Xbox console depends on the method you choose. Furthermore, if you’re using a router to complete the process, you should know that each router model has a different setup, so we can’t explain the process for all of them.

After all, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and NordVPN all have step-by-step guides for the router models that they support, so you can look them up on their sites. Personally, I use a method where I share the VPN connection from my Windows PC to the console.

I found that this method works well even when using a VPN for PS5/PS4 as you don’t need any advanced knowledge. Here’s how to perform this solution:

1. Subscribe to the best VPN for Xbox. It can be any of the top 3 VPNs above, although I recommend ExpressVPN and its 49% discount + 3 free months for the annual plan.
2. On your Windows PC, go to Control Panel and open Network and Sharing Center.
3. Click on Change Adapter Settings and find the name of the network of the VPN. If you use ExpressVPN, the adapter will be called ExpressVPN TUN Driver, and if you use NordVPN, it’ll be called “TAP-NordVPN Windows Adapter.”
4. Right-click on the adapter and choose Properties.
5. Click on the Sharing tab and tick the first box that allows other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection.
6. Choose the network you want to share the connection with and click OK.

   

7. Use a LAN cable to connect your Xbox to your PC.
8. Connect to a server in the VPN app of your choice and that’s all. Once the connection is established, your Xbox console will be protected by a VPN, letting enjoy all of its benefits.

Alternative: Using a Mobile Hotspot Function

Another way to use a VPN on Xbox in 2024 is to enable the mobile hotspot functionality in Windows. Here’s how to do that:

1. Go to Settings and open Network & Internet.
2. On the left, find “Mobile hotspot”, click on it, and enable it.
3. Once again, go to Change Adapter Settings and you’ll find this new network. Most likely, it’ll be called Local Area Connection.
4. Select the network adapter from the VPN that you’re using, right-click on it, and select Properties.
5. In the Sharing tab, tick the option for allowing other users to connect to that internet connection.
6. Now, when the home networking connection drop-down menu can be opened, open it, and select the mobile hotspot network you created (Local Area Connection from Step 3).
7. Connect to a VPN server using either of the VPNs from above.
8. Turn on your Xbox, find your WiFi network in Settings, and connect to it. With the protection of a VPN, you can now play games safely and lag-free!

Conclusion

Now that you know what is the best VPN for Xbox Series X and other generations of this console, I think it’s time to wrap up our discussion. Having a VPN for Xbox will allow you to avoid DDoS attacks, stream on geo-restricted platforms, and avoid ISP throttling that happens more often than you think.

To achieve these effects, it’s vital to use a reliable VPN service such as ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, NordVPN, or Surfshark. These providers are very secure, they offer the fastest speeds, and unlimited bandwidth, which makes gaming smooth and enjoyable.

The best of all is that these providers are fairly easy to set up and use, so you’ll have no issues with that. Therefore, the only thing left to do is to choose the provider from our list and start reaping its benefits. So what’s it gonna be?

Visit ExpressVPN

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s finalize this guide by answering some of the questions I haven’t addressed.

Will using a VPN for Xbox increase my ping and slow down my internet?

Some providers are known for decreasing your internet performance due to encryption and distance between you and the VPN server. This is quite typical for slower, usually free providers like the ones we already mentioned.

However, if you use a fast provider like ExpressVPN, the speed reduction will be barely noticeable, especially if you use a server close to you. This also rings true if you suffer from ISP throttling where your internet is already crippled by your ISP.

In this case, a VPN will conceal your IP and prevent your internet provider from interfering with your connection. This way, a VPN will preserve your internet speed and decrease your ping as a result. Of course, if you connect to a server overseas, you can expect a slight decrease in internet speed.

That’s why we recommend using either a server in your country or one in your neighbor country. In this case, with ExpressVPN, I notice literally ZERO speed reduction and I can play games as I’d do without it, but with added encryption, DDoS attack protection, and other benefits.

Can I install a VPN directly on Xbox?

Unfortunately, you can’t because Xbox doesn’t support VPNs out of the box. Thankfully, you can still utilize it via a router or by sharing your VPN connection from a Mac or Windows PC. All of these methods are simple and are thoroughly explained by the providers we presented on their sites.

Why should I use a VPN on my Xbox console?

There are many reasons why using a VPN for Xbox is beneficial. For one, you’ll be able to get rid of annoying bandwidth throttling and speed up your connection. Second, choosing a provider from our list will let you bypass geo-restrictions online.

Xbox consoles are equipped with tons of streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. If these platforms aren’t available in your country, you can unblock them by changing your IP with a VPN. In addition, you can even unblock Netflix libraries from different countries on your console.

In terms of gaming, providers from our list will help you stay clear of swatting and DDoS attacks. With your IP unknown to other players, no one can pinpoint your location or execute any type of cyber-attack. Even if someone tries to execute a DDoS attack, it will affect only the VPN server.

However, these servers already have strong security measures, so chances are that the attack will be “brushed off” with no consequences. This will allow you to play with no interruptions and show your true skills without fear of envious players.