What is the best VPN for Xbox?
ExpressVPN is the best Xbox VPN on the market, offering blazing-fast internet speeds for gaming, a generous server selection and exceptional streaming service compatibility.
NordVPN is the fastest VPN we tested, with a best-in-class 11% average internet download speed loss. With its lightning-quick connectivity, Nord is a phenomenal VPN for competitive gaming and buttery-smooth 4K video streaming.
Surfshark is an excellent option, with a terrific price-to-performance ratio — its fast speeds and great streaming unblocking make it a wallet-friendly virtual private network for Xbox consoles.
Proton VPN sports a solid free VPN tier that’s shockingly competent, and its outstanding paid plan is well worth the upgrade for its expanded server network and solid streaming support.
Why use VPNs for Xbox
VPNs provide many benefits, like maintaining your privacy when online and the ability to unblock content due to region-specific restrictions. While gaming, using a VPN can boost your security, minimize lag and help you circumvent internet service provider throttling (which can slow down your internet connection). That’s not to say that using a VPN won’t slow your internet speeds a tad; they absolutely can.
Aside from gaming, Xbox consoles are also entertainment hubs, so you might want to use a VPN for streaming. Popular streaming apps like Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video offer a ton of content, with international titles that vary depending on your physical location. Plus, you can use a virtual private network with Xbox Game Pass to reduce load times and ping, or even use Xbox cloud gaming in a country that doesn’t otherwise support it.
Using a VPN with Xbox consoles — whether you own a Series X, Series S or One — can be a complicated process. With operating systems like Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android, you’re usually prompted to download a user-friendly VPN app. When you’re on an Xbox or gaming console competitors like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, connecting to a virtual private network is more roundabout. Setting up a VPN with an Xbox usually requires a whole-home router setup, or you can also use a Windows PC as a bridge between your VPN and Microsoft Xbox console.
At CNET, we’ve rigorously tested dozens of VPNs, analyzing everything from speed loss and privacy to streaming performance and price. We also pored over individual providers’ help documentation for using VPNs with Xbox consoles, which factored heavily into our selection criteria. Whether you want to use Game Pass while traveling abroad to play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, lower ping on your Series X console or access international Netflix libraries, these are the best VPNs for Xbox.
How to use a VPN with Xbox consoles
Unlike most other platforms, such as Windows, MacOS, iPhone and Android, you can’t install VPN apps directly on Xbox consoles. Microsoft isn’t unique — there aren’t any VPN apps for the PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch either. Instead, you’ll need to use your router as a VPN or a Windows PC as a bridge. Here’s how to use a VPN on Xbox:
- Log in to your router by heading to the correct IP address and entering your username/password combination. Check your router’s documentation if you have it on hand, or if you’re like me, Google it since you recycled that pamphlet already.
- Navigate to a tab like Control Panel, Settings or Network/WAN Setup (when you see fields including DHCP, IP Address, Gateway Address and Subnet Mask, you’re in the correct spot).
- Check the instructions on your VPN provider’s website to set up that service on your Wi-Fi router, then save your changes once you’ve punched in the correct information.
- Connect your Xbox to your router if you haven’t already done so by pressing the Xbox button, heading to Settings > Network > Set up wireless network, then selecting your Wi-Fi network name and entering your password.
Some of the most common IP addresses to use when logging into your router include:
- 10.0.1.1
- 10.0.0.1
- 192.168.1.1
- 192.168.0.1
- 192.168.1.100
- 192.168.2.1
Often, the default username might be admin, user or username. Typical passwords are admin or password. I’m sure that, unlike me, you changed yours to something more secure, so enter the customized username/password combination that you definitely didn’t forget to write down. (If you’re lucky, perhaps it’s saved in your password manager.)
You can also use your Windows PC as a mobile hotspot to connect your Xbox with a VPN
If you don’t want the hassle of running a VPN on your router — or your router doesn’t support VPNs — you can use a Windows PC as a bridge to route your Xbox traffic through a VPN. Here’s how:
1. Download and install your VPN provider’s app on your Windows 11 PC.
2. Log in with your username and password.
3. Navigate to System > Network & internet in Windows.
4. Enable Mobile hotspot.
5. Head into Mobile hotspot to see the network name and password — you can change these by clicking Edit in the Network properties section.
6. Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
7. Find an option that lists your VPN provider with an Ethernet cable icon — for me, this said ProtonVPN TUN Tunnel or ExpressVPN TAP Adapter, depending on the VPN I was using.
8. Right-click the box that shows your VPN provider info and choose Properties > Sharing.
9. Enable Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection and Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet connection.
10. In the Home networking connection dropdown, pick the correct option, which should say Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter in the Network Connections dashboard. On my computer, that was Local Area Connection 2.
11. On your Xbox, press the Xbox button, then head to Profile & system > Settings > General > Network settings and choose Set up wireless network.
12. Choose your Windows 11 computer’s mobile hotspot name and enter the password.
You’ll need to have your VPN running, and be connected to a VPN server that you’d like to route your Xbox console through.
Streaming Xbox Game Pass with a VPN is even easier
Microsoft’s cloud game streaming service, Xbox Game Pass, provides an assortment of titles like Halo, Gears of War and GoldenEye 007, available to play nearly anywhere you’ve got a reliable internet connection. I regularly use Game Pass on my OnePlus 10 Pro Android smartphone while out and about. If you’re in a region where the service isn’t supported or servers are far away, a VPN lets you enjoy your favorite Xbox games. Thankfully, you won’t have to fiddle with router settings; just install your VPN provider’s app on your preferred platform. Then, enable your VPN and fire up Xbox Game Pass in the app or in a browser.
Factors to consider in a VPN for Xbox
Leveraging our years of hands-on testing, we’ve curated the following factors to consider when selecting a VPN that works with your Xbox.
Speed
Your VPN’s speed plays a crucial role in gaming or streaming video. Fast internet speeds and low latency enhance your gaming experience. Because all virtual private networks result in some speed loss, you’ll want one of the fastest VPNs available. 4K video streaming on Netflix, Disney Plus or Amazon Prime requires solid internet to avoid buffering and pixelation. A high-performance VPN could also lower your ping. For instance, if you’re connecting to a game server far from your physical location, a virtual network near the game server might keep input lag to a minimum. If you’re having issues, you can attempt to fix your VPN connection.
Generally, we recommend an average internet download speed loss of 25% or less. NordVPN, Mullvad, Surfshark, Proton VPN and ExpressVPN all clocked 25% or less — with some like Nord, Mullvad and Surfshark falling below 20%.
Network
Whether for tapping into game servers, accessing Xbox Game Pass internationally, or streaming foreign Netflix and Disney Plus libraries, an extensive server network is essential. Look for a high number of servers and a diverse set of countries as well. There are limited choices if your VPN provider boasts a vast list of servers clustered in a small number of locales. Wherever you are around the globe, you’ll enjoy more reliable connectivity with servers closer to your physical location.
Price
Most VPN providers deliver competitive discounts for first-time subscribers, and you’ll usually save more money when signing up for a longer term, like a year or two. We generally advise against springing for more than a 12-month plan. Although your VPN service may be fast, secure and feature-rich initially, that company may go bankrupt, be acquired or suffer a data breach over the next year. Because of the VPN space’s volatility, you should stick to an annual subscription for maximum savings without too much commitment. It’s not just about the lowest price; often more expensive virtual private networks tout fast speeds, large server networks and excellent amenities. Ultimately, you should pick a VPN with the benefits you need.
Streaming support
Since Xbox consoles are all-around multimedia devices, think about entertainment. Streaming with a VPN lets you unlock access to international libraries on services like Netflix, Disney Plus or Amazon Prime. For instance, with a UK VPN enabled you can stream Prey — normally a Hulu exclusive in the US — on Disney Plus. The best VPNs for streaming can unblock many streaming services, letting you access foreign content or even enjoy videos while traveling abroad.
Help guides and customer support
Because there’s no directly installable app, using a VPN on Xbox consoles isn’t as straightforward as on other platforms. Instead of downloading an application on your Xbox, you’ll need to run a VPN on your router or connect with your PC as a bridge. We suggest sticking with a company that provides detailed guides explaining how to use a VPN with your Xbox. Additionally, access to 24/7 live chat online and over the phone is helpful if you run into issues during setup.
Privacy
Although gaming is relatively safe, aside from “one more match before bed” morphing into several hours, there are dangers associated with online play. As Kaspersky explains, distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks often target gamers. A VPN encrypts your network traffic for additional protection, giving you peace of mind while playing.
How we test VPNs for Xbox
Selecting a VPN can seem daunting with the numerous available options and braggadocious marketing from providers. To properly assess VPNs for gaming, we tested speed loss, checked for DNS leaks and analyzed pricing information. We concentrated on internet connection performance and reliability for gaming, but heavily factored in streaming support since many folks use Xbox consoles as media hubs for watching Netflix, Disney Plus and other apps. Additionally, we pored over each provider’s help guides explaining how to connect Xbox consoles with VPNs, a tedious task which some gamers may require assistance with. Since chances are you’ll use your VPN with other platforms, we checked terms of service, logging policies, third-party audits and privacy features like encryption or kill switches.
Other VPNs we tested
PIA
At merely $12 per month or $40 for the first year (renewing at $50 per year), Private Internet Access is a cost-effective virtual private network that’s priced lower than even Surfshark. Alternatively, PIA offers a $79 three-year package, although we typically advise against shelling out for more than 12 months of service for a VPN upfront. Its beefy privacy and top-shelf transparency make PIA a worthy choice over other budget-friendly VPNs. All its apps are open-source, and we appreciate PIA’s commitment to privacy as well as transparency. Streaming content works well on PIA. Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video libraries from the US and UK played great.
While its middling 49% average internet speed loss makes Private Internet Access unsuitable for competitive gaming, it’s great for casual users — and at the price, it’s hard to complain. Sporting a vast server network spanning 91 countries, Private Internet Access offers an optimal connection for most folks. Although PIA has fewer server locations than Surfshark, ExpressVPN and NordVPN, it touts more servers than IPVanish. Its excellent Xbox VPN setup guide makes PIA a worthy consideration as a VPN for your Xbox Series X and S. But the unreliable connectivity holds Private Internet Access back when compared with other virtual private network choices with meaningfully faster speeds, including NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN.
Read our PIA review.
IPVanish
IPVanish offers unlimited simultaneous connections, intuitive apps and 24/7 customer support via phone or live chat. (IPVanish is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) It handles streaming sites like Hulu, Disney Plus, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with aplomb. However, its uneven speed loss — we measured an average 44% in our benchmarks — means IPVanish isn’t as suitable for gaming as other providers. IPVanish is fine for casual users but because of its high internet download speed loss, it’s not ideal for serious gamers. We also found IPVanish’s Xbox VPN guides underwhelming, so it’s a better option for non-Xbox users.
Read our IPVanish review.
Best Xbox VPN FAQs