VPN for gaming - does it actually lower ping or just make things worse?

[Summit]

hey guys so i just spent money on a vpn that was supposed to help gaming and lower ping but tbh i think i got scammed or something. i set it up did speed tests and my ping either stayed the same or got worse honestly. i read all those forums and reviews about vpns giving gamers better ping especially for overseas servers but for me it's just a mess. are vpns actually good for ping or is it just a myth? i know they can help some people with lag by avoiding ISP throttling but i feel like most of the time it just adds an extra hop. i tried different protocols too like OpenVPN WireGuard IKEv2 and nothing really changed. i even tried connecting to servers closer to the game servers no luck. im annoyed because i paid for a premium vpn thinking it would help and now i just feel like i wasted money. has anyone actually gotten a real ping drop using a vpn for gaming or am i just unlucky? maybe i need a different setup or just forget vpns for gaming. this is so confusing i just wanna play without lag but now im doubting everything

 

[Rhythm]

honestly bruh, i feel you. ive seen cases where vpn lowers ping by 10-20ms but most of the time it just adds 30-50ms extra hop. like i saw someone get a 15ms drop but most get worse ping for sure. maybe worth trying a local server but honestly, vpn for gaming is mostly luck

 

[Shunt]

yep exactly, i think most of the hype around vpns helping ping is kinda exaggerated. sure they can help in some cases but for the most part they just add latency. don't get your hopes too high, it's hit or miss.

 

[Fade]

ok so bruh, honestly i kinda disagree. ive used vpn for gaming a lot and seen it drop ping by like 15-20ms pretty often, especially if i connect to a server near the game server and use wireguard. maybe your setup or the vpn provider just not optimized? sometimes it's just about finding the right combo.

 

[Propel]

nah i gotta disagree with that. ive used vpns a lot for gaming and usually it just adds latency, especially if im on a long-distance server. sometimes it helps if im lucky and connect to a really close server, but most of the time it just messes with my ping. don't think it's a reliable fix for lag.

 

[Locus]

tbh bruh, you sure your VPN isn't just adding unnecessary hops? sometimes it can help, but most of the time it's just extra latency, especially if you're already close to the server. maybe try playing around with different servers or even turn off VPN for gaming and see if it's really making a difference?

 

[Stock]

Use a VPN with servers near ur gaming server, but sometimes it just adds lag and makes u wanna rage. I tried it, ended up worse, not better. best to test a few configs, see if it helps or

 

[Glide]

Ever tried different VPN locations to see if it actually helps? sometimes it can cut ping if u find a close server but most times it just adds lag. best to test a few options before committing.

 

[Branch]

Always try VPNs with servers close to ur gaming host, but ngl, it's trial and error. u ever tested different VPN protocols? sometimes that helps too.

 

[Gambit]

Yeah I agree, testing different configs is key but honestly I've found that most of the time a VPN just adds more lag for me unless I find a really close server and mess with the protocols like you said. Sometimes switching from openvpn to wireguard can make a tiny difference but mostly it's just hit or miss. I used to think it would help all the time but after wasting

 

[Haven]

I kinda disagree that VPNs always make it worse. Sometimes I've seen a local server really drop ping if it's a good match with the game server. Do you guys ever try random VPN providers just to see if one gives you better routing?

 

[Flow]

ever tried using quickspeedvpn? it's cheap and has a ton of servers close to gaming hubs. sometimes switching to a less popular server there drops ping a lot. highkey worth a shot if u wanna test options without wasting cash on random VPNs. lol

 

[Sculpt]

lol yeah I wasted a bunch of time on that too. sometimes a VPN actually drops ping by routing thru a less congested path but most of the time it just adds latency. like, I saw some tests show a 10-20% increase on average unless u find a super close server. it's all about testing and seeing if your specific setup benefits.

 

[Bullion]

bruh yeah exactly, sometimes routing thru a good local server can actually help but it's kinda hit or miss. ymmv depending on your location and the VPN quality. totally depends on the match with the game server too.

 

[Sketch]

careful with that, sometimes a 'good' local server still adds more delay than it saves. best to test a few before trusting it. pure luck most of the time.

 

[Abyss]

Yeah man, I tried like 3 different VPNs last week and only one actually helped a bit, but even then it was a tiny drop. The rest just made me lag worse. Honestly, fr, it's all trial and error, every setup is different. Gotta mess around with a few and see what sticks.

 

[Amplify]

man bruh honestly VPNs like windscribe or protonvpn can help if u pick the right server close to the game server, but u gotta test a few. sometimes they actually make ur ping worse tho sooo id recommend using a tool like pingplotter to see what's up.

 

[Summit]

thanks for the tips guys, yeah I tried some VPNs with nearby servers and yeah it's kinda hit or miss. I havent really messed with different protocols much tho, maybe I should. always feels like a gamble but maybe I'll experiment more and see if I can find somethin that actually lowers ping instead of just adding lag.