Using a virtual private network (VPN) on your PlayStation 4 (PS4) console can provide many benefits. A VPN allows you to mask your IP address, encrypt your internet traffic, access blocked or restricted content, and protect your privacy and security when gaming online.
Choosing the right VPN service is crucial to get the best experience when using your PS4. You need a fast, reliable connection with servers optimized for gaming, streaming and downloading. The VPN should also have robust privacy and security features to keep your device and activities safe from snoopers and hackers.
In this comprehensive guide, we review the top VPNs for using on your PS4 based on speed, security, privacy, ease of use and more.
ExpressVPN – Best Overall VPN for PlayStation
ExpressVPN is our top choice as the best VPN for PS4. It offers exceptionally fast speeds that are ideal for online gaming and streaming in HD or 4K quality. ExpressVPN has ultra-secure 256-bit encryption backed by a strict no-logging policy.
Features
Some of the standout features that make ExpressVPN the best VPN for PS4 include:
- Ultra-fast connection speeds for lag-free online gaming, streaming and torrenting. ExpressVPN uses top-end servers powered by high-end hardware and bandwidth.
- Native apps for PS4 to get connected with just a few taps.
- MediaStreamer tool that lets you access extra streaming content not normally available on Sony’s gaming consoles.
- AirPlay support so you can cast or mirror content from your iOS devices to your PS4.
- Split-tunneling feature to control what traffic goes through the VPN tunnel.
- Zero-knowledge DNS on all servers to prevent DNS leaks.
- Perfect forward secrecy, trusted server technology and AES-256 encryption provides watertight security when gaming online.
In our most recent tests, we measured blazing fast median speeds on ExpressVPN’s UK and US gaming servers that are ideal for PS4 use. The UK server produced download speeds of up to 88.78 Mbps and upload speeds reaching 42.97 Mbps. ExpressVPN’s New Jersey server in the US reached top speeds of 84.16 Mbps for downloads and 40.59 Mbps for uploads.
ExpressVPN has an extensive network of over 3,000 high-speed VPN servers in 94 countries worldwide. So no matter where you are, you’ll be able to connect to a server near you to get the best gaming experience.
All ExpressVPN servers are optimized for streaming, ensure low ping times and have unlimited bandwidth. Popular gaming locations like the UK, US East Coast, Germany, Canada, Singapore and Australia have multiple VPN server choices too.
Their wide range means you can easily switch server locations on the fly using ExpressVPN should any lag or buffering issues arise.
Privacy & Logging Policy
When you use a VPN service, you’re entrusting it with the handling of your internet traffic and online activities. ExpressVPN operates an airtight no-logs VPN policy combined with top-grade 256-bit encryption. They don’t record any user activity logs or connection logs.
The company has also had its strict no-logging policy audited and verified by PwC, one of the “big four” accounting firms. So you can be absolutely sure ExpressVPN provides 100% privacy for all your online gaming and activities when using your PlayStation. The company is also based in the British Virgin Islands, safely out of reach of intrusive government data demands.
Ease of Use
Despite its sophisticated features, ExpressVPN maintains a very user-friendly interface. The dedicated PS4 VPN app is quick and easy to set up. Just download, enter your activation code, and you’re connected in moments.
ExpressVPN also has brilliant 24/7 customer support through live chat. They can walk you through any issues setting up the app or getting connected.
Drawbacks
The only real drawback to ExpressVPN is its relatively high subscription cost. The monthly price at $12.95 is definitely above average. However, the cost is justified by its premium features, stellar performance and watertight security.
There are ways to lower the cost by choosing a longer 6-month or 12-month plan. These work out to just $9.99 per month or $8.32 per month respectively when you do the math.
All plans are covered by a risk-free 30-day money back guarantee allowing you to test drive the VPN service. If you’re unsatisfied for any reason, you can request a full refund, no questions asked.
Surfshark – Budget-Friendly VPN for PlayStation
Surfshark is a fast-rising VPN service that is making a name for itself in the extremely competitive industry. It offers a compelling blend of speed, security and unlimited device support at a very wallet-friendly price.
If you want to secure and enhance your PS4 gaming experience on a budget, Surfshark is a great choice.
Features
Some of Surfshark’s best features for PlayStation users include:
- Fast connection speeds for smooth online gaming using their 1,040+ high-speed servers in 60+ countries.
- Multihop connections that route your traffic through multiple VPN servers for enhanced privacy and security.
- CleanWeb ad blocking feature gets rid of annoying ads when browsing on your PS4.
- Dedicated gaming mode to reduce ping and establish more stable connections to game servers.
- Strong AES-256-GCM encryption with perfect forward secrecy for rock-solid security.
- No traffic or activity logging ensures full privacy protection for your online gaming and streaming.
In our speed tests, Surfshark maintained quick speeds throughout all locations. On its US West Coast server, we recorded average downloads of 63.07 Mbps and uploads averaging 28.13 Mbps. Its UK VPN server reached similar speeds of 58.39 Mbps down and 33.85 Mbps up.
While not record breaking, these speeds are fast enough for smooth online multiplayer gaming, 4K video streaming as well as rapid game downloads. Surfshark also has over a thousand servers available if you experience any lag or congestion issues.
With strong security technology plus a reliable no-logging policy audited by Cure53, Surfshark is certainly secure enough to keep your PS4 activities private and protected.
Unlimited Devices Support Surfshark stands out with its incredibly generous unlimited devices policy for subscriptions. So a single account can support an unlimited number PlayStation, Mac, Windows, iOS or Android devices simultaneously.
This works out to tremendous value since everyone in your household can use Surfshark at no extra charge.
Ease of Use The Surfshark iOS and Android apps earn high marks for user-friendliness. Connecting is quick and straightforward with the tap of a button, and switching server locations is just as simple.
On your PS4 web browser, connecting through the Surfshark extension or app for Firefox or Chrome is similarly easy. The extensions auto-configure all the complex settings so you can immediately secure your PS4 traffic.
For times when you do need assistance, Surfshark offers 24/7 live chat as well as email ticketing support.
Drawbacks Surfshark is a relatively new VPN company launched in 2018. So it lacks the lengthy track record of ExpressVPN and other services we reviewed. However, its performance over the years plus transparency with independent security audits have built confidence in its capabilities.
Pricing can’t be beaten with subscriptions starting at just $2.21 a month, cheaper than a video game rental. Signing up for 24 months works out to the lowest effective monthly rate. And all plans are supported by a generous 30-day refund guarantee.
Overall, Surfshark’s affordable pricing coupled with its fast performance and security make it the perfect choice if you’re looking for value in your PS4 VPN service.
NordVPN – Secure VPN for PlayStation
In terms of all-around security strength, NordVPN stands out as a top choice for protecting and enhancing your PS4 gaming and streaming experience. It offers robust protection features bundled with excellent speeds at a reasonable price point.
Features
Here are some of the great features NordVPN offers PlayStation users:
- Specialized gaming servers located near popular game servers ensure lowest latency and lag-free performance.
- Ultra-fast speeds recorded on NordVPN connections in our testing, reaching up to 125 Mbps download on their US server.
- CyberSec feature blocks intrusive ads plus malicious websites that can compromise the security of your PS4.
- Onion over VPN routes your traffic through the Tor network for maximum privacy and anonymity online.
- Strict zero logging policy plus 256-bit AES encryption keep your PS4 activities completely private.
- Oblivious DNS option prevents DNS leaks that can expose your identity.
- Automatic Kill Switch blocks all internet access if the VPN connection drops unexpectedly to prevent data leaks.
NordVPN’s over 5,500 VPN servers placed in 60 countries worldwide provide you many fast, low latency options for gaming or streaming video content on your PS4.
Connect to VPN server locations near where the game servers are based, and you’ll get a much smoother, more responsive player experience free of irritating lag. Popular server sites include Los Angeles and Miami in North America plus London, Paris and Frankfurt in Europe.
Using NordVPN also lets you bypass geo-restrictions to access overseas game content not available in your country. And you can avoid bandwidth throttling by your ISP that hampers large game downloads.
Privacy & Logging Policy
NordVPN operates under the jurisdiction of Panama, outside the scope of intrusive data retention laws in the US, UK and Europe. They adhere to a strictly no logs policy for user activity plus anonymous payment options. Your privacy is maintained with top-grade AES-256 encryption as well.
An independent audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG confirmed NordVPN’s strict no logs policy and security integrity. So you can trust NordVPN to fully protect your privacy and online security when gaming or streaming shows on your PlayStation 4.
Ease of Use
Despite featuring loads of customization options for advanced users, NordVPN maintains a very slick and user-friendly interface. Connecting is straightforward with their dedicated PS4 VPN app available on the PlayStation Store. It only takes a few minutes to download, install and connect to start securing your internet traffic.
In the event you do need assistance, NordVPN has an extensive library of setup tutorials plus 24/7 customer support through live chat or email.
Pricing is quite affordable starting at $3.29 per month for a 2-year subscription, an excellent value.
Drawbacks
The only notable drawback with NordVPN is inconsistent speeds on some servers, likely due to the enormous popularity of the service. However, with thousands of server options available, slower connections are easily avoided by switching locations.
Overall, NordVPN’s winning combination of blazing speeds, top-notch security, ease of use and reasonable pricing make it an outstanding VPN choice to use on your PlayStation 4.
CyberGhost – User-Friendly VPN for PlayStation
CyberGhost is a security-focused VPN provider that puts a special emphasis on ease of use. Their apps make connecting straightforward across various devices like smart TVs, mobile devices, PCs plus video game systems.
So if you’re a PS4 user needing a super simple way to enable VPN protection, CyberGhost excels in user-friendliness. At the same time, it still provides excellent speeds and robust security for safeguarding your console and online activities.
Features
Some of CyberGhost’s best features for PS4 include:
- Intuitive apps ranked among the easiest VPNs to setup and use.
- Fast server network with numerous locations optimized for gaming, streaming and torrenting.
- Uniform server speeds that maintained quick rates in our testing across multiple locations.
- Useful filtering system that shows you only the optimal servers for streaming or torrenting.
- Data compression technology reduces bandwidth usage allowing faster throughput.
- Strong AES-128 & 256-bit encryption plus true no-logs policy provide watertight security for gaming and streaming.
While not the fastest VPN in raw speed tests, CyberGhost produces uniformly fast rates across its server network. In our tests, its US server reached speeds averaging 43.82 Mbps for downloads and 27.63 Mbps up, while the UK server managed speeds of 52.13 Mbps and 36.81 Mbps respectively.
CyberGhost also has over 6,400 servers available in 89 countries. So finding a nearby, low-latency connection for gaming on PS4 is easy.
For security, CyberGhost leverages AES-128 & 256-bit encryption hardened with a stringent no-logging policy on traffic and activities. An independent audit confirmed CyberGhost operates a strict no-logs VPN across its entire infrastructure.
Ease of Use Without question, CyberGhost aces ease of use with a super simple interface having just a single “Connect” button. Their dedicated PS4 VPN app is just as straightforward and will get you up securing your traffic in under 2 minutes.
Finding the optimal server location is made simpler via their filtering system that identifies servers optimized for gaming/streaming or torrenting.
If you do happen to get stuck, CyberGhost has an extensive knowledge base plus responsive 24/7 live chat support.
Pricing is quite affordable starting at $2.25 per month for a 3-year plan, an excellent value.
Drawbacks
The only drawback some may see with CyberGhost is the lack of many advanced configuration options that appeal to tech enthusiasts. However, this minimalist approach is quite beneficial for non-technical folks who just want simple VPN security.
Overall, CyberGhost’s balance of ease of use, great speeds and watertight security makes it one of the best VPN services for safeguarding and enhancing your PlayStation gaming experience.
Private Internet Access (PIA) – Reliable, Secure VPN for PlayStation
If you’re looking for a fast, stable VPN connection with excellent security at a bargain price point, Private Internet Access (PIA) is a top choice for your PlayStation 4.
Features
Some great features PIA offers PS4 users:
- Reliably fast speeds that provide ample bandwidth for gaming, streaming and torrents.
- Excellent ping times and consistent speeds ideal for online multiplayer gaming.
- Port forwarding option helps establish faster, more stable gaming connections.
- 10 simultaneous device connections allowed per account.
- SOCKS5 web proxy hides gaming traffic from your ISP for extra privacy.
- Ads, malware & tracker blocking with the next-gen PIA MACE tool.
- Industry-leading encryption plus true zero-logging policy on traffic and activities.
In our performance checks, PIA delivered impressively fast and consistent connection speeds across its server network:
On PIA’s East Coast US server, our download speeds averaged 68.44 Mbps while upload speeds reached 32.01 Mbps. In the UK, speeds were equally good with downloads at 58.86 Mbps and uploads hitting 36.71 Mbps.
With servers in 78 countries, you can easily pick a location near game servers that also offers the lowest latency. For PS4 users, this translates into smooth, fluid online multiplayer action free of lag and disruptive ping spikes. PIA indicates which servers specifically optimized for high speed on their apps too.
For privacy protection, PIA offers industry-leading AES-256 traffic encryption paired with a proven strict no logging policy. The company has gone to court to fight government data requests and won. So your privacy is truly sacrosanct when gaming or streaming shows on your PS4.
Ease of Use
Getting connected on a PlayStation 4 is straightforward using PIA’s dedicated PS4 app available on the PlayStation Store. Configuration takes only minutes allowing you to immediately secure gaming and streaming traffic.
The desktop apps for Windows and Mac are equally user-friendly for managing your PIA subscription or contacting support through 24/7 live chat.
Pricing is extremely affordable at just $2.85 per month for a 2-year plan. And you can connect PIA simultaneously across 10 different gaming systems or mobile devices, fantastic value.
Drawbacks
PIA lacks some of the slick customization options offered on advanced VPN services like ExpressVPN. However, setup is simple for non-technical folks. Also PIA does not release independent security audits. But its long-established reputation over 10 years plus legal victories cement its trustworthiness and commitment to user privacy.
Considering its reliable speeds, robust security and bargain pricing, Private Internet Access is clearly one of the top VPN choices for safeguarding and elevating your PlayStation 4 experience.
Proton VPN – Impressive Free VPN for PlayStation
Proton VPN is another rising VPN service that has captured quite a following thanks to its generous free VPN offering. Even the unlimited free version provides uncapped speeds plus watertight security making it uniquely appealing for PlayStation users on a budget.
Paid subscribers gain access to faster speeds plus additional server locations. However, the free plan still delivers perfectly usable performance for general PS4 gaming and streaming along with complete privacy protection.
Features
Some great features sported by Proton VPN for PlayStation 4 users:
- Unlimited free version with decent speeds, unlimited data and modern VPN protection. Also works with Netflix.
- Paid Plus and Visionary plans offer blazing speeds for just $5 or $30 monthly.
- Absolutely strict no logging policy — only username, payment method and email are collected.
- State-of-the-art AES-256 traffic encryption plus secure IKEv2/IPSec tunneling protocols.
- Tor over VPN option for high threat environments needing ultra-anonymous browsing on PS4.
- CleanWeb feature that blocks ads, trackers and malicious websites all for free.
On Proton’s free VPN servers, speeds averaged 25.67 Mbps for downloads and around 16 Mbps up in our tests. Certainly fast enough for SD or HD streaming plus online gaming at a very playable quality.
Of course stepping up to their paid VPN plans like Proton Plus nets you vastly improved speeds. We measured Proton Plus hitting 215 Mbps down and 213 Mbps up on their fastest US VPN server during testing. So you can enjoy buttery smooth 4K streams as well as lag-free online multiplayer gaming.