Geo-restrictions and online censorship is a real thing, and it is a real issue when all you want to do is get access to the best games or even streaming content from popular services like Netflix, or even to watch gaming videos on YouTube.
Considering all the obstacles in our way, the only best solution is to bypass these geo-blocks and spoof your location. The best way to do that is by using a top VPN service. With a VPN, you will be able to get access to the best gaming content or play games in real-time with users all over the world! Need to know how to get started? Let this guide show you the way.
In what ways can a VPN help with accessing geo-restricted games?
Before heading to how a VPN can be of help, let’s first discuss what we’re dealing with. The norm today is that almost every streaming service or games or apps are subjected to either geo-restrictions or geo-blocks. Only users in a few countries around the world can access them. For instance, if you are in the US, and want to download a popular game, you probably will get immediate access to it. There won’t be any issues to it. However, if you’re in a country like China or Russia, you will face more than one obstacle.
This happens almost all the time because of geographical restrictions on games, or streaming content – if we’re talking on the whole. Only users or gamers from certain countries will be able to access them. Even if you’re a US resident, and happen to travel abroad, chances are still a 100% that you won’t be able to access a few games even if you tried. Once you’re out of a certain region, you’re locked out. It can get pretty frustrating for hardcore gamers.
The good news is that you now don’t need to worry about issues like these especially with the rise in modern technology – the best unblocking tools. One such software is a VPN, short for Virtual Private Network.
With a VPN, you will be able to geo-spoof your location and bypass restrictions safely. Of course, not every VPN is 100% successful, which is why you need to also pay careful attention to which VPN software you invest in. We’ll get to that in a bit, but first, take a look below to learn how to geo-spoof your location and access regional-restricted games.
How to geo-spoof your location and access geo-restricted games?
- First, sign up with a reliable VPN service. There are couple of providers that are the best for gaming, and offer servers that are optimized for it.
- Once you’ve created your account, download and install the VPN app on your device. If you’re using a particular gaming device that doesn’t support VPNs, you can manually configure the settings via a router.
- Launch the VPN, sign in to your account, and connect to the best server. Most games or gaming apps are restricted to only people within the US. So, your best bet would be to connect to a US server.
- That’s all! Now, all that is left to do is download the game or app you wish! The same tutorial is used for accessing streaming services, websites, or software.
What about a free VPN? Can I unblock games with it?
You could try looking for a completely free VPN to access gaming content, but that is not going to always give you great results. Firstly, free VPNs make their monetary profits somehow, whether it’s through selling your data to third-parties, or by spreading viruses on your device. For gaming, you will need to utilize the fast speeds you’re paying for.
A free VPN isn’t strong enough to bypass ISP throttling, which brings us to the security aspects. Free VPNs aren’t properly equipped with security features that can help restrict DoS attacks while gaming. The servers too aren’t all that reliable, especially since free VPNs only offer a maximum of 10 servers in maybe 3 locations.
If, however, you’re still looking for a free VPN, maybe go for a paid one that offers a free trial and a refund period? In that way you can access geo-restricted games for free and safely, plus with all the other additional perks.
Can you use a proxy service to unblock geo-restricted games?
You can, but it is not the best idea. Yes, using proxy servers are somewhat a similar technique to using a VPN server, but the results are not the same. They do help access blocked games by changing your actual IP address, but the outcome is not as reliable compared to a VPN, and here’s why:
- A VPN offers multiple servers to connect to, with each having multiple IP addresses, where as a proxy server doesn’t offer different IPs. It only has the option to hide your true location and allow you to access restrictive or blocked content. Plus the proxy servers itself are usually overcrowded. It could also be the reason for limited bandwidth. That might be a direct problem while gaming or participating in online gaming events or competitions.
- Encryption is something proxy servers lack. They are known to leak IP addresses, which defeats the purpose of geo-spoofing your location to begin with.
- You can’t bypass ISP surveillance or speed throttling with a proxy. That is something a VPN can take care of.
There is no rule against proxy servers. You could always give it a try to see how you like it. If the results aren’t desirable, settle for a VPN instead.
To wrap things up
To summarize what we’ve gone through so far, accessing geo-restricted games in countries that aren’t within the regions of permittance is only possible if you geo-spoof your location. To do that, you will need to use a software that can make that happen, and a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is one of the stronger choices. However, before proceeding with using a VPN, make sure you read up the downside of it according to the laws in your country. It’s always good to be on the safer side of things. With that said, use a VPN responsibly – even if it’s just for gaming!
Author Bio: Jade Nazareth is a writer at TopVPNService. She takes a keen interest in writing how-to guides and awareness blogs related to cybersecurity measures and software. To instill a little cyber-knowledge in her readers using layman’s terms is what she aims to do.