In the world of online gaming, few words strike more terror in the hearts of players than the word “lag.” Even a few milliseconds of delay between button press and in-game response can mean the difference between digital life and death; victory or defeat.

For this reason, many gamers will instinctively recoil at the thought of gaming through a proxy. After all, gamers are primarily concerned with speed, even over security. Most gamers even disable their antivirus while playing to ensure maximum performance and reduce the risk of software conflicts.

Yet, there are good reasons to consider a proxy, and this article will explain why proxies might be the best-kept secret in gaming.

How Proxies Help You Game

At first thought, you might think that a proxy for gaming is ridiculous. After all, the last thing you need is your time-sensitive game data traveling through a relay to reach the server, right? 

Contrary to popular opinion, though, a proxy has surprising benefits for gaming, including opening up new channels that were previously unavailable. Check out these unexpected ways that proxies enhance your gaming experience, casually and professionally. 

Gain Access to Exclusive Releases

Downloadable Content or DLC is ubiquitous in modern games today. Love them or hate them, season passes usually contain extra characters, upgrades, and other content unavailable in the base game.

For the competitive gamer, having these extra items is critical for familiarizing yourself with the new game mechanics as soon as possible. Such time-sensitive access provides a significant competitive advantage over others who might face the new content for the first time in a tournament.

But what can you do if the DLC releases at different times depending on your region? How can you compete with someone who received extra content ahead of you? Proxies can help to even the playing field by allowing you to download time-delayed or exclusive game material regardless of your geographic location.

Want that new character, upgraded weapons, armor, or better move-sets? Start learning the new material before anyone else, and be ready on the battlefield! With a suitable proxy, you can download content from any region without worrying about geo-blocking.

The fun doesn’t end there, though. Proxy access goes farther than DLC into the realm of entire games! Some of the big studio and indie titles are region-specific. If you love exploring new concepts worldwide, a proxy is your gateway to those new experiences.

Leveling-out Latency

Latency is a big issue in online games. If the disparity between players’ connections is severe enough, lag can give one player an overwhelming edge.

Lag can be especially tricky for peer-to-peer (P2P) games. One player is the host rather than connecting to a central server, and the other connects to that host directly. In these instances, the host has minimal (often zero) lag, and the connecting player has significantly more delay, placing them at a severe disadvantage.

Proxies can resolve this discrepancy by equalizing the latency between the host and client. Using carefully selected local private subnet proxies, you can regulate lag for a fair match.

Play With Friends Worldwide

Some game servers will not allow connections from particular locales. These restrictions can be incredibly frustrating if you want to play a few games with a friend in another country. If you’re not into the competitive scene but just looking for some casual fun with friends, proxies can help you here, too.

Private proxies are ideal for this situation as they guarantee that you are the only one using that particular IP. Select a proxy local to your friend’s region, connect, and play! You can ensure that the connection is not shared with other users, giving you the best possible performance.

Avoiding Game Bans

Lastly, proxies can assist with the most controversial of gaming topics – bans! While every gamer advocates for fair play, sometimes honest players find themselves the victim of sweeping subnet bans. A subnet ban is when an administrator blocks a range of IP addresses to block a user from reconnecting. A game administrator might employ a subnet ban if a cheater uses dynamic IP addresses to keep reconnecting to the server.

Naturally, subnet bans have the unfortunate side-effect of blocking every player within that range of IP addresses. If you happen to be part of the collateral damage of a subnet ban, proxies are your redemption. A reliable high-speed private proxy ensures that you will never be banned again by providing new IP addresses whenever you need them. Game to your heart’s content without worrying about the ban hammer.

A Winning Combination

Private proxies are the ultimate game-changer for online play. A proxy is invaluable for putting you ahead of the competition, whether you play professionally or casually.

Also Read: The Blockchain Gaming Revolution