A gamer with joystick in front of a blurred screen fo a TV

The growing trend of using proxies in gaming

The use of residential proxies for gaming has become increasingly popular. Users with different game purposes and physical locations apply this wonderful tool. Proxies act as intermediaries between a player’s device and the game server. They mask the player’s real IP address and location. This growing trend, however, is driven by various factors. Such factors are the desire for enhanced security, access to geo-restricted content, and the potential for improved gaming performance.

If you stay with us till the end of the article, you will know exactly what we mean.

Common Uses of Residential Proxies for Gaming

Residential proxies bring many benefits when used. It is no different in terms of gaming. You can enjoy multiple advantages and get an edge over competitors. You can feel safe from malicious actors as well. In brief, residential proxies are great for gaming. But there are also a few drawbacks and you must assess the ratio between quality (the benefits) and the price you are paying.

Now let’s start with the pleasant part of our journey and look at what resi proxies can bring to you when paying online:

  1. Account Protection and Security:

One of the primary reasons gamers use proxies is to protect their accounts. Protection from potential hackers and malicious attacks is a must. By masking their real IP address, players can reduce the risk of their accounts being compromised. Thus, they prevent their personal information from being exposed.

  1. Circumventing Geo-Restrictions:

Many online games have region-specific content. On other occasions servers are restricted based on a player’s location. By using a proxy, gamers can bypass these geo-restrictions and access content or servers otherwise unavailable.

  1. Automation and Botting

Some gamers use proxies in conjunction with automation tools or bots. This way they perform repetitive tasks or gain an advantage in the game. Here we must admit this is not a white hat tactic and we do not recommend it. At the same time this practice remains a common use case for proxies in gaming.

Beware if you decide to use proxies for this purpose! This knife can cut your own skin!

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Benefits of Using Residential Proxies for Gaming

To be more specific, besides use cases we will go through the specific benefits. You may have the feeling this information is almost the same as the one above already provided. And to a certain extent your feeling will be right. Anyway, back to the benefits now:

  1. Anonymity and protection from hackers

Residential proxies offer a higher level of anonymity compared to other proxy types. They use IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to residential users. This makes it more difficult for hackers to trace a player’s real identity or location. And in the end, this provides an added layer of security.

  1. Access to restricted content

With residential proxies, gamers can bypass almost all types of bans or geo-restrictions. This includes also VPN bans imposed on certain servers or websites. On some occasions VPNs will not let you play your favorite game. But proxies will.

  1. Reduction of latency and ping times

In some cases, using a residential proxy can help reduce latency and ping times. This is due to connecting players to servers closer to their location. The result is a smoother and more responsive gaming experience.

Games in which residential proxies go viral:

Residential proxies have gained popularity in various online games. As per our own research and observation, among the games that are suited to proxies are:

  1. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)
  2. Fortnite
  3. Call of Duty: Warzone
  4. League of Legends
  5. Dota 2
  6. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)
  7. World of Warcraft (WoW)

Is any of the above games your favorite or the one in which you compete?

Potential Drawbacks and Risks:

We want to tell you everything is OK when using proxies for gaming, but we cannot. The reality is that residential proxies might be good for you but also may not be worth it. Below we will point out the main disadvantages of residential proxies for gaming:

  1. High cost compared to other proxy types

Residential proxies are generally more expensive than other types of proxies. They cost more than data center proxies, for example. And this is quite natural given their perceived legitimacy and their being sourced from real residential IP addresses.

  1. Impact on gameplay experience

As a rule, residential proxies can potentially reduce latency in some cases. However, they may also introduce additional latency compared to direct connections or data center proxies. This can negatively impact the overall gaming experience. Especially if you are playing a fast-paced or competitive games with millisecond counts that matter.

  1. Legal and Ethical implications

The use of proxies in competitive gaming may be considered unfair or unethical. It can provide players with an advantage over others who do not use proxies. Additionally, the use of proxies may violate the terms of service of some games.

Of all the other drawbacks we consider this one the least important. Proxies are becoming more and more popular and shortly you will have to use them so that you do not fall behind most of the players.

When is it Worth it to use residential proxies for online gaming

Having looked at the benefits, drawbacks and potential use cases, it is time to express our final verdict. Are residential proxies for gaming a good match for you or not? The answer here is “It depends”. Below is our recommendation based on some specific factors:

  1. Beneficial scenarios of using residential proxies gaming:
  • For competitive gamers and streamers who require a high level of security and anonymity. Residential proxies for gaming protect their accounts and personal information from targeted attacks.
  • In cases of repeated DDoS attacks or frequent IP bans. This is where using a residential proxy can help mitigate these issues and ensure uninterrupted gaming sessions.
  1. Scenarios to be avoid residential proxies gaming:
  • For casual gaming, the benefits of using a residential proxy may not justify the additional cost.
  • When the cost and potential risks of using a residential proxy outweigh the benefits.

Lastly, we recommend that you buy a small bandwidth to test your gaming experience. Test if the proxy works well and how fast your traffic limit is being depleted. If your gaming experience has no lags and latency, if you can afford to pay for residential proxies – then welcome aboard!

If you want to test our residential proxies for gaming, get a trial on QuickProxy for only $1.99.  

 

Conclusion

Residential proxies for gaming can offer several benefits. You may enjoy enhanced security, access to geo-restricted content, and potential improvements in gaming performance. However, their use is not without risks and drawbacks. Gamers must carefully evaluate their individual needs and priorities. Based on this, they should consider the potential impact on their gameplay experience, the legal and ethical implications of using proxies in competitive gaming, and finally the pricing. By weighing these factors, players can make an informed decision on whether the use of residential proxies for gaming is worth it for their specific situation.

If you want to understand more about the world of proxies, stay with Quick Proxy blog section.