PlayStation has evolved exponentially in terms of its abilities since its initial release. Each generation of the console has offered significant upgrades over the previous ones to keep the gaming experience on par with beefy PCs. If you aren’t a seasoned PS4 user or haven’t dug deep into the ins and outs of the console, chances are you are unaware of the advantages of setting up a VPN on the PS4.
What Is a VPN?
A virtual private network (VPN) offers privacy and anonymity in all your internet activities by creating a private network from a given internet connection. VPNs mask your internet protocol address keeping online activities virtually untraceable. Other than hiding your internet activities it establish secure and encrypted connections to provide greater privacy with security.
VPNs form a data tunnel between your local network and an exit node in a far location mostly of your choice making it seem as if you’re in a place of your choice. Other than privacy and security, this helps to bypass geo-restrictions.
VPN on PS4 comes with its own set of benefits. Much like its applications on PCs and Mobiles, VPN can be used to remove the geo-restrictions across PlayStation allowing players to access content that otherwise would not have been possible in their own location.
Why Use a VPN on PlayStation 4?
Virtual Private Network permits you to get to the PlayStation Store content from various regions so you can purchase games for less or access content that is not accessible in your region. On the off chance that you belong to a region outside the United States, titles are almost consistently $20 to $30 more costly.
Other reasons why using VPN may enhance your experience on PS4
- Switching servers
- DDoS Protection
- Download Games Faster
- Masking your IP when streaming
- Restricted access to region-locked content
With a VPN, you can pick up games at a similar cost as PS4 proprietors in the US. Furthermore, however not pertinent to most of the PS4 owners, a VPN fends off DDoS attacks. Moving onto streaming services available on PlayStation like Hulu and Netflix can have uninterrupted access to a large range of content.
VPN disguises your location thus giving you access to location-restricted content. Masking locations give selected betas and early accesses to games that have been dropped for selected locations.
How To Setup a VPN on PS4:
To set up a VPN on your PS4 make sure you are subscribed to a premium and branded VPN service. Premium subscription lets you chose from a wide range of locations and comes with unlimited data without any speed restrictions. Upon subscribing check for DD-WRT compatibility with your router and follow the given steps:
- Go into your router’s control panel. (Steps for which can be found in the router’s manual)
- Inside Network settings enter the necessary VPN credentials.
- Exit the router control panel after saving the VPN settings.
- In your PlayStation 4, go to Network Settings inside General Settings.
- Choose Set Up Internet Connection.
- Connect your WiFi with the PS4.
- Check the box that says “Do Not Use a Proxy Server.”
- Look for the availability of restricted contents to ensure that everything is properly set up.
Another way around to setting up VPN is to do it via your personal computer.
- Put an Ethernet cable into the back of your PlayStation 4 and your PC.
- Go to your PC’s Control Panel and choose Network & Sharing Center.
- Next, click on Change Adapter Settings.
- Right click on the name of your VPN and choose Properties.
- From the tab that says Sharing, tick Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection.
- From the drop-down menu of Home networking connection, choose the connection you’d like to connect with your gaming console.
- From the PlayStation 4’s menu, launch Settings and find Network Settings.
- Choose Set up Internet Connection > Use a LAN cable > Easy connection method > Do Not Use a Proxy Server.
With inputs from our guest author, Biren Sharma.
