VPN for gaming: latency, UDP and choosing the right server
What a VPN can and cannot do for online games: latency versus throughput, why the nearest server matters and where UDP and Hysteria2 fit in. No ping promises.
Gamers ask one question about a VPN: will my ping get worse? The honest answer is that a VPN adds a stop on the way to the game server, so in most cases latency stays the same or rises a little. It can help in specific situations, such as a poor route from your provider or a network that blocks a game. This guide explains what matters for online play and how to set Colitu up so it gets in the way as little as possible.
Latency is not speed
Online games send small packets many times per second. What matters is how quickly and how evenly they arrive, not how many megabits your line can carry.
| Measure | What it means | Why it matters in games |
|---|---|---|
| Latency (ping) | Time for a packet to go there and back | Delay between your action and the game's reaction |
| Jitter | How much latency varies | Stutter and "rubber-banding" |
| Packet loss | Share of packets that never arrive | Missed actions, teleporting players |
| Throughput | How much data per second | Downloads and updates, hardly gameplay |
A line with huge throughput can still feel bad in games if latency jumps around.
How a VPN changes the path
Without a VPN, packets go from you to the game server along your provider's route. With a VPN they go from you to the VPN server and from there to the game server. The total latency is the sum of both legs, plus a little processing.
- When it costs little: the VPN server is close to you and roughly on the way to the game server.
- When it costs a lot: the VPN server is far away, for example in another continent from both you and the game.
- When it can help: your provider routes traffic to the game's data centre badly, or your network blocks the game or its voice chat. A different path through a nearby server can then be steadier.
We cannot predict which case applies on your line, so measure instead of guessing.
Why UDP matters
Most real-time games send their game state over UDP. A packet that arrives late is useless, so games prefer to drop it and move on rather than wait for it to be resent.
Hysteria2, the transport Colitu's Adaptive Connect tries first, runs over QUIC, that is over UDP, and carries both TCP streams and UDP packets inside one connection. Its congestion control is built to keep its pace on lossy links such as busy Wi-Fi or mobile networks.
If a network blocks UDP, the app falls back to TCP-based transports. Game packets then travel inside a TCP stream, where one lost packet holds up the ones behind it. Gameplay still works, but under packet loss it can feel less smooth. Our article on UDP blocking explains the fallback in detail.
Choose the right server
- Sign in and open the ping test. It measures the real round trip from your browser to every Colitu server; a free account is enough.
- Pick the location with the lowest latency and jitter that is also close to the region of the game server you play on.
- In the Android app, the Gaming filter in the location list shows servers in the Gaming category.
- Stay on that location. When you choose a location, the panel keeps the same server for your device for 24 hours, so your path stays stable.
- Compare in the game: play a round with and without the VPN and look at the in-game latency meter.
The speed test is useful for download speed, but for play the ping test tells you more.
Settings that matter
- Windows: use TUN mode. Games and launchers usually ignore the system proxy, which is Colitu's default mode. In TUN mode all traffic, including the game's UDP, goes through the tunnel.
- No split tunnelling. Colitu cannot leave single apps outside the VPN at the moment: either the whole device uses the tunnel, or you disconnect.
- Consoles. There is no Colitu app for game consoles, and routers are not supported.
- Wired beats wireless. A cable or a good 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection usually reduces jitter more than any VPN setting.
- Background downloads. Pause updates and cloud sync while you play.
The game's own rules
Game publishers set their own terms. Some games restrict playing from other regions, region switching for purchases or use of VPNs. Read the terms of the game you play; you are responsible for your account.
What we do not promise
We do not promise a lower ping, a particular number of milliseconds or "lag-free" play. A VPN cannot make light travel faster, and every server adds distance. What Colitu can offer is a choice of locations to test, a transport that copes with lossy networks where UDP is allowed, and automatic fallback where it is not. More tips are in the help centre on speed optimisation.