Sony PlayStation consoles do more than just play games. Gaming consoles in general now double as complete media centers capable of playing back a wide variety of media including music, movies and live television streaming.
Along with using the PlayStation’s media features, a common question that comes up is “Can I install a VPN on my PS4?” And the short answer is yes, but not directly on the console. To run a VPN on a PlayStation or any console, the VPN connection has to be running directly from your Wi-Fi router, or shared from one of your computers.
How to Get American Netflix on PS4
Another common question is: “how to unblock US Netflix on a PS4? And the answer is the same, you need to connect your PlayStation to your internet passing through a US VPN server. Read the following guide to help you setup VPN on a PS4, PS3, or any gaming console in general. It also provides all the information on how to get a VPN connection working on the PlayStation. Once you have configured your connection with a US VPN server, you can simply connect your PlayStation next, and the region will be unlocked, just as long as the VPN you’re using still works on Netflix. Further below are tested VPNs that successfully unblock American Netflix on the PS4.
As we know, using a VPN on your PlayStation 4 can unlock restricted content by region for streaming services like US Netflix, Hulu, and international sports channels. But it also serves users in countries where lots of online content is blocked, all while encrypting your traffic for extra security. Sony PlayStation Network has had its’ share of attacks and account hijacking. Having a good password and 2FA authentication is the first step, but encrypting your web traffic ensures outsiders cannot snoop on you and collect your personal data.
In some cases, a VPN can also improve speeds and ping times when gaming on your PS4. This is done by providing a shorter route from your ISP to a regional server. For example, if you’re in the UK, and want to play on US servers, the regional server you select can possibly shorten the route used to transfer data, as opposed to the traditional routes used by your ISP, reducing the amount of hops, which results in faster ping response times, and less lag. This is not to be expected all the time, but is worth using when you want to play in overseas regions.
Choosing a VPN for PS4 or older generation PlayStation consoles is no different. Speed, server access, reliability, security and customer service are the main consideration points. And all the service providers below have successfully unblocked American Netflix in 2019.
ExpressVPN – Full Review
On top of my list for PlayStation friendly VPNs is ExpressVPN. Setting up a VPN router can be difficult for some, and they make it easy with more than one option. For starters, they offer a custom VPN fimrware to facilitate the process, but something really cool and simple is ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer for PlayStation. By just changing to ExpressVPN DNS servers in different countries, it’s possible to bypass geo-blocks to websites like Netflix. However, it does not encrypt your data, making it a good solution for media and entertainment, but not for security. You can also use both, and have more control over the console region settings. ExpressVPN provides great service and a 30-day refund in case you’re not satisfied.
VyprVPN – Full Review
VyprVPN is a great choice for PS4 users thanks to having a well designed VPN router app. They provide clear instructions to install and configure your router, and the firmware even allows you to assign different VPN servers to each connected device, making it easy to unblock websites on the device of your choice. This is perfect for PlayStation users since you might not want to run all your computers and phones through the same region, or through a VPN at all. VyprVPN servers are designed for speed, and known to be good for gaming.
NordVPN
– Full Review
NordVPN tests had good results on the PS4. They provide lots of fast servers, and their US Netflix servers work flawlessly. Many of servers available have low ping response and high speed capacity, making it a good choice for gaming. Configuring NordVPN on a router was not difficult. Although NordVPN does not currently offer their own router app, you can still opt to use popular router apps suchs as OpenWRT. Additionally, NordVPN provides step-by-step setup tutorials for all types of routers, including models that come with OpenVPN support out of the box.
CyberGhost
– Full Review
Cyberghost is a great VPN to boost your PlayStation media capabilities. They provide lots of fast servers all over the world with fast ping response, along with a catered list of streaming optimized servers for a wide variety of websites for movies, shows, sports and music, such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC One, Fox Sport and Spotify, to name a few. Although Cyberghost does not have custom VPN software, they provide tutorials on configuring one, or sharing your computer internet with your PS4.
Once you have selected a provider, setting up the VPN on your PlayStation is the hardest step and can be a daunting task if you’re a total beginner. Head to my guide on how to setup VPN on PS4 or PS3 to get a good idea of what your options are, and what they require. With that said, I suggest you definitely give it a try. Once the task is done, using and configuring your servers for your PS4 is much easier, and the whole process provides you with networking experience and knowledge that will make other related tasks easier and understandable.
