The video gaming industry has drastically changed in the past few years and it is still continuously growing. Today, the global gaming industry has become a massive industry and one of the most popular gaming consoles is the Xbox.
What’s really great about the Xbox is that it offers a gaming experience that allows gamers to interact with other gamers worldwide.
VPN XBOX
In the US alone, the gaming industry had experienced a growth of 9.6 percent from 2009 to 2012. But compared to the West though, Asia is still way ahead in the video gaming industry with. However, for the past 14 years, no imported gaming consoles have ever reached the Chinese market.
With strict sale regulations of foreign-made gaming consoles or any product for that matter, Microsoft wasn’t able to penetrate the Chinese market in the recent years. Gladly, China had already lifted its ban on gaming platforms and so allowing Xbox units to be sold in the mainland.
Xbox landing in China is surely a milestone for Microsoft’s global expansion plan. Unfortunately, Xbox’s entrance into the Chinese scene was not well-received. It was reported that the Chinese company that exclusively sold the Xbox (One) units lost almost $3M in 2014.
Japan is also a tough market for the Xbox brand but not because the platform in banned in the country. The Japanese people just don’t seem to be fascinated with the Xbox gaming platform.
As a matter of fact, the sale of Microsoft’s Xbox One in Japan wasn’t a success either. In its worst sales week ever in Japan, the Microsoft Xbox One just sold 300 units. But ignoring the Japan’s Xbox sales, Microsoft’s gaming console is still widely appreciated on a global scale with more than 48 million Live subscribers in 41 countries as of February 2, 2015.
Unfortunately, Xbox Live is not supported in all countries. Those with no access to Xbox Live in their country would not be able to enjoy playing certain games that require the Live service. Below are the countries or regions that have the Live feature. (Source: Xbox.com)
- Argentina: Spanish
- Australia: International English
- Austria: German
- Belgium: Dutch, French
- Brazil: Brazilian Portuguese
- Canada: English, French
- Chile: Spanish
- China*: Simplified Chinese
- Colombia: Spanish
- Czech Republic: Czech
- Denmark: Danish
- Finland: Finnish
- France: French
- Germany: German
- Greece: Greek
- Hong Kong: Traditional Chinese, English
- Hungary: Hungarian
- India: English
- Ireland: International English
- Israel: Hebrew
- Italy: Italian
- Japan: Japanese
- Korea: Korean
- Mexico: Spanish
- Netherlands: Dutch
- New Zealand: International English
- Norway: Norwegian
- Poland: Polish
- Portugal: Portuguese
- Russian Federation: Russian
- Saudi Arabia: International English
- Singapore: International English
- Slovakia: English
- South Africa: International English
- Spain: Spanish
- Sweden: Swedish
- Switzerland: German, French
- Taiwan: Traditional Chinese
- Turkey: Turkish
- United Arab Emirates: International English
- United Kingdom: International English
- United States: English
Is your country not listed above? Don’t worry, you can still access the Live feature. For those gamers in countries that are under the geographically restricted locations, you can still further enhance your gaming experience by using a VPN service.
Xbox and VPN
The Xbox gaming console really suits a gamer’s lifestyle and essentials. Xbox features include large hard drives, wireless media streaming and multiplayer gaming experience.
Originally though, you won’t be able to get the most out of all these Xbox features. Certain features and games are not available in certain countries. In order to bypass geo restrictions, you will want to make use of a VPN service so you will be able to get the full Xbox offerings.
With a VPN, you will even have a protection against DDoS attacks that are rampant during tournaments and online gaming activities. More importantly, you will be able check out demo games before they become available in the market. You will also be able to access geographically restricted streaming services like Hulu and Netflix on your Xbox unit. But the best part of using a VPN with an Xbox is that you will have the opportunity to expand your player base.
Setup VPN for Xbox
There are two basic ways of connecting your Xbox and your VPN service. You can choose to connect your Xbox to your computer and basically share their internet connections. There is also an option of configuring your DD-WRT or flashed routers and establish a connection to your Xbox.
Here’s how to setup Xbox & VPN on a Windows platform
Set up your VPN connection using the instructions/software from the provider or using the native client as we describe in our guide: How to Setup VPN in Windows 7.
- First, you need to connect your computer to the internet either via WiFi or LAN connection.
- Then connect your Xbox to your PC using the Ethernet cable. Make use to set to Automatic the IP and DNS settings. You will find this setting under the Network Setting on your Xbox Menu.
- Navigate through your computer and open Network and Sharing Centre.
- Locate your VPN connections and alter the Properties settings. Under the Sharing tab, tick on the box labelled “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection?
- Next is to choose the Local Area Connection menu. Make sure you select the right Ethernet ports or computers that can host a WiFi connection.
- Once that’s done, restart your PC and Xbox as well. After reboot, your Xbox should automatically connect to your VPN service.
Here’s how to setup Xbox & VPN on a Mac platform
- First of all, setup your VPN connection. If your VPN provider does not offer a dedicated VPN client app, you will have to manually setup a PPTP or L2TP connection on your machine. Note that using such VPN connections are less secure.
- Make sure your Xbox is completely switched off, then connect it on your Mac via the USB port using an Ethernet cable or adapter.
- On your Mac, navigate through System Preferences and find and click on ‘Sharing’ under Internet & Wireless menu.
- Make sure that the box Internet Sharing is checked on. From the Share your connection from, select your VPN connection. Below it, you will find the To computers using setup, choose AirPort to connect via Wi-Fi.
- Restart your Mac and Xbox. Check the System Setting > Network > Wi-Fi > Test Xbox Live to make sure that you are connected to the internet.
Setup for Linux-based machines
You could create a VPN ‘server’ on a PC running on a Linux OS. Find and use relevant OpenVPN software to connect your Xbox via router. Like what we’ve shown in the tutorials above, configure your router to automatically send a device through the VPN connection.
You are basically re-routing or creating a path for your Xbox to connect via the VPN-enabled router.
Note though that these setup guides may or may not be applicable with your VPN service.
If these tutorials don’t work, please refer to your VPN service provider on how you can correctly setup your Xbox with your VPN.
Any way of setting up Xbox through a LAN connection?
There is also a way to setup a LAN for Xbox. Unfortunately for this type of configuration, you will need to be playing in groups with at least 4 players.
If you’re having an Xbox sleepover, it will be ideal to hook your computer to a LAN configured Xbox “System Link”. Refer to this instructional guide posted on WikiHow.
The Best VPN for Xbox
In order to be able to bypass geographic restrictions on your Xbox, you need to make use of a reliable VPN service. Not all VPNs offer support for Xbox so make sure you check with the VPN’s compatibility first.
You can now take your Xbox gaming experience to the next level and on a global scale. While gaming on your Xbox, you will also have safer connections and have an impenetrable firewall against cyber threats.
Below are the best VPNs for Xbox. Subscribe to any of these VPNs and complete your Xbox experience.
- Company Location: Panama
- IPs: 5000+ IPs
- Countries: 61+
- Money Back Guarantee: 30 Days
- Company Location: Romania
- IPs: 3000+
- Countries: 60+
- Money Back Guarantee: 45 Days
- Company Location: Switzerland
- IPs: 200.000+ IPs
- Countries: 48
- Money Back Guarantee: 30 Days
ExpressVPN for Xbox One / Xbox 360
ExpressVPN is one of the largest VPN networks in the world which is why a lot of users prefer using it. ExpressVPN is compatible with most operating systems and VPN-enabled devices including the Xbox console. Here’s how to setup ExpressVPN on your Xbox. ExpressVPN also has a Smart DNS service which can also unblock geographic restrictions. Learn more about ExpressVPN in this ExpressVPN Test.
VyprVPN for Xbox One / Xbox 360
VyprVPN claims to be able to provide the fastest and the most secure VPN connections in the world. Many VPN users and experts can attest to the gloriousness of VyprVPN. The VPN service will work on PCs, Mac machines, mobile devices and on gaming consoles too. Check out how to setup VyprVPN on your Xbox. Read more about VyprVPN in this VyprVPN Test.
PrivateInternetAccess for Xbox One / Xbox 360
PrivateInternetAccess provides anonymous and private VPN connections for an affordable price. PIA also belongs to the most trusted VPN services in the market. To setup PrivateInternetAccess on your Xbox, follow these instructions. If you want to know more about PrivateInternetAccess, read this PIA Test.
PureVPN for Xbox One / Xbox 360
If you need ‘pure’ VPN services, you can never go wrong with PureVPN. The benefits of subscribing to PureVPN are limitless. PureVPN also consistently tops surveys and polls about the best VPNs in the world. If you want to use PureVPN on your Xbox, follow these Setup instructions. If you want to know more about PureVPN – check out this PureVPN Test.
TorGuard for Xbox One / Xbox 360
TorGuard is also a reliable VPN service that is compatible with many platforms and devices. TorGuard will also work with the Xbox gaming console. Here are the steps to setup TorGuard on your Xbox. TorGuard offers both VPN and Smart DNS services. More in this Torguard Test.
Using SmartDNS with your Xbox
You may also make use of a SmartDNS service as an alternative for a VPN. The main advantage of SmartDNS over VPN is that the former is cheaper, usually half the price of the latter. SmartDNS services also work best in unblocking geographic restrictions imposed by streaming media / websites. You can get a Free SmartDNS Trial on this website.
So if you’re usually watching movies or TV shows on the internet, then you’re better off subscribing to a SmartDNS service. It’s also simple to setup the DNS server on your Xbox unit. All you need to do is obtain the necessary SmartDNS server IP addresses that is provided by the SmartDNS provider.
- On the Xbox Home menu, select System Settings.
- Click on the Network setting.
- Then choose Advance settings.
- Under DNS setting, select Manual setup.
- You will need to enter the primary and secondary DNS server IP addresses that were provided by your SmartDNS service provider.
- Press the (B) button to save your settings.
- You’re done! You will then see a screen saying, “It’s all good”.
- Now go back to the main Xbox menu and restart your Xbox. After reboot, you can now use your SmartDNS service on your Xbox console.
Best SmartDNS for Xbox
Here are some of the best Smart DNS services today. Subscribe to any of these Smart DNS services to unblock geographically restricted contents or websites.
- Countries: 16
- Money Back Guarantee: 7 Days Free Trial + 14 Days
- Countries: 14
- Money Back Guarantee: 14 Days Free Trial + 30 Days
- Company Location: Hong Kong
- IPs: 80,000 IPs
- Countries: 141
- Money Back Guarantee: 7 Days
OverPlay for Xbox One / Xbox 360
OverPlay is known for providing the one of the most reliable VPN services in the market today. But aside from their VPN offerings, they also have their very own Smart DNS service. There are two ways on how you can acquire a OverPlay Smart DNS service: You can either purchase a VPN package that comes with a free Smart DNS service, or buy the stand alone Smart DNS service, which costs less than the VPN package. OverPlay’s Smart DNS service will work on most platforms including, Xbox untis, Roku Box, PlayStation and Apple TV. More in this Overplay Review.
SmartDNSProxy for Xbox One / Xbox 360
SmartDNSProxy seems like the cheapest Smart DNS service out there. But cheap does not mean mediocre service. Smart DNS Proxy will work on computers, mobile devices, entertainment systems and gaming consoles. Smart DNS Proxy also offers a VPN product that which is called the SmartVPN. Read more in this SmartDNSProxy Test.
PureVPN for Xbox One / Xbox 360
We all know that PureVPN is a quality VPN service provider. PureVPN recognized the need for unblocking streaming media, thus it came up with a powerful Smart DNS solution that can unblock all kinds of website. With PureVPN SmartDNS, you can enjoy 220+ of the hottest entertainment channels with no speed issues. Read more in this PureVPN Review.
Unblock-US for Xbox One / Xbox 360
UnBlock-US is a brilliant Smart DNS solution that promises to unblock content you want. Whether it’s a US Channel or a UK streaming media, UnBlock-US makes it possible to stream content overseas. Unblock-US will work on your PC, Smart TV, router, gaming consoles and mobile devices. Read more in this Unblock-US Test.
We’d like to point out though that a SmartDNS is not a VPN service. Meaning, there is no security feature whatsoever. SmartDNS services are only designed to unblock geographic restrictions and they usually don’t provide encryption.
Xbox Gaming with Less DDoS
If you’re looking to avoid DDoS attacks while playing on your Xbox, make use of a reliable VPN service. Not only will you have safer connections, but you will also experience lesser lags and improved latency too. SmartDNS is also a great tool for unblocking georestrictions, unfortunately you won’t get the security and protection you need when online gaming.
With a VPN, you get better overall Xbox gaming experience. Get your VPN today and enjoy and explore the list of hidden and restricted features that come with the Xbox platform.