Best VPN for Steam Deck in 2026: Setup, Speed, and Ping Compared

Search Discover, the Steam Deck’s app store, for a VPN, and most of the big names don’t appear. SteamOS is built on Linux, and its system files are locked so that a major update can reset them. That’s why a VPN app written for Windows or a phone doesn’t simply install here. It’s also why some setups vanish after the next update.

Gaming Mode, where you spend most of your playing time, has no VPN switch of its own either. So the questions are simple: which VPN works with SteamOS, how much effort it takes, and how much ping it adds in a match. Five VPNs made the cut, ranked by how they install on the Deck and how they performed in our tests.

Steam Deck VPNs Compared

Speed loss is the average download speed each VPN cost us on UK, US, and Japanese VPN servers. Ping is the average of the same three.

VPN	Speed loss	Average ping	Steam Deck setup	Price
NordVPN	7.8%	130 ms	OpenVPN file in network settings	About $3.50/mo
Proton VPN	10.2%	133 ms	WireGuard file in network settings	About $3/mo
ExpressVPN	7.8%	131 ms	Official Linux app for Arch	About $3/mo
Surfshark	9.6%	145 ms	Official Flatpak app in Discover	About $2.50/mo
PIA	12.7%	156 ms	Linux installer, read-only mode off	About $2/mo

Best VPNs for Steam Deck in November 2026

All five also rank among the best VPNs we’ve tested. Here, the order is based on how they install on SteamOS, then on ping and speed.

1. NordVPN: Best Steam Deck VPN for Low Ping

NordVPN had the lowest average ping of the five. It also tied with ExpressVPN for speed, with a 7.8% speed loss you won’t notice while a game downloads. Its lead was clearest on Japanese servers, so choose it if you play on Asian game servers. Installing it on the Deck takes a few more steps, however.

NordVPN’s Linux app is built for systems such as Ubuntu and Fedora, and SteamOS isn’t one of them. The dependable method is to use one of its OpenVPN configuration files instead. Download the file from your NordVPN account, import it in Desktop Mode, and sign in with the service credentials shown on the same page.

In our tests, OpenVPN was only slightly slower than NordLynx, NordVPN’s default protocol, so the manual setup costs you almost nothing. With servers in 152 countries, you can usually connect close to a game’s server region, which keeps ping down. The Basic plan costs about $3.50 a month on the two-year plan.

NordVPN’s subscription plans and pricing rise at renewal, so the first term is the cheapest time to commit.

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2. Proton VPN: Best for a Quick WireGuard Setup

Proton VPN is the quickest to set up through SteamOS’s own network settings. Its account page generates WireGuard configuration files, and SteamOS imports one in a few clicks. WireGuard is the light, fast protocol most VPN apps now use by default. On paid plans, the same page also offers Moderate NAT, which helps peer-to-peer games and voice chat connect.

Its average ping came in third, a few milliseconds behind NordVPN. It lost 10.2% of our speed, still fast enough for game downloads. Japanese servers were its weak spot, as our download speed fell sharply on them in our Linux test. If you play on Asian servers, test a Japanese connection during the 30-day refund window before you settle on it.

Proton VPN also offers an official Linux app. The Flatpak version in Discover comes from third parties, and Proton warns that support for it may be limited, so the configuration file is the safer choice. The VPN Plus plan costs about $3 a month on the two-year plan. Its no-logs policy has also been independently audited.

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3. ExpressVPN: Best Full Linux App for SteamOS

ExpressVPN has a full Linux app with a graphical interface. Its Arch version suits SteamOS, which is built on Arch Linux, and ExpressVPN publishes its own Steam Deck instructions. In Desktop Mode, it’s the closest thing to a normal VPN app. It also tied with NordVPN as the fastest VPN we tested, and its average ping was a millisecond behind.

Updates are its weak point. ExpressVPN warns that SteamOS system updates may remove third-party apps, so expect to reinstall it after a major update. Keep the installer in your Downloads folder, and reinstalling is quick. The app also has fewer settings than NordVPN or PIA. That suits players who just want to connect and play.

Its servers use RAM only, so they wipe stored data each time they restart. The Basic plan costs about $3 a month on the 28-month plan. If the app doesn’t work well on your Deck, the 30-day money-back guarantee works like an ExpressVPN free trial.

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4. Surfshark: Easiest Steam Deck VPN to Install

Surfshark is the only VPN of the five with an official app in Flathub, the store behind Discover. Installing it is as simple as installing a game launcher: search for Surfshark in Discover, install, and sign in. Flatpak apps also live outside the locked system files, so SteamOS updates leave Surfshark in place.

The trade-off is the kill switch, which cuts your internet if the VPN drops. Surfshark says it isn’t available in the Flatpak version. Check that the app shows a connection before you start a game or a store purchase. Ping was also higher than NordVPN’s on US and Japanese servers, so Surfshark suits players who use servers in or near their own country.

Speed was strong overall, with a 9.6% speed loss. Its UK servers were also the fastest UK result in our tests. CleanWeb blocks ads and trackers on every plan, and one subscription has no device limit. The Starter plan costs about $2.50 a month on the 27-month plan.

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5. Private Internet Access: Best Budget Steam Deck VPN

Private Internet Access has the most complete Linux app of the five. It includes the same protocol, kill switch, and port forwarding settings as the Windows version. The app also shows the ping for each server, which helps you choose one before a match. PIA costs around $2 a month on its long-term plan, the lowest price here, and it has no device limit.

Installing it is more involved. PIA’s own Steam Deck instructions turn off SteamOS’s read-only mode in the terminal. They then add software packages before running the installer. A SteamOS update can undo those changes, so be ready to repeat them. If you’d rather not touch the system files, Surfshark’s Discover app is the simpler option.

Speed was the slowest of the five, with a 12.7% speed loss. PIA also had the highest average ping, mainly on its US and Japanese servers. On nearby servers, the difference is small, so it’s a sensible choice if your games are hosted in your own region.

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How to Set Up a VPN on Steam Deck

SteamOS is Linux-based, so a VPN with a Linux VPN app or downloadable configuration files can work on it. Setup takes place in Desktop Mode.

Hold the power button and choose Switch to Desktop, and connect a keyboard if you can, since it makes typing passwords easier.

With a Configuration File (NordVPN, Proton VPN)

1. Subscribe to a VPN that offers OpenVPN or WireGuard files, such as NordVPN or Proton VPN.
2. Download a configuration file from your VPN account in the Deck’s browser. Choose a server close to you or to your game’s servers.
3. Open System Settings, go to Network, and add a new connection. Choose to import a VPN connection, then select the file.
4. Enter your credentials if the VPN uses them. NordVPN’s OpenVPN files require the service credentials from your account page.
5. Turn the connection on from the network icon in the taskbar, then return to Gaming Mode. The connection remains active there.

To switch the VPN on and off from Gaming Mode, install Decky Loader, a community plugin manager. Then add the TunnelDeck plugin from its store, which lists your imported VPN connections in the Quick Access menu. Neither comes from Valve or the VPN companies, so they sometimes have to be reinstalled after a SteamOS update.

With a VPN App (ExpressVPN, Surfshark, PIA)

Surfshark installs from the Discover store in Desktop Mode, like any other app. ExpressVPN’s Arch app and PIA’s installer come from their websites instead, and PIA requires turning off read-only mode first. Connect in Desktop Mode, then return to Gaming Mode.

Check its network settings to confirm the connection is still active, since apps behave differently when the desktop closes. A SteamOS update keeps your imported network connections and Flatpak apps such as Surfshark’s.

Apps installed into the system files, including ExpressVPN’s and PIA’s, may have to be reinstalled.

What a VPN Does on a Steam Deck

The Steam Deck is a portable PC, so a VPN does the same jobs it does on a laptop:

• Public networks: On shared Wi-Fi, encryption keeps your Steam sign-in and browsing away from others on the same network.
• Your IP address: In peer-to-peer games and voice chat, other players can see your IP address. A VPN shows them its server’s IP address instead, which helps against DDoS attacks aimed at your connection.
• Throttling: Some ISPs slow large downloads or game traffic at busy times. A VPN hides which apps you’re using, which can help you stop ISP throttling.
• Ping: A VPN usually adds a little ping, since traffic takes a detour through its server. It lowers ping only when your ISP routes game traffic poorly, the main case for a gaming VPN on any device.
• Travel: Abroad, a server in your home country keeps your usual accounts and services working, as with any VPN for travel.

Store prices are a different matter. Steam’s subscriber agreement prohibits using a VPN or proxy to disguise where you live, including to buy games at another country’s prices. Valve can close your account for it.

Changing your store country also requires a purchase with a local payment method, which is why changing your Steam region properly takes more than a VPN.

Free VPNs on Steam Deck

A free VPN can work on a Steam Deck, but most free plans limit data, servers, or speed. A large game download can use up a monthly allowance in one session. Free plans also tend to have fewer servers near game regions, which raises ping.

Proton VPN’s free plan is the exception. It has no data cap, and a free account can generate WireGuard files, so the same configuration-file setup works without paying. On that page, you choose among Proton VPN’s free countries, unlike in its app.

Streaming services and the faster paid servers remain off limits.

Verdict

Any of these five can protect a Steam Deck, so the decision is how much setup you’re willing to do once. If you’re comfortable importing one file in Desktop Mode, NordVPN offers the best ping for that effort. The connection then keeps working through SteamOS updates.

If you’d rather install an app and leave it alone, Surfshark is the one Discover offers officially. Whichever you use, keep your Steam account in your home country, because a VPN won’t change Valve’s rules on regional prices.

Test NordVPN on Steam Deck

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