Whether you’re a Steam user or want to become one but are not allowed by geo-restrictions or censorship, a good proxy server will level up your gaming experience and open up a lot of new possibilities. Before we tell you how, let’s say a word or two about Steam and explain how proxy servers work.
Steam is an online gaming platform developed and released by the legendary Half-Life creator, Valve Corporation. It’s a video game distributing service where you can buy one of the 30,000 available games but also publish your own game and be a part of this global gaming community.
With Steam, your purchased games get automatic updates, in-game chat and voice functionality, cloud storage, and other community features. Once you buy a game, you can download it on your PC or Mac and start playing right after the download is complete. The platform’s chat allows its users to talk with friends or groups, join discussions, learn about new updates, and upload content.
Another great feature is the Steam Workshop that allows you to discover, create, and download player-created mods and cosmetics for almost 1,000 supported games. As a Steam user, you have early access to games and a chance to become a part of the development process.
A proxy server is a device that acts as a gateway between your PC or Mac and other servers on the internet. It’s an intermediary server that handles all traffic between you and the websites and apps you visit, protecting you from tracking, hackers, and malware.
While your device has a unique IP address, your proxy has a completely different one. So, when you’re routing your internet requests through a proxy, the websites you visit online can only see the IP address of your proxy. This means that your actual IP address and location stay hidden from everyone. The anonymity provided by a proxy server will improve your online privacy and security.
Every Steam user can benefit from using a reliable proxy server. Here are the major reasons why using a proxy for this platform is a good idea.
Accessing Steam from everywhere
Steam is not available in every country globally, including Iran, Cuba, Sudan, and North Korea. This means millions of gamers living in these countries can’t access the platform just because of their geographical location.
Also, many administrators of business and educational networks have blocked the platform to prevent students and employees from being distracted by Steam and keep them focused on the right thing.
Luckily, you can bypass these geo-blocks and censorships by using a good proxy. The proxy will give you an IP address from a supported location, so Steam servers will grant you access, thinking that you’re really trying to reach them from that location. This is also useful to gamers that study abroad or travel to a location where Steam is unavailable.
Keep in mind that you won’t be able to trick Steam into letting you buy a game from a different location just to get a cheaper deal. That’s because the platform requires that you use a payment method from that region. However, this issue is easy to avoid with digital debit cards and Steam gift cards.
A more stable connection
If you’re having connectivity issues, connecting to Steam through a proxy can reduce stutters, glitches, and lags. A reliable proxy service has servers all over the world, so you can pick one that’s close to the game’s server. This way you ensure a more direct connection and smoother gameplay.
Improved security
Just like any other online activity, online gaming can also be used by hackers to steal your personal data. Cybercriminals and hackers can use your IP address to sniff your traffic for information like your name, phone number, bank account details, and other data. If you use a reliable proxy, you can mask your IP information and provide only the proxy’s IP address, thus preventing such intrusions.
The best proxies for Steam are datacenter proxies from a reliable source. This type of proxy provides the speed you need when playing online games. You can also use residential proxies as they are the most secure. Residential proxies may be the best option for bypassing geo-blocks and censorship.
The most important thing is to use a reliable and premium proxy provider and avoid free proxies. IPRoyal offers some of the most reliable and secure residential proxies and fast and anonymous datacenter proxies so you can use Steam securely no matter where you are.