Whether you’ve been shopping the best gaming PC deals or already have a lot invested in one of the best gaming PCs, some antivirus software is the first step in keeping it secure. With a lot of games accessible through online means, and with multiplayer action taking place primarily online nowadays, securing your setup is important. There is a lot of antivirus software out there, and while many of them offer similar features, their differences are important to note. We’ve tracked down the antivirus software we feel is the best for gamers to consider, and we’ve even narrowed the selections down into specific use case scenarios.
The best antivirus software for gaming PCs in 2024
Buy if you want the best antivirus software for gaming PCs.
Buy if you want the best antivirus software for full-screen gaming.
Buy if you want the best antivirus software for optimized gaming.
Buy if you want the best antivirus software for customized protection.
Buy if you want the best antivirus software for multiple gaming device coverage.
Norton Security 360 for Gamers
Best antivirus software for gaming PCs
Norton
Pros
Cons
Coverage for up to 3 devices
Somewhat pricey
Game optimization
50GB cloud backup
Dark web monitoring for gamer tags
Norton Security 360 isn’t just the best antivirus software for gamers, but some of the best antivirus software for Windows and Mac in general. Its gamer edition is particularly impressive, however, offering features like dark web monitoring for your gamer tags and personal information. It’s designed by PC gamers for PC gamers, so features like Notification Optimization and Full-screen Detection Mode are expert inclusions.
Bitdefender îs a popular antivirus software option amongst gamers.Some of its gaming-specific features include a full-screen mode that temporarily halts pop-ups, adjusts visual settings, and pauses unimportant background activities to allow you to enjoy the full power of your gaming PC without distraction. It also offers webcam and microphone protection to prevent eavesdropping. Bitdefener has had the industry’s best detection rate for the past five years.
Specifications
Devices
PCs, Mac, smartphones, tablets
Free trial
30 days
McAfee Total Protection
Best antivirus software for optimized gaming
McAfee
Pros
Cons
Game Mode optimization
Basic Plan doesn’t offer much
Secure VPN included
24/7 identity monitoring alerts
McAfee has been providing antivirus software for almost as long as the PC has been. It’s knowledgable across all use-cases, but gamers should be particularly interested in McAfee because of its Game Mode. This offers optimized gaming and ensures the antivirus software doesn’t bog down your system while you play. It also includes an App Boost feature that recognizes which apps require the most resources at any given time.
Specifications
Devices
PCs, Mac, smartphones, tablets
Free trial
30 days
Webroot
Best antivirus software for customized protection
Webroot
Pros
Cons
Lightning fast scans
Lowest plan lacks essential features
Always-on security
Multiple plans for various needs
Webroot is another antivirus software option a lot of gamers lean toward. This is mostly due to its speed, as it offers blazing fast scans without interruption and fast install times. But something Webroot offers that you won’t find among many antivirus software options is several different plans that each improve on feature offerings over one another. This effectively makes your plan selection customizable, the base plan offering basic coverage and the premium plan including everything Web root has to offer, and the Webroot’s middle plans covering all of the ground in between.
Specifications
Devices
PCs, Mac, smartphones, tablets
Free trial
14 days
Aura
Best antivirus software for protecting multiple gaming devices
Aura
Pros
Cons
Protects minimum of up to 10 devices
No gaming-specific features
Premium identity theft protection
$1M identity theft insurance
Well priced
Aura offers a range of protection services, and among them is antivirus software. It allows you to protect your digital footprint from multiple threats, and many gaming PCs and laptops are now coming with Aura pre-installed. Aura is also a great option if you’re hoping to cover multiple gaming devices, as its Individual Plan will protect up to 10 devices, and its Family Plan will cover up to 50 devices.
Specifications
Devices
PCs, Mac, smartphones, tablets
Free trial
14 days
How we chose the best antivirus software for gaming PCs
When it comes to choosing antivirus software, most options offer a wide range of features. When it comes to narrowing things down to the best antivirus software for gaming PCs specifically, there are a few things you need to pay more attention to. These include things offerings like game optimization and protection for peripheral devices such as webcams and mics in addition to ensuring protection is provided during online gaming sessions. We took all of these things into account in narrowing down antivirus software into the best options for gaming PC users, and we factored in things like pricing and the number devices covered with each option as well.
This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.
Andrew has been writing professionally for more than 20 years and has been writing about tech for three of them. His focus at Digital Trends is on deals writing and covering the year’s major sales events. His work in the tech realm also includes contributions to Sporting News and Pocket-lint.
In his spare time Andrew enjoys skateboarding, road tripping, and moonlighting as a fiction writer and independent filmmaker. You can read his books, blog, and other stories at https://wildlyon.com.
Best early GPU Black Friday deals: Save on top graphics cards now
Update 11/15/24: While the deals on GPUs don't generally tend to be that great, we've found a lot of great deals as we get closer to Black Friday. We've added a few to the list below, as well as updated the already existing deals so that you can have the latest info.
Building a PC from scratch can be a lot of fun, and with the upcoming Black Friday on November 29, it's a perfect time for you to pick up hardware. One of the most fun bits of any build is picking the parts, and for that, graphics cards are probably the most fun to pick between. That said, GPUs also tend to be the most expensive pieces of hardware that go into a desktop, especially if you're trying to aim for something in the mid-to-high-end range that can easily reach $500 or even $1,000. That's why we've gone out and collected some of our favorite early Black Friday GPU deals for you below.
I have Meta Quest 3S and this is the best VR accessory yet — it’s on sale
Ahead of the holidays and some prime family time, I've picked up the Meta Quest 3S. So far, my family is absolutely loving it, and my kids are constantly bugging me to play games, explore worlds, and get virtual. Naturally, I manage the time we're all spending -- you don't want too much screen time. But regardless, every one of us ends up becoming immersed, which means spending a lot of time with the headset on. One of the biggest drawbacks of the stock setup is that the headstrap is uncomfortable, and it puts a lot of pressure on your face. That means, the Meta Quest 3S's best VR accessory -- and the Meta Quest 3, too -- is a new, custom strap.
We grabbed the Kiwi Design Quest 3-Quest 3S headstrap and it's fantastic. It's also on sale right now for 20% off. Normally $30, it's discounted to $24 with a coupon code. Why am I sharing? If you pick up a Meta Quest 3 or 3S for yourself, or you're planning to gift one to someone over the holidays, I highly recommend ordering one of these straps. It vastly improves the experience and makes wearing the headset much more comfortable. It's also easy to adjust the fit, which is a big deal for kids. You have no idea how frustrating it was to constantly adjust the headstrap for my children between each turn.
Early Black Friday RAM deals 2024: 33% off desktop and laptop RAM kits
Update 11/19/24: We've updated all the deals below to the latest pricing, as the deals are getting better the closer November 29 gets, which is the official start of Black Friday. Be sure to check back regularly as we update the prices and add better deals!
If you're thinking of building or upgrading a PC, then you'll really want to grab yourself some great early Black Friday deals on RAM. A lot of folks may not really think about RAM because it's not as big of a deal as a GPU or CPU, but RAM can affect performance, so it's worth grabbing something good. Not only that, but certain operating systems, like Windows 11, love to eat up RAM, so upgrading it can make a huge difference to your day-to-day experience, especially if you're only running 8GBs. That's why we've gone out and collected some of our favorite early Black Friday RAM deals below.
