TOP best gaming DNS 2026
Best gaming DNS What is now? If you are looking for one DNS plays games smoothlyplease refer to the list below.
Changing the DNS resolver will not reduce ping while gaming. Once the match has started, the game software on your computer (client) has connected directly to the game server via IP address, so DNS is no longer involved in this data transmission process. However, DNS affects aspects such as: launcher startup, login, matchmaking, voice and chat connections, CDN selection for downloading updates, as well as sometimes regional routing decisions through the EDNS Client Subnet mechanism. A faster and more stable resolver can make these operations smoother and less error-prone; this is often the reason why users feel a better experience when using “DNS for gamers”.
Comparison table of the best gaming DNS in 2026
| DNS provider | DNS Server | Latency | Reliability | Note |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1 | Very low | Great | High-speed global Anycast resolver with strong privacy protection mechanism. |
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 | Short | Great | Widely supported, stable, and an easy-to-deploy backup option for most regions. |
| OpenDNS | 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220 | Short | Great | Stable uptime, comes with security and content filtering options. |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9 149.112.112.112 | Short | Very good | Security priority resolver, with the ability to block domains that contain malicious code or are used for phishing. |
| DNS.Watch | 84.200.69.80 84.200.70.40 | Short | Good | The DNS resolution service keeps no logs, supports DNSSEC, and is long-term operated by the community. |
| AdGuard DNS | 94.140.14.14 94.140.15.15 | Short | Great | Blocks ads/trackers at DNS level, supports DoH, DoT and DoQ. |
| Control D (Free DNS) | 76.76.2.0 76.76.10.0 | Short | Very good | Newer public option with unfiltered profiles and profiles with built-in filters. |
| NextDNS | Custom Config | Very low | Great | DNS filtering is highly customizable, coming with analysis tools and unique configuration profiles for each device. |
| Surfshark DNS | 194.169.169.169 | Short | Very good | Simple, privacy-minded resolver and encrypted DNS support. |
| Mullvad Encrypted DNS | dns.mullvad.net (DoH/DoT) | Short | Very good | The public DNS service has encryption, does not require an account, and has optional filters. |
| DNS4EU | 86.54.11.100 (unfiltered) 86.54.11.1 (protective) | Low in Europe | Good | EU-funded public domain name resolution service launches in June 2025; includes 5 filter options and is GDPR compliant. |
How to change DNS for gaming
Change gaming DNS on Windows 11 (22H2 / 23H2 / 24H2)
- Open Settings > Network & internet (Network & internet).
- Click the active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), then click the adapter to open its properties.
- In the DNS server assignment section, click Edit.
Convert from Automatic (DHCP) luxurious Manualturn on IPv4then enter the preferred and alternate DNS addresses. You can optionally enable the feature DNS over HTTPS (automatic template) to use encrypted DNS; This feature is natively supported from Windows 11 22H2 and is improved in version 24H2. - Click Save.
Change Gaming DNS on macOS (Sequoia 15 / Tahoe 16)
- Open System Settings > Network.
- Select the active service (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), then click Details…
- Select DNS in the sidebar.
- Click the mark + under DNS Servers and enter each address. Delete DHCP-provided addresses (in gray) if you want your addresses to take precedence.
- Press OK. macOS will apply the change immediately; please clear the cache (flush cache) with the command
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponderif you want the change to take effect immediately for previously resolved domain names.
Change Gaming DNS on Ubuntu Linux (GNOME)
- Open Settings > Network.
- Click the gear icon next to an active Wi-Fi or wired connection.
Switch to card IPv4 (or IPv6). - Turn off mode Automatic (Automatic) for DNS, then enter the DNS server address in the DNS field (addresses separated by commas).
- Click Apply and turn the connection off and on again to update the changes. On systems used systemd-resolvedcommand resolvectl status will confirm that the resolver is working.
Change gaming DNS for router – applies to entire home network
- Log in to your router’s admin page (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1).
- Find DNS settings in the WAN, Internet or DHCP section (location depends on the manufacturer).
- Enter the DNS address you selectedsave and restart the device if required.
Note: some Internet service provider (ISP) routers will ignore your custom DNS settings or automatically redirect port 53. If the changes don’t work, test with the command
dig @1.1.1.1 example.com
from the workstation and compare the results with the command
dig example.com
.
Updated: August 18, 2026




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