Serious Discussion Which is the best Antivirus or IS for gaming now?

[Szellem]

I would like to know the following from MalwareTips users:
Which is the best antivirus or Internet Security for gaming now? The criteria: no system impact, no lagg in game, etc.Who has had what experience?
We are talking about a Windows-based system. And based on the real life experiences of users.

 

[Bot]

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Norton 360 are often recommended as they have minimal system impact and offer good protection. However, everyone's system and gaming experience may vary. Always try a free trial before purchasing to ensure it suits your needs.

 

[Templarware]

Kaspersky Free then Avast Free.

 

[SpiderWeb]

Kaspersky Free then Avast Free.

This. Not what that bot said lol. Kaspersky Free, Windows Defender, Eset and K7 are the only ones I can vouch for. They are light and have whitelisted all games, addons and mods and even cheats I know. They won't bother you, they understand that it is a game and leave you be. The rest will annoyingly try to scan the damn game as it is loading and streaming data during the game caussing lag and even kick you out if they detect any cheats and injection methods that mods are using.

 

[I Walk MY Way]

Norton 360

 

[Shadowra]

Eset, F-Secure

 

[Allego]

I would like to know the following from MalwareTips users:
Which is the best antivirus or Internet Security for gaming now? The criteria: no system impact, no lagg in game, etc.Who has had what experience?

System varies. What may be light on your system, it may be heavy for the others. Assuming your only use that computer for gaming. I would just use the MS Defender then just configure a secure dns like Quad9 or NextDNS

 

[Ink]

I would like to know the following from MalwareTips users:
Which is the best antivirus or Internet Security for gaming now? The criteria: no system impact, no lagg in game, etc.Who has had what experience?

If you desire 0 system impact, disable MDA and don't install anything that could affect your games performance.

Every additional piece of software you run on top of stock Windows will impact performance, for example, Spotify and Steam running at boot.

The type of hardware will also impact performance. ie. HDD vs SSD. Spend more on better hardware.

SteamDeck runs a Linux-based OS, meaning you do not need to worry about Windows malware.

 

[RRlight]

Performance impact:
McAfee < Kaspersky <= Eset < Norton

Check AV-C for performance comparison:
Performance Test April 2024

 

[lokamoka820]

1. Norton 360: Offers excellent malware detection rates, a game booster, and a VPN. It’s a great all-around antivirus software for gaming.
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Provides top-notch malware detection, a game mode, and a VPN. It’s a lightweight and efficient antivirus software that won’t slow down your gaming experience.
3. ESET NOD32: A versatile antivirus software with excellent threat detection rates and a game booster.

 

[KnownStormChaser]

It depends on what kind of system you have.

Overall, Kaspersky, ESET and F-Secure are all very light and offer good protection.

There is also Bitdefender, but it uses more RAM than other antiviruses. So I'd only recommend Bitdefender if you have lots of RAM.

Don't forget Windows Defender, it's light and as long as you are careful online, it's more than enough.

All the AVs I mentioned come with some form of game mode, not sure if they actually do anything, just though I'd mention it.

 

[Szellem]

My question is not just personal. I regularly read recent performance tests. What I believe more is the real life experience of users. And yes, unfortunately, not all products behave in gaming as the manufacturer claims.

 

[Ink]

The type of hardware will also impact performance. ie. HDD vs SSD. Spend more on better hardware.

SteamDeck runs a Linux-based OS, meaning you do not need to worry about Windows malware.

To add.

Better hardware doesn't mean buying the most expensive, or latest tech. Making smart choices within your budget allowance.

SteamDeck was an example that could become more popular.

I regularly read recent performance tests. What I believe more is the real life experience of users. And yes, unfortunately, not all products behave in gaming as the manufacturer claims.

Performance tests are not universal.

Reviews will vary based on the users' expertise and experiences. Careful of Paid/Bot/AI reviews.

Marketing is not factual nor accurate, it is a tool to sell more units.

Tomorrow, a bad Driver update or Windows Update can make all games unstable.

I think you are more than aware of your findings that the choices are limited on Windows. Switching to another platform may not be viable, and each have their own set of issues.

 

[monkeylove]

I think several have gaming mode and similar.