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.
Lenovo Presidents’ Day sale: Laptops, PCs, and more, from $199
Presidents' Day is one of the most underrated shopping holidays of the year, and proof of that is Lenovo's Presidents' Day sale. There are huge discounts waiting for you if you're thinking about buying from the brand's laptop deals, desktop computer deals, and more. We've gathered our recommended offers below so that you can make a quick decision on what to purchase while the savings are still available, but feel free to look at everything else that's available -- you just have to be quick so that you don't miss out.
What to buy in Lenovo's Presidents' Day sale
The cheapest laptop in Lenovo's Presidents' Day sale is a Chromebook -- the Lenovo 500e Chromebook Gen 3, which is down to
Save $250 on this Acer gaming laptop with an RTX 3050 Ti
No matter what level of gamer you consider yourself, there are few things better than getting a new gaming laptop than landing a great deal on one. Among today’s gaming laptop deals is the Acer Nitro 5. It’s a great gaming laptop if you’re new to the gaming world or looking to build a new gaming setup on a budget. This build of the Acer Nitro 5 regularly goes for $950, but today it’s marked down to $700 at Best Buy. This makes for $250 in savings, and you can save even more if you have a similar device to trade-in..
Why you should buy the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop
While many of the best gaming laptops are packed with hardware, they’re also quite expensive. The Acer Nitro 5 is a gaming laptop that offers tremendous value, which makes it popular amongst entry-level gamers, but also among long-time gamers who simply want a quality gaming laptop at a good price. This build has an Intel i5 processor and 16GB of RAM. These will pair well in taking on the best PC games. Also chipping in is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, which is a good fit for gaming laptops and provides both performance and efficiency.
This LG 32-inch QHD monitor just had its price slashed to $209
After upgrading with gaming PC deals, your next purchase should be on a gaming monitor so that you don't waste your computer's capabilities on an outdated screen. You don't need to shell out hundreds of dollars though, as there are offers for high-quality but affordable displays like Walmart's $140 discount for the 32-inch LG UltraGear QHD gaming monitor. From its original price of $349, it's down to just $209, but probably not for long so you'll have to complete your transaction for it as soon as possible if you want the savings.
Why you should buy the 32-inch LG UltraGear QHD gaming monitor
The LG UltraGear QHD gaming monitor comes with a 32-inch display, which is at the top end of the recommended size range for gamers by our computer monitor buying guide. With QHD resolution, you'll enjoying sharp details and vivid colors when playing the best PC games, and with a 165Hz refresh rate, which measures how often the images on the screen are updated, movements will be extremely smooth. The monitor also offers a 1ms response time, which may be the advantage that you need over your opponents as you'll be seeing all the action in near real-time, giving you extra time to react.
