Raven Wu
Updated on: September 16, 2025
Fact-checked by Katarina Glamoslija
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🥇 Norton
: Excellent antivirus with a built-in Silent Mode for uninterrupted gaming and a lightweight malware scanner that runs in the cloud. It has a 99.6% detection rate without slowing down your system. It also includes great system optimization tools, reliable anti-phishing protection, an ad blocker, and a fast VPN.
I tested popular antiviruses for security, performance, and pricing. My aim was to find security tools that meet the specific needs of gamers. Basically, I wanted to find an antivirus that offers anti-malware protection without slowing down PCs. I also looked into extras, value, and more.
Lesser-quality antiviruses don’t disable notifications during gameplay, which can lead to crashes. I ensured each antivirus on this list allows you to disable notifications while gaming (some even do so automatically). I also looked for antiviruses that don’t interfere with anti-cheat engines (including Easy Anti-Cheat and EA anticheat) and let you easily whitelist mods flagged as false positives.
The best options even offer other useful features, such as tune-up tools and junk cleaners. Some even have RAM reallocators to improve performance. Needless to say, they all also come with standard tools like web protections to keep you safe from scams, including Steam and Discord-related ones. If you like to host game servers, you’ll also benefit from an advanced firewall that makes securing your ports easier.
I only found a few good gaming antiviruses that provide some combination of these performance-optimizing features, which you’ll find in my list below. My top pick is Norton 360 for Gamers, which has flawless malware detection, powerful performance-boosting tools, and tons of other features on top.
Quick Summary of the Best Antiviruses for PC Gaming in 2025
May 2025 update: We’ve added a new section highlighting the pros and cons of each antivirus app to every review on this list. Adjustments have also been made to account for minor tweaks to the features, performance, and UI of each antivirus.
🥇1. Norton — Best Overall Antivirus for PC Gaming
Approved by our experts
Norton 360 for Gamers is by far the best PC gaming antivirus I’ve tested. It provides one of the best anti-malware engines on the market, comprehensive web protection, and some really cool perks for gamers. It flagged down 100% of the malware that I threw at it (Norton is ranked #1 for best antivirus in 2025) and didn’t affect my frame rate, RAM usage, or generate annoying alerts while gaming.
- Game booster
- Junk cleaner
- Customizable firewall
- Excellent web protection
- Not the cheapest
I was really impressed with Norton’s game booster and performance optimizer. Only offered with Norton 360 for Gamers, this tool optimizes gaming performance by reallocating RAM. And it works exactly as promised — while playing Baldur’s Gate 3 and Apex Legends, I found that gaming was smoother than prior. It also comes with a junk cleaner to clear up space on your hard drive. Even if you don’t get for Gamers, every version of Norton automatically suspends most notifications while you game.
You also get an advanced firewall, which is powerful and highly customizable. It’s easy to set up, which is great if you intend on hosting servers for games like Palworld. Luckily, if you do encounter any threats, Norton can handle them, blocking all inbound and outbound connections.
If your kids are into gaming, Norton’s parental controls are some of the best on the market — they let you monitor and schedule usage and block sensitive online content to help keep your kids safe. You can also set schedules and time limits, so your children can only game during certain periods. It’s not quite as good as having a dedicated parental control app like Qustodio, but it’s great for monitoring your kids’ video gaming time.
Other features included in this plan that gamers will appreciate include:
- Secure VPN — Norton’s VPN is one of the best antivirus-bundled VPNs on the market: it’ll let you play games on servers in any region and it hides your IP address, so you can game and browse the web anonymously.
- Webcam protection — Get alerts if anyone tries to access your webcam without your permission.
- Cloud backup — Gives you 50 GB of cloud space to store your game clips and save files online.
- Sandbox — Allows you to deploy and test game mods in a safe environment, preventing malicious mods from attacking your device.
Overall, Norton 360 for Gamers is a great choice for gamers who want to keep their devices (up to 3 PCs) as secure as possible while streamlining their gaming experience — and at £34.99 / year, it’s a pretty good value. Norton 360 Deluxe (£29.99 / year) is another excellent option for gaming. It’s missing the game booster and some of the tune-up tools, but unlike for Gamers, it can protect Macs and phones (5 devices in total). All plans are backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Norton 360 for Gamers is the best internet security suite for PC gaming on the market. Its antivirus engine detected all of my test malware, and its game booster feature noticeably improved my system performance during gameplay. I didn’t experience any false positives, even when downloading and running mods. All of Norton’s plans come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
🥈2. Bitdefender — Lightweight Scanner With an Automatic Gaming Mode
Bitdefender is also an excellent choice for PC gaming. It doesn’t provide a game booster like Norton, but it has a cloud-based malware engine and useful system tune-up tools, plus some nice extras like a VPN and parental controls.
- Gaming Profile
- Affordable plans
- Lightweight antivirus protection
- No game booster
- Hard to find scan scheduling
It offers one of the most powerful anti-malware scanners on the market, returning 100% malware detection rates in my testing. Bitdefender also makes it easy to whitelist games and folders, so you’ll never get the same false positive more than once, which is great if you like modding your PC games.
Bitdefender’s scanner also uses its proprietary Photon technology to speed up scans. It operates in the cloud and adapts to your PC’s specific configuration. As a result, it spends less time and processing power monitoring your device, saving precious resources for your games.
The Profiles feature is another way that Bitdefender is geared toward gamers. When it detects that you’re gaming, the Game Profile is enabled. This will suspend most notifications, adjust some visual settings, and withhold performing certain functions, all to give you an optimized, uninterrupted gaming experience without sacrificing security.
Though it doesn’t have a game booster, Bitdefender makes up for this with its device optimization tools. Its OneClick Optimizer is super simple to use and can remove junk files, detect out-of-date software, and get a slower device running significantly faster.
You also get microphone and webcam protections. It detects whenever an application attempts to use your camera or microphone. There’s even a log you can check to see if your microphone was activated by any game, and when that happened. I occasionally review it to make sure no one’s eavesdropping on me, especially during online gaming sessions.
There’s a highly customizable firewall, too, which protects you from web-based threats. Like the scanner, it’s quite lightweight. My ping didn’t change at all while using it, and I was able to adjust its rules so I could safely host a Minecraft server.
Starting at just £22.49 / year, Bitdefender’s plans are affordable. But to get the parental controls, optimization tools, and more, you’ll need Total Security (£42.49 / year). Bitdefender backs all of its plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Bitdefender provides lightweight antivirus protection that won’t slow down a gaming computer. In my testing, Bitdefender automatically suspended scans and notifications whenever I was gaming, and its powerful real-time malware detection kept my device safe without affecting my framerate or registering false positives. All of Bitdefender’s plans are feature-rich, affordable, and backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Bitdefender review >
🥉3. TotalAV — Fast Scanner & Best System Tune-Up Tools for Gamers
TotalAV provides a number of features that are really helpful for PC gamers. Like Bitdefender, TotalAV’s lightweight scanner offloads heavy lifting to the cloud, providing a 99.6% malware detection rating without slowing down your device during scans.
- Excellent optimization tools
- Great ad blocker
- Reliable anti-phishing
- Lacks game booster
- No firewall
TotalAV also offers an excellent suite of system tune-up tools, including a junk file remover, startup booster, browser file cleanup, duplicate file scanner, and a handy application uninstaller. In my testing, TotalAV was able to find and remove far more junk files than most competitors. This comes in handy as nearly full hard drives suffer a lot in terms of performance, which can impact gamers.
I like TotalAV’s WebShield, too, which protects you from phishing sites and links to scams that are spread on Steam and in online games. Malicious bots and cybercriminals are very active on gaming platforms, so it pays to have a line of defense. Safe Search can help you while researching games by flagging potentially harmful websites in your search results. The lack of a firewall is disappointing, however.
Unfortunately, TotalAV doesn’t have a game booster like Norton, but it does automatically suspend notifications when it detects that you’re playing a game. That said, during my testing, I was able to play and run mods for AAA games like Elden Ring on the highest graphics settings with zero slowdown or annoying false positives.
TotalAV is my top choice for the best VPN/antivirus combo. Besides TotalAV’s affordability compared to other top contenders, its VPN provides encrypted browsing on dozens of servers around the globe and a kill switch for secure torrenting. It works great with streaming services like Netflix and has fast connection speeds — I was able to watch Twitch streams while playing World of Warcraft without any ping issues. It isn’t the best VPN for gamers on the market — there are some better standalone options, but if you’re looking to bundle, TotalAV is your best bet.
Gamers can pick up TotalAV at a really low cost with the Premium plan, which offers TotalAV’s core security and optimization features on up to 3 Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS devices for just £14.08 / year. To get the unlimited-data VPN, ad blocker, and password manager, you’ll need the Total Security package, which costs £49.00 / year.
Bottom Line:
TotalAV is a lightweight antivirus with near-perfect malware detection ratings and an excellent system tune-up suite. It detected 99.6% of the malware in my testing, and its system tune-up features helped me optimize my startup and get rid of junk files to make room for more games. I’m also a big fan of TotalAV’s fast VPN, which is comparable to some standalone VPN apps. TotalAV offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with all of its plans.
Read the full TotalAV review here>
4. McAfee — Best Parental Controls for Gamers
McAfee is a full-featured internet security suite with an advanced antivirus scanner. Its anti-malware engine performed really well in my standard series of tests, catching 100% of the malware files I placed on my gaming PC. It didn’t take up excess resources or flag mods as malware during my tests, either.
- Detects 100% of malware
- Comprehensive parental controls
- Secure gaming firewall
- Lacks gaming mode
- Limited macOS support
McAfee gives comprehensive parental controls to customers who opt for family plans. You get content filtering, device usage limits, app restrictions, and even device tracking. I tried common methods to get around these constraints, but didn’t have any success. My only gripe is that parents have to use an app to manage the settings (I would prefer a dashboard accessible in any browser).
Its secure firewall is also really good for gamers — it detected a wide variety of network attacks during my testing. I was disappointed by the lack of detailed reports and customization options compared to Bitdefender, but it’s still a great added layer of defense that only uses a negligible amount of bandwidth.
Unlike Norton, McAfee doesn’t have a gaming mode or a game booster. While this isn’t ideal, you can easily schedule scans and manually turn off notifications to avoid having gaming interrupted. Gamers with computer problems can also make use of TechCheck, a free McAfee tool that diagnoses issues that might be affecting game performance. If these problems are severe, McAfee’s TechMaster is an optional paid service (not included in any McAfee plan) that provides remote tech support to help speed up your PC’s performance.
Starting at £29.99 / year, McAfee’s plans offer a really good value. Premium (£44.99 / year) gets you the VPN, while Advanced (£66.68 / year) adds a slew of identity protections, including up to $1 million in compensation should you become a victim of identity theft. Most plans can support unlimited devices for an extra fee (select countries only), which is nice. If you’re looking for parental controls, be sure to pick up the family variant of your chosen plan. All purchases are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
McAfee has excellent extra features, including parental controls and a firewall. It offers great fundamental protection, and parents will appreciate the ability to monitor, block, and schedule app usage, internet access, and device activity. McAfee is really reasonably priced, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
5. Panda — Good for Ease of Use
Panda is an intuitive and easy-to-use antivirus with a solid gaming mode and a solid range of extras. It caught every piece of malware I tested against it, but the initial scan took ages (for comparison, TotalAV took about an hour while Panda needed over 3 hours). That said, it didn’t slow me down too much during a heated bout of Apex Legends.
- Easy to use
- Gaming mode
- Effective cloud-based scanner
- Poor web protections
- Limited support & documentation
You also get some pretty good Windows optimization tools in the form of PC Cleanup. It comes with 3 main tools: a defragmenter, an effective junk cleaner, and a startup manager for decreasing boot times to get you gaming faster. You can also schedule regular PC Cleanup scans, so your computer is always running at its full potential (it’s also easy to schedule malware scans so they don’t interrupt your gaming sessions). PC Cleanup is available as a standalone purchase and comes bundled with the Complete and Premium plans.
Panda’s gaming mode activated whenever I entered full-screen mode, suspending scans and notifications to avoid slowing down my PC. The impact was less than what I experienced with Norton, but I did notice some performance improvements as a result of the way gaming mode reallocates resources. What’s more, it didn’t flag any of my Baldur’s Gate 3 mods as viruses, which is a plus.
Panda has several plans to choose from, but my top pick for gamers is Panda Complete. It costs £24.99 / year to cover 1 device, but you can add up to 10 licenses for a little more. Complete gets you all of Panda’s features, save for dark web monitoring and program auto-updater. For those, you’ll need a Premium plan, which starts at £34.99 / year. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Panda has cloud-based scanning that won’t slow down gameplay and an automatic gaming mode that starts up when a game starts running. It’s a decent choice for non-technical users looking for a simple antivirus, coming with extras like a VPN, a password manager, and parental controls. You can try out Panda with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
6. Malwarebytes — Minimal Antivirus for PC Gamers on a Budget
Malwarebytes provides advanced defenses against malware, good web protections, and an optional VPN for a low price. It’s very good at what it does, but it is lacking in terms of additional features when compared to the other options on this list. Specifically, it doesn’t have a game booster, parental controls, or a firewall. However, for users who are looking for a decent antivirus program that can eliminate malware without hogging resources or incorrectly flagging games and mods as dangerous, Malwarebytes is a good option.
- Secure VPN
- Affordable and lightweight
- Excellent web protections
- No optimization tools
- No firewall
In my tests, Malwarebytes scored a 95% malware detection rating (Norton and Bitdefender scored 100%) and blocked most of the unsafe phishing websites I tried opening. It also blocks some ads, which is great. Malwarebytes automatically recognizes when your system is in full-screen mode, too, delaying all scans and notifications while you’re gaming or watching videos.
Malwarebytes’s Privacy VPN is basic but decent — it offers servers in 45+ countries, uses the WireGuard protocol and military-grade encryption, and it has a kill switch and a strict no-logs policy. It offers good speeds for browsing, but it’s not as fast as the top standalone VPNs, so if you’re relying on a VPN connection to play in a different region on a game like Valorant, it may not be good enough for you.
Malwarebytes Standard (£33.34 / year) is a good low-budget option for gamers, but users who also want a fast VPN for secure web browsing should take a look at Malwarebytes Plus (£44.45 / year).
Bottom Line:
Malwarebytes offers a low-impact anti-malware program with good malware detection rates and affordable pricing. During my tests, it detected 95% of my test malware and blocked nearly all phishing websites. Malwarebytes also comes with an automatic gaming mode, and users can upgrade to get a privacy-friendly VPN as well. All of Malwarebytes’s plans include a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Malwarebytes review >
Quick Comparison Table
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
I used our methodical testing system to analyze and ultimately rank the different antiviruses on the market. I considered several factors, including what gamers need in an antivirus. In essence, I took the following steps:
- I thoroughly tested the anti-malware engines. A good gaming antivirus should have close to 100% malware detection rates. It should be able to detect viruses and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) that might negatively impact gaming performance. I put dozens of antiviruses to the test by downloading hundreds of malware samples. Every product that made it on this list had a near-perfect detection rate. Some (like Bitdefender) went further, scoring 100%.
- I looked for gamer-specific features. A good gaming antivirus should enhance your device’s performance while gaming and minimize interruptions. Extra features like Norton’s game booster, which increases your CPU’s available speed while gaming by suspending unnecessary background processes, made a difference. Every program on the list has some features gamers will love, whether that’s a gaming mode or optimization tools.
- I checked for false positives. A lot of antiviruses will flag totally safe gaming-related files as malware. Anti-cheat engines are the most common targets, but it can happen to full games and safe mods, which is annoying and potentially dangerous. Every antivirus will have the occasional false positive, but the fewer the better. I tested each antivirus while playing my heavily modded copy of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and each product on this list reported few if any false positives. If there were false positives, they were easy to whitelist.
- I considered web security features. Gamers tend to spend a lot of time online, meaning they are frequently targeted by hackers through deceptive links designed to extract account or payment information. I tested each antivirus’s web protections to see whether they were effective at blocking phishing sites and other threats. I can report that every product on this list offers users strong defenses in this area.
- I measured the performance impact of the antivirus. An antivirus will protect you from threats, but some have an unfortunate habit of hogging resources. For gamers, this can be a problem. I tracked how much RAM each antivirus used as I tested them. The ones that made this list are all fairly lightweight, meaning you can game without issue while they’re on.
What Is Gaming Mode?
Gaming mode is a super important feature in an antivirus for gamers. It stops slowdowns that might have been caused by your antivirus by pausing scans and notifications.
- Minimizes CPU usage for smoother frame rates.
- Auto-starts in Norton’s Game Optimizer or switches on manually in Bitdefender.
- Great for heavy games like Call of Duty: Warzone.
Gaming mode will keep your sessions lag-free while keeping you safe online.
What Risks Do Gamers Face?
I’ve seen gamers face some nasty threats online, so a good antivirus is a must. It protects you without hurting your game’s performance.
- Phishing scams: Fake Discord or Steam links steal logins.
- Malware: Mods or cheats can hide viruses, like keyloggers targeting Epic Games accounts.
- DDoS attacks: Disrupt connections during competitive matches.
- Account theft: Hackers target in-game items or payment details.
A solid antivirus lets you game worry-free with full security.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make The Cut
- Sophos. Sophos offers a good internet security suite which has high malware detection rates, doesn’t cause slowdown during scans, and is very easy to use. However, Sophos is missing optimization tools and other gamer-oriented features.
- ESET. ESET has a powerful malware scanner and some of the most advanced diagnostics tools on the market. However, it falls flat in terms of user-friendliness — many of its features are poorly explained and difficult to use. Its additional features are also pretty lacking, and its system cleanup features are especially disappointing.
- Intego. Intego’s antivirus for Macs is one of the best in 2025, and it even has excellent system tune-up tools for Mac gamers. However, I’m not a big fan of Intego’s antivirus for Windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need an antivirus for gaming?
All computer users benefit from running an antivirus, but gamers are specifically targeted by cybercriminals in various ways, from Discord and Steam scams to “games” that are actually cryptojackers. Just by downloading and playing games, you expose yourself to risks that don’t apply to non-gamers.
If you use mods, an antivirus is crucial. While mods sometimes trigger false positives, some actually are 100% malicious. Even without mods, some games are just straight-up malware.
Firewalls are also key. Connecting to game servers can expose your network to malware. While every PC has a firewall, a premium one offers better protection when hosting or playing on servers.
What’s the best antivirus for PC gaming?
Norton 360 for Gamers is the best antivirus for PC gaming. It has perfect malware detection rates and good anti-phishing protection. It also includes tons of gamer-specific features like a game booster, which optimizes your computer’s performance for gaming, and a gaming mode, which suspends virus scans and suppresses notifications while you’re gaming. Norton can even scan the dark web for your gamertag to see if your account or personal information has been leaked.
Will an antivirus affect my gaming performance?
The best antiviruses can actually improve your computer’s performance while gaming. On the one hand, some types of malware cause huge performance issues. So if you have a cryptojacker or are part of a botnet, an antivirus can do a lot of good.
Even if you don’t have malware, many antiviruses come with optimization tools to free up space or improve your computer’s performance. A nearly full hard drive causes performance issues, and games are pretty big these days, so more space is always good. Some, like Norton, can also manage your RAM better, which is crucial for gaming.
But yes, any antivirus will require some of your computer’s power to run. Bitdefender and others operate cloud-based tools, vastly reducing their resource needs. Those of my picks that aren’t cloud-based are still highly efficient, using very little RAM and CPU in my tests.
Can I just turn off my antivirus while my games are open?
You can turn off your antivirus while gaming, but that’s opening yourself up to canny hackers. Even if you’re not a streamer or anything, gamers are still targeted by cybercriminals for all kinds of reasons.
Thankfully, there are many gaming-optimized antivirus options on the market today that won’t slow down your PC, so there’s no reason why you should ever turn off your antivirus, even while playing demanding games. Norton 360 for Gamers even provides a specialized game booster that actually improved my PC’s performance.
Are all gaming modes in antivirus software the same?
No, not really. Many of the top-tier antivirus programs now include a “game mode” which will suspend notifications and certain scans while you’re in fullscreen mode (while still keeping core protection on. Some of the best options, including TotalAV, will do this all automatically, with the smart gaming mode setting enabled by default.
Is there a free antivirus that offers a gaming mode?
I couldn’t find a single antivirus that includes many gamer-oriented features. Most don’t detect when you’re gaming, meaning you might get notifications at inopportune times or have your framerate drop as the antivirus performs resource-intensive tasks. Avira has a surprisingly good free version, but it’s missing the game booster you get with the paid plans. Ultimately, if you want every feature a gamer could want (like a game booster, unlimited VPN, and optimization tools), you’ll need a premium antivirus like Norton.
Is Microsoft Defender enough to protect me while gaming?
Honestly, no. Though it does have some good features and offers pretty decent protection against phishing attacks, ransomware, and viruses, it isn’t foolproof and didn’t detect every malware sample in my tests. Using a third-party antivirus like Norton 360 is the best way to protect yourself while gaming, since it has a 100% malware detection rate and other important security features like a VPN, a dark web monitor, and a password manager.
