Let’s face it, PC gaming is a solitary activity. You spend a lot of time with the same group of people staring at a big blank wall or a dangerous wasteland with enemies just waiting to be slain. However, there is something that ruins all those precious moments – viruses.

These malicious invaders can ruin your day by everything from crashing your hard-earned gaming accomplishments to compromising the vital stats on your Steam account.

Malware, in particular, is becoming a lot more sophisticated and can have a devastating impact on your gaming. Client-side attacks that manipulate how your PC renders a video game, for instance, can significantly slow down or stop your gaming in its tracks without you even realizing it. Your only clues that something is wrong will be distorted visuals or sluggish performance.

3 Best Antivirus Programs for PC gaming in 2021

Antivirus software for gaming PCs is a tricky thing to get right. It needs to be effective, inconspicuous, and safe.

Bitdefender Total Security

Bitdefender is trusted all over Europe as the best security solution. The complete antivirus includes Autopilot mode – background scanning and protection without nagging. An automatic gaming mode automatically suspends real-time protection when your device enters full-screen mode so you can concentrate on the game.

Thanks to its new Autopilot mode, which makes all security-related decisions based on your usage patterns. This single application joins efficiency with simplicity.

This all-in-one security suite includes anti-phishing protection, a two-way firewall, and application control as part of its core functionality. It also goes well beyond protecting every facet of your digital life, including your identity, home network, financial data, and other personal information.

Your live streams will remain private and secure, thanks to its real-time microphone and webcam protection. Bitdefender keeps your system safe from everything - from ransomware to while providing you with a clear view of the stream.

Norton 360 for Gamers

Norton 360 for Gamers makes sure your gaming machine has the tuning it needs to run smoothly. It offers one of the best anti-malware engines on the market, comprehensive web protections, and some cool perks for gamers.

Norton Safe Web helps protect against malicious links in search engines, while Game Mode prevents interruptions from system notifications when you're in the zone. With Norton GO, users can optimize their gaming experience by adjusting processes and disabling background programs. If need be, players can also enable a Notification Center Notification that warns them if a process causes a gaming slowdown.

Norton 360 for Gamers is early protection against the darkest corners of the web. Norton monitors online activity to block phishing scams, infected downloads, and emails with malicious links. The service continuously protects your Gamertag from being leaked onto the internet, making it harder for hackers to access your information.

So when you’re gaming, Norton will help eliminate FPS lags and slowdowns from other power-hungry programs running in the background for smooth visuals and uninterruptible gameplay. The program auto-tunes your system so it can run faster and smoother.

Norton 360 allows you to monitor how much time your kids spend playing games on their devices, view online activity, restrict access to applications and block explicit content. With Norton’s automatic software updates, you can keep your family members up-to-date without any effort on their part.

Avira Free Antivirus With Gaming Mode

With Avira's cloud-based multi-engine scanning and malicious website blocking - your gaming computer is protected from the latest viruses and other threats.

Furthermore, spam mail blocking and phishing prevention help protect your computer from web-based dangers. Malware and adware blockings ensure that your computer is safe to play games on. Gamers can now battle along with the best of them as an added layer of security is added to their gaming experience!

The app’s friendly interface and relative ease of use make it a good option for beginners and experts alike. But its real draw is the “game mode” feature that automatically suspends notifications and temporarily shields your privacy behind an encrypted firewall while you play.

For a free product, Avira antivirus is a very well-rounded solution to both viruses and malware protection.

Wrapping Up

There is no obvious winner of antivirus software for games, but each contender offers enough to set it apart—and outdistance the competition.

The bad news is that very few antivirus programs offer in-game threat detection, an area where some anti-malware utilities provide value. It is also important to note that running multiple AV products has the potential to crash your system, so make sure to install only a single antivirus program.