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.
5 gaming laptop deals worth buying before the end of the month
We see a refresh of gaming laptop deals at the end of each month, which gives gamers a new set of options for the next device. With February coming to a close, this may be your last chance to take advantage of the offers that we've rounded up as we're not sure if they'll still be around when March rolls in. Whether you want a budget-friendly gaming laptop or you're willing to make a significant investment, there's something for you in the bargains below, and once you're determined what to buy, it's highly recommended that you proceed with the purchase immediately while the discount is still online.
HP Victus 15 -- $550, was $800
The HP Victus 15 is featured in our list of the best budget gaming laptops as the top 15-inch option, as it offers decent performance at a relatively lower cost than its peers with the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card, and 8GB of RAM. These specifications are enough to run the best PC games -- though you may have to go with low graphics settings for the more demanding titles. The gaming laptop also comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and a 512GB SSD with Windows 11 Home pre-installed.
The Lenovo Annual Sale is offering a $400 discount on the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8, which has an estimated value of $1,270, so you'll only have to pay $870 for this excellent starter gaming PC. We're not sure how much time is remaining before the savings disappear or stocks get sold out though, so it's highly recommended that you add the gaming desktop to your cart and check out immediately because tomorrow may already be too late.
Why you should buy the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gaming PC
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 is featured in our roundup of the best starter gaming PCs as the top entry-level option because its Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card is the minimum standard for playing today's most popular titles. You won't be able to run the best PC games at their highest graphics settings, but with the gaming desktop's AMD Ryzen 5 7600 processor and 16GB of RAM, there will be no issues on low to medium settings. If you're not sure what to play, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 8 comes with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which will give you access to hundreds of titles.
Best Antivirus Deals: Protect your PC or Mac from just $25
With the world going increasingly online, internet safety has become even more important than it used to be a few years ago. Luckily, there are a ton of excellent antiviruses out there that you can use to help keep you safe, even though they might be a bit expensive. Sure, there is free antivirus software out there, but it doesn't provide you with the same suite of tools that you would get with a fully-paid app. To that end, we've done our best to collect some great anti-virus deals so you can focus on protecting your devices rather than waiting and worrying.
Today's Best Antivirus Deals
NortonLifeLock 360 Deluxe -- $25, was $90
