Antivirus software is fundamental to keeping your PC gaming safe. You probably spend a lot of money to build your machine, so taking care of it through an antivirus protection program is a good idea you need to consider. In this post, you’ll discover which are the best antivirus programs for gaming PC on the market.  

Norton 360 for Gamers

Norton is very likely one of the best antivirus software you can find on the market. This antivirus suite provides multiple layers of protection for up to 3 devices. Besides, it provides one of the best and most advanced anti-malware protection available. 

Norton 360 for Gamers includes many interesting features that can improve your gaming experience. Among these:

• System Optimizer. Maximizes gaming and system performance by diverting CPU cores to the game.
• Real-Time Threat Protection. Protects against emerging and existing threats, such as viruses, and ransomware. 
• Dark Web Monitoring. Monitors and notifies if the program finds your data on the Dark Web, including your usernames or email addresses. 
• PC Notification Optimization. Norton notifies you if your PC is under attack of online threats, or using a feature you’re not entitled to use.
• Secure VPN. You can browse safely by hiding your IP address to help protect your PC gamers against DDOS attacks, SWATing, and doxing. 
• 50GB PC Cloud Backup. Norton provides secure cloud backups for PCs, keeping your game clips online.
• Parental Controls. It lets you monitor and schedule usage on multiple devices and even set limits on devices. It also blocks sensitive online content.

McAfee Total Protection

McAfee is also one of the best antivirus suites on the market due to its full-featured characteristics that put special attention on parental controls and firewall protection. Besides, McAfee Total Protection provides several system resources that improve your gaming sessions. These features include:

• Secure VPN. It protects your location and personal data if you're playing games online. Besides, it increases your bandwidth from 500 MB/month.
• Multi-platform Compatibility. You can protect your Windows PC as well Mac OS, iOS, and Android devices.
• Personal Data Cleanup. McAfee will guide you through the process of removing your data from broker sites.
• Identity Theft Coverage. You gain access to Identity Theft Coverage and services on top of identity monitoring.
• Lost Wallet Protection. If your credit or debit card is stolen, McAfee helps you cancel them with minimal effort.
• Bank, Shop, and Connect Worry-Free. McAfee will warn you about risky websites before you click on them. 
• Secure your Accounts. Thanks to the password manager, you can generate and store complex passwords any time you want.  
• Webcam Protection. McAfee provides webcam and microphone protection, so you don't have to worry about some external user trying to spy on your kids or you.

Furthermore, McAffe has a special edition called McAfee Gamer Security, which includes some special features such as:

• MicroAV Engine. With a new architecture, games enjoy low-impact security protection at all times. You can also stop security features during gaming mode for further performance gains. 
• Game Boost Engine. It squeezes more performance out of your platform and prioritizes your games over background applications. 
• Real-Time Performance Monitoring. MGS gives you immediate access to and control over how your rig is performing. 

Bitdefender Total Security

Bitdefender does not offer a special gaming mode that boosts your gaming experience but still has a cloud-based malware engine and tune-up tools that make it excellent for improving gaming performance. Besides, Bitdefender is strongly focused on Internet Security, putting special attention to threats from risky websites. Other features that this antivirus for PC gaming brings are:

• Anti-malware Scanner. Bitdefender returns 100% malware detection rates in testing. It uses advanced heuristics, signature-based scanning, and machine learning to perform excellent anti-malware protection.
• Optimization tools. Thanks to these tools, you can enhance your computer time and overall experience.
• Multi-layered protection. It keeps your images, photos, documents, videos, and data safe from unknown threats, such as viruses and ransomware. 
• Anti-phishing Protection. Bitdefender performs phishing scams, sniffs, and blocks malicious websites that try to scam you to steal your gaming or financial data. 
• Safe Online Banking. Bitdefender helps you protect your payment when you shop online or make transactions by a dedicated browser to prevent fraud. 
• Bitdefender VPN. It protects your online presence by encrypting the Internet traffic. It also protects your passwords and downloads from hackers when connecting through a Wi-Fi connection. 
• Gaming detection. Bitdefender detects when you’re working, playing, or watching a movie. This way, the antivirus halts pop-ups, adjusts full-screen mode and visual settings, and holds background activities, allowing you to enjoy the online gaming experience.

The Bitdefender’s free version does not feature all the aforementioned elements. To increases CPU performance for your gaming purposes, it's better if you acquire the complete version. 

Avira Free Antivirus

Avira is a cloud-based antivirus engine with an interesting game mode that provides good game boosters. One of the strong reasons to prefer Avira antivirus is that it’s hosted in the cloud, so it barely slows down the system. 

Besides, one of the most interesting performance optimization tools is this game booster, which closes background apps and optimizes network settings. This turns Avira into one of the best free antiviruses. Other features that this PC antivirus brings are:

• Shape Shopping. Avira blocks fake websites and performs virus scans to protect your system against shipping attacks. 
• Real-Time Protection. Avira detects and removes ransomware and Banker trojans. 
• Password Manager. This security suite helps you manage and save your passwords to log in to all your accounts safely. 
• Customer Support. You get unlimited and free access via email and tools.
• Clean devices & free up disk space. It will remove junk files from your registry and hard disk to create more space for high-performance gaming.
• Encrypted VPN. Avira allows you to connect privately and safely on any network, such as public Wi-Fi. 
• A game boost engine to speed up your PC. Avira accelerates starts, system processes, loading time, and more. 
• Premium Mobile Apps. Avira gives you access to premium apps for iOS and Android. 

Webroot Secure Anywhere

Webroot is a lightweight antivirus for PC gaming. It provides an interesting environment to economize disk space. It’s a good gaming antivirus as it does not take up too much space on the computer. You only install 4 MB of data on your machine. The rest is hosted on the cloud. 

The cloud-based scanning performs one of the fastest scans of all antiviruses, completing this task just in a manner of minutes. 

• Full virus protection for gamers. This protection does not impact PC speed, so Webroot provides a boost in gaming performance.
• No need for “Games Modes” or “Silent Modes.” Turns off real-time antivirus protection to avoid performance issues and slowdowns. 
• PC Performance Optimization guarantee. Webroot works effectively behind the scenes. It does not impact your PC’s performance in any way. 
• Real-time phishing. It blocks bad sites when you receive a strange email. Webroot provides a faster threat detection that protects you against cyber attacks.
• Malware detection tests. Webroot performs daily tests to detect malware and ransomware threats.
• Protection for all your devices. Webroot is a comprehensive antivirus that secures your smartphones and tablets. 

Kaspersky Internet Security

Regarding heavyweight antivirus, Kaspersky is very likely an antivirus solution with plenty of performance optimization features. Many of these features fit perfectly with game modes of Windows and other apps. Some of the Internet Security packages Kaspersky brings are the following:

• Real-time Antivirus. Kaspersky anti-virus blocks common threats such as ransomware, malware, and spyware plus complex ones like fileless attacks.
• Performance Optimization. Kaspersky helps your devices run smoothly and fast for any dedicated game mode.
• Payment Protection. It secures your online transactions and credit card details with bank-grade encryption on PC and Mac.
• Smart and fast VPN. Kaspersky prevents cybercriminals from stealing your information and hides your online actions.
• Ad Blocker. It also stops website banners and other malicious and annoying ads from showing on your Windows PC.
• Private Browsing. It blocks websites and social network platforms from tracking your activities and data on PC and Mac.
• Adult Content Blocker. Kaspersky helps you to control harmful website content like adult videos, violence, and gambling, including on Youtube.
• Screen-Time Management. Allows you to set screen time limits by device and blocks device use if you exceed the limits. 

Panda Antivirus

Panda features one of the best and most solid gaming modes among all antivirus and good web security protections. The Panda’s gaming mode suspends scans and notifications while you’re playing to avoid slowdowns on your PC.

In this regard, Panda Dome Complete is a reliable antivirus solution for gamers who have specific needs and require security for their gaming accounts. Some additional features for gaming PCs are the following:

• Real-Time Protection. This dedicated antivirus protects your PC against all types of malware.
• An extra layer of protection. It features extra features against ransomware and advanced threats. 
• Real-time performance monitoring/Gaming Mode. It detects running games automatically, so you’ll experience uninterrupted gaming while you play online. 
• Clean Up. Panda Dome improves CPU usage, speed, and performance.
• Safe Online Shopping. You can buy all the online games you want safely due to its banking and shopping protection.  
• Multilayer technology to improve your gaming rig. Panda blocks cyber threats that target your devices, not affecting the CPU’s performance.
• Password Manager. Panda provides excellent protection for your game passwords, this way you can download games safely. 
• VPN Free. Panda gives you web protection and secure and private Internet access. 

Bullguard

Bullguard is strongly focused on protecting your PC against all types of malware. It also comes with a good game booster that enhances the memory usage of your online games. It also reroutes background apps. 

This game booster is designed for hardcore gamers who also need to experience their games with zero-day threats protecting from malware, so you can play games without performance interruptions. 

Bullguard’s game booster also leverage all the system’s resources, blocking and avoiding external distractions and background processes. 

Some additional features for most gamers are:

• Security solutions. Bullguard features a core antivirus, premium identity protection for your devices, and advanced Internet security.
• Privacy. Bullguard VPN gives you total privacy online with the flexibility to safely and securely access the Internet and online services from everywhere. 
• Customizable game profiles. These profiles let know to the system which programs need to cross through the firewall and which port you need to play games. 
• Bullguard’s Malware Scanner. 

The only problem with Bullguard is that it does not have reasonable parental control because it’s not so good at filtrating inappropriate content. 

Malwarebytes

As you can imagine when you hear the name of this antivirus, Malwarebytes is focused on advanced anti-malware protection performing different system scans. Malwarebytes scans websites and differentiates between fake and legitimate sites. Though it does not include special features for many gamers, Malwarebytes still has some elements for those looking for an antivirus that won’t take up to much CPU space. 

• Smart Proactive Protection. Malwarebytes stops phishing websites, annoying ads, and web trackers when you go online. 
• Unmatched Threat Detection. It blocks sophisticated cyberthreats that can affect your processing power that other programs miss. 
• Incredibly Easy to Use. Malwarebytes integrates a simple interface that enables you to fully control your protection without requiring technical expertise.
• Proactive Exploit and Virus Protection. Protects your computer from financial risk. It shields your data from unpatched software until it can be updated. 

Avast Antivirus

Avast is a popular free antivirus program with dedicated gaming modes and excellent malware detection. Although Avast features interesting PC clean up tools and a good antivirus scanner, Avast is not a trustworthy software that you can rely on to protect your computer. This is because Avast was discovered to have sold the sensitive data of millions of its users.