Playing video games is a passion for millions of people around the world. There are so many genres of games that you can play, ranging from first-person shooters to sports titles to board games to casino games.

Whether you are a seasoned gamer or have only been checking out online bingo rooms in recent weeks, you may be wondering how you can level up your experience.

Investing in a quality gaming machine, whether a high-end smartphone, gaming console, or PC will help you play the latest games on high settings and frame rates.

Aside from a quality machine, you can also buy or freely download specific programs and apps that are designed to improve your gaming experience.

Below are the top nine apps and programs to help you enjoy playing video games even more.

1. System Mechanic

When you want to know what is happening with your computer while you are playing a game, System Mechanic is the best tool to use. The program allows you to clearly see the current resources being used for your RAM, HDD, CPU, and other components. Such a program is essential when you are running intensive games, as you want to see if there are any bottlenecks in your system that may be leading to performance dips.

2. Virtual Private Network

A VPN is an essential tool for a modern gamer. When you want to connect to the internet securely, especially on a public network, you must log in through a VPN to protect yourself. If you are often away for business trips or use the internet at public libraries, coffee shops, or at school, you should connect through a VPN before beginning a gaming session.

3. UltraMon

Many people who play games on their computers tend to use more than one monitor. If you are using two or three monitors for your setup, UltraMon is the best program you can install to manage these peripherals. You can easily set the monitor that you want to game on, along with the programs that you want to see on your other monitor(s). You can even mirror content across different monitors if you prefer.

4. CCleaner

The perfect program to keep your computer clean, CCleaner is a must when you have installed a lot of programs and downloaded many files over the years. If your hard drive does not have enough free space, or you are noticing some slowdown with your system, running CCleaner is the best way to free up space and get rid of programs that are causing problems.

5. MSI Afterburner

The advantage of having a high-end graphics card is that you can play games on high and ultra settings while having high frame rates as well. When you have such a graphics card, you will want to tweak its performance to match your preferences. A program like MSI Afterburner allows you to adjust the fan speeds on your graphics cards, ensuring you get optimal performance without too much noise from the machine.

6. TeamSpeak

Playing online games often means having to converse with others during the game, especially if you are playing as a team or within a league. TeamSpeak is a program that you can use in conjunction with any video game to set up chatting with all the other players on your team or in the league. Everyone can talk to each other, while you can even enable push to talk to ensure that your voice is only heard when you want.

7. Razer Cortex

If you are not entirely happy with the gaming performance of your computer, you may want to invest in Razer Cortex. The program would allow you to adjust the way that your computer’s components are performing to get a little extra performance.

Do you have a high-end computer in one of your rooms, but you also enjoy playing games in front of your television? Steam Link would allow you to play games on your home network on various devices through your gaming PC. The program is straightforward to set up, gives great results in terms of frame rates, and allows you to access your entire Steam library of games on your television or smartphone.

9. Discord Chat

An alternative to TeamSpeak, Discord is immensely popular among gamers. You can use this program to set up chatting and audio channels when you are playing games with a group. Many popular games around the world also have specific Discord channels that you can join if you want to find games with other players at random times of the day.