Microsoft filed a patent this year describing a system that would pause PC and console games during loading screens or after boss fights to play ads. Xbox owners spotted it first, and the reaction from PC gamers was immediate: what actually blocks in-game ads today?
We tested seven of the most-recommended tools on Windows, from cloud DNS filters to open-source firewalls. The check was simple: do they cut telemetry and third-party ad calls without triggering anti-cheat or adding noticeable latency?
This roundup covers what installs in five minutes, what protects the whole house, and where each tool falls short. Every price and platform note reflects current listings as of September 2026.
What to look for in an ad blocker for gaming
The right tool depends on where the ads reach your PC. A few criteria matter more than the rest:
- DNS-level blockers stop calls to known ad servers before Windows connects, while application-level tools inspect traffic per program. Most home users want the first because it works on every game without configuration.
- Filter list quality decides how many game telemetry endpoints get caught. OISD, StevenBlack, and AdGuard’s DNS filter are the three that pull the most weight.
- Anti-cheat compatibility matters if you play competitive titles. Kernel-level anti-cheat sometimes flags tools that install a root certificate for HTTPS inspection.
- Latency. A local DNS resolver or a well-provisioned public one adds under 10 ms; a distant self-hosted node can add 50 ms.
- Custom rules let you unblock one game that refuses to launch when its telemetry endpoint fails.
- Open source code lets someone else audit what your ad blocker does with your traffic.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price/mo | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NextDNS | Cloud DNS blocking, no hardware | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | 300k queries/month | $1.99 | 4.6/5 |
| AdGuard for Windows | Browser and system ads together | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | 14-day trial | $2.49 | 4.6/5 |
| Pi-hole | Whole-network, consoles included | Raspberry Pi, Linux, Docker | Free | Free | 4.8/5 |
| uBlock Origin | Browser games and store overlays | Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Brave | Free | Free | 4.8/5 |
| Portmaster | Open-source per-app control | Windows, Linux | Free | Free (Pro EUR 80/yr) | 4.5/5 |
| hBlock plus HOSTS | Zero background service | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free | Free | 4.4/5 |
| Steam settings | Launcher promo removal | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free | Free | N/A |
The apps
1. NextDNS, best for cloud blocking without new hardware
NextDNS runs on a global anycast network and lets you point Windows at their DNS resolver in five minutes. You paste one config link, enable OISD, StevenBlack, and AdGuard’s DNS filter, and every DNS lookup to a known ad or telemetry server dies before the game sees it. Because the filtering is server-side, in-game HUD ads that route through Verizon Media, MoPub, Unity Ads, or ironSource stop showing up.
Where it falls short: some free-to-play titles hard-code IP addresses for their ad SDKs, and DNS filtering cannot touch those. It also cannot stop an ad served from the publisher’s own domain.
Pricing:
- Free: 300,000 queries per month, unlimited devices, all features
- Paid: Pro at $1.99 per month or $19.90 per year for unlimited queries
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, routers
Bottom line: the right pick if you want strong ad blocking on one PC in five minutes without buying a Raspberry Pi.
2. AdGuard for Windows, best for browsers and system traffic together
AdGuard for Windows filters HTTPS traffic locally through a system proxy, so it catches ads inside browsers, Electron launchers, Discord promotions, Epic’s store banners, and any traffic your games make to known ad networks. The stealth mode blocks trackers publishers use to serve targeted in-game promos. There is a 14-day trial, then a lifetime license is often the better value than the monthly plan.
Where it falls short: the HTTPS filtering requires installing a root certificate, which some anti-cheat systems flag. Riot’s Vanguard and Easy Anti-Cheat launch fine in most testing, but a few kernel-level anti-cheat suites will refuse to start with AdGuard’s certificate installed.
Pricing:
- Free: 14-day trial
- Paid: Personal from $2.49 per month billed annually; $79.99 lifetime for 3 devices; $169.99 lifetime for 9 devices
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Download: AdGuard for Windows · GitHub
Bottom line: pay once for the lifetime license if you want browser ads gone and a system-wide filter on top.
3. Pi-hole, best for whole-network blocking that reaches consoles
Pi-hole runs on a Raspberry Pi or in a Docker container as your local DNS server. Every device on the network resolves through it: gaming PC, Steam Deck, Xbox, phone, smart TV. The v6 branch shipped in January dropped lighttpd, moved to a single pihole.toml config, and shrank the Docker image to 38 MB on Alpine.
Where it falls short: setup takes 30 minutes and requires editing router DHCP settings so devices actually use it. A Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (roughly $17) handles up to 20 devices; larger households want a Pi 4.
Pricing:
- Free and open source, donation-supported
- Hardware cost: $17 to $75 depending on Pi model
Platforms: Raspberry Pi, any Linux server, Docker on Windows or macOS; blocks for every device on your LAN
Bottom line: the best pick if you already own a Pi or want one filter for the whole house, consoles included.
4. uBlock Origin, best for browser games and store overlays
uBlock Origin remains the most effective browser blocker for Kongregate, Poki, itch.io web games, and the promotional overlays inside Steam and Epic’s web store views. On Firefox it runs at full strength thanks to Mozilla keeping the required extension APIs; Firefox has over 10.6 million active users on the extension as of mid-2026. Chrome’s Manifest V3 rollout broke the original version, so use uBlock Origin Lite on Chromium browsers or switch that browser to Firefox for gaming sessions.
Where it falls short: a browser extension cannot see traffic from any desktop game. Its scope is web pages only.
Pricing: free and open source.
Platforms: Firefox, Chrome (Lite build only), Edge, Brave, Opera
Download: Firefox add-on · GitHub
Bottom line: install it in every browser you touch. It costs nothing and kills the ad-heavy web games instantly.
5. Portmaster, best for open-source per-app control
Portmaster is an open-source application firewall for Windows and Linux from Safing. It shows every outbound connection each game makes and lets you block specific domains per application. That is the surgical option when a game phones home to a telemetry server you want blocked but keeps another connection open for matchmaking or achievements. Portmaster also ships secure DNS resolvers preloaded and enforces DoT out of the box.
Where it falls short: the interface throws a lot of information at you and expects decisions. It is overkill for someone who only wants a set-and-forget global blocklist.
Pricing:
- Free: core firewall, secure DNS, per-app rules, global blocklist
- Portmaster Plus: EUR 40 per year, adds network history and bandwidth stats
- Portmaster Pro: EUR 80 per year (price dropped in July 2026), adds SPN anonymization network
Platforms: Windows, Linux (macOS in development)
Bottom line: for anyone who wants to see and control every connection a game makes on Windows without paying for Little Snitch on the Mac side.
6. hBlock and a HOSTS file editor, best free option with no background service
Editing the Windows HOSTS file is the oldest ad-blocking trick and still works. hBlock is a small shell script that aggregates over 40 curated blocklists (EasyList, StevenBlack, AdGuard, Phishing Army) into one file, then points each ad domain at 0.0.0.0 so Windows refuses to connect. Nothing runs in the background, no root certificate is installed, no service consumes memory or battery.
Where it falls short: you need to regenerate the file every few weeks to stay current, and it only blocks by domain. Anything using hard-coded IPs still gets through.
Pricing: free and open source.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (POSIX shell)
Download: hBlock releases · StevenBlack hosts
Bottom line: the minimalist option for zero-latency, zero-service ad blocking when you do not mind running a script once a month.
7. Steam and launcher settings, best for the ads already staring at you
Valve added promoted content, wishlist notifications, and popup banners that appear inside Steam itself. Open Steam, go to Settings, Interface, and turn off notifications for special offers, community events, and permanent store banners. Under Settings, Library, disable the promotional banners toggle; under Settings, In-Game, turn off overlay notifications for third-party promos. Repeat the same walkthrough for Epic Games Launcher and GOG Galaxy since both ship with similar defaults enabled.
Where it falls short: this only handles publisher-driven promos in launchers, not third-party ads inside individual games. It also does not touch Windows 11 lock-screen or Start menu ads.
Pricing: free, built into each launcher.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Steam · Epic Games Launcher · GOG Galaxy
Bottom line: do this in five minutes before you install anything else. It removes the loudest ads for zero effort.
How to pick the right one
If you want the fastest install and one PC covered, get NextDNS on the free tier and enable OISD plus AdGuard’s DNS filter. If you also want browser and launcher ads killed at the same time, pay once for AdGuard for Windows lifetime. If everyone in the house plays on different devices (Xbox, Steam Deck, phones), stand up Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi and be done.
If you play competitive titles with kernel-level anti-cheat, avoid tools that install a root certificate and stick to DNS-level filtering (NextDNS or Pi-hole). If you want to see every network call your games make and block per app, use Portmaster. If you distrust any background service on your gaming rig, hBlock plus a monthly regeneration cron job costs nothing and adds no latency.
Whatever else you install, spend five minutes turning off launcher promos in Steam, Epic, and GOG. It is the cheapest win in the entire category.
FAQ
What is the best free way to block ads in PC games?
Point Windows at NextDNS on the free tier (300,000 queries per month is enough for a heavy solo gamer) and enable OISD plus AdGuard’s DNS filter. That blocks most third-party ad networks and telemetry with no installation and no background service.
Do DNS ad blockers get flagged by anti-cheat?
DNS-level filtering is invisible to anti-cheat because it changes nothing on the local machine, so NextDNS, Pi-hole, and hosts-file blocking are safe with Vanguard, Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye, and PunkBuster. Application firewalls and HTTPS-inspecting tools that install a root certificate can occasionally trip kernel-level anti-cheat; test each game after installation.
Is it possible to block ads inside a single-player game?
You can block third-party ads (Unity Ads, ironSource, MoPub, Verizon Media) that most free-to-play titles serve, but you cannot block ads that a publisher bakes into their own servers. If the ad is served from the game publisher’s own domain and the game refuses to load without it, blocking the domain will break the game.
Does NextDNS work on Steam Deck?
Yes. Steam Deck runs Linux and accepts NextDNS’s DoH profile through the standard NetworkManager settings, or you can install their CLI. Every DNS query from every game on the Deck then goes through your filters.
Will a hosts file slow down games?
No. The hosts file is read at connection time and the lookup is instant. If anything, it speeds games up slightly because failed requests to ad servers time out immediately instead of loading resources.
Is there a way to stop Xbox pausing games to play ads?
The Xbox patent describes a system that has not shipped as a product, so there is nothing to block yet. If Microsoft rolls it out on console, DNS-level filtering on the network (Pi-hole on the router) would be the first line of defense; on PC Xbox app releases, Portmaster or AdGuard for Windows can block the ad server calls per application.