Ensuring Reliable Online Gaming with a PS5 Console

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If you connect your PS5 to your network via Wi-Fi, we’ll show you what to do if you suddenly can’t get online or suffer from poor network performance. While we focus on Wi-Fi here, many of these tips will also help you fix internet issues if you’re using Ethernet to connect.

1 Check Other Devices

When your PS5 starts having network issues, you should first check other computers, phones, and consoles on your home network. If your internet issue affects everything, follow ourguide to diagnosing home internet problems . The steps in that walkthrough should patch up all your problems, including your PS5’s Wi-Fi issues. Home-wide internet problems aren’t rooted in your PlayStation.

Assuming the problem is only with your PlayStation 5 and everything else works fine, continue with the troubleshooting steps below.

2 Reboot Your PS5 and Network Equipment

You might know that rebooting all affected devices is an important first step in troubleshooting. Restarting can clear up minor issues, so it’s smart to do it first so you don’t waste time on more intensive steps for no reason.

First, you should fully restart your PS5. To do this, tap thePlayStation button on your controller to open the quick menu at the bottom of the screen. Scroll to the far right, selectPower , and chooseRestart PS5 . This will fully shut down your PS5, then turn it back on.

Alternatively, you can use the physical power button on the front of your PS5 to shut it down:

On the original standard PS5 model, thePower button is the one closer to the bottom of the console.
On the original PS5 Digital Edition, there’s noEject button given the lack of a disc drive, so thePower button is the only one.
It’s the same way for the PS5 Slim, since theEject button is located underneath the disc drive on that model.

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Regardless of your model, press and hold thePower button on your PS5. When you hear one beep, continue holding it until you hear a second beep, then let go. This will fullyshut down your PS5 and turn off its top lights. If you see orange lights, the PS5 is in rest mode and didn’t shut down fully—turn it back on and try this again. Putting your system into rest mode isn’t a proper power cycle.

If rebooting your PS5 doesn’t fix the problem, restart your router and modem (if you have a combination unit, reboot that). Some models have a physical power switch you can turn off; if that’s not present on yours, unplug them for a minute or two, then plug them back in. Try to get your PS5 back online once everything is connected again.

3 Confirm Your Wi-Fi Network Details

If you haven’t been able to connect your PS5 to Wi-Fi at all, you should next make sure that you have the correct network credentials entered. There’s a chance you mistyped the password, or someone else with access to the network recently changed it.

To enter your network details again, select theSettings gear from the top-right of your PS5’s main menu, then go toNetwork > Settings . Make sure you haveConnect to the Internet enabled, then selectSet Up Internet Connection .

Under the list ofNetworks found , select your Wi-FI connection and enter your network’s Wi-Fi password. Be sure to pick the right network, especially if there are similarly-named options on the list.

Make sure you type the password correctly. If it still doesn’t connect, and someone else manages the network in your home, ask if they set a new password recently.

After connecting, if you’d like to change other parameters for the connection, press theOptions button with your Wi-Fi connection highlighted underRegistered networks and chooseAdvanced Settings . Most of these aren’t relevant, but as an additional troubleshooting step, you can tryusing an alternative DNS server for your PS5 underDNS Settings .

4 Run the PlayStation 5’s Network Test

The PS5 includes a built-in test that tries to get online and connect to the PlayStation Network (PSN), then lets you know the results. If you’re still not sure why your PS5 won’t get online, you should run this.

To go through the network test, head toSettings > Network > Connection Status . SelectTest Internet Connection here to run a new check.

Here’s what the steps in this test mean:

Obtain IP address: If this passes, your PS5 connected to your router and received an IP address successfully.
Internet connection: This succeeds if your console can get online.
PlayStation Network sign-in: This final step makes sure you can connect to PSN to enjoy online games and other services.
Connection speed: These should be in the ballpark of the speed you get from your ISP. If they’re extremely low, your system either has a weak Wi-Fi signal or there’s a lot of other activity on your network.

If your PS5 is online but won’t connect to PSN, or you only have problems with a certain game, you may need toforward ports on your router so your console can access PSN services. This can happen if your system is connected to an enterprise network, like at a college. You may need to talk with the network administrator if you want to connect at your university.

If one of the other two checks failed, walk through the general network troubleshooting guide linked earlier. There’s also a chance that your router might have a setting enabled,such as MAC filtering , that is blocking your PS5 from connecting.Try signing into your router’s interface and make sure you don’t have parental controls or similar restrictions enabled.

After you do the network test, you might also want to walk through the PS5 connection wizard onSony’s PlayStation Repairs page . Select your console and problem from the initial screen, then it will walk you through some troubleshooting steps to hopefully resolve it. Most of these are the same tips we mention here, but trying Sony’s tool might help you catch something you overlooked.

5 Move Your PlayStation Closer to Your Router

Wireless technologies like Wi-Fi are susceptible to interference and only cover a certain distance before their signal degrades. To check how solid your PS5’s Wi-Fi connection to your router is, go to Settings > Network > Connection Status > View Connection Status and find theSignal strength field. If it’s below 80% or so, you should take steps to improve this strength.

If possible, move your PS5 physically closer to your router. Avoid having either device near common sources of interference, like microwaves or baby monitors. And remember that thick surfaces like concrete heavily impede wireless signals.

For more detailed help, see ourguide to improving router speed .

6 Stop Other Network Activities and Review Your Internet Plan

Your home network only has so much bandwidth, so if there’s a lot of other heavy activity happening, your PS5’s network performance will suffer. Stop any other devices in your house that are downloading or uploading large files, streaming 4K video, torrenting, or similar. This should free up bandwidth for your PS5 to perform at its best.

In case nothing else is happening on your network and your PS5 still suffers from poor network performance, your internet plan might be insufficient for your needs. Trytesting your home internet speed to find out if you need to upgrade to a faster plan that supports everything you want to do at once.

And remember that even with a strong internet plan, lousy network equipment will act as a bottleneck. You might need toconsider buying a new router and/or modem. If it’s been years since you’ve upgraded to one that supports modern standards, you’d be surprised how much this can help with speed and reliability.

7 Check PSN and Your ISP for Outages

At this point, you’ve ruled out most minor issues and have improved your PS5’s connection to your network. You should now check whether the issue lies somewhere else along the line—though it’s rare, PSN could be down.

Head to thePSN Service Status page on any device to have a look. If anything is wrong, you’ll see a message about it here.

You should also check your ISP for outages. If you still can’t get online normally, use mobile data on your phone. Then you can log into your account with your ISP and check its status page for issues in your area, or try a site likeDowndetector to check for recent reports of problems. You can contact your ISP and let them know about the issue, but you’ll probably talk to an automated assistant.

In case of issues on someone else’s end, there’s not much you can do aside from waiting for Sony or your ISP to fix the problem.

8 Connect With an Ethernet Cable

We’ve focused on fixes for PS5 Wi-Fi problems here, but it’s worth mentioning that you can resolve the hassles of wireless connections by using an Ethernet cable instead. With a wired connection for your PS5, you’ll enjoy faster speeds and a more reliable connection.

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Whether you can connect your PS5 to your router with an Ethernet cable depends on your home setup. In some cases, you might be able to buy a long cable and snake it along the edges of your house’s rooms. If this isn’t feasible,consider setting up powerline adapters , which run a pseudo-Ethernet network over the power lines in your house.

Wi-Fi is convenient, but that’s its only real benefit over wired connections. Wiring your PS5 to your network, if at all possible, avoids a lot of the instability problems Wi-Fi can have.

With these tips, you can fix PS5 network issues when your Wi-Fi isn’t working. They’ll help you reconnect if your console won’t go online, or patch up any reliability issues.

If you’re really stuck, you might consider resetting your PS5 (Settings > System > System Software > Reset Options > Reset Your Console) to root out any deep-rooted issues. If this doesn’t work, it’s time to contact Sony about a hardware repair or replacement.

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Ensuring Reliable Online Gaming with a PS5 Console