Especially in the cold and dark months of the year, there’s nothing better for many people than winding down from a hard day’s work on the couch at home. Besides chips, sweets and a cold drink, decent entertainment is also part of it. For many, the gaming evening in front of the home console is becoming increasingly popular. Many living rooms in Germany use a PlayStation 5 for this purpose. This is quite understandable in view of the extensive game selection. Besides fun couch co-op games, you can also enjoy exciting single player games. However, there is one thing that can spoil your gaming fun with your console – an ailing Internet connection. If you have internet problems with your PS5, this can have various causes. We want to give you a few tips on what the whole thing can be.
PS5 Internet Problems: Without Internet (almost) nothing works
Gamers of old days can certainly still remember the times when game consoles unfolded the full scope of performance even without an Internet connection. SNES, NES, N64, PlayStation 1 and 2 – all these iconic gaming grenades got along just fine without the World Wide Web. To gamble, all you needed was a console, controller, TV and the right game. Nowadays, however, an Internet connection is almost a must. This is not only true for PCs, but also for current consoles like PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Thus, it not only allows you to download games in digital form. On top of that, you can also use the Internet to play your favorite game over long distances with friends or even strangers. Some games, such as the Souls series, even tie important game features to an existing Internet connection.
At least in theory, however, it is possible to run a current console without the Internet. The prerequisite is that you own the corresponding game as a physical data carrier. If you don’t have a BluRay, but only a digital version of the game, you can also start it from the internal or external hard drive of your PS5. However, you not only have to be aware of the fact that a lack of Internet will put a damper on features like multiplayer. On top of that, important updates and patches are not installed. In times where Day One patches often contain several gigabytes of data, this can mean a significant loss of gaming fun.
An active Internet connection is especially important if you do not own the disc, but the Digital Edition of the PlayStation 5. As the name suggests, this comes without a drive. Instead, it relies on its internal SSD, which is supposed to provide storage for your games. But how do the games find their way onto the flash storage? Via the Internet, of course. So imagine that you finally got hold of a PS5 Digital Edition after a long time and notice that it refuses to connect to the Internet when you start it up. Even if the PS5 download is slow, this will dampen the gaming fun a lot. The frustration of a passionate gamer could hardly be greater. But despair is not appropriate at this point. We give you tips that can solve PS5 Internet problems.
Is it the Internet?
If your PS5 has internet problems, the number one source of error is of course the home internet. If this does not work properly or not at all, the game console can of course also not establish an Internet connection. This can be expressed in different characters. For example, if you download a new game, an extremely slow download speed can be a clear sign of PS5 problems or Internet problems. You can be sure if your PS5 tells you that it can’t connect to the Internet right at startup. In order to investigate whether your Internet is to blame, you should simply try to visit the World Wide Web with other devices. If this doesn’t work with your smartphone, PC and Smart TV, you can be sure that there is an Internet problem.
There can be many reasons for this. For example, are construction works currently taking place in your street? Particularly during civil engineering work, damaged Internet cables can occur from time to time. In this case, it is best to contact your provider. They will (hopefully) quickly find a solution. Also, if the PS5 download is slow, you can find out if it is due to your Internet. Just take another device and run a speed test. One provider in this area is the website www.wieistmeineip.de. Here, both down and upload speed of your line are checked. Does the result not correspond to the speed of your tariff? Then you should also contact your provider.
Problems on the PlayStation Network (PSN)
If your PS5 has problems with the Internet, this can also be due to the PSN. This is Sony’s in-house server structure. Unfortunately, the PSN has come under criticism from time to time in recent years. The reason for the annoyance of many users is the unreliability of the network. It is not uncommon for slow connections or even a complete system failure to occur. Of course, PS5 users quickly feel the consequences. Downloads of games are significantly slower or even stop completely. On top of that, you can no longer play online. That can really spoil the gaming fun. You can find out directly from Sony whether the PS5 has Internet problems due to the PSN.
The Japanese tech company is apparently aware of the regular PS5 problems. Thus, it launched a special website a while ago, through which you can see the status of the network. It is particularly noticeable that the PSN has problems at peak times. For example, if a new AAA title has just been released that comes with a big Day One patch, you can be sure that the network will be a bit overloaded. The same goes for classic gaming times like Friday, Saturday or Sunday evenings. While the busy times may not cause the PSN to go down. However, you will notice that attributes like download speed and ping can be significantly lower.
Wi-Fi router problems
Of course, hardware difficulties can also be responsible for your PS5 internet issues. The focus should be on your router. Sony’s game console can optionally connect wirelessly via 2.4 or 5.0 GHz radio signal. You can also establish a classic LAN connection via cable. It is certain that you will always get a more stable connection via cable. This is especially the case when many devices in your household are connected to your WLAN. So, if the PS5 is near your router anyway, you should connect it with a LAN cable. It doesn’t matter if it’s wireless or wired – your router can also get in the way and cause PS5 Internet problems.
You should not only check the PS5 itself to see if this is the case. You should also take a look at other devices in your household. If they also have a slow or heavily disturbed Internet connection, your router could be to blame. You can be on the safe side if your provider assures you that the desired Internet performance is available in your household. A classic case of a slow Internet connection is the age of the router. If you have a router that is several years old, it may simply not be able to deliver the performance that it receives from the provider via fiber optic or DSL cable.
Anyone who has received a device for rent from his provider should ask him to send a current router. After all, you as a user also want to receive the Internet service that you pay monthly. However, you should be aware that the usual providers often don’t have “high-end routers” on offer. Ambitious gamers with a demand for the most stable WLAN possible should therefore rather search for a suitable WLAN router themselves. Retailers now offer customized gaming routers that not only provide high speeds via cable. They also have powerful antennas that ensure a stable WLAN. Anyone who regularly gambles online, connects their console via WLAN and downloads a lot of games should definitely consider buying one.
Change wireless connection
As already mentioned, the PS5 connects to your WLAN either via 2.4 or 5.0 GHz frequency. From the factory, the console automatically decides whether to choose one or the other. If you notice that the wireless connection is unstable, you can help a bit in the settings of Sony’s home console. Here you can decide which wireless connection is used. To do so, go to the system settings of the console. You can find them in the upper right corner of the screen (gear wheel).
Now select the “Network” tab and click on “Set up Internet connection”. Now press the option button of your DualSense controller. Select the item “WiFi frequency bands”. Change the setting from “Automatic” to 2.4 GHz. If nothing improves, change to 5.0 GHz once. If this doesn’t solve the PS5 WLAN problems, a complete reboot of the router might be advisable. Leave it switched off for a minute.
Use another WLAN
If your router is defective, it can really dampen your spirits on a Saturday night. After all, nothing works without the Internet these days. Whether it’s music streaming, video streaming or just playing PS5 sensibly – in terms of entertainment, you’re unceremoniously thrown a few decades into the past. You might be able to cope with that alone with an exciting book or with several people and an entertaining board game. But what if you have scheduled a LAN party that was planned many weeks in advance? Then there’s really only one thing you can do – hope for spontaneous support from your neighbor. Simply invite them to your gaming session and ask for the WLAN password in return.
Alternatively, you can also use the mobile data on your smartphone. Simply set up a hotspot and connect your PlayStation to it. However, you should only do this if you have a contract with a decent data volume. Otherwise, the remaining gigabytes will virtually melt away, especially during longer sessions. Should you have internet problems with the PS5 that can be traced back to your router, a hope for charity of your neighborhood is therefore more advisable.
Reset PS5
If all else fails to help, a PlayStation 5 reset might well be in order. After all, chances are that Sony’s home console will no longer cause problems connecting to your Internet when it’s in its factory state.
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