The good news is that there are easy ways to speed up your PS5 download speeds, from investing in an Ethernet cable to tweaking your wireless settings. We outline all the ways to speed up your PS5 downloads right here.
Use an Ethernet cable
If, however, your router is on the other side of the home, chances are you won’t want a thick Ethernet cable snaking its way along your skirting boards and doorframes. In that situation, it’s better to invest in a Powerline adapter.
For those that are yet to get in on the Powerline fun, the technology essentially utilises your home wiring to connect to the internet – simply plug one in near your router and plug another one in near your PS5 to get Ethernet-level speeds without the long winding cables. They’re a great bit of kit and provide a stable, reliable internet connection ideal for fast downloads. If you need some help choosing a Powerline adapter, take a look at our choice of the best powerline adapters available right now.
Connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi
If you don’t want to take the plunge with a Powerline adapter, you’ll need to make sure you’re utilising wireless connectivity as well as you can. Most modern routers offer Wi-Fi connectivity across two bands – 2.4GHz and 5GHz – with the former offering a wider range at the cost of download speeds, while the latter offers significantly improved download speeds, although admittedly with less coverage. For the best download speeds, you’ll want to make sure your PS5 is connected to the 5GHz network. The problem is that these days, routers tend to combine the two frequencies into a single Wi-Fi network and intelligently switch between them. That’s certainly a more convenient option for the everyday user, but if you want to make sure you’re always using the faster 5GHz network for downloads on your PS5, you might have to split the bands into two separate Wi-Fi networks.
This should be possible on most modern routers, including those provided by UK providers like BT and Virgin Media, but the steps will vary depending on the router you have. We’d recommend referring to your router’s user manual for specific instructions on splitting the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands. If your home Wi-Fi doesn’t reach your PS5, we’d recommend upgrading to a mesh Wi-Fi system – we cover the best mesh Wi-Fi systems separately for those interested.
Change your DNS settings
Born in the PS4 era of slow download speeds, changing your connection’s DNS settings can have a notable difference on overall download speeds, especially when using Google’s DNS servers. The good news is that it’s a fairly simple process, and it’s completely free too:
Other ways to speed up PS5 downloads
While the options we’ve outlined above are the most likely to improve your PS5 download speeds, there are gamers that swear by other, more anecdotal, solutions like putting your PS5 into Rest Mode when downloading games. There isn’t any hard proof that most of these will make a difference – bar upgrading your home Wi-Fi – there isn’t any harm in giving them a go if you’re suffering from particularly slow download speeds.
Pause and resume your downloadPut your console into Rest Mode while downloadingMake sure nobody else at home is downloading large files at the same timeInvest in faster internet connectivity
Do you use another method to speed up downloads on your PS5? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram.
Related content
PS5 review How to play PS5 games on iOS and Android How to play PS4 games on PS5 How to delete games on PS5 How to use the PS5 DualSense controller on PC Where to buy PS5 PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition PS5 vs Xbox Series X Best gaming headset
Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
