So recently, I was having serious issues with Wi-Fi on my PS5. It was absurd to me. I have good internet in my area (AT&T Fiber) and pay a premium for high speeds because of streaming and other things. So I was shocked to see online games lagging and my internet speed tests only giving me back 40 to 70 MBs per second. Then I learned something interesting. Though the PS5 can run 5GHz Wi-Fi, capable of high speeds, it may default to poorer settings. If you want to get the most out of a Wi-Fi connection, I'm here to tell you how to do it so you don't have to learn the hard way like I did.
How to run 5GHz Wi-Fi on PS5
The PlayStation 5 is capable of operating on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and 5GHz Wi-Fi band frequencies. The issue is that it doesn't necessarily default the best connection. Instead, for me, it defaulted to 2.4 which is more common, but also weaker. In order to get your PS5 to utilize 5GHz Wi-Fi, you have to change the settings yourself.
It should go without saying, but you should also make sure your internet router/modem is capable of 5GHz. If that's settled, here's what you do:
- Go to your Network icon on the bottom bar or go to your Settings icon in the top right of the main menu and select Network Settings from there.
- Find your Wi-Fi network. Select it and it will prompt you to disconnect from it. Do so.
- Once disconnected, press the Options button on your Wi-Fi network to bring up a sub menu.
- At the bottom of the list you should find Wi-Fi Frequency Bands. By default, it will be on Automatic (which in my case made it choose to use 2.4GHz for some reason).
- Access that option and manually set the Wi-Fi Frequency Band to 5GHz.
If your modem is capable of 5GHz, then you should find your Wi-Fi performs exponentially better on your PS5. For me, speed tests shot back around 50MB/s on average on the Automatic setting, which must've run on 2.4GHz. Once I switched it to 5GHz, it shot back test results of 270 to 300 MB/s, which is more aligned with what I pay for.
That's all. Given the frustration I had to deal with in thinking my internet was failing me, I hope this little guide will help you avoid the issues I had. I don't know why the PS5 would default to a weaker frequency, but if your internet is good, once you set it to 5GHz, you should be golden. Happy playing!
