How to lower ping on PS5: the console settings and the router trick

Start with the console network test — and read it correctly

The console's built-in connection test reports your download, upload and NAT type. Two things matter here. First, the test talks to PlayStation's own servers, not to your game's servers, so a great result there does not mean a great in-game ping. Second, NAT type: type 2 with a normal home router is fine; a strict or failed NAT is worth fixing because it affects matchmaking and voice, not because it changes your ping.

The settings worth changing

• Wired connection over Wi-Fi, always, if the console is anywhere near the router. If not, a powerline kit beats a weak Wi-Fi link.
• If Wi-Fi is the only option, force the 5 GHz band and keep the console in line of sight.
• Turn off automatic downloads and rest-mode updates for games you are not playing — a background patch is the most common cause of "my ping is fine then terrible".
• Set the console first in the router's QoS list, using your measured bandwidth.
• Where the game offers a server or region choice, use it: nothing else moves the number as much.

The one hardware option

A console cannot run route-optimisation software, so vendors that support consoles do it on a router instead: either their own gaming router or a plugin in supported router brands. The traffic is optimised at the network layer, so the console needs nothing.

That is a real path — and it only makes sense after the free checks. If your PS5 is on Wi-Fi with a patch downloading in the background, a new router will not fix the actual problem.

What will not help

DNS changes do not lower in-game ping: they resolve names, they do not choose the route your match traffic takes. Be sceptical of any guide that claims otherwise, including anything on this site.