If you have a limited internet package, you may have to ‘ration’ your data for a specific span of time. This can naturally lead you to ask “How much data does a PS5 use in the first place?”
Understanding data usage of your PlayStation 5 (PS5) can be key to managing your home network effectively and avoiding unexpected Internet charges.
Essentially the amount of data a PS5 uses can range anywhere between 40MB – 300MB per hour when playing games online. Downloading can take a lot more data, but we are focused more on playing online games.
The amount of data a PS5 uses depends on various factors, including the types of games you’re playing, whether you’re downloading or streaming (playing online), and the level of online interactions you engage in.
In this article, we’ll delve deeper into these various elements to help you understand the impact of your PS5 on your data usage.
Online Gaming Data Consumption
Basically, PS5 data consumption can be of two types:
- Data consumption when downloading or updating games
- Data consumption when PLAYING games online
Data Consumption When Downloading/Updating Games
The former can consume A LOT of data per hour depending upon how fast your internet connection you have.
For instance, if you have a 10 Mbps internet connection speed (which is considered fairly slow for modern standards), then you essentially can download 1.25 MB/s – note that Mbps and MB/s are NOT the same.
So that equates to about 75 MB/minute or 4.5 GB downloaded per hour.
Therefore, if you have a game that has a 9 GB download file, it will take you two hours at the consumption of about 4.5 GB per hour to download the game.
Popular titles like “The Last of Us Part II” and “Red Dead Redemption 2” have file sizes upwards of 100GB. Consequently, if you’re downloading a few of these major titles in a month, your data usage can skyrocket.
But downloading is not the same as playing games online. Downloading consumes a huge amount of data per hour UNTIL the game file is downloaded. Once downloaded, the data rate goes down to idle.
The real question is what is the data consumption when PLAYING your favorite games ONLINE.
Data Consumption When PLAYING Games Online
When you’re playing games online, your PS5 is constantly sending and receiving information to keep your game running smoothly.
This includes data about your character’s position, actions, interactions with other players, and much more.
Online multiplayer games tend to use more data because they require frequent updates of this information for all players in the game.
For example, high-action games like “Call of Duty: Warzone” might consume closer to the upper end of the range (around 300MB per hour), while less action-intensive games like “Minecraft” might use less (around 40MB per hour).
So How Much Data Does A PS5 Use?
Well, when playing a game online, the data consumption by PS5 DEPENDS upon the game itself. It can range anywhere between 40 MB/hr all the way to 300 MB/hr and more.
Has an interesting list of different games and the amount of internet data they consume per hour. I have included the data rate of some of the online games here. These are ballpark figures.
| Game | Data Per Hour |
| Fortnite | 100 MB |
| Minecraft | 40 MB |
| Overwatch | 135 MB |
| Rocket League | 40 MB |
| PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) | 40 MB |
| Call of Duty: World War II (COD) | 50 MB |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (COD) | 80 MB |
| Call of Duty: Warzone (COD) | 160 MB |
| Destiny 2 | 300 MB |
| Grand Theft Auto V Online | 60 MB |
Essentially, the more intensive a game is in terms of graphics fidelity, number of players, and assets, the more data it will consume.
Take for instance Minecraft. This is perhaps the lightest game in terms of graphical fidelity, assets, and the number of players and hence consumes a very low amount of internet data. With around 40 MB per hour of usage, if you have a 10GB internet limit for your games, then you can play 250 hours of Minecraft with this type of consumption on PS5.
On the other side of the spectrum, you have games like Destiny 2 with gorgeous graphics, assets, world design, and many players playing online all leading to a higher data consumption.
Do You Require an Active Internet Connection for Single Player Games?
Fortunately, you do not.
Therefore, if you are someone who is not too keen on playing online games and rather enjoys single-player campaigns or story mode instead, then you do not need any kind of internet connection at all to play the game.
You may require an internet connection just for the initiation setup i.e downloading and updating the game. But once it is ready to play, you can disconnect from the internet and play the single player game without the internet.
Tips for Managing PS5 Data Usage
If you’re concerned about your PS5’s data usage, there are a few strategies you can use to manage it
Adjust Streaming Settings
This is particularly for those who stream their online games to their audience. Playing AND Streaming online games can consume MORE data than JUST playing the game online.
Lowering the video quality when streaming can significantly reduce data usage.
You can adjust the broadcast quality of your streams through PS5 settings. Head over to:
- Settings > Captures and Broadcasts
- Select Broadcasts
- Video Quality
- Choose a Lower Resolution and FPS to conserve data.
Download Games and Updates During Off-peak Hours
Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) don’t count data used in the early hours of the morning towards your monthly limit. Get in touch with the support of your ISP to find out if they provide free off-peak data.
Limit Online Multiplayer Gaming
This style of gaming uses more data than single-player or offline games. Single-player games DO NOT use data. In fact, you can disconnect from the internet to play Singleplayer games.
Use a Physical Disc
If you are concerned about the high amount of data consumed when DOWNLOADING a game, then buy a physical disc instead.
The physical disc allows the game to be installed from the disc. Your PS5 may use the internet JUST to update the game to the latest version, but the update is usually far smaller than the main installation file.
Final Words
While the amount of data your PS5 uses can vary from game to game, it’s clear that gaming, downloading, and streaming activities can consume significant amounts of data.
By being mindful of these factors and utilizing some frugal data-saving strategies, you can enjoy your gaming without worry.
