One of the core entertainment features of any gaming console, including PS5, is the online multiplayer aspect. However, to fully leverage this feature, a stable and fast internet connection is crucial.
But with a huge range of internet speeds available, what is a good connection speed for PS5?
Well, officially Sony recommends a high-speed connection with both upload and download speeds of at least 15 Mbps, however, you can do with much lower as well if you do not have the luxury of a high-speed internet connection.
Most experts suggest a minimum download speed of 3 Mbps for gaming, but a speed of 25 Mbps or more is ideal for a 4K streaming and online gaming experience.
In this article, we will delve deeper into what makes a ‘good’ connection speed for your PS5.
So What is a Good Connection Speed for PS5?
The most recommended internet speed for PS5 is 15 Mbps. This is what Sony and most of the experts recommend. However, depending upon your activities, a good connection speed for PS5 can range anywhere between 3 Mbps to 25 Mbps.
There are four types of crucial activities on PS5 that require a good internet connection. Let me talk about these in detail:
Online Multiplayer Gaming
Online multiplayer games require a steady, uninterrupted internet connection to maintain real-time interactions between multiple players.
Speeds below 3 Mbps could potentially cause lag or latency issues, resulting in a frustrating gaming experience.
Thus, a minimum download speed of 3 Mbps and an upload speed of 1 Mbps are generally recommended for online gaming AT THE MINIMUM.
This type of connection can have a ping rate of about 150ms, which is certainly not ideal, but doable for those who do not have a high-speed stable internet connection.
The recommended internet connection by experts as well as by Sony is 15-25 Mbps.
Sony says:
For best performance, we recommend a high-speed connection with upload and download speeds of at least 15 Mbps.
Game Downloads and Updates
With game sizes often exceeding 50GB, and sometimes reaching up to 100GB, a faster internet connection significantly reduces download times.
With a speed of 25 Mbps, for example, a 50GB game could be downloaded in roughly 5 hours.
As such, if you frequently download large games or updates, a higher speed could save you considerable time.
But if you do not have the luxury of a high-speed internet connection and do not mind waiting for your games to download, you can settle for a lower internet speed.
With a 3 Mbps internet connection, a 50 GB game will take about 37 hours to download.
It should be noted that Mbps is NOT the same as MB/s. 1 Mbps = 0.125 MB/s.
Streaming and Broadcasting on PS5
If you’re using your PS5 for streaming video content in high-definition or 4K, you’ll need a faster connection.
Netflix, for instance, recommends speeds of 5 Mbps for HD streaming and 25 Mbps for 4K streaming.
If streaming your gameplay out (broadcasting) to your audience on the internet, then Sony suggests a minimum of 15 Mbps for 1080P streaming.
Cloud Streaming requires minimum internet speed of 5mbps (15 mbps for 1080p)
The 5 Mbps is a requirement if you wish to stream your games at 720P resolution and 30 FPS.
Remote Play
If you are someone who wants to stream their game using Remote Play, then the official minimum connection speed required is 5 Mbps.
It is important in this case that both the download AND the upload speed is fairly high.
The minimum required connection speed for Remote Play is 5 Mbps for both upload and download. – Sony
Latency and Stability: Other Critical Factors
While speed is important, it’s not the only factor to consider when assessing your PS5’s internet connection.
Latency and stability can significantly impact your gaming experience.
Latency
Latency, often referred to as ping, is the time it takes for data to travel from your PS5 to the game server and back.
Lower latency is better for gaming as it means faster response times. A latency of less than 100 milliseconds (ms) is generally regarded as quite acceptable, but competitive gamers often strive for less than 30 ms.
Fast-paced gaming such as first-person shooters often require as low a latency as possible.
For downloading, however, latency does not matter much.
Stability
A stable connection is one that maintains a consistent speed and doesn’t drop out frequently.
Even with high speeds, an unstable connection can cause issues such as lag and disconnection from games.
Stability often depends on the quality of your Internet Service Provider (ISP), your router, and your home network setup.
One way to improve the stability of your connection is to connect your PS5 via an Ethernet connection to your router. Often times Wifi connection to routers, especially if they have many devices connected, can lead to stability issues.
Final Words
A good connection speed for a PS5 depends on how you use your console and the games you play.
While a minimum of 3 Mbps download speed might suffice for online gaming sessions as a minimum, higher speeds of 25 Mbps or more are recommended especially if you play games online AND broadcast your gaming streams at the same time.
But it is important to note that higher internet speeds DO NOT equate to good latency and stability.