Since its release in 2013, the PlayStation 4 has been one of the most popular gaming consoles on the market. With its sleek design, powerful hardware, and expansive library of games, it’s not hard to see why. If you are also a die-hard fan, you’d never want to miss the fun. But what if your home Wi-Fi just isn’t cutting it? Or you want to play PS4 games away from your home? How can you connect your PS4 with the mobile hotspot? Well, it isn’t as hard as you’d think.
You can connect your PS4 to the hotspot in two simple steps. First, set up a hotspot on your smartphone; make sure it’s visible to your PS4. Then, connect your PS4 Wi-Fi to that hotspot, enter your password, and you’re all good to go. This works for both iPhone and Android smartphones.
Gamers always prefer an Ethernet connection because of its stability and speed. But a hotspot connection will be your savior with its flexibility and mobility. It is a wireless connection, much like Wi-Fi, but you create it through cellular mobile data instead of a router. So, all you need is a PS4, a mobile hotspot connection, and an active data plan on your phone. Here’s a complete guide on making a hotspot connection and linking PS4 with the device.
How Do I Connect My PS4 to a Hotspot?
Usually, we use a mobile phone data network (4G/5G) to create a hotspot connection, which acts as an available WiFi connection to other devices.
So, to connect your PS4 with your phone data, you’ll first need to establish a hotspot on your phone and then allow the PS4 to connect to the newly created hotspot’s WiFi network.
Of course, it would almost always be better to connect a PS4 to a normal 5GHz or 2.4GHz WiFi network because gaming consoles can use a lot of data.
Setting up a mobile hotspot is pretty simple. There are a few simple taps on your smartphone, and the hotspot will be up and running.
iPhone users can follow these steps:
- Go to ‘Settings’ and tap on Mobile Data.
- Tap on Personal Hotspot.
- Toggle the switch to ON.
- Set a password to secure your hotspot.
- By default, your hotspot is named after your iPhone’s model. You can either keep it or customize it in the ‘About’ section of your device’s general setting.
After setting up a hotspot, make sure it is not restricted to specific devices. To check this, go to your device’s ‘Setting’ then tap on ‘Wireless and Network.’ There you’ll see ‘Tethering and hotspot;’ click on it.
Now see if ‘Allowed device only’ is unchecked. If the box is checked, uncheck it or add your PS4 manually under ‘Manually add a device.’
Android users can follow these steps:
- Turn on your Mobile Data.
- Go to the dropdown menu and tap on ‘Mobile Hotspot’ for 2-3 seconds.
- In the new window, toggle the ‘Off’ to ‘On.’
- If you want to change your name and password, you’ll see the option right below the toggle switch.
- Tap on the setting icon on the top right corner and select ‘Configure Mobile Hotspot’ to enter additional settings.
- Here, you can change the visibility of your device. Make sure it is set to visible so your PS4 can find and connect to it.
- Now, set up your PS4 to connect to the hotspot.
After following the steps above, your mobile hotspot is ready to use. Now it’s time to connect your PS4 to the hotspot:
- To connect PS4 to mobile hotspot, turn on your PS4 and go to Settings.
- Select ‘Network’ and then ‘Set up internet connection.’
- From there, select ‘Use Wi-Fi’ and then ‘Easy.’ The PS4 will then scan for the available hotspot.
- Select your mobile hotspot connection and enter the password you set earlier to connect your PS4 to the hotspot.
As long as your PS4 is within the range of your hotspot, it should be able to establish a stable connection. That’s all you need to do. Your PS4 is now connected to the hotspot, and it will use the mobile data connection to play PS4 games.
However, here we must mention that the PS4 uses a lot of data, so if you have a data capped plan, it’ll probably eat up your quota in no time.
You can also use this method for PS3 consoles, Wii U, and other devices that support Wi-Fi connections.
How Can I Link My Phone to My PS4?
Sony has always been ahead of the game when it comes to connectivity. With PS4 and later models of the PlayStation, you can now directly link your devices to the PS4 console with the PlayStation app compatible with iOS and Android devices.
This app lets you control your PS4 PlayStation Account and do all the game browsing on your phone screen.
- To link your phone with PS4, first, download the PlayStation app from your respective app store. After installing it, open the app and sign in to your PlayStation account. If you don’t have one, create a new one.
- Now on the app’s main menu, select ‘Connect to PS4.’
- Give the app permission to your device’s data and location.
- Your app will scan for the PS4 connected with your account; you will see a space to add a code once it is found.
- Now turn on your PS4 console, go to ‘Setting,’ and select ‘PlayStation App Connection.’ There you’ll see the option to add a device; click on it. It’ll provide you with the code.
- Type this code in the app on your phone and select ‘Ok.’ You are now linked to your PS4.
With this connection, you can stream PS4 games on your phone, message or chat with your PSN friends, browse the game library, buy new games, and do all the fun stuff you would typically do on your console. Following these steps, you can link up to sixteen devices with one PS4.
How To Make The Mobile Hotspot Connection Faster
If you’re having speed troubles after you get connected, there are a few simple things you can try. To improve the connection speed of your mobile hotspot, try moving the hotspot closer to the PS4, then try reducing the number of connected devices on the mobile hotspot.
If those don’t offer an improvement, you can check and see if your data plan has run out, and you can add more data if you like (though, as we’ve discussed here a few times, you should expect it to go pretty quickly). Some companies like AT&T will force you to upgrade your data plan to do this long-term, as you can see here (forum).
Lastly, you should know that the hotspot is, fundamentally, limited. It’s not going to offer you the full bandwidth of the phone. Some users who have measured their phone’s actually upload and download speed to what they get on a PS4 hotspot connection, and it shows that the actual data the PS4 gets is about 10% the bandwidth available to the smartphone (forum link).
Why Won’t My PS4 Connect to a Hotspot?
If you have followed all the steps correctly and your PS4 still won’t connect, there might be a problem with the network or the hotspot you’re using. So let’s break down the possible issues and troubleshoot.
Your PS4 is not in the range: Try to move closer to the hotspot device; most devices have a maximum range of around 15 to 20 meters (50-65 feet). Keep in mind that walls and other obstructions might reduce the signal strength.
Your mobile is not connected to the internet: Make sure both mobile data and hotspot are activated on your phone. No internet connection on your phone means no internet for the connected PS4.
The Hotspot Security is not allowing the PS4: Check your hotspot security settings and ensure it’s configured to allow your PS4. We have already explained the process above.
You’ve consumed the data package: Hotspot works on your phone’s data plan. If you have reached your monthly data limit, it means your phone is not connected to any internet, and so your PS4 will also have no internet connection.
Sometimes minor glitches in network connection can lead to such problems. First, turn off your hotspot and reconnect both devices. Then, if the issue is still there, try restarting both your PS4 and mobile phone.
Also, try to connect your phone with other hotspot devices like laptops or desktops. This will help you learn if it’s a problem with a particular hotspot device or with your PS4. For further assistance, you can reach out to PlayStation support.
Backup Option: How To Connect Using Mobile Tethering / USB
If you’re having trouble connecting your PS4 to a mobile hotspot, you can try using mobile tethering or a USB connection as a backup option. Mobile tethering allows you to use your phone’s data connection to provide internet access to your PS4, while a USB connection allows you to connect your phone directly to your PS4 and share its internet connection.
Here’s how to connect your PS4 to the internet using mobile tethering or a USB connection:
PS4 to Phone Via USB / Mobile Tethering Insructions
- Connect your phone to your PS4 using a USB cable.
- On your phone, go to Settings and then tap on “Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.“
- Turn on “USB Tethering” and then wait for your PS4 to detect the connection.
- Once connected, your PS4 should be able to access the internet using your phone’s data connection.
It’s important to note that mobile tethering and USB connections are backup options and may not be as reliable as a dedicated mobile hotspot. But, it may work for you in a pinch!
Can I Use My PS4 as a Hotspot?
Many people don’t know the hidden feature that PlayStation 4 can work as a hotspot. This means you can use your PS4 to provide gameplay access to other devices using Wi-Fi.
It comes in handy when there is no other Wi-Fi connection around, or you don’t have a hotspot device to play a shared game.
However, here we should clarify that this hotspot feature does not provide internet access to connected devices—it is only for game streaming and remote play over Wi-Fi.
This feature is not enabled by default, so you need to turn it on.
- To use a PS4 hotspot, go to the ‘Settings’ menu on your PS4 and select ‘Wi-Fi Hotspot.’
- Click ‘Yes’ on the prompt window.
- Click ‘Yes’ again on the following prompt to start the hotspot.
- The Wi-Fi hotspot will now turn on and be visible to compatible devices.
To connect your phone with the PS4 hotspot, open the Wi-Fi menu from your phone settings and find the name of your PS4 hotspot. Then, click on it to connect. It won’t need any password; usually, PlayStation 4 hotspot is an open connection since it only works for remote play.
You may now play or stream your online games on your smartphone using a PS4 hotspot. However, remember that the PS4 hotspot is not as strong as other devices, and the best signal strength is within 5 to 10 feet of your console.
Final Thoughts on Using Hotspot on your PS4
Playing games on PS4 while using its network settings consumes a lot of data, so most of us prefer to use a Wi-Fi connection over mobile data.
However, if you have an unlimited plan or simply don’t mind using mobile data for gaming, you can easily connect your PS4 to mobile data.
Just be careful not to go over your monthly data limit. Also, look out for battery drainage on your phone as the hotspot consumes more battery power.
We hope this guide has helped you connect your PS4 to a hotspot. If you have more queries about your PlayStation or want to know what type of Wi-Fi router you should use for gaming, you can check our articles on similar topics. Till then, happy gaming!