Are constant lagging or fps dips disrupting your gaming experience on the PlayStation 5? Fortunately, it’s not something to stress about: n unstable internet connection is usually behind most lag issues, and, in the worst case, it could be caused by a faulty hard drive, but these are both well understood problems..
To fix PS5 lag issues, try restarting your console, and then restarting your modem and router. Wireless connections are more prone to lagging, so swapping to a wired setup may help as well. If the wireless network is crowded, you can try swapping to a 5GHz network.
There are several reasons why you might be experiencing lag issues on your PS5. In most cases, lag isn’t a major issue, but it could signify that you need to install critical updates or get rid of unnecessary storage. Let’s take a look at how you can solve this issue and get back to worry-free gaming.
Why Is Your PS5 Lagging?
The most common cause of lag is a faulty internet connection. Many PS5 games require high-speed internet to run smoothly. Check your internet connection if your game has been running fine and then suddenly starts lagging. Always try to use a wired internet connection for the fastest speeds.
If your house isn’t run with ethernet, you can actually try to use a device called a Power Line Adapter (on Amazon) that allows you to piggy-back ethernet quality signals on your electrical system in your house. For some, this provides a faster, more stable connection than Wi-Fi.
Another possible cause of PS5 lag is a full hard drive or outdated operating system. Playing games on a full hard drive can overburden the drive, resulting in lag. Sometimes, a faulty hard drive also causes overheating when playing power-intensive games.
If you don’t update the PS5 software, you may struggle with lag. Sofware updates often remove bugs and improve the system’s speed and performance.
Lastly, sometimes the game itself may have a bug that causes it to lag. This often happens with games that come from unreliable or unofficial sources.
How Can You Stop the PS5 From Lagging?
If you only experience occasional lag, it might not affect your overall gaming experience. However, in some cases, the lag may disrupt your gameplay and indicate that something is wrong with the console. At that point, you should try to figure out what’s going on.
When your PS5 starts lagging, the first thing you should do is switch it on and off.
Many people prefer to leave their PS5 on standby most of the time since it’s easier to restart. However, switching off the PS5 completely and restarting it can help remove cache and may resolve your lag issues.
If restarting the console doesn’t fix the lag, try removing the power cable. Check that the power cable is not damaged, as a faulty power cable can also cause your PS5 to freeze or lag.
Hold the power button for several seconds if your PS5 is frozen and won’t switch off to soft reset it. This will cause you to lose unsaved data, but it should unfreeze the console.
If none of the basic fixes work, you can try some of these methods to fix PS5 lag permanently:
Cleaning the Hard Drive and Updating the Software
Updating the software on your console can help resolve lag issues. Follow these steps to update the PS5 firmware:
- Go to settings and click on “system.”
- Under system software, click on “system software updates and settings.”
- Update the system software.
You can add storage space to your console by purchasing and adding an additional hard drive like the WD_BLACK 5TB P10 Game Drive (on Amazon).
Or, you can just remove content from the existing hard drive to free up space. You can also free up space by backing up files with a USB or deleting unnecessary files.
Check the Internet Connection
Always check your internet connection when you experience lag on a PS5 since a slow or unstable connection is often the primary cause of in-game lag.
To test the internet speed, connect to your laptop through WiFi or a cable and view the connection speed on the speedtest.net website.
If you’re constantly experiencing lag, you should switch to a faster internet connection. Cable internet is much faster than WiFi modems, and connecting the PS5 to an ethernet cable will reduce the connection lag.
Change Game Settings
If you’re only struggling with lag in certain games, changing the game settings may help fix the issue. Some games are more power-intensive than others and may lag if they’re not played in performance mode.
Go to the game settings on your PS5 and select the mode with higher FPS. This will reduce the lag, but it may impact the graphics. If you don’t want to compromise on graphics, then make sure the PS5 is in performance mode.