Why is my PS5 lagging?


Have you ever wondered why your PS5 is lagging during gameplay or whenever you are doing anything? Well you are you in the right place.

Your PS5 is lagging due to a high ping, not enough storage or a bad/corrupt system software.

Another reason why your PS5 is lagging is due to the Network address translation (NAT) type you have. To check the NAT type you have go into (Setting) > [Network] > [Connection Status] > [View Connection Status] this should show you the network you are connected to IP address and the NAT type. 


You should see the NAT type in the network information. There are three types on NAT type 1,2 and 3/ open, moderate and strict respectively.

If you are on NAT 3 then you have a Strict connection. This means that you are connected to the internet through a protected connection.


This protected connection will cause the PS5 to be lagging as it prevents other people to be communication with you. 


The cause of the NAT type depends on the router and the internet service provider. If you have NAT type 3 you can only connect to people with NAT type 1.

However, if you are on NAT type 2 then there shouldn’t be enough lag on the PS5. Although I have noticed being kicked out from parties unable to host unable to join but it is not bad. NAT type two is able to connect to both NAT 3 and NAT 1.

Nat type 1 is the best NAT type for your PS5 as it is open. This way you can host parties people can join you can play online without any lag at all. So if you are on NAT type 1 you shouldn’t experience any lag on the PS5. NAT type 1 is able to connect to both NAT 2 and 3.

How do I improve my NAT type on PS5

You can improve NAT type on PS5 so that lagging is reduced. How do you do this?
You can open all the ports on your router or disable the firewall on your router. You can also enable Universal plug and play on your router. 

If you have done all this and you still are getting NAT 3 you can try to contact your internet service provider, sometime they are the ones who close the ports to protect you.

You can also connect your PS5 directly to the modem. This way the ports are already open on the modem and you will get NAT 2 or better.


How to stop my PS5 from lagging

To stop your PS5 from lagging you have to make sure you have free space, a good and stable internet connection and that your ping is good as well. 


The ping pays a very important role when you are playing online on your PS5 and it will determine the lagging of your PS5. 

If your ping is high then the PS5 will be lagging while you play online with your friends as it is taking long to communicate with your friends from the ps5 to the router >PSN server and back. There are some tips to reduce ping on your PS5.

Related: Understanding Ping on PS4 and PS5


How to reduce ping on PS5

Reducing ping on the PS5 will help reduce the lagging and you can play online without any lag. You can reduce the Ping on the PS5 by changing from wireless connection to wired connection. 

This will reduce the time it takes for the PS5 to reach the router and hence reducing the Ping. 


If you are using a modem and you connect your router to the modem to access internet, I would recommend you connect your PS5 directly to the modem so that the communication between devices is reduced. 

The trick about reducing ping is reducing the number of devices the connection is passing through for you to access internet connection.


Can the System software cause lagging on the PS5?

Yes a bad system software can cause the PS5 to lag. The system software does all the operation on the PS5 and so, if something is wrong with it it will not not work as intended and may cause the PS5 to lag. 

The system software can become bad with corrupt files on the console. To fix the system software and stop lagging you can rebuild database on the PS5 or update it to the latest version.


Rebuild Database on PS5 to stop lagging

If you Rebuild database on the PS5 it may stop the console from lagging. To Rebuild database on the PS5 and stop lagging follow the steps below: 

  1. Turn off the PS5 completely
  2. Press and hold the on button until you hear a second beep
  3. Connect your controller through a USB cable, press the PS button and select option 5 [Rebuild Database] and follow the on screen instructions. 

Update the PS5 to the latest version to stop lagging

Update the console through USB storage even if you are on the latest update. I have noticed that most people when told to update their system software they check for updates from the System software Settings and they are told you are on the latest firmware. Well you are on the latest corrupt firmware. 

So you have to download the system update from your desktop and update the PS5 through USB storage. What this does is it removes the current software on the PS5 console and puts the in new one. 

This will not delete your saved data

To update the PS5 through the USB storage follow the steps below:

  1. Download the latest system software from PlayStation Here
  2. Format your USB storage with FAT32 file system.
  3. Create a folder in the root of your USB Storage named PS5 and inside the folder another folder named UPDATE. Now it should be USB Storage:\PS5\UPDATE
  4. Put the file you downloaded in step 1 in the directory USB Storage > PS5 > UPDATE.
  5. Now plug in the USB storage into the PS5 and start the PS5 in to safe mode by holding the on button until you hear a second beep (PS5 should be off)
  6. Select option 3 [Update System Software]
  7. Select [Update from USB Storage] and follow the on screen instructions

Final thought

The PS5 lagging is usually due to the high ping and NAT type. You shouldn’t have any problems if you are just up to date with the system software. If your PS5 is lagging during offline play then rebuild database or update the the PS5 to the latest version using the USB storage.