How to Connect PS5 to Hotspot 2024

Your PS5 requires an internet connection for most games and apps to function properly. And there may be situations where you need to connect your PS5 to your mobile hotspot.

Perhaps you're facing slow download speeds on your PS5, or maybe you've encountered the error code NP-104602-3 and want to switch networks to resolve the issue. It's also possible that your home network is currently down.

We'll walk you through the essential steps to connect your PS5 to your mobile hotspot and provide troubleshooting tips to resolve common issues that might arise during the process.

How to Connect PS5 to Hotspot

Most people already know this, but a hotspot is when you use a cellular network to create a WiFi network. So you might use your mobile phone data plan to create a hotspot, for instance. Your PS5 can then connect with your phone, and utilise the data connection, to gain internet access.

Setting up a hotspot and linking your PS5 is usually no harder than connecting to your home WiFi. If you are;t sure how to do this, follow these steps:

• On your phone, go to Settings > Turn on Mobile Hotspot (Tethering).
• Set a name and password for your device hotspot. Often this will be pre-populated with the make and model of your device, and a random alphanumeric password. You can change these, or leave them as they are.
• Now, go to the PS5 Connectivity Settings
• When the device name appears in the list of Wi-Fi devices, select it.
• Connect your PS5 console to the hotspot by entering the password.

But if for some reason you are having issues with the connection, what can you do about it? Let's see.

Why Isn't It Working?

While in certain circumstances, a hotspot can be better than WiFi, in most cases, it won't be. A wired connection with an Ethernet cable is definitely the best option, usually followed by a stable home internet connection, which is connected to the network via cables, rather than a wireless signal.

Because tethering the PS5 has to be done wirelessly, this means that there are effectively 2 wireless connections needed to connect the console to the internet. One between the phone and the console, and the other, between the phone and the cellular network. This increases the chances of the signal dropping. There are a few things you can try, in an effort to improve matters.

What To Do if Your PS5 is Not Connecting to Your Mobile Hotspot

If you need to use a hotspot, then these are the top tips for trying to improve the connection:

• Restart the console, and reconnect to the hotspot
• Move the device that's creating the hotspot to a different location, to try to get a stronger signal
• You can also try switching your phone to flight mode, then turn this off again. It will force the phone to refresh its connection to the network.
• Make sure you don't have anything blocking the signal between the PS5 and the phone/tablet. Keep a clear line of sight between the two devices.
• Move your phone/tablet closer to the PS5

• Try running a speed test on your phone, to make sure you are getting a decent connection. We'd advise a minimum of 3Mbps.

In most cases, this will be enough to resolve your issue. It may also be worth trying to connect another device to the hotspot, to see whether the issue is with the PS5 connection, or a more general problem with your hotspot.

Can I Use A Hotspot For Playing Games?

Yes, you can. But as we said earlier, this will generally be less effective than using an Ethernet connection or WiFi. A lot will depend on the strength of your signal, and the speeds you are able to get with that connection.

So while it can work, and it is definitely an option if you don't have any other internet connections available, you may experience a few issues with lag and performance.

But follow the steps we outlined earlier, to have the best chance of getting your hotspot to work effectively.