PlayStation 5 gamers just realising they can double their download speeds

Like it or loathe it (and I definitely don't like it), we live in a world in which gaming is increasingly leaning towards the digital.

Even if you opted for the PlayStation 5 model with a disc drive, or insist or buying all your Xbox Series X games physical, you can't escape the need for patches, day one updates, and other frustrating maintenance that requires an internet connection.

Incredibly, some PlayStation gamers are actually only just realising four years in that their PS5 might not be downloading games and updates as quickly as it's actually capable of doing. Ouch.

As pointed out via a very handy PSA on Reddit, it's incredibly likely your PS5 isn't properly set up to take advantage of your internet's best possible speeds.

What you'll want to do is start up your PlayStation 5 and head into ‘Network Settings’. From here you’ll need to select ‘Set Up Internet Connection’ and choose your home network.

After you've done this, simply press the Options button and choose ‘Advanced Settings’, then head into ‘Wi-Fi Frequency Bands' to see whether you're on 2.5GHz or 5GHz.

It's worth noting not every router supports the 5GHz frequency, though in 2024 it's a safe bet yours probably does. What is surprising is that most consoles - mine included - isn't automatically set to 5GHz. If you PS5 has the frequency bands set to automatic, simply change it to 5GHz and you should see a marked improvement to any download speeds.

This comes with one major caveat I should point out! 5GHz typically offers a much stronger connection, but it also has a much shorter range than 2.5GHz, and is more easily blocked by solid objects like walls, desks, or shelves. Basically, consider where your router is in relation to your PS5 before changing any settings, because it might not be worth it in the long run.

One Reddit user advises: "Strongly recommend going into your router configuration and splitting the two bands. Most devices are not intelligent in picking a band and many flip flop back and forth causing connectivity issues as they switch."

Obviously I should also note if you want the best speeds for your PlayStation 5, you'll want to think about an Ethernet cable. But if you can't manage that for whatever reason, this is probably the quickest and most efficient option currently available.