Nearly two years into its release, Sony has made significant strides with its constant improvements, patches, and fixes, for the PlayStation 5.
Unfortunately, despite its best efforts, Sony hasn’t squished all bugs. For example, there’s a consistent DNS error that pops up for certain users while they are attempting to download patches and games to their PS5 – this author included!
Don’t worry though, there are a handful of fixes for the issue. We’ll run you through each one of them below.
Checklist of fixes
- “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” isn’t just a meme – it works. In some cases, the PS5 DNS error is caused by a temporary cache or glitch, which restarting your system will fix.
- You’ll want to check your phone, computer, laptop, and other consoles connected to the internet are still working. An issue with your ISP can also cause the PS5 DNS error.
- Another solution is to turn off your router for 30 seconds before turning it on again. Meanwhile, if you are connecting your PS5 to the internet using an ethernet cable, check if the cable is loose or damaged. Sometimes, just changing the ethernet cable works – yes, there is some poor quality cables out there, and for whatever reason, they can cause problems with the PS5.
- Make sure that the PlayStation Network Service is active. You can do that by clicking here.
- While not a permanent fix, try connecting your PS5 to the internet via Wi-Fi. Conversely, you can try connecting your PS5 to the internet using an ethernet cable if the problem is occurring via Wi-Fi.
Change the DNS to Google servers
If these basic solutions don’t work, you can try doing something slightly more technical. Change the Primary DNS and secondary DNS on your PS5 console to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, respectively. To do this, navigate your way to the PS5 Home Screen > Settings > Network > Settings > Set-Up Internet Connection > Set Up Manually > Use Wifi or Use a Lan Cable (depends on your preference) > Select DNS. You should find the Primary DNS and Secondary DNS on your PS5 console if you follow our instructions. These DNS servers are provided by Google and should provide you with the best performance possible.
Another option recommended by PlayStation’s customer service is to go through the PS5’s safe mode and do a factory reset. Keep in mind, this is a drastic measure that you don’t want to try unless absolutely necessary, so consider yourself warned. For what it’s worth, Sony is aware of this problem. The console manufacturer has said numerous times that they are working on a software update to fix it in the future.
Until then, the solution that most agree almost always works is to turn your PS5 off and on again.
