Over the past years, online gaming has seen a dramatic increase in its user base. With so many more people purchasing PS4 and PS5 consoles, it’s only natural to see an equivalent rise in issues with online loading times and lag. This is because users are often lumped together on one default server, known as a DNS server. Below, we’ll explore the role that PS4 DNS servers play in your online gaming experience and how you can improve that experience with a few simple tweaks. Read on to learn what the best PS4 and PS5 DNS servers are, how you can select the optimal DNS server for your location, and how you can change your DNS server settings.
What is a DNS server for PS4 and PS5?
The Domain Name System or DNS for short works like a phonebook in that when you type any URL address into your internet browser, such as Google.com or Facebook.com (hostname), the DNS is responsible for finding the correct IP (Internet Protocol) address for the site you’re trying to reach and communicating with it to retrieve the site’s hosted information.
A DNS server is a computer server that contains a comprehensive database of public IP addresses and their hostnames. Its sole purpose is to take these hostnames, resolve them or translate them into IP addresses when they are requested. For example, in the case of PS4 and PS5 online gaming, the DNS server’s job is to connect you to the host’s gaming server, thus connecting you to online play.
What is the benefit of a DNS Server for PS4 & PS5 gamers?
By choosing to connect to a PS4 DNS server that either has less traffic or is closer to your geographic location, you can reduce the time it takes for a signal to travel from your console to the DNS server and back; this is referred to as your “ping.” The lower the ping number, the better and faster your connection, which means less lag and less choppiness in your game. Here is a brief look at some of the benefits of changing your PS4 DNS server settings:
- You receive faster loading times as there is less packet loss, and reduced ping, due to the lower amount of traffic on the server of your choice.
- Your connection stability is boosted, as changing your PS4 DNS server settings will give you a more reliable connection.
- Custom PS4 DNS server settings also have parental control for those with younger children.
- Some PS4 DNS servers also come with better security protection, giving you access to phishing settings and firewalls.
It is important to note that changing your PS4 DNS server or PS5 DNS server is harmless and will not cause any issues with your PS4/PS5 or your online play. Just make sure to record your default PS4 DNS server’s information before making the switch, giving you the ability to revert back whenever you want.
How to set the DNS settings on PS4 and PS5
How you go about changing your DNS settings on PS4 and PS5 depends on what type of internet connection you use. We will provide the steps needed to change it for both an Ethernet (LAN) and a Wi-Fi connection. When gaming online via your console, it is always best to use an Ethernet connection as it provides a reliable, faster, and lower latency connection.
Changing your DNS Settings via an Ethernet connection on PS4
If you are using a wired connection, do the following:
- Turn on your PS4 and sign in like you would normally.
- Head to your Settings menu, and choose Network from the options.
- Find the Set up your internet connection option and click it.
- Now choose the LAN cable option.
- Instead of choosing easy, choose the Custom option.
- Select the Automatic option, if your router can assign IP addresses automatically.
- If your router does not assign IP addresses automatically, use the manual option to set yours.
- For the DHCP host name, you want the Do not specify option.
- Now click on the Manual entry for the DNS settings.
- You will now see the option to enter in 4 digits for primary and secondary DNS settings.
- Enter in the 4 digits for the DNS server of your choice. For instance, if you’re using Google’s Public DNS server settings, you would pop 8.8.8.8 into the primary, and 8.8.4.4 into the secondary insertion field boxes.
- On the next screen, you’ll see MTU Settings, here you will want to choose Automatic.
- For the proxy server settings, choose Do not use as you won’t be using a proxy.
Your DNS settings are now set up for your PS4 via an Ethernet connection.
Changing your DNS Settings via a Wi-Fi connection on PS4
If you do not have access to an Ethernet connection and are using just Wi-Fi for your PS4, you will need to complete the following steps to set up your PS4 DNS server settings.
- Turn on your PS4 and sign in like you would normally.
- Head to your Settings menu, and choose Network from the options.
- You will want to choose the Set up your internet connection option and click it.
- From here, choose the Wi-Fi option.
- Here you will want to choose the Custom option for the WI-FI network.
- Your PS4 will now pull up a list of networks, choose yours from the list.
- Your router should automatically assign an IP address, but if it doesn’t, select automatic. If you want to, you can setup your own IP address with the manual option.
- Do not specify the DHCP hostname.
- After this step, you will need to click on the manual entry for DNS settings.
- Now enter in the 4 digits of the DNS server of your choice in the primary and secondary insertion field boxes. For instance, if you’re using Google’s Public DNS server settings, you would pop 8.8.8.8 into the primary, and 8.8.4.4 into the secondary.
- Set the MTU to automatic.
- Do not use a proxy.
Now your internet settings are updated with custom PS4 DNS server settings.
Changing your DNS settings via an Ethernet connection on PS5
If you are using a wired connection (LAN), do the following:
- Turn on your PS5, and from the home screen choose settings.
- You will now want to choose Network, and Set up internet connection.
- From here, choose the LAN cable option since you are on ethernet.
- You will be asked “how you want to set up your internet connection” and you will want to answer with Custom.
- If your router automatically assigns your IP address, choose automatic. You can choose the manual option if you set your IP address up manually.
- You want to choose Do not specify for the DHCP hostname.
- Select the Manual option for the DNS settings.
- Now you will be asked to insert in 4 digits for the DNS settings from the DNS server of your choice. We will use Google as an example. In the primary insertion field box, put in 8.8.8.8, and in the secondary box, put in 8.8.4.4. The secondary address is used if the first does not work.
- Now hit the Next buttons to move through the non-DNS settings. For the MTU settings, you want to choose automatic, and select Do not use for proxy.
- Once your DNS settings are ready to go, you’ll see a message that says “internet settings updated”.
Changing your DNS settings via a Wi-Fi connection on PS5
If you are not using a cable connection and want to use the fastest DNS server for your PS5 over Wi-Fi, you will need to complete the following steps:
- Turn on your PS5, and from the home screen choose settings.
- You will now want to choose Network, and Set up internet connection.
- From here, choose the Wi-FI option.
- You will be asked “how you want to set up your internet connection” and you will want to answer with Custom.
- Now let your PS5 scan the local Wi-Fi networks, and choose yours from the list.
- If your router automatically assigns your IP address, choose automatic. You can choose the manual option if you set your IP address up manually.
- You want to choose Do not specify for the DHCP hostname.
- Select the Manual option for the DNS settings.
- Now you will be asked to insert in 4 digits for the DNS settings from the DNS server of your choice. We will use Google as an example. In the primary insertion field box, put in 8.8.8.8, and in the secondary box, put in 8.8.4.4.
- Choose automatic for MTU settings, and “do not use” for proxy.
Your PS5 is now set up to use a custom DNS server over the WI-FI.
How to find the best PS4 or PS5 DNS server for your location
You have two options to determine which PS5 or PS4 DNS server settings to use.
- You can either pick a public DNS server and use that. These will often outperform those that are provided to you by your broadband providers.
- You can use our testing section below to measure the ping of any public DNS server to find the one with the lowest ping available.
It is also possible to use third-party software to benchmark public DNS servers to identify the one that is nearest to your location, but this is something you’d want to do at your own discretion.
How to test the speed of a DNS server for PS4 or PS5
Connecting to a custom PS4 DNS server is one thing, but it is ultimately useless if the server isn’t any faster than your default one. Therefore, testing the speed of a DNS server is the best way to find which one is best for you, as the one with the lowest ping is also the fastest DNS server. In order to test the ping of a DNS server, you can use a Windows computer and a Command Prompt.
- Start by turning on your Windows computer and opening the Command Prompt. You can search for it in the search menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard.
- In the Command Prompt, type in the command “ping (IP address)“, where (IP address) is replaced by the IP address of the DNS server you want to test, and hit the Enter key. Example: ping 8.8.8.8
- You should receive a response that looks something like “Reply from (IP address): bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=61” which indicates that the server is available. Take note of the time that is mentioned, as this is the ping of the DNS server.
Once you have found the fastest DNS server with the lowest ping, you can connect your PS4 or PS5 to it and get back to your online gaming. However, it’s important to note that, while finding a server with a suitable ping will reduce response time delays, it won’t take into account any processing delays on the server itself, as this is entirely beyond your control.
What are the best and fastest DNS servers for PS4 and PS5?
Most of the listed DNS servers below are free to use. Just make sure to check out their websites to see which one is right for you.
| DNS Server Name | Description | Primary DNS # | Secondary DNS # |
| A consistent DNS server performer that is safe, secure, and well-known. | 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 | |
| Cloudflare | Cloudflare is all about speed, reliability, and information security. | 1.1.1.1. | 1.0.0.1 |
| OpenDNS | Easy to set up, comes with pre-configured protection and delivers faster connections due to global data centers. | 208.67.222.222 | 208.67.220.222 |
| Quad9 | Quad9 is all about blocking malicious hostnames and keeping your data secure. | 9.9.9.9 | 149.112.112.112 |
| Comodo Secure | Comodo Secure is one of the fastest DNS servers available, which is great for gamers. In addition, you can surf the internet without restrictions on it. | 8.26.56.26 | 8.20.247.20 |
| SafeDNS | SafeDNS is all about filtering out objectionable content or malicious sites with cyber threats. | 195.46.39.39 | 195.46.39.40 |
| OpenNIC DNS | OpenNIC DNS prevents DNS hijacking and is all about DNS neutrality. You won’t get censored. | 91.217.137.37 | 192.71.245.208 |
| FreeDNS | FreeDNS is fast, free, and gives you control over your domain name traffic. It can only be used in some locations though. | 37.235.1.174 | 37.235.1.177 |
Wrapping It Up
If you are an avid online gamer or love to surf the internet via your PS4 or PS5, using the fastest PS4 DNS server is going to not only give you a boost to your connection speed, but you may also be able to increase your security as well.
We have also got you covered if you ever run into issues with your DNS settings. Just check out our dedicated article on what a PS4 DNS error is and how to fix it.
