PS4 is 2.4GHz only? Why is this info so hard to find?

[petitestefie]

This is not correct. Part of the reason 802.11ac exists is because 5GHz was optional for 802.11n and so 5GHz was not getting the proliferation it needed. 802.11ac made it mandatory. Before that, people were just getting the cheapest 802.11n routers while 2.4GHz was just getting more and more congested.

His complaint is appropriately time-stamped. He was marveling that the PS4 had been available for years and had even been revised without this being clarified in any official specs list. He wasn’t saying that no future PS4 would support 5GHz. He’s complaining while suggesting that’s manufacturers should be more transparent about the capabilities of their products.

It is all dependent on the device's nic card, in the beginning yes 2.4ghz was the main wireless network option with 5ghz eventually coming into the picture as technology continues to progress. I understand what is question is and never stated anything about future playstations except what playstation is currently able to detect 5ghz. At the end of the day the manufacture thinks about money not what a consumer wants. You can buy a brand new hp destop with a wireless technology of only 802.11 b/g/n/ only. It would be nice if he Console Manufacturers can customize counsels like we can customize computers. 5ghz is definitely not mandatory more like an addition for manufacturers to increase device price (phones/routers/computers/etc).

 

[petitestefie]

I promise you that if you go to any tech store, go to a computer with a wireless technology of 802.11 b/g/N
it will not connect to 5ghz no matter how hard you try, you have to slap on a ac wireless adapter to detect a 5ghz network.

 

[petitestefie]

802.11 b/g/n will not and cannot connect to 5ghz. <--- definitely not manadatory!
there are still devices today , 2018 devices that have that NIC card that does not have
5ghz capability. Even with an 8 lan 5 antenna-filled tri-band routers in the market. And yes it would be nice if manufacturers were more transparent and had the option to customize our consoles to have more capabilities, like we can do to pc's. Even so, we can only hope the technology continues to get more and more advanced while thinking of the consumer for and foremost.

"It is better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt."

 

[Ichinisan]

I promise you that if you go to any tech store, go to a computer with a wireless technology of 802.11 b/g/N
it will not connect to 5ghz no matter how hard you try, you have to slap on a ac wireless adapter to detect a 5ghz network.

You're right that a chipset stating "b/g/n" compatibility (not mentioning "a") typically will not support 5GHz. "a/b/g/n" devices existed before 802.11ac was a standard and they support 5GHz 802.11n just fine. You'd need to have a dual-band router or AP though. 802.11a was a 5GHz standard long before N -- before G even. So 5GHz networks existed before dual-band wireless-N came around.

Anyway, my point was that, in 2015, a major consumer electronics company should never tout the media streaming capabilities of an entertainment device if the WiFi didn't support 5GHz "dual-band" 802.11n. The first-gen Chromecast was laughable because it was single-band 2.4GHz only. Even the iPod Touch 5th gen supported dual-band and 802.11n 5GHz in 2012.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yeah, Sony really dropped the ball on this one. Does the PS4 Pro support AC yet?

 

[Ichinisan]

Yeah, Sony really dropped the ball on this one. Does the PS4 Pro support AC yet?

Yes. I bought a Pro in late 2016 and it has 5GHz capability. I believe the "slim" does also.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

For people on wireless, speed should not be a concern. Complaining about the slower technology over a hard wired solution just seems petty, which I presume if Sony's thinking.

 

[Bat123Man]

I realise it is 3 years later, but just in case you didn't see it :
https://www.actiontec.com/blog/wifi...eless-in-the-new-ps4-is-good-news-for-gamers/

"One of the biggest upgrades in the newly launched PS4 “Slim” and PS4 Pro is dual band wireless support. This is great news for gamers who love to play online, especially when it comes to multiplayer games."

And

"While most new routers (802.11n or newer) have dual band capabilities (2.4GHz and 5GHz), gaming consoles have only supported 2.4Ghz until now. "

 

[CZroe]

For people on wireless, speed should not be a concern. Complaining about the slower technology over a hard wired solution just seems petty, which I presume if Sony's thinking.

That isn’t the concern. Crowded channels/frequencies are the concern. 5GHz drastically improves the issue for most people, especially while all their other devices and neighbors are still on 2.4GHz. Wired Ethernet completely solves the problem.

Games are more latency-sensitive than bandwidth anyway. 5GHz matters more for HD media streaming, which is one thing it’s marketed for.

I realise it is 3 years later, but just in case you didn't see it :

https://www.actiontec.com/blog/wifi...eless-in-the-new-ps4-is-good-news-for-gamers/

"One of the biggest upgrades in the newly launched PS4 “Slim” and PS4 Pro is dual band wireless support. This is great news for gamers who love to play online, especially when it comes to multiplayer games."

And

"While most new routers (802.11n or newer) have dual band capabilities (2.4GHz and 5GHz), gaming consoles have only supported 2.4Ghz until now. "

Well, they aren’t entirely right: XBOX 360 had optional 5GHz.

Man, it is absolutely insane that the XBOX 360 didn’t have wireless built-in to every console. Heck, PS3 didn’t either but the 20GB model was short-lived and intentionally gimped to make you want the 60GB model.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I stand by my post and will add that anyone serious needs to be focused on wired solutions. Why let any kind of RF into your path when you are seeking the lowest latency and greatest bandwidth? Choosing wireless is a convenience, not a good solution.

 

[CZroe]

I stand by my post and will add that anyone serious needs to be focused on wired solutions. Why let any kind of RF into your path when you are seeking the lowest latency and greatest bandwidth? Choosing wireless is a convenience, not a good solution.

Again, the answer to that question is “for HD media streaming,” IOW, because you might NOT be seeking the lowest latency for your intended use. Don’t forget that the console is marketed for this use just as the PS3 was also marketed for Blu-Ray playback. The network connection of the PS4 is not exclusively for multiplayer online games. It is also a media consumption device.

The question incorrectly presumes that this is about RF versus wired network connections. It’s not. This was about 2.4GHz versus 2.4GHz+5GHz. I happen to know that the OP is a staunch advocate of using wired Ethernet wherever possible to reduce RF congestion. I know because I am his twin brother. He uses his PS4 Pro with wired Ethernet even though it supports 5GHz wireless. Same for his Apple TV. He actually bought a wired network adapter for his Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch. You are preaching to the choir as far as RF vs. wired network connections go.

We’ve been serious about this since the time our friend ruined a GameCube match by starting a BitTorrent download while we were playing Mario Kart with Wavebird wireless controllers. It started soon after he was eliminated and the rest of us were still playing. That’s because he used his laptop between rounds and started it between rounds. It was instantly repeatable, so we quickly narrowed it down to 2.4GHz interference that demonstrably started the moment BitTorrent was started.

Wired is important for low-latency and high-reliability. 5GHz is important for HD media streaming, particularly 4K. Because it’s already so crowded and so many non-network devices are forced to use 2.4GHz (like your controllers), staying off of 2.4GHz as much as possible (especially for high-bandwidth uses) is the most important. This perspective includes many more concerns than yours, which focuses exclusively on low-latency network gaming performance. Mine considers even offline scenarios where lack of 5GHz could be a problem. You might be playing offline just fine until some neighbor in the next apartment fires up a 4K stream and causes errant behavior in your standard wireless controller. See what I’m getting at? If your neighbor was on 5GHz instead...

 

[Ranulf]

I stand by my post and will add that anyone serious needs to be focused on wired solutions. Why let any kind of RF into your path when you are seeking the lowest latency and greatest bandwidth? Choosing wireless is a convenience, not a good solution.

Well, to be fair this is Sony we're talking about. My PS4 slim doesn't auto swap to the ethernet cable when detected and connection speeds to Sony's servers are in my experience vary wildly no matter if on wifi or wired.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Sounds like Sony is a winning class gaming solution.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Just out of curiosity, why is it a big deal that it doesn't support 5GHz frequencies? I know almost nothing about this subject, but I do know how to swap my router from 2.4 to 5 and that's about it.

 

[Ichinisan]

Just out of curiosity, why is it a big deal that it doesn't support 5GHz frequencies? I know almost nothing about this subject, but I do know how to swap my router from 2.4 to 5 and that's about it.

2.4GHz is a SUPER crowded spectrum. Everything is trying to talk over each other. There are technically 3 WiFi channels you can use in the USA that don't overlap (1, 6, and 11) -- but that's only if you're using an old router that defaults to 20Mhz channel width. For greater throughput, most routers use channels that are 40Mhz wide, so the only non-overlapping channels are 1 and 11. Then you have all the non-WiFi wireless stuff that uses 2.4GHz (Bluetooth, baby monitors, speakers, intercoms, keyboards, mouses, game controllers, cordless telephones, ...). Also, microwave ovens can basically shut-down your 2.4GHz WiFi. Even if interference was not such a concern, one device can saturate your wireless performance. 5GHz has a LOT more non-overlapping channels to use. It's silly to make a 2.4GHz-only HD media streaming device that will saturate 2.4GHz WiFi for hours at a time. Interference and throughput is not nearly as big an issue with 5GHz. However, it doesn't penetrate walls as well as 2.4GHz WiFi. That's another reason why interference from neighbors isn't as big of an issue.

 

[Sonikku]

I might have to bite the bullet and get a 5ghz at some point. Having a 2.4ghz router in a 15 floor apartment building is tough.

 

[Ichinisan]

I might have to bite the bullet and get a 5ghz at some point. Having a 2.4ghz router in a 15 floor apartment building is tough.

Yeah. When I lived in an apartment, I made sure to put all my 5GHz capable devices on the 5GHz band of my router (and directly wire any devices that allowed it).

Wireless AC is 5GHz only, so all wireless AC routers are dual-band. The 2.4GHz band of a wireless-AC router is b/g/n only and the 5GHz band is a/n/ac.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Wireless AC is 5GHz only, so all wireless AC routers are dual-band. The 2.4GHz band of a wireless-AC router is b/g/n only and the 5GHz band is a/n/ac.

This is no longer true for 802.11ax networking. The new (current) standard. It can utilize both 5Ghz, as well as 2.4Ghz, and I believe, sports QAM1024 on both of them.

 

[sonitt]

I have the original PS4 which I connected via WiFi only for the longest time. I played USFIV online a lot a few years back and it was so laggy. Then I decided to connect via wired ethernet and all the lag and rubber banding went away. Must have been interference with other devices or cheap bad performing WiFi of the PS4. Ever since then, I've only use wired ethernet for PS4. Good thing they updated the WiFi chip/support in the newer models.