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How to Fix Slow PS5 Downloads and Game Updates

A practical, low-risk sequence for PS5 downloads that crawl, will not start, or fail to install—including connection, storage, software, and Safe Mode checks.
Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team

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If a PS5 download is slow or an update appears stuck, first check PlayStation Network status, then inspect the download queue, connection, and available storage. A slowly moving download is not automatically a failed one, and no setting is guaranteed to make it faster. Use the steps below in order, moving to Safe Mode only if the simpler checks do not help.

1. Check PlayStation Network status

Before changing console or router settings, check the PlayStation Network service status for alerts affecting the Store or other services involved in the download. If a service is down or under maintenance, wait for it to return and try again; local network changes are unlikely to fix a service-side outage. PlayStation puts this check first in its stuck-download troubleshooting guidance.

2. Check the queue and retry a download that will not start

Use this reset if the download will not begin or has stopped progressing—not as a routine fix for every download that is moving slowly.

  1. From the PS5 Control Center, open Downloads/Uploads.
  2. Select the affected download and choose Pause, then Resume.
  3. If it still will not proceed, choose Cancel and Delete, then start the download again from your Game Library.

PlayStation recommends this pause-and-resume step, followed by canceling and deleting before retrying, for downloads that will not start. Menu wording can change with system software updates.

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3. Test the PS5 connection and local network

Run the console’s connection test at Settings > Network > Connection Status > Test Internet Connection. It can help distinguish a connection problem from a queue or service issue, though it does not guarantee a particular download speed.

Try Ethernet if you can connect the console by cable

PlayStation recommends trying a wired connection when troubleshooting network connection errors. Ethernet avoids Wi-Fi distance and obstruction issues, but PlayStation does not publish a controlled PS5 download-speed comparison or promise a specific improvement. If you need a cable, Cat6 is one option; it is not a PlayStation requirement.

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If the PS5 is on Wi-Fi

  • Move the console closer to the router and reduce objects or other sources of interference between them.
  • Check whether other devices can use Wi-Fi. Pause large downloads or streams on other devices temporarily, or disconnect them briefly, to see whether network congestion is contributing.
  • If your router offers both bands, trying its 5 GHz Wi-Fi network may help isolate a connection issue; range and obstructions still matter.

The last two checks are general network-isolation ideas. PlayStation discusses them in its Remote Play troubleshooting, not as a guaranteed game-download fix. Its Remote Play speed guidance is specific to Remote Play and is not a minimum requirement or benchmark for PS5 game downloads.

Restart the network equipment if connection errors persist

For a PS5 server-connection error, PlayStation advises turning off the modem and router, waiting at least five minutes, and restarting them. Check the router manufacturer’s instructions for firmware updates rather than guessing at a router-specific menu path. Restarting the PS5 is also a useful basic check.

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4. Make sure there is enough free storage

A game may need more free space than the download’s apparent size. In the Game Library, open the game’s product details to check its minimum free-space requirement, then compare it with available space at Settings > Storage. If space is insufficient, make room before retrying the download or update.

5. Troubleshoot an update that will not install

If the download completes but the update fails to install, follow PlayStation’s published order rather than repeatedly restarting the same update:

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  1. Test the internet connection at Settings > Network > Connection Status > Test Internet Connection.
  2. Restart the PS5.
  3. Check for and install current PS5 system software.
  4. If the update still will not install, consider deleting and reinstalling the game. Confirm that saved data is protected before taking steps that remove game content.

PlayStation’s PS5 error-code guidance distinguishes different causes. For example, NP-102947-3 is described as an internet connection that is too slow or unstable to perform the update; other codes cover maintenance, server communication, storage, or update installation. Look up the code shown on your console instead of assuming every stalled progress indicator means your home internet is slow.

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6. Use Safe Mode for persistent problems

If status, queue, connection, storage, restart, and system-software checks have not resolved a recurring download or update problem, PlayStation lists Safe Mode > Clear Cache and Rebuild Database as a later troubleshooting option. Follow PlayStation’s current Safe Mode instructions carefully. If the issue remains, contact PlayStation Support with the displayed error code, the steps that reproduce the issue, and when it occurred. Screenshots or video may also help support staff.

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7. Let eligible downloads run while you are away

Rest Mode can allow eligible updates to download while you are away; it is a convenience, not a speed boost. To keep the PS5 connected in Rest Mode, go to Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode > Stay Connected to the Internet. Then enable Auto-Download or Auto-Install at Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Automatic Updates. Auto-Download alone lets you defer installation until you return to a suspended game. Details are in PlayStation’s automatic-update guidance.

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