Will a CAT 6 Cable Work with PS4? [Answered]

Category 6, also known as CAT 6, is designed for high-speed data transmission and it can handle speeds of up to 10 Gbps (Gigabits per second). That’s almost five times faster than what a standard ethernet cable offers. Most importantly, they are backward compatible. So, you can enjoy the added benefits of CAT 6 even if your router or other peripherals supports ethernet cables only up to CAT 5 or 5e.

To ensure you get the most out of your PS4, you should always consider connecting it to the internet via ethernet and not wireless. That’s because wired connections are more secure and less prone to interference.

So, will a CAT6 cable work with PS4? Yes, it certainly will, but there’s more to it. Let’s dig in.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using CAT 6 Cable When Working with PS4

We are going to show you the pros and cons of using cat6 with play station 4. Let’s see.

1. Advantages of Using CAT 6 Cables with PS4

The CAT 6 with its standard twisted pair cable provides a better signal than CAT 5 or 5e and it is less prone to interference than its’ previous counterparts. So, you get better overall signal strength, hence, more speed. An uninterrupted signal is a must while gaming. CAT6 cables have plastic cross-hair inserted into the cable, which allows for better RF (Radio frequency) and electromagnetic noise tolerance and reduced crosstalk.

Also, it can handle distance better. That means it can transmit data over a longer distance. In fact, if you use anything less than CAT 6 for distances over 100 meters, you should notice a significant performance drop.

So, even though 100 Mbps speed is fine for most PS4 games, the added benefit of less signal interference makes CAT 6 the best choice to use with PS4.

What to Do When the CAT6 Cable Doesn’t Work with PS4?

If for some reason the cabled connection doesn’t work, power off everything. Check if there’s any dust collection inside the ethernet port of your PS4 or your router, wipe or blow clean and reconnect.

Sometimes the cables are faulty, so check if the CAT 6 ethernet cable works with other devices like your laptop or PC.

Some users have reported that their cabled connection only worked after they had updated their system software. Press and hold the power button of your PS4 for 7 seconds, and it’ll enter into safe mode. Choose Update System Software from there. When done, restart.

To manually configure the internet settings on your PS4, go to Set Up Internet Connection, select LAN, and then Custom. Leave everything automatic. Open DNS settings and enter 8.8.8.8 as the primary DNS (Domain Name System). For the secondary DNS, enter 8.8.4.4 and remember to select do not use a proxy server.

2. Disadvantages of Using CAT 6 Cables with PS4

When shopping for ethernet cables for your PS4, the important thing to keep in mind is, you don’t want it to be overkill. What makes us say so? Well, Sony doesn’t recommend using ethernet cables more than 25 feet to connect PS4 to the internet. So, although CAT 6 is more reliable over a longer distance, you can’t take advantage of this. Many users have reported not getting any internet on their PS4 when using a longer cable connection. 

The other thing is that CAT 6 is slightly more costly than CAT 5e, which can also handle speeds up to 1 Gbps. Unless you have a connection with more than 1000 Mbps speed, which is highly unlikely, you’ll be better off using a CAT 5e. Although significantly better than CAT 5, CAT 5e ethernet cables cost exactly the same.

Our Takeaway

When it comes to gaming on PS4, both the CAT 5e and the CAT 6 are excellent choices. If you aren’t rocking a 1000+ Mbps speed, a CAT 5e should suffice your needs.

However, for better reliability and an interference-free gaming experience, we highly recommend getting the CAT 6. It gives you the flexibility of upgrading your internet speed without having to upgrade your existing ethernet cables.

Frequently Asked Questions And Answers

What LAN cable is for PS4?

For PS4, both CAT 6 and CAT 5e LAN cables should work fine.

Is CAT 6 cable the same as ethernet?

CAT 6 is a kind of ethernet cable. So, yes, they are the same.

Is CAT 6 cable enough for gaming?

Yes, CAT 6 cables are good enough for even the most demanding games.

Conclusion

We hope we were able to clear up any confusion you had about using CAT 6 cables with PS4. For the absolute best gaming experience, we recommend investing in good quality and preferably flat ethernet cable. Don’t just go mindlessly for the latest one. Instead, find what cable version you need, and buy a good-quality one of that version.