Here Is Why You Can’t Join a Friends’ World on Minecraft PS4 & PS5

With all the platforms Minecraft is available on, it can be challenging to come up with a one-size-fits-all-all fix when issues arise. A person playing on a PC might have the same problem as someone who plays on a PS4 or PS5, but the solutions to these problems are likely not the same, so how do you fix these problems on a PS? Why is it that you can’t join a friend’s world on Minecraft PS?

Why is Minecraft multiplayer not working on PS4 & PS5?

Even though the problem might be that you or your friend are just not updated to the newest version of Minecraft, another reason might be what’s called NAT. Nat is an abbreviation of Network Adress Translation and can cause a plethora of problems for PS users trying to play any game with their friends.

NAT is a security measure that can sometimes become overprotective of your network. It will then dismiss all connections coming from the outside. It’s trying to protect you from malware, so you’ll need to change the NAT type you’re using to make sure you can play Minecraft with your friends online.

There are three NAT types: Type 1 – Open, Type 2 – Moderate, and Type 3 – Strict. It’s pretty obvious from their titles which one is the strictest when trying to protect you. A NAT type that’s too strict can also cause you to experience lag when in online games. Let’s explain each type in detail, and then I’ll recommend the best one and how you can change it.

Type 1 – It gives you the best lag-free gaming experience, but it also exposes your connection. Nat aims to close it and make it safe, so the risk you’re running is far greater in exchange for a great online gaming experience. Since Minecraft is not a game that’s difficult to process, you won’t need this one.

Type 2 – Type 2 gives you the perfect balance between safety and connectivity. You can do anything, download things online, and play games without fear of security. When talking about Minecraft, this would be the option to go for.

Type 3 – If you’re having trouble playing online games, the problem is likely that your NAT type is set to 3. The router protects the PS and a firewall, and no external network ports will be able to arrive.

Is it you, or is it them?

When it comes to NAT type 3, the problem is your friend who is hosting the world. NAT three le’s you connect to Minecraft servers but don’t allow anyone to connect to you. The only way out of the situation is to change the NAT type to Type 2.

To make sure the problem is in the NAT type being set to three, you must go to your PS4 and follow these steps.

1. Go to the Settings menu.
2. Choose Network and go to the View Connection Status
3. A checkup will begin. Wait for it to finish and you’ll be able to see the NAT type at the bottom of your screen.
4. If it is set to Type 3 and you want to change it, write down the IP address and the Default Gateway, all of which are available on the screen that popped up.

Unfortunately, the only way to change your NAT type is to change it through your router’s options. Before you try and change the NAT type, you’ll need to know which type of router you own and find an instruction manual for that router. So, to change the NAT type, follow these steps:

1. Open your chosen web browser on your PC
2. Type in the Default Gateway you wrote down earlier and press enter. This will allow you to access your router menu.
3. You’ll need to know the credentials to access the settings. The credentials are usually located on the back or bottom of the router and most likely close to the login URL and default IP address.
4. Once you’re in, find the UPnP portion and enable this. This allows different devices on similar networks to recognize each other.
5. There are two methods of changing your NAT Type; I’ll demonstrate both in the rest of this guide.

PS4 to DMZ

1. Locate DMZ settings in the router menu.
2. Enable DMZ and type in the IP address of the PS4
3. Save the changes.
4. Check the NAT type on the PS4 to see if it has changed.

Your network on the PS will now be DMZ. It’s a network that is on the edge between being secure (home network) and insecure (everything else on the internet. Your device will then be able to receive outside connections but can be subject to intruders and data theft. This is not the safest method but it likely works every time.

Forward the ports

This method is safer but doesn’t work all the time. To do it, follow these steps:

1. Locate the forwarding ports menu in the router settings. There’s no one-size-fits-all all name because it depends on your router type but should be either ‘Virtual Servers’, ‘Port Forwarding, or something along those lines.
2. Now you’ll have to input custom forwarding ports You’ll need to add the numbers and types and assign an IP address to each individual port (the one from your PS4).
3. The numbers and types to add are 80 (TCP), 443 (TCP), 3478 (TCP, UDP), 3479 (TCP and UDP), and 3480 (TCP).
4. Confirm the changes and check the NAT type on the PS4. The NAT type should change to Type 2.

How to fix version issues on PS

Since Minecraft on PS is usually set to update automatically, the problem might be something else. To be sure, though, you might want to check if Minecraft is set to update automatically or if the option is turned off. Follow these steps to check if the update is set to automatic and to change them to automatic.

1. Turn on your PS, and in the Main Menu, go to Settings.
2. Once in the Settings menu, pick the Saved Data and Game/App Settings options.
3. From there, choose one last time and pick Automatic Updates.
4. The Auto Download and Auto Instal in Rest Mode options should be turned on.
5. If they’re not, that means that Minecraft won’t update automatically so make sure to turn both on.

• Note that when you do turn on Auto Install, the next time you turn on your PS, all of your games will be updated so if you want to avoid that and only want to update Minecraft, turn to the other part of these instructions.

1. Turn on your PS4 and go to the Minecraft game icon.
2. Select the game using the options button.
3. A drop-down menu should appear next to the game. Choose the Check For Updates option.
4. If Minecraft needs to be updated, you can then choose to update it.

• It’s important to note that Mojang releases a major game update once a year. In Bedrock Edition Minecraft, which is the version of Minecraft PS users play on, you’ll get a couple of beta updates and then a final one either at the end or most likely at the beginning of each year.

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