If you are playing games with your console, how much data does hotspot use for PS4? Fortunately, it will not make a significant dent in your monthly data allowance.
Of course, your usage can still add up over a month, especially if you are an avid gamer. So, we’ve put together a list of most played games and the average values of data use.
How much data does PS4 use per hour? Most modern games use data somewhere between 40MB and 300MB per hour. Even at the high end, that is still less than a third of what Netflix requires for streaming.
Contrary to popular belief, online gaming is much lower than what you spend watching HD+ YouTube videos and streaming films on Netflix.
Competitive online shooters and graphic-intensive games are usually on a larger scale and consume more bandwidth than a sandbox video game like Minecraft.
How Much Internet Speed Do You Need For Online Gaming?
The speed requirements listed for PlayStation 4 in the official manual state that you need a broadband connection because the console does not work with dial up.
So, mathematically speaking, 15GB of data can last around 50 hours in low definition.
Check the specific requirements for your gaming system before you make calculations.
Approximately, if you have three players in your home, you will need the Internet with a download speed of at least 9MBPS.
But, if you play alone, you only need a download speed of at least 3 Mbps, an upload speed of at least 1 Mbps, and a ping rate under 150 ms.
Overall, you don’t need much. As long as you have a stable internet connection that offers you a low ping rate, you should be able to play your favorite games without having to worry about your speeds.
How Much Data Does Game Download Use?
Most online games do not take a lot of data to play. However, they do take up a lot to download.
If you buy your game online, it will take a massive bite from your internet bandwidth. Some popular PS4 games take about 50GB to download.
Just make sure you know the data size that the game download will require beforehand, especially if you are on a limited internet plan or if you share data with others.
Downloading games or updates with your data plan might not be the best idea. However, playing on it should be acceptable and reasonable.
How Much Data Does Hotspot Use for PS4?
If you have a portable hotspot or want to tether your phone for a bit of online gaming, you may be wondering how much data your PS4 will burn through. I
t’s the same as you would on any other internet connection. Depending on your game, you can expect 10GB to last between 33 and 250 hours.
Note: Game downloads and patches use data, your game too, so be mindful of your data allowance.
If you are trying to install or update a PS4 game using a mobile connection, ensure you have enough data to complete the download.
What Should You Consider When Getting A Plan For PS4 Gaming?
If you are selecting a plan for gaming, you should consider these two factors other than the download allowance.
1. Performance
Performance is the most critical metric. Gamers call it Ping, which refers to the network latency between your computer and the game server. Get a plan with a faster ping.
2. Speed
Another thing to consider is speed. It hardly impacts the gameplay, but it does mean you will be able to download games and updates much faster.
How To Connect PS4 To Mobile Hotspot
If your router fails and doesn’t provide a seamless connection, you can always connect it via a hotspot. But, first of all, you need to set up one on your device.
To do that, go to Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Hotspot. Click on a personal hotspot and turn it on.
Then, set a WiFi password for your device. Be sure to check the details, including the name of the hotspot that you are going to use on your PS4.
Once you have set up your mobile hotspot, create a connection with your PS4.
- Go to the Network Settings > Set Up Internet Connection.
- Click Use Wi-Fi,
- Then select Easy instead of the Custom option.
From the list of the open Wi-Fi networks in your area, choose the one you set up earlier through your mobile, and you are good to go.
Add the password to create the connection. You will see the name of your PlayStation 4 on the list of connected devices on your mobile phone, confirming that the PS4 is connected to your mobile hotspot, and you can now play games.
How To Reduce Bandwidth Usage While Gaming
A hotspot can eat up your limited bandwidth allocation. Here’s what you can do to reduce the amount of data that gets used up when playing with your PS4.
- Turn off voice chat.
- Set texture size to medium or small.
- Reduce shadow and post-processing quality.
- Switch off anti-aliasing.
- Check for background processes like game launchers running in the background and turn them off if you are not using them.
Note: Avoid downloading massive games and patches if you have a limited internet allocation. They can quickly bite through your allotted monthly bandwidth.
Average Data Usage for Popular Online Games
We’ve taken our time to give you a list of the popular PS4 games and how much data they use on average. We added a couple of other games that you might like.
Remember that the following values can be influenced by several things, such as patches, fixes, and the amount of time you spend playing.
Here’s a chart outlining the data usage per hour of popular online games:
| Game Title | Average Data Used per Hour |
| Fortnite | 100 MB |
| Diablo 3 | 16MB (single player) 26MB (multiplayer) |
| Grand Theft Auto V Online | 60MB |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | 80MB |
| Destiny 2 | 300MB |
| Overwatch | 135MB |
| Minecraft | 200MB |
| FIFA 22 | 150MB |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 30MB |
| Apex Legends | 250MB |
As you can see, even data-hungry PS4 online games do not use up much data.
Two factors that may increase usage are voice chatting and patches. Multiplayer games use live chat to help players create strategies and keep up with their teams.
Patches and updates also use up data while gaming. They can eat up several GBs of data per hour. You may not even realize it if you set updates automatically.
Single-player and multiplayer games use up data when downloading the game itself and some updates. On average, modern online games use between 40MB and 300MB of data per hour. Data usage can increase with voice chatting and patches.
Read Next: Cannot Connect to the Wi-Fi Network Within the Time Limit?
Last Thoughts
If you’re looking to play your favorite games on PS4 with a mobile hotspot, you can surely do it. It won’t consume as much as you might expect.
However, just be careful of those automatic updates and game downloads, as these can quickly burn a hole in your data plan.
How much data hotspot use for PS4? We listed the most popular online games, the average data they consume per hour, and how to reduce bandwidth while gaming.
If you think this post is helpful and want to know more about PlayStation 4 and its connectivity, our blog will help.
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.