One of the misconceptions that many people have when they are talking about dedicated servers for PS4 is in believing that Sony actually has dedicated servers set up for games on the system. This is only partially true, and often, it’s not even Sony that sets up the dedicated servers. This can make it difficult to locate dedicated servers, simply because there is no one source for them. Instead, the servers are typically going to come from the publisher of the game. Read on to see what you can do to find dedicated servers.
Find the Right Games First
When it comes to dedicated servers on the PS4, you have to realize that the only types of games that actually need to have dedicated servers are multiplayer games. Others are loaded fully onto your system in most cases, and there is simply no need for dedicated servers, as you are only playing against the AI, which is run on your system. When it comes to multiplayer though, dedicated servers are a huge benefit. Unfortunately, there really aren’t too many games right now that have dedicated servers. One of the big reasons for this is the expense. Instead, many companies are using peer to peer connections. Activision and their Call of Duty series do this.
What you need to do is find the games that use dedicated servers. Some of the best options for the PS4 include those in the Battlefield series. Battlefield 4, along with the new Battlefield: Hardline, have dedicated servers in different parts of the world. In theory, this would make the gameplay experience even better. However, EA, the publisher that owns DICE and Visceral, developers who make the Battlefield games, do not have enough servers around the world, and they do not put in any effort to control quality of connection to the servers.
This means that people with poor connections and distant connections are connecting to the same server. This causes lag, even on a dedicated server, and it can tarnish the gameplay experience. This is a problem with many of the games that are out on consoles right now. Until they do something about this, it will continue to cause problems with gamers.
When you are thinking about buying a game, be sure that you know what type of servers it will be running on, and whether they will be dedicated or not. Sometimes, the developers are unclear when it comes to the type of connections they will offer, and you may not always know until the game comes out. This leads right into the next tip.
Check Out Reviews
One of the best things you can do when you are trying to find quality games that are using dedicated servers on the PS4 is to wait. Even though you might be itching to get your hands on a brand new multiplayer game, it’s a good idea to wait for some reviews. You can check out online reviews, videos from people on YouTube, and more before you decide whether the game and their dedicated servers are really worth your time.
Doing just a little bit of research before spending $60 or more on a game can help to save your wallet and eliminate many frustrations. Dedicated servers for PS4 games will likely become more prominent in the coming years, as people will start to demand a better, more responsive and reliable multiplayer experience. It might still be a few years away, but things are slowly starting to move in the right direction.