How to Find the IP Address on PS5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch

Find your PS5, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch IP address, keep it from changing with a router reservation, and use it for port forwarding and DMZ rules.

Nearly every guide to fixing a strict NAT type or setting up port forwarding starts with the same instruction: find your console's IP address. PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo each put it in a different menu, and the Switch even shows a different kind of address in its connection test. This guide gives the exact path on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, explains which address you actually need, how to keep it from changing, and what to do with it once you have it.

The quick answer

Your console has a local IP address, such as 192.168.1.40, assigned by your router. That is the address port forwarding, DMZ, and reservation settings need. The paths below come from each console maker's own support pages.

If you cannot get to the menu, the router's list of connected devices shows every console with its address; our router login guide explains how to open it.

PS5

On a PS5, open Settings, then System, then System Software, then Console Information. Sony says this screen shows the console name, the IP address, and the MAC address, which is everything you need for a router reservation or a port forwarding rule. The connection test under Settings, Network, Connection Status checks whether the console can reach the internet and PlayStation Network.

To give the PS5 a fixed address on the console itself, go to Settings, then Network, then Settings, then Set Up Internet Connection, select your network, and open Advanced Settings. Sony lists the IP address, DHCP host name, DNS, MTU, and proxy among the options there. On a PS4, the equivalent is Settings, then Network, then Set Up Internet Connection, choosing Custom instead of Easy.

Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One

Press the Xbox button to open the guide, then select Profile & system, Settings, General, and Network settings. The network screen shows your connection status and NAT type, and Advanced settings shows the IP address and the other details of the connection.

Microsoft's own documentation is unusually direct about why you might want a fixed address: Xbox consoles get their IPv4 settings automatically through DHCP, but a static address is useful when you configure port forwarding, port triggering, or DMZ settings on your router to work around NAT problems. The IP settings option under Advanced settings switches between a manual address and automatic configuration.

Two more Xbox details matter for NAT. By default the console uses UDP port 3074 for multiplayer, party chat, and streaming, and asks the router to open it through UPnP. If you have more than one Xbox on the same network, the Alternate port selection option lets each console use a different port, so you can forward one port to each console instead of fighting over 3074.

Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

The Switch is the odd one out. Its connection test, under System Settings, Internet, Test Connection, displays a Global IP Address, but Nintendo describes that as the address of the network you are using: it is your public IP, the one your router shows to the internet, not the console's own local address. You cannot forward ports to it.

For the console's local address, the simplest source is the router's device list, where the Switch usually appears by name. Alternatively, follow Nintendo's own method for a fixed address: in System Settings, select Internet, then Internet Settings, choose your network under Registered Networks, select Change Settings, and set IP Address Settings to Manual. Nintendo's suggestion is to take a computer's IP address on the same network and add 20 to the last number, so a computer at 192.168.2.5 means entering 192.168.2.25 on the console, with the subnet mask and gateway copied from the computer. Every device on a network needs a unique address, so check that nothing else already uses the one you pick.

Lily's NAT check

Check the network before forwarding ports

Port forwarding only reaches the console when your router has a public IP. Compare the router WAN IP with your public IP first; a mismatch means CGNAT or double NAT.

Run the CGNAT testFix strict NAT

Local IP versus public IP: which one do you need?

Consoles live with two addresses. The local IP, such as 192.168.1.40, identifies the console inside your home, and it is what you type into the router for port forwarding, DMZ, and reservations. The public IP is the single address your router uses on the internet, shared by every device in the home; it is what game servers and other players see, and what our IP checker shows.

The Switch's Global IP Address makes a useful check. Compare it with the WAN address on your router's status page. If they match, your router faces the internet directly and port forwarding can work. If the router's WAN address is different, for example in 100.64.0.0/10 or a private range such as 192.168.x.x, there is another layer of NAT in front of you: carrier-grade NAT at your provider or a second router at home. Our CGNAT and double NAT test runs that comparison for you, and our guide to public vs private IP addresses explains the two kinds.

Give the console an address that does not change

Port forwarding and DMZ rules point at an address. If the router later gives the console a different one, the rule silently points at nothing and your NAT type drops back to strict. There are two ways to keep the address stable:

1. A DHCP reservation in the router (recommended). Tell the router to always give the console's MAC address the same IP. Nothing changes on the console, and the router never hands that address to another device.
2. A manual address on the console. Use the console settings described above. Pick an address outside the range the router assigns automatically, or two devices may collide. Nintendo's add-20 rule is a quick way to choose, but check it against the router's DHCP range first.

Our guide on why IP addresses keep changing explains how router leases work, and why a reservation is more robust than a manual setting when you later replace the router.

Find the console's MAC address for the reservation

A reservation ties an IP to the console's MAC address, the fixed hardware identifier of its network adapter. On a PS5, the Console Information screen shows the MAC address next to the IP. For any console, the router's device list shows the MAC beside each address, so you can copy it from there. If you are unsure which entry is the console, paste the MAC into our MAC address lookup to see the manufacturer.

Wired or Wi-Fi: reserve the one you use

A console has separate network adapters for Ethernet and Wi-Fi, each with its own MAC address, so the router treats them as two devices and can give them different IPs. If you switch from Wi-Fi to a cable for lower latency, which is usually worth doing for online play, create the reservation and any port forwarding rules for the wired adapter, then remove the old ones so they do not confuse you later.

Use the IP to fix your NAT type

With a stable address, work through the options from least to most invasive:

1. UPnP: turn it on in the router. Consoles request the ports they need automatically, which is how an Xbox opens UDP 3074. It is the easiest fix and usually enough.
2. Port forwarding: if UPnP is unavailable or unreliable, forward the ports each platform documents to the console's IP. Our guide to fixing strict NAT on PS5 and Xbox lists the ports Sony and Microsoft publish and explains why the fix fails behind CGNAT.
3. DMZ: the last resort. It sends every unsolicited connection to one device, which removes the router's protection for that console. Nintendo and Microsoft both document DMZ as an option, but forward specific ports when you can.

To confirm a forwarded TCP port is open from the internet, use our port checker. It tests TCP only, so for UDP ports such as Xbox's 3074 the console's own NAT test is the check. Our ping guide covers the other side of online play, latency.

If the CGNAT test shows that your provider shares one public address between many customers, none of these router settings can reach the console, because the blocking NAT sits inside the provider's network. The realistic fix is asking the provider for a public IPv4 address, sometimes for a small fee or as part of a business plan, or switching to a plan that includes one. Our CGNAT guide explains how to tell, and what to ask for.

Mesh Wi-Fi, extenders, and double NAT

Mesh systems and second routers are the most common reason port forwarding seems to do nothing. If the mesh system runs in router mode behind your provider's modem router, there are two routers doing NAT, and a rule on one of them never reaches the console. Either put the provider's device in bridge mode, so the mesh system holds the public address, or put the mesh system in bridge or access point mode, so the provider's router does all the routing. Then create the reservation and port forwarding rules on whichever device remains the router. Many mesh systems manage these settings in their phone app rather than a web page. The double NAT test confirms the fix: the router's WAN address should match your public IP.

Does a VPN change your console's IP?

PS5, Xbox, and Switch do not run VPN apps, so a VPN for a console has to run on the router or on a computer sharing its connection. Either way, it changes your public IP, the address other players and servers see, but not the console's local IP, so your reservation and router rules stay the same. It often makes NAT worse rather than better, because most VPN services do not forward incoming ports, and the extra hop adds latency. Our gaming VPN guide covers when a VPN helps and when it hurts.

When the console shows the wrong kind of address

• 169.254.x.x or no address: the console asked the router for an address and got no answer. Restart the router and the console, check the Wi-Fi password, and try a cable to rule out signal problems.
• A range different from your other devices: the console may be on a guest network or behind a second router, which puts it behind double NAT. Connect it to the main network.
• The same address as another device: a manual address inside the router's automatic range has collided with something else. Switch the console back to automatic and use a reservation instead.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find my PS5's IP address?

Go to Settings, System, System Software, Console Information. Sony says the screen shows the console name, IP address, and MAC address.

Where is the IP address on Xbox Series X|S?

Open the guide with the Xbox button, then Profile & system, Settings, General, Network settings, and Advanced settings.

Why does my Switch show a Global IP Address?

The connection test shows the public address of the network you are using, not the console's local address. For port forwarding, find the Switch's local IP in the router's device list.

Should I set a static IP on my console?

A fixed address is needed for port forwarding and DMZ rules. A DHCP reservation in the router is the safer way to get one, because it cannot clash with other devices.

Will port forwarding fix my NAT type?

Only if your router has a public IP. Behind carrier-grade NAT or a second router, forwarded ports never reach the console. Run a CGNAT test before changing router rules.

Does my console's IP address change?

It can. Routers lease addresses for a limited time, so a console that was unplugged or offline for a while may come back with a different local IP. A DHCP reservation keeps it the same.

Is my console's IP the same as my public IP?

No. The console has a private local address inside your home. Your public IP belongs to the router and is shared by every device on the network; it is what other players and game servers see.

Can two consoles use the same ports?

A forwarded port can only point at one device. With UPnP, consoles negotiate separate ports, and Xbox offers Alternate port selection so each console can use its own.

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By Tudor Uzun

Founder and Senior Software Engineer, IP Trackers

Published October 2, 2026Editorial standards