How to Create and Join Party on PS5 [Easy Guide]

Gaming reaches its peak when shared with friends. The PlayStation 5‘s robust party system transforms solo gaming sessions into social experiences, allowing seamless communication regardless of what games everyone is playing. Since its launch in November 2020, the PS5 has revolutionized how players connect, with party features being one of Sony‘s most significant improvements over previous generations.

As a technology journalist who‘s logged countless hours testing the PS5‘s social features, I‘m excited to share this comprehensive guide to mastering the console‘s party system. Whether you‘re setting up your first party or troubleshooting connection issues, this guide covers everything you need to know about creating and joining parties on your PS5.

The Evolution of PlayStation Party Systems

From PS3 to PS5: A History of Connection

PlayStation‘s approach to social gaming has evolved dramatically over the console generations:

PS3 Era (2006-2013):

• Limited to text messaging
• No system-level party chat
• Game-specific voice chat only
• 8-player maximum in most chat scenarios

PS4 Era (2013-2020):

• Introduction of Party system
• 8-player maximum in parties
• Cross-game chat capabilities
• Basic screen sharing functionality

PS5 Era (2020-Present):

• Expanded 16-player parties
• Enhanced audio quality (48kHz sampling)
• Integrated screen sharing and Share Play
• Persistent party groups
• Game Base centralization

According to Sony‘s 2023 usage data, PS5 users spend an average of 120 minutes per session in party chat—40% longer than PS4 users did at its peak. This significant increase demonstrates how central the party feature has become to the PlayStation experience.

Understanding PS5 Party Architecture

Technical Foundations of PS5 Parties

The PS5 implements a hybrid peer-to-peer and server-assisted network model for parties, providing several technical advantages:

• Reduced latency: Direct connections between players for voice communication (average 45-80ms)
• Server mediation: PlayStation Network servers handle party creation, invitations, and membership
• Dynamic bandwidth allocation: Automatically adjusts quality based on network conditions
• Adaptive codec technology: Uses variable bit rate encoding (40-128 Kbps per user)

This architecture supports the expanded features while maintaining compatibility with previous PlayStation generations. The PS5‘s dedicated audio processing hardware also enables advanced features like background noise suppression and acoustic echo cancellation.

Party Types and Limitations

PS5 offers several party configurations, each with different capabilities:

Prerequisites for PS5 Party Functionality

Before diving into parties, ensure your system meets these requirements:

Hardware Requirements

• PS5 Console: Either Standard or Digital Edition (system software version 23.01 or higher)
• Controller: DualSense controller with functioning built-in microphone or external headset
• Internet Connection: Minimum 3 Mbps upload/download (recommended 10+ Mbps for optimal experience)
• Storage Space: At least 100MB free system storage for party-related data

Network Configuration Recommendations

Network setup significantly impacts party performance. For optimal results:

Pro Tip: To check your network specifications on PS5:

1. Go to Settings > Network > Connection Status
2. Review your results and compare against the table above
3. For NAT Type issues, consider enabling UPnP on your router or setting up port forwarding

Account and Privacy Configuration

Your PlayStation Network account settings directly affect party functionality:

1. PS Plus Subscription: While not strictly required for basic party chat, a PS Plus subscription is needed for Share Play and some game-specific party features
2. Age Restrictions: Accounts for users under 18 may have limited party capabilities depending on parental controls
3. Privacy Settings: Must be configured to allow communication

Creating a Party on PS5: Step-by-Step Guide

Method 1: Creating via Game Base

The most common method for creating a party is through the Game Base:

1. Press the PS Button on your DualSense controller to open the Control Center
2. Select Game Base (the icon showing people)
3. Navigate to the Parties tab
4. Select Create Party
5. Choose between:
   • Open Party: Anyone on your friends list can join
   • Closed Party: Only invited players can join
6. Select friends to invite from your friends list
7. Optionally, add a party name by selecting Party Settings
8. Confirm to create your party

Method 2: Creating from Friends List

You can also create a party directly from your friends list:

1. Press the PS Button
2. Select Game Base
3. Go to the Friends tab
4. Highlight a friend and press the Options button
5. Select Start Party
6. Choose additional friends to invite
7. Configure party settings
8. Confirm to create the party

Method 3: Creating from Messages

Text groups can evolve into voice parties:

1. Press the PS Button
2. Select Game Base
3. Navigate to Messages
4. Select an existing group or create a new message
5. In the message screen, select the Voice Chat icon
6. This converts the text chat into a voice party

Advanced Party Creation Settings

When creating parties, several customization options are available:

• Party Name: Create descriptive names for different gaming groups
• Party Privacy: Beyond open/closed, set specific friend group access
• Voice Chat Settings: Pre-configure audio levels and noise cancellation
• Game Invitation Preferences: Set whether game invites automatically include party invites

Joining a Party on PS5: Comprehensive Guide

As the primary focus of this guide, let‘s explore all methods for joining parties in detail.

Direct Invitation Response

The most common method is responding to direct invitations:

1. When invited, you‘ll receive a notification with a distinct sound
2. Press the PS Button to view the notification
3. Select the invitation notification
4. Choose Join to enter the party immediately

If you missed the notification:

1. Press the PS Button
2. Select Game Base
3. Go to Notifications
4. Find the party invitation (marked with a headset icon)
5. Select it and choose Join

Joining Open Parties

For friends who have created open parties:

1. Press the PS Button
2. Select Game Base
3. Navigate to the Parties tab
4. Look for parties labeled as Joinable
5. Select the party you want to join
6. Press Join Party

Technical Note: Open parties broadcast their availability to friends via the PlayStation Network status protocol, which refreshes approximately every 30 seconds. This may cause a slight delay in seeing newly created open parties.

Profile-Based Party Joining

You can join through a friend‘s profile:

1. Press the PS Button
2. Select Game Base
3. Go to Friends
4. Select any friend with a headset icon (indicating they‘re in a party)
5. Their profile will display party information
6. Select Join if the party is open or Request to Join if it‘s closed

Game Integration Party Joining

Many games offer direct party integration:

1. When joining a multiplayer session in supported games
2. Accept game invitations that include party invitations
3. Through in-game social menus that link to the party system

PlayStation App Party Joining

The PlayStation mobile app allows remote party joining:

1. Open the PlayStation App on your mobile device
2. Log in with your PlayStation Network account
3. Tap the Game Base icon
4. Navigate to Parties
5. Select an available party
6. Tap Join Voice Chat

This method allows you to join voice chat before you even turn on your console.

Common Party Joining Issues and Solutions

According to PlayStation support data, these are the most frequent party joining problems and their solutions:

Resolving NAT Type Issues

NAT Type incompatibility is the leading cause of party connection problems (affecting approximately 27% of users). Here‘s how to address it:

1. Check your NAT Type:

   • Go to Settings > Network > Connection Status
   • Note your NAT Type (1, 2, or 3)

2. Improve your NAT Type:

   • Enable UPnP in your router settings (if available)
   • Set up port forwarding for these ports:
     • TCP: 80, 443, 1935, 3478-3480
     • UDP: 3478-3479

3. Alternative solutions:

   • Use mobile hotspot temporarily (often provides NAT Type 2)
   • Contact your ISP about static IP options
   • Consider a gaming-focused router with automatic port management

Audio Configuration After Joining

Once you‘ve joined a party, properly configuring audio is crucial:

1. Balance game and chat audio:

   • Press the PS Button
   • Select Sound
   • Choose Audio Balance
   • Adjust slider between game and chat audio

2. Individual volume controls:

   • In the party screen, select a specific player
   • Choose Adjust Volume
   • Set individual volume levels for each party member

Advanced Party Management

Party Host Controls

As a party creator, you have special administrative capabilities:

• Member management: Add or remove players
• Party privacy: Change between open and closed
• Voice chat toggling: Enable/disable voice chat
• Share Play permissions: Control who can use Share Play
• Party dissolution: End the party for all members

To access these controls:

1. In the active party, press the Options button
2. Select Party Settings
3. Navigate through the available management options

Voice Quality Optimization

Voice quality in PS5 parties depends on several factors. Here‘s how to optimize the experience:

Headset Comparison for PS5 Parties:

Screen Share and Share Play

PS5‘s party system integrates powerful sharing features:

Screen Share:

1. While in a party, press the PS Button
2. Select Share Screen
3. Choose which party members can view
4. Select Start Share

Your gameplay will be broadcast to party members at up to 1080p resolution and 60fps (bandwidth dependent).

Share Play:

1. While screen sharing, select Share Play
2. Choose from:
   • Pass Controller: Friend plays as you
   • Play Together: Join local multiplayer remotely
   • Swap Controller: Take turns playing
3. Select the friend to share with

Share Play statistics show it‘s being used by approximately 35% of PS5 owners, with an average session length of 42 minutes.

Party Integration with PS5 Features

Game Base and Party Synergy

The Game Base serves as the central hub for social activity on PS5, deeply integrated with the party system:

1. Activity tracking: See what party members are playing
2. Quick join: Jump into friends‘ games directly
3. Game invitations: Send and receive game invites through parties
4. Activity cards: View friends‘ activities and join directly

Game Help Integration

Sony‘s data indicates that 42% of PS5 users access Game Help while in parties, showing how these systems work together:

1. During gameplay, press the PS Button
2. Select Game Help (available in supported games)
3. Browse available hints and walkthroughs
4. Share specific help cards directly to party members
5. Discuss strategies while viewing the same help content

Trophy Celebration in Parties

When achieving trophies while in a party:

1. Trophy notifications are visible to all party members
2. Option to share trophy details directly in party chat
3. Screenshot sharing of trophy moments

Party Security and Privacy Considerations

Protecting Your Party Experience

Sony has implemented several security features for party systems:

• Voice recording: All party audio may be recorded for moderation (users are notified)
• Reporting system: Easy access to report problematic behavior
• Blocking options: Block disruptive users from future interactions
• Moderation: Sony reviews reported party incidents

Data Usage and Privacy

Understanding the data implications of PS5 parties:

Regional Differences in PS5 Party Features

PlayStation‘s party system varies somewhat by region: