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There is no universal list of ports to open for online gaming. The right settings depend on the exact game, platform or launcher, and sometimes the feature you are using. Check the game publisher’s current instructions first, and change router rules only when those instructions—or a specific connectivity problem such as restrictive NAT—point to it.
Find the right port list for your game
Before changing router settings, identify four things: the exact game, the platform or launcher, the problem you are trying to fix, and whether you mean ordinary multiplayer or a separate feature such as Remote Play. A PC port list may differ from the console list for the same game, and a feature can have requirements that do not apply to multiplayer.
- Search the game publisher’s official support site for the title and terms such as “ports,” “NAT,” or “connectivity.” Use the current page and match its platform or launcher row.
- Read the wording carefully. A vendor may distinguish ports that should be open from ports that should be forwarded; those are not automatically interchangeable instructions.
- Cross-check the platform’s troubleshooting guidance for the specific symptom. Do not copy port values from another game or platform simply because it uses the same console or PC.
- Confirm the symptom fits a port issue before adding rules. Trouble joining particular players or a restrictive NAT status may justify checking network configuration; lag alone does not establish that port forwarding will help.
Examples show why ports are not universal
Activision Support’s Call of Duty port table, dated February 3, 2026, gives different values by game and platform. For the listed Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6, Warzone, Modern Warfare III, and Modern Warfare II entries, its PlayStation row specifies TCP 3478–3480 and UDP 3074, 3478–3479; the Xbox row specifies TCP 3074 and UDP 88, 500, 3074, 3544, 4500. The same page has different PC and Steam entries. Check Activision’s full table and select the exact game and platform before using any values.
Bungie likewise separates its Destiny guidance into tables for ports that should be “OPEN” and ports that should be “FORWARDED,” with entries varying by platform. Follow the relevant row rather than treating the tables as a single list for all gaming. See Bungie’s Destiny network troubleshooting guide.
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What port forwarding and NAT mean
A router’s NAT (network address translation) lets multiple devices on a local network share an internet-facing IP address. Activision explains that restrictive NAT types limit which peers a console or PC can connect to. Port forwarding adds a router rule directing specified incoming traffic to a particular device on the home network; it can be relevant to some peer-connection problems, but it is not a general fix for every multiplayer issue.
Router options vary by model. On TP-Link’s Archer A6 V2, UPnP lets supported applications or devices request port openings automatically. Port triggering instead opens corresponding external ports after a local host initiates a connection. These options are not identical, and the Archer A6 V2 guide does not establish menu paths or behavior for other router models. Consult the guide for the Archer A6 V2 or the documentation for your own router.
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Remote Play uses a separate port requirement
Sony says PS Remote Play uses UDP port 8572 to connect to a PS5, PS4, or mobile device, and says forwarding may help if a router blocks that port. This applies to Remote Play, not to PlayStation multiplayer generally. Sony’s troubleshooting also recommends checking internet access and sign-in, updating the console and app, and verifying NAT and connection stability. It recommends at least 5 Mbps upload and download for Remote Play; that figure is Sony’s Remote Play guidance, not a general online-gaming bandwidth standard. Follow Sony’s PS Remote Play troubleshooting steps.
Choose a router setting cautiously
- UPnP: May let supported games or devices request the ports they need without you creating each rule manually. Whether to enable it is a router and network-security choice; check your router’s documentation.
- Manual port forwarding: Use only the current values and protocol (TCP or UDP) specified for your exact game, platform, and symptom. A rule must target the correct device on your local network.
- DMZ: Do not use it as a routine gaming fix. TP-Link warns that a DMZ host is totally exposed to the internet and advises disabling DMZ when it is not in use.
If opening ports does not solve the problem
Do not keep adding rules at random. Recheck the game’s service status, account sign-in, software updates, NAT status, and connection stability. If the publisher’s correct instructions do not help, ask your router manufacturer or internet provider whether your connection and router support inbound forwarding; the available router instructions and ISP conditions differ.
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For a lag problem, first check connection stability and other causes rather than assuming a port is missing. The cited instructions do not promise that port forwarding reduces lag or resolves every multiplayer issue. If you use a Nintendo Switch, find current Nintendo guidance for the specific game and symptom rather than borrowing values from PlayStation, Xbox, or PC: the official support material cited here does not establish a Nintendo port table.
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