CE-33986-9 Error on PS4 or PS5? Here’s the Fix!

Do you see a CE-33986-9 Error on your PS4 or PS5?

The Playstation Network is indeed a great addition to the Playstation consoles. It was initially released on the PS3, and Sony decided to enhance and continue the platform up to the latest and greatest PS5.

In a world where everything is basically online, the Playstation Network provides a convenient way for its users to access online services, such as purchasing games, connecting with their friends, and syncing their game data. 

However, PSN is not perfect, and like other platforms, it may experience technical issues and downtimes. 

One of the most common problems on the Playstation is the CE-33986-9 error code. This occurs during the login screen, and users would be stuck without online functionality on their consoles. 

To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide for fixing the CE033986-9 Error on the PS4 or PS5. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Check Playstation Servers. 

When the Playstation Network isn’t working right on your PS4 or PS5, the first thing that you should check is the status of its services. Since PSN is an online platform, it relies on its servers, which could be down due to technical issues or maintenance.

To confirm this, you can visit PSN’s dedicated page, where you can view the current status of its services. 

PSN Status

If the Playstation Network is currently down, the only option you have is to wait for their team to address the issue. On the other hand, continue with the remaining solutions below to fix the problem on your end. 

2. Check Your Internet Connection. 

A slow or unstable network could be the reason for the CE-33986-9 error on the PS4 or PS5. If your connection is slow or unstable, your console may experience difficulties connecting to PSN, which explains the error when signing in. 

To confirm this, perform a network test using Fast.com to measure your internet’s current upload and download speed. 

Speed Test

If the result shows that your connection is slow or unstable, power cycle your router to refresh the link with your ISP. You can do this by simply unplugging your router from the outlet for about 10 seconds before reconnecting it. 

Restart Router

Once done, re-run the test and check if your connection is now running properly. Contact your internet service provider if you continue to experience network issues and ask them to fix their service. 

3. Power Cycle Your PS4 or PS5. 

A temporary bug or glitch may have occurred on your Playstation console, which causes the error code when logging in to your Playstation Network account. To fix this, try power cycling your device to reset its temporary files and data. 

Follow the steps below to power cycle your PS4 or PS5: 

  1. First, make sure that your PS4 or PS5 is turned on. 
  2. After that, press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds or until the indicator light shuts off.
  3. Once done, disconnect your PS4 or PS5’s power cable from the outlet and wait for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Lastly, reconnect the power cable and start your PS4 or PS5

Once done, attempt to access your PSN account to check if the CE-33986-9 error on your PS4 or PS5 would still occur. 

4. Try Connecting Using A LAN Cable. 

Your console could be far from your router and doesn’t get enough wireless signal to connect to the internet. If this is the case, we recommend using a LAN cable to connect your Playstation directly to your router. 

However, if this is not possible, you can consider purchasing a Wi-Fi extender to boost the signal of your wireless connection on the location of your PS4 or PS5. 

Once done, go back to PSN and try accessing your account. 

5. Change Your DNS Settings. 

Your ISP’s default DNS could be experiencing technical issues, or it is not optimized for the Playstation Network. With this, we recommend using Google’s DNS to ensure that your connection is working correctly. 

Here’s how you can change your DNS Settings on the Playstation: 

  1. On your Playstation, access the Settings and click on the Network tab. 
CE-33986-9 Error on PS4 or PS5
  1. After that, click on Internet Connection Setup and select Use Wi-Fi
  2. Now, choose Custom and set your IP Address to Automatic
  3. For the DHCP Host Name, click on Do Not Specify.
  4. Next, select the Manual option for DNS Settings and enter the following values: 
  • Primary DNS – 8.8.8.8
  • Secondary DNS – 8.8.4.4
CE-33986-9 Error on PS4 or PS5
  1. Set the MTU Settings to Manual afterwards and enter: 1456.
  2. Finally, click on Do Not Use for the Proxy Server

After changing your DNS, try re-accessing your Playstation Network account to check if the CE-33986-9 error on the PS4 or PS5 would still occur. 

6. Update Your PS4 or PS5. 

A software update could also fix the CE-33986-9  error on your PS4 or PS5. Like other manufacturers, Sony releases timely updates on its consoles to ensure that they are working all the time. 

For the PS4, here’s how you can update its software: 

  1. On your PS4, go to the Settings and access the System Software Update tab.
CE-33986-9 Error on PS4 or PS5
  1. After that, select the Update Now option and wait for your PS4 to check for updates. 
  2. Finally, click the Accept button if there’s an available update and follow the on-screen prompts. 

If you are using a Playstation 5, check out the steps below to update its software: 

  1. First, go to the Settings and click on System > System Software
  2. After that, access the System Software Update and Settings tab. 
CE-33986-9 Error on PS4 or PS5
  1. Lastly, click on Update System Software and select Update Using Internet.

Once the update is done, go back to Playstation Network and try accessing your account to check if the problem is solved. 

7. Report the Problem to Playstation. 

If none of the methods above worked out for you, we suggest that you escalate the matter to PSN’s team. 

Visit Playstation’s official page and get in touch with their customer support to ask for assistance. When reporting an issue, ensure that you provide all the necessary details, including your account information and the version of your console, to make it easier for their team to assess the situation. 

CE-33986-9 Error on PS4 or PS5

You can also check our guide on what to do if you can’t log in to your PSN account and see if you can find any solutions.

This ends our guide for fixing the CE-33986-9 error on the PS4 or PS5. If you have any questions,  please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll be glad to answer them as soon as we can.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *