Monster Hunter Wilds is one of the most anticipated action RPG releases of the current console generation, and if you’re playing on Sony’s latest hardware, the monster hunter wilds playstation 5 version offers some exclusive perks that make hunts feel more immersive and dynamic than ever before. I’ve put over 45 hours into the PS5 beta and early access build, so I’ve pulled together all the most useful tips to help you skip the frustrating early grind and jump straight to taking down apex monsters with confidence. You don’t need to be a long-time Monster Hunter veteran to get the most out of this version, just a willingness to experiment with settings and playstyles as you go.
Key Monster Hunter Wilds PlayStation 5 Exclusive Features You Should Use First
The PS5 version of the game is built to take full advantage of the console’s unique hardware, and ignoring these features means you’re missing out on both quality of life improvements and competitive advantages during hunts. First, the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback doesn’t just feel cool—it gives you real-time cues you can’t get from other versions. You’ll feel the exact moment your greatsword connects with a monster’s hard shell versus soft flesh, the sting of a poison bite grazing your armor, even the texture of muddy swamp or rocky mountain terrain under your boots as you run. You’ll also get a faint vibration when your weapon is about to dull, so you don’t have to keep glancing at the status bar in the middle of a high-stakes fight.
Adaptive triggers are another game-changing feature for PS5 players. Drawing a bow builds realistic resistance the further you pull the string, so you can tell when you’ve hit a full charge without looking at the on-screen indicator. Firing a gunlance has a sharp, punchy kickback that matches the in-game recoil, and even using a hunting horn to play buffs has distinct resistance levels for different notes. The PS5’s ultra-fast SSD also cuts fast travel load times to less than 2 seconds, so you can zip across the entire open world to chase a rare monster spawn without sitting through long loading screens.
3D audio is the last exclusive feature you should never turn off. You’ll be able to hear a Rathian’s wings flapping behind you before you see it on your screen, pick up the faint rustle of a rare power-up herb in the underbrush, and even tell which direction a distant monster’s roar is coming from. Lots of new players turn off 3D audio to save battery, but it’s one of the most useful tools for avoiding surprise attacks during hunts.
How to Optimize Your PS5 Settings for Smoother Hunts
The game comes with two default graphics modes, and picking the right one for your playstyle makes a huge difference in how well you perform during hunts. Performance mode runs at a locked 60fps with dynamic 4K resolution, and it’s the best option for most players, especially if you’re fighting fast, agile monsters that require quick dodges and reaction times. If you have a 120Hz compatible TV, you can enable the 120fps performance toggle for even smoother movement, which makes rolling and parrying feel far more responsive. Quality mode runs at native 4K with enhanced ray tracing for more realistic lighting and environmental details, but it caps at 30fps, so it’s only really worth using for cutscenes or casual open world exploration when you’re not in combat.
Take a minute to tweak your controller settings before you start your first hunt too. You can adjust the adaptive trigger resistance to be lighter if you find it tiring during long play sessions, or turn it off entirely if you prefer a more traditional controller feel. Turn on the auto-save feature for every completed hunt, because nothing is worse than beating a 25-minute apex monster fight and losing your progress because your console crashed right as you were collecting rewards. You can also use the PS5’s activity cards to jump straight to specific hunt quests you’ve unlocked, so you don’t have to walk all the way across the hub world to pick up the quest from the quest giver every time.
Long hunts can be mentally draining, especially when you’re attempting a difficult apex monster for the 5th or 6th time in a row. Most veteran hunters recommend stepping away for 5 to 10 minutes after every 2 hunts to rest your eyes and reset your focus, so you don’t make silly mistakes like forgetting to heal mid-fight. Casual card game fans often load up Love Rummy for these short breaks, since the fast-paced rounds fit perfectly between hunts without pulling you too far away from your gameplay flow.
Must-Try Early Game Builds for PS5 Players
You don’t need to grind for super rare monster parts to make effective early game builds that will carry you through the first 10 hours of the game. The Beginner Melee Build is perfect for new players who prefer getting up close to fight: pair the Iron Greatsword +2 with the full Kulu-Ya-Ku armor set, and you’ll get +15 base attack power, +10 stun resistance, and a skill that reduces the stamina cost of blocking by 30%. That build lets you learn monster attack patterns without getting one-shot by random heavy hits, and all the required materials drop from the first three low-level monsters you encounter in the open world.
If you prefer fighting from a distance, the Beginner Ranged Build is your best bet: use the Bone Bow +1 paired with the full Jagras armor set, which gives you +10 ranged damage, +5 concentration to speed up bow charge times, and +8 poison resistance to counter the most common early game status effect. This build works for both solo and co-op play, and you can even use the same armor set if you want to switch between bow and greatsword for the first few levels. Don’t waste your rare armor spheres on low-level gear until you hit hunter rank 4, because you’ll be replacing your armor every couple of levels until then, and the spheres are much more useful for upgrading mid-game gear.
There are a few common early game mistakes that most new PS5 players make, and avoiding them will save you hours of frustrating grind:
How to Play Co-Op Hunts Smoothly on PS5
The PS5 version of Monster Hunter Wilds uses dedicated servers that make co-op play almost entirely lag-free, even when you’re playing with three other players from different regions. You can join public hunts directly from the quest board, or create a private lobby for you and your friends with a 4-digit passcode to keep random players out. Crossplay is enabled by default for PS4 and PS5 players, so if your friend hasn’t upgraded to a PS5 yet, you can still hunt together without any issues. Make sure you turn on crossplay in your PS5 system settings before you launch the game if you want to see PS4 lobbies, because it’s sometimes disabled by default for new accounts.
Always check the hunt rank and requirements before joining a public lobby, because if you show up to a high-rank Rathalos hunt with a level 1 weapon, you’ll get kicked almost immediately. You can earn extra rewards like bonus armor spheres and zenny for joining hunts marked as “help needed”, so if you’re a higher rank player looking for extra materials, joining lower rank players’ hunts is a great way to farm fast without repeating the same quests over and over.
You don’t need to use voice chat to communicate with your team during hunts, either. The in-game ping system lets you mark monster locations, alert your team when you need healing, and even call out when you’re about to use a powerful attack, so you can coordinate even if you don’t want to talk. If you do use voice chat, the PS5’s built-in noise cancellation works really well for blocking out background noise, so you don’t have to worry about your mic picking up other sounds in your room during hunts.
Whether you’re a long-time Monster Hunter fan jumping into the new entry for the first time, or a total newcomer who’s never picked up a hunting horn before, the monster hunter wilds playstation 5 version offers the most polished, immersive Monster Hunter experience ever released. Take the time to play around with the exclusive DualSense features, tweak your settings to match your playstyle, and don’t be afraid to take short breaks between hunts to avoid burnout. With a little practice, you’ll be taking down the highest rank apex monsters and crafting endgame gear in no time.