PlayStation Error Code CE-118878-0 — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

CE-118878-0 means your PS5 failed to connect to an online game's servers. This is different from a PSN error — it means the game's own servers are the problem. The fix is usually waiting for the game's servers to come back online.

Affected Models

PlayStation 5
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition

Common Causes

The specific game's online servers are temporarily down for maintenance
The game's servers are overloaded due to high player traffic, such as a new game launch
Your PS5 internet connection dropped at the moment you tried to connect to the game
A recent game update changed how the game connects to its servers
Your NAT type is too strict and is blocking the game's peer-to-peer connections

How to Fix It

Check the game's server status. Search online for '[Game Name] server status' or visit the developer's official website or Twitter. Many games have a dedicated server status page.

Game server outages are the most common cause of CE-118878-0. If the servers are down, waiting is the only fix.
Test your PS5 internet connection. Go to Settings > Network > Connection Status > Test Internet Connection. Make sure you have a stable connection before trying the game again.

If the network test shows issues, fix your home network connection first. A stable connection is needed before any online game will work.
Check your NAT type. In the network test results, look for the NAT Type line. NAT Type 1 or 2 is good. NAT Type 3 can prevent connections to online games.

If your NAT type is 3, enable UPnP on your router or set up port forwarding. PlayStation's required ports are 80, 443, 3478, 3479, and 3480.
Restart the game. Close the game fully by pressing Options on the home screen and selecting Close Game. Relaunch it and try connecting to online again.

Sometimes a game's network module needs to be reset. Fully closing and reopening the game accomplishes this.
Restart your PS5 and router. Turn off the PS5 and unplug your router for 30 seconds. Plug the router back in, let it fully connect, then turn the PS5 back on.

A full system restart after a router reset clears all network state and gives the game a clean slate to reconnect.

When to Call a Professional

If your internet works fine and other online games connect without issues, the problem is with this specific game's servers. Contact the game developer's support team — not Sony — for server-specific outage information. If all online games fail, contact Sony support at support.playstation.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CE-118878-0 a PSN error or a game error?

It is a game-specific error, not a PSN error. PSN errors prevent you from signing in to PlayStation Network altogether. CE-118878-0 means PSN is working fine but the game's own online servers are unavailable or unreachable.

Why do I get CE-118878-0 on launch day of a new game?

New game launches flood the servers with millions of players at once. The servers may be overwhelmed and unable to handle all the connections. This is called a launch-day server overload — it is very common and usually resolves within a few hours as developers scale up capacity.

Does CE-118878-0 mean I need to buy a better internet plan?

Almost never. This error is about the game's servers being unavailable — not your internet speed. Even the fastest internet in the world cannot connect to servers that are offline. If your internet test shows stable speeds, no upgrade is needed.