Most people will buy a new 4K TV to match their next-gen consoles. But do you need a 4K TV for a PS5? Is it compatible with older TVs?
Is it really worth upgrading to a brand new TV? Not everyone has the budget to bundle a PS5 with a new 4K TV.
Luckily, the upgrade can wait. Let’s take a look at the best options for you.
Do You Need a 4K TV for a PS5?
No. You do not need a 4K TV for a PS5 because the PS5’s HDMI cable is backward compatible with any HDMI TV or monitor.
In other words, it’s not necessary to buy a 4K TV for your PS5 right now. If you don’t have the budget for a 4K TV, using your PS5 on an older TV is perfectly fine. No need to rush.
Here’s the thing:
When you have the chance, it’s a good idea to buy a 4K TV for your PS5. With a 4K TV, you can take advantage of all of the PS5’s features, and the image quality in games will look much more detailed.
Recommended 4K TV for the PS5
The PS5 will work great with almost any 4K TV but there are certain models that really stand out.
I personally prefer OLED TVs because of the deep blacks and fast response times. Want to know why I recommend OLED TVs?
LG C1 OLED 4K
Where to buy: Amazon or Best Buy US (now with a 15% discount)
The LG C1 OLED is one of the best-selling OLED TVs of the past few years and for a good reason. You get a beautiful 4K OLED panel, 120 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time, and 4 HDMI ports.
Also, the price has significantly dropped over the last couple of years, so now it’s your chance to get your hands on one.
Yes, it’s not the latest model, but it offers pretty much the same features as the latest series, albeit for a much cheaper price.
Another option is the LG OLED GX Series.
Note: To take advantage of 4K at 120 Hz you need a TV that supports HDMI 2.1
PS5 on a 1080P 60Hz TV
The PS5 is compatible with a 1080P 60 Hz TV and you’ll even be able to use features like Ray-Tracing and others.
You can play PS5 on a 1080P without any problems and the visuals will still look great because PS5 games have high-resolution textures. The render resolution will be a native 1080P and you’ll get the max graphics features.
Combine that with your TV’s image processing and the result should be great. It won’t be nearly as good as 4K but it won’t be a blurry mess either. Many people are using their PS5s with old 1080P 60 Hz TVs and have no complaints.
Of course, if you have the option, I would always recommend upgrading to a 4K TV when possible. Gaming at 4K 60 Hz is a night and day difference.
Check this out:
P.S. Don’t want to upgrade to a 4K TV? Here’s an idea. Buy an Xbox Series S which is the perfect 1080P gaming system.
You can buy it right now, there are plenty in stock. In comparison, the PS5 still has stock issues, even though it’s been almost two years since it launched.
PS5 on 1080P 144 Hz Monitor
The PS5 can support 1080P at 120 FPS so it is compatible with a 1080P 144 Hz monitor.
To get 120 FPS on the PS5 you will need to launch a game that supports 120 FPS and then enable Performance Mode in the in-game graphics settings.
You won’t be able to change the refresh rate of the UI on PS5 like you can on Xbox. The PS5’s UI is always locked to 60 Hz.
What HDMI Cable Does the PS5 Use?
The PS5 HDMI version is 2.1 and the cable is a High-Speed HDMI cable. The PS5’s HDMI cable is backward compatible with any HDMI TV or monitor but you will only get the features that the display supports.
There are no HDMI 2.1 cables, it’s only High Speed or regular. High-Speed HDMI cables are capable of 4K at 120 Hz and even higher, meanwhile, regular cables are limited to 4K at 30 Hz. The PS5 includes a High-Speed HDMI cable. Most modern TVs that have a 120 Hz refresh rate will also include a High-Speed HDMI cable.
The Bottom Line
To summarize, luckily the PS5 is backward compatible with any HDMI TV. You can use your PS5 with an OLD 1080P TV or monitor and you don’t need to worry about changing cables.
So you can go ahead and buy a PS5 without worrying about having to buy a new TV along with it.
Still… I highly recommend buying a 4K OLED TV later on down the line because the improved image quality is incredible.
What do you think? Drop a comment below.
