If you own one PlayStation 5, or if you are considering having it, it is likely that you have also thought about buying a new television support the standard HDMI 2.1. This new technology is trying to be sold as an essential feature to get the most out of PS5. But as you will see today in this post, it is possible that at the moment you do not need it at all.
What's new? HDMI 2.1 vs. HDMI 2.0
HDMI 2.1 is not a new standard either. It was released to the market right at the end of 2017. The adoption of this new revision was extremely slow. Today, more than five years later many manufacturers still do not offer support to this technology in some of its models, and it is that this version of HDMI is so abundant that currently it is not that we are going to need it.
The differences between HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 They are not exactly few. Next, we will show you a quick review of the new features that the connector offers, as well as a slight comparison between the two and a brief explanation of how these technologies affect when playing games. video games.
Bandwidth
Any good standard in the world of connectivity tends to double the bandwidth of the previous generation. HDMI 2.0 failed to double the data rate of its predecessor, HDMI 1.4 (18 Gbps vs. 10,2 Gbps). However, HDMI 2.1 supports a data rate of up to 48 gigabits per second. This is 2,6 times more bandwidth than its predecessor, not coming to exist between the two a proper generation.
Automatic Low Latency Mode (AALM)
The Smart TV They are not limited to simply displaying the signal they receive through the connector on the screen. They also process the information to improve the quality of vision, sharpness and colors as much as possible. Hence the importance of firmwares that are included in smart TVs, where a lot of hype is given to the artificial intelligence algorithms that are in charge of the image processing.
All this is interesting when we watch a series, a movie or any TV program, but it is a nuisance to the time to play. The processing carried out by the television takes time, producing the phenomenon called "input lag", which is basically a delay from when you press the button on your console until the action is reflected on the screen.
Almost all modern televisions have a sleep mode. low latency support, you just have to activate it manual. Therefore, you will only have to find how to activate this function for your specific television model. What AALM technology does is simply make the change for us automatically, something totally dispensable if you know which buttons on your remote control you have to touch before starting a game with your PlayStation.
QFT or Quick Frame Transport
Another interesting feature for Gaming it is the QFT, which uses the HDMI cable itself to reduce the latency between the device that emits the image and the screen. lets win fluency, but the field in which this technology becomes interesting is in that of the virtual reality.
At the moment, if you have an HDMI 2.1 compatible TV, you can enjoy this feature, although you may not appreciate its benefits. In virtual reality it is interesting, but of course, in that case, we will have the screens placed a few centimeters from our eyes, so the experience will be completely different.
VRR or Variable Refresh Rate
The VRR or Variable refresh rate allow camouflage frame rate variations that occur while we play. It's interesting technology, but not exactly for home consoles. When we play, especially on PC, it often happens that a frame is not fully rendered by the graphics card just when it has to appear on the screen. Normally there is a small jerk (also called lag) or even a merger between several frames that fixes the situation a bit.
With VRR, the display is able to wait for that frame, creating a flowing sensation. Still, on consoles like the PlayStation 5, the framerate it's pretty stable, and this particular technology needs a lot of device-to-screen rapport to work properly.
Color, dynamic range and sound enhancements
There are also improvements in HDMI 2.1 in terms of support for color spaces, sound and the use of metadata to process the image on our televisions:
- Extended color spaces (BT.2020)
- eARC, an enhanced version of ARC for high-resolution audio return
- Using dynamic metadata for high dynamic range content
New Cable: Ultra High Speed HDMI
The HDMI 2.1 standard is only compatible with the new cable called Ultra High Speed HDMI. It is the one that allows supporting the new bandwidth. While HDMI 2.0 is limited to one resolution 4K y 60 frames per second u 8K a 30 fps, HDMI 2.1 supports without disheveled a resolution of 10K is 120 fps. Come on, we have cable for a while.
However, some HDMI 2.1 features are fully compatible with the HDMI 2.0 cable, such as eARC. It is only necessary that the PS5 and the TV support HDMI 2.1. There is also a labeling problem here on the part of the technology. It would be easier for everyone if HDMI cables had the same name as the technology they support, starting from something as basic as that the standard has always been backward compatible. 'Ultra High Speed HDMI' sounds great, but 'HDMI 2.1 Cable' makes no mistake about going to the store for a cable for your new TV.
PlayStation 5 and the HDMI 2.1 standard
According to directors of Sony itself, not necessary at the moment have a television with support HDMI 2.1 to get the most out of the PS5. It is somewhat surprising that they admit this themselves, since part of their business is also the sale of smart TVs. In fact, Sony itself took out its own label to mark the televisions compatible with its system, which we will talk about in the next section.
The new generation has just started, and HDMI 2.1 was already created at the time to more than meet the needs of the market for a long time. It is normal that PS5 or Xbox Series X are not able to use each and every one of the features that the new connector offers.
Ready for PlayStation 5
Sony also released a seal, “Ready for PlayStation 5”, which allows you to identify which are the ideal televisions to obtain a perfect experience with PS5. This label also has a lot of marketing involved, and it is that it is only included in 4K televisions at 120 Hz or 8K 60 Hz, when in practice, we know that the PS5 is not a machine fully capable of moving those resolutions at the moment.
In addition, there have been many televisions that have been released after PlayStation 5. And most of them have not received the aforementioned label from Sony, regardless of whether they equal or even exceed the specifications of the products that do bear that seal « Ready for PlayStation 5”.
Beware of the standard
There is another important factor and that is that the HDMI 2.1 standard itself is replacing 2.0. This is really because it is a backward compatible standard. All the features of HDMI 2.0 are covered in 2.1. Today, the HDMI.org standard is HDMI 2.1, and this can catch more than one off guard.
In general terms, that a television supports HDMI 2.1 does not mean that it supports all the features of HDMI 2.1. It will be time to go to the specification sheet and check if the technologies that interest us to play are available on the television model that we have had our eye on.
The cable, an important element
Surely you already know this, but just in case you don't, we remind you: if you have made the effort to buy an 8K or 4K Smart TV with HDMI 2.1 and you have added the cost of PS5 plus games, do not skimp when buying a cable that is manufactured with sufficient quality to reliably maintain the volume of data that moves per second between the console and the TV. That is why we offer you a model with a speed of 48 gbps capable of allowing us to view images with 8K resolutions at 60 frames per second without problems.
Obviously you have many other alternatives that occupy different price ranges but remember that the cable, when we talk about a standard focused on incredibly high resolutions, is just as important as any of the other components necessary to enjoy games in UHD.
See offer on AmazonWhat should we look for in a television to play?
Whether you're on PlayStation 5 or Xbox One, one of the most important features to look for is the HDR support. This feature markedly marks the user experience of the console, but also when consuming any multimedia content.
The bottom line: 4K resolution and panel
Now that we are clear about what we need and what we don't, let's get down to business. What should a good television have to be able to play next-generation consoles?
Regarding the number of pixels, it is not at all necessary to exceed the 4K resolution if our goal is simply to play the Sony console. Come on, as much as there are televisions with 8K resolution, you are not going to see the games on your PS5 better, nor are you practically going to be able to enjoy content in this resolution, since it hardly exists.
Furthermore, the panel technology It is a totally determining factor that will have a direct impact on your user experience. But here it must be your decision to choose one type of panel or another depending on the budget that you have set for yourself. Of course, everything will also depend on the type of video games you usually play. If you're going to play very dark titles, or with a high dynamic range, go for an OLED panel and your budget allows it. If not, there are some alternative technologies that also give very good results, such as the Mini LED.
A TV with a higher refresh rate will benefit you in many shooting, racing and action titles, where seeing more frames per second gives you an advantage. In other more static titles, 120 Hz is not going to revolutionize your gaming experience either. In fact, it is in those cases that we should invest in a good panel and ignore other more technical features.
Don't Forget Support Technologies
As we have explained above, everything that complements the experience will be welcome. The variable frame rate or the automatic low frequency mode will come in handy on a television to play video games. In case you are hesitating between two models, these technologies can tip the balance to one side or the other.
HDMI 2.1. Yes or no?
Finally, if the Smart TV that you have located meets all these requirements and also supports HDMI 2.1… then go ahead. You will not regret. If, on the other hand, it stays in HDMI 2.0, don't panic, and don't get hung up on this standard. Today, it is not going to be a limiting factor when it comes to enjoying your video games on PlayStation 5 either. Simply, analyze the type of games you usually consume and whether or not it is profitable for you to go for a television that meets all the requirements to get the most out of the console.