The short and simple answer to the question “Does PS5 Support 165Hz Monitor?” is a Yes. PS5 will work on a 165Hz monitor BUT there is a catch, it may not work the way you’d want it to work.
In other words, PS5 supports a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. As such, 165Hz refresh will simply not be supported. Your games will NOT work at 165 FPS. They will instead work ONLY at a maximum of 120 FPS that too if your 165Hz monitor has the supported 120Hz refresh rate mode.
If all this sounds a bit confusing to you, it’s understandable. I will explain what all this means in the text below.
High Refresh Rate Monitors and PS5’s Supported Display Modes
High refresh rate monitors have become the bread and butter of PC gamers and esports enthusiasts. These monitors offer smoother visuals and reduced motion blur.
There was a time not so long ago when achieving 60 FPS was a dream for most gamers. However, the current-gen gamers want 120 FPS and even higher that too at resolutions beyond FHD.
PS5 comes equipped with the HDMI 2.1 interface and it has the hardware to support the following set of display modes.
- 1080 @ 30Hz – 30 FPS
- 1080 @ 60Hz – 60 FPS
- 1080 @ 120Hz – 120FPS
- 1440 @ 30Hz
- 1440 @ 60Hz
- 1440 @ 120Hz
- 4k @ 30Hz
- 4k @ 60Hz
- 4k @ 120Hz
PS5 also supports 8K, but the hardware is not nearly powerful enough to support 4K @ 120 FPS gaming let alone 8K gaming. There are only a few games that actually work at 4K @ 120FPS and they are either old or very light indie titles.
It should be noted that PlayStation 5 is VERY strict with its display modes. Unlike with PC where you can game at various refresh rates such as 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, or anything in between and beyond, that is simply not the case with PS5.
So Does PS5 Support 165Hz Monitor?
When it comes to the PS5 and 165Hz monitors, things get a bit, well, complicated. It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
You see, the PS5’s refresh rate is limited to 60Hz and 120Hz, as mentioned earlier. As such, it can’t fully utilize the 165Hz potential of the monitor. It’s like having a powerful sports car but being stuck in traffic.
But the question at hand can actually be divided into two parts:
- Does PS5 Support 165Hz Monitors At All?
- Does PS5 Support the Rated 165Hz Refresh Rate?
PS5 Does Support 165Hz Monitors
The answer to the first question is a resounding yes. PS5 DOES support 165Hz Monitors.
If you hook up your PS5 to a monitor that has a 165Hz refresh rate, it will work.
PS5 Does NOT Support the Rated 165Hz Refresh Rate
As for the second question, the answer is a big no. As mentioned earlier, PS5 is strict with the display modes it supports. As such, PS5 will simply not pump out 165 FPS.
Instead, the PS5 will work at the next supported refresh rate which is either 120Hz or 60Hz.
This is a very important point to note. In order for a 165Hz (or a 144Hz or a 240Hz) monitor to work at 120Hz on PS5, it NEEDS to have the specified display mode.
Take, for instance, the 144Hz Dell S2719DGF gaming monitor. Despite being a 144Hz monitor, it DOES NOT support 120Hz Gaming. Look at its display modes below:
Note that the monitor only has support for either 144Hz or 60Hz mode. Hence a PS5 hooked to this monitor will NOT work at 120Hz and will instead work only at the lowest supported refresh rate which is 60Hz.
Many gamers make the mistake of assuming that a monitor with a high refresh rate like 165Hz would automatically support all the lower refresh rates like 120Hz. That is not the case. It needs to have the specific mode enabled by the manufacturer.
So if you are getting an awesome deal on a 165Hz monitor, just make sure it does have support for 120Hz refresh rate for PS5’s performance mode, otherwise, you’ll be stuck with the measly 60Hz (60FPS).
