The short answer to the question “Does the PS5 come with a 4K HDMI cable?” is a yes. PS5 DOES come with an HDMI cable that is capable of supporting 4K resolution.
The longer answer, however, is that you need to understand how the resolution and the refresh rate are tied together to determine what kind of HDMI cable the PS5 comes with.
Basically, while all HDMI cables look the same and while a vast majority of them can carry 4K resolution at a 30Hz refresh rate, you need special HDMI cables for carrying 4K resolution at a 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate.
Fortunately, though, PS5 DOES come with a 1.5m (59 ft) HDMI cable capable of carrying 4K @ 120Hz refresh rate.
In the following text, I will shed some more light on what display modes PS5 supports and how the refresh rate, resolution, and the HDMI version of the port and of the cable are all tied together.
Display Modes Supported By PS5
Display mode is basically the resolution and the refresh rate a device is capable of working at.
It should be noted that the refresh rate and the frame rate are quite related. Essentially, in order to support 30 FPS gameplay, you need a 30Hz display mode, for 60 FPS you need 60Hz, and for 120FPS gameplay mode, you need to have a TV or a monitor with 120Hz refresh rate support.
The following are the common display modes supported by PS5:
- 1080 @ 30Hz – 30 FPS
- 1080 @ 60Hz – 60 FPS
- 1080 @ 120Hz – 120FPS
- 1440 @ 30Hz
- 1440 @ 60Hz
- 1440 @ 120Hz
- 4k @ 30Hz
- 4k @ 60Hz
- 4k @ 120Hz
As you can see above, PS5 supports 4K resolution but at various refresh rates like 30Hz, 60Hz, or 120Hz for 30, 60, or 120 FPS gameplay (depending upon FPS the game in question supports).
Now what refresh rate 4K resolution can be supported at is determined by the HDMI version of the interface.
HDMI Version of the Ports (Interface)
While all HDMI ports may look the same, they vastly differ in terms of the bandwidth they can carry. The higher the bandwidth the higher the resolution and refresh rate it can support.
PS5 offers the HDMI 2.1 port. This port is technically capable of supporting up to 10K @ 120Hz display mode, but PS5 is capped at 4K @ 30, 60 or 120Hz refresh rate.
The following table explains different HDMI port versions and the resolution and refresh rate they can support.
HDMI Version | Max Resolution | Refresh Rate | HDR |
1.2 | 1440P | 1080P = 60Hz 1440P = 30Hz | No |
1.3-1.4 | 4K (4096 x 2160) | 1080P = 120Hz 1440P = 60Hz 4K = 30Hz | No |
2.0 | 4K (4096 x 2160) | 1080P = 240Hz 1440P = 144Hz 4K = 60Hz | Yes |
2.1 | 8K (7680 x 4320) | 1440P = 240Hz 4K = 144Hz 4K = 240Hz (DSC) 8K = 120Hz (DSC) | Yes |
Of course, you need to have the right monitor too. For instance, while PS5 does have an HDMI 2.1 port if your monitor or your TV ONLY has an HDMI 1.4 port, then it will work at a maximum of 4K @ 30Hz (30 FPS) display mode.
So essentially, the interface version is determined by the lowest denominator between the gaming console and the display device.
Where does the cable fit in all this?
So Does the PS5 Come with a 4K HDMI Cable?
Now, HDMI cables also differ in terms of the bandwidth they can carry.
There are different HDMI cable versions. They are highlighted in the table below:
HDMI Cable Certification | Supported Specs | Intended HDMI Port Version |
Standard | 1080P @ 60Hz | 1.0-1.3 |
High Speed | FHD @ 144Hz QHD @ 60Hz 4K @ 30hz | 1.4 |
Premium High Speed | FHD @ 240Hz QHD @ 144Hz 4K @ 60Hz | 2.0 |
Ultra High Speed | FHD @ > 240Hz 1440P @ > 240Hz 4K @ 144Hz (240Hz with DSC) 8K @ 120Hz (DSC) 10K @ 120Hz (DSC) | 2.1 |
As you can see, different HDMI cables are suitable for different versions. As such when looking at 4K resolution alone you’d need:
- High-Speed Cable for 4K @ 30Hz (30 FPS)
- Premium High-Speed Cable for 4K @ 60Hz (60 FPS)
- Ultra High-Speed Cable for 4K @ 120 HZ (120FPS)
Fortunately, though, PS5 comes with an Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable capable of carrying 4K @ 120Hz display mode.
Final Words
Essentially, the question “Does the PS5 Come with a 4K HDMI Cable?” is missing an important ingredient, the refresh rate.
You cannot talk about resolution alone without making any mention of the refresh rate. While any HDMI cable can carry 4K resolution, it is only the Premium or the Ultra High-Speed HDMI Cable that can carry 4K @ 60Hz or 120 Hz refresh rate respectively.