For as long as video games have graced our lives, certain pairings have often remained synonymous with each other, PC monitors with PC gaming, gaming consoles with TV.
These pairs are kind of like an unwritten rule. However, the current generation of consoles, including PS5, is more often than not defying this tradition and challenging the status.
This is one of the main reasons why PS5 actually released support for 1440P resolution (which was absent when it first came out). 1440P resolution is found on monitors. TV is either FHD or 4K.
Those of you migrating from TVs to monitors would then rightly ask: how to connect PS5 to monitor. Well, this isn’t rocket science and the way you connect a PC monitor to PS5 is the same as you would connect a TV to your PS5.
All you have to do is connect one end of the HDMI to the PS5 and the other to the monitor.
But let us explore this topic a bit further.
So How to Connect PS5 to PC Monitor?
Before we begin, let us do an equipment check.
Equipment You Will Need
You will need the following things in hand before interfacing your PS5 with your PC:
1. Your PS5, Obviously:
First and foremost, you’ll need the star of this show, the PlayStation 5. This can either be a standard or digital edition.
PS5 has an HDMI 2.1 port on its back
A Primer on HDMI Version and Display Modes
You MUST understand the HDMI version and the display modes PS5 supports.
Basically, PS5 offers the latest HDMI 2.1 interface. This interface can support up to 10K @ 120 Hz refresh rate.
PS5, however, is capped at supporting a maximum of 4K @ 120Hz. Meaning it can play games up to 4K resolution at 120FPS. The exact resolution and frame rate supported, however, depends upon the game itself.
Not all games support 4K or 120FPS or both though.
The following table shows different HDMI versions and the resolution and frame rates they support.
| HDMI Version | Max Resolution | Refresh Rate | HDR |
| 1.2 | 1440P | 1080P = 60Hz1440P = 30Hz | No |
| 1.3-1.4 | 4K (4096 x 2160) | 1080P = 120Hz1440P = 60Hz4K = 30Hz | No |
| 2.0 | 4K (4096 x 2160) | 1080P = 240Hz1440P = 144Hz4K = 60Hz | Yes |
| 2.1 | 8K (7680 x 4320) | 1440P = 240Hz4K = 144Hz4K = 240Hz (DSC)8K = 120Hz (DSC) | Yes |
As far as the display modes go, PS5 is quite strict. In other words, PS5 DOES NOT support refresh rates other than 60Hz or 120Hz. It does NOT support 144Hz, 165Hz, or 240Hz refresh rates.
Similarly, PS5 Does NOT support resolutions other than FHD, 1440P, or 4K natively. No Ultrawide resolution or anything in between is supported NATIVELY.
2. A PC Monitor with The Right Specs You Need
The second important ingredient, of course, is the monitor itself.
Now, while PS5 CAN support up to 4K @ 120FPS gaming, for this mode to work, you will need to have a monitor with 4K @ 120Hz refresh rate support.
These monitors can get quite expensive.
If you have a QHD or an FHD monitor, then obviously, you won’t be able to play at 4K.
In addition to that, your monitor needs to have the specific display mode that PS5 support. For instance, if you have a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor but IT DOES not support a 120Hz refresh rate, then PS5 will only work at a 60Hz refresh rate.
Take the display modes of the Dell S2719DGF below for instance.
Note that despite being a 144Hz monitor, it does NOT have a 120Hz display mode and hence, your PS5 will only work on the 60Hz refresh rate mode.
HDMI Port Version Also Matters
While all HDMI ports look the same, they can correspond to different versions and have completely different specs.
Generally, the idea is:
- FHD monitors have an HDMI 1.4 capable of supporting up to FHD at 120FPS.
- QHD monitors have an HDMI 2.0 capable of supporting QHD at 120Hz
- 4K monitors have either HDMI 2.0 for supporting 4K @ 60Hz or HDMI 2.1 for supporting 4K @ 120Hz or higher (the latter are expensive).
Now some monitors can have multiple HDMI ports corresponding to different versions.
Take for instance the ASUS Tuf Gaming VG28UQL1A
This is a 4K monitor with up to 144Hz refresh rate, but it has 4 x HDMI ports.
2 of the HDMI ports on this monitor conform to version 2.0 and the other two conform to HDMI 2.1.
In order to use this monitor on the 4K @ 120Hz display mode supported by PS5, you will need to connect the PS5 to one of its HDMI 2.1 ports!
3. An HDMI Cable Capable of Delivering the Bandwidth
Like the HDMI ports, while all HDMI cables may look the same, they can be worlds apart in terms of performance.
Basically, there are four types of HDMI cables differentiated by the bandwidth or the display modes they can carry. They are summarized in the table below:
| HDMI Cable Certification | Supported Specs | Intended HDMIPort Version |
| Standard | 1080P @ 60Hz | 1.0-1.3 |
| High Speed | FHD @ 144HzQHD @ 60Hz4K @ 30hz | 1.4 |
| Premium High Speed | FHD @ 240HzQHD @ 144Hz4K @ 60Hz | 2.0 |
| Ultra High Speed | FHD @ > 240Hz1440P @ > 240Hz4K @ 144Hz (240Hz with DSC)8K @ 120Hz (DSC)10K @ 120Hz (DSC) | 2.1 |
Standard HDMI cables are more or less extinct. If you have an old HDMI cable lying around then there is a chance that it is AT LEAST a High-Speed HDMI cable.
So in short,
- For up to FHD @ 60 or @ 120Hz PS5 mode, you’ll need High-Speed or better
- For up to QHD @ 60 or @ 120Hz, or 4K @ 60Hz PS5 mode you’ll need Premium High Speed cable or better
- For up to 4K @ 120Hz PS5 mode, you will need an Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable.
When buying HDMI cables, look for the certifications on the packaging.
Fortunately, though, PS5 DOES come bundled with an HDMI 2.1 cable.
4. (Optional) Adapters If Your Monitor DOES NOT Have an HDMI Port
PS5 ONLY has an HDMI output.
Hence, if your monitor lacks one (which is highly unlikely), if your monitor has an inferior HDMI version but another port that is capable of carrying a higher bandwidth like a DisplayPort, then you can use them via display adapters.
These can be HDMI to DisplayPort, HDMI to Thunderbolt, etc.
Just make sure, you always get ACTIVE adapters like the one shown below:
Active adapters are more reliable and support higher resolutions and refresh rates.
Connecting to PS5 to PC Monitor is Straightforward
Understanding the jargon and technicalities above is more difficult than doing the physical connection.
If you have understood the display modes, supported resolution, refresh and HDMI version above, connecting the two is as simple as connecting your monitor to a TV.
The process is simplified in the graphic below:
Basically, you’d want to connect the HDMI output on the back of your PS5 to the monitor’s HDMI input using the HDMI cable provided.
If your monitor does not have an HDMI input you’d need to use an adapter as mentioned above.
You’d also have to separately connect your monitor power plug to the wall socket.
It should be noted that PS5 does not support INDEPENDENT dual monitor or multiple monitor setup.
In-Console Settings
Once connected and turned on, you can head over to the in-console settings by:
- Selecting the Cogwheel in Home Screen on the Top Right
- Heading over to “Screen and Video” settings
- And then either keeping the settings automatic or selecting the resolution and refresh rate yourself.
Selecting automatic would allow PS5 to select the best settings depending upon the specs of your monitor.
