Playstation 5, along with its close cousin the Xbox Series X, aims to take advantage of not just higher resolution, like QHD or 4K, but also of higher refresh rates like 120Hz.
While the majority of gamers would want to get their hands on 4K or QHD monitors or TVs, let us not forget about the humble 1080P TVs which have been a trustworthy companion of gamers for years (and still is).
If you plan on connecting your new PS5 to a 1080P TV, you might wonder if you are doing your console a disservice. Is PS5 worth it on 1080P TV?
After all, connecting a PS5 to a 1080P TV means that you will not be unleashing the full potential of the console. As such, 1080P can in fact be a visual bottleneck.
However, know that PS5 is still quite the powerhouse even on a 1080P TV, and well worth it. In fact, there are certainly huge financial benefits to using a 1080P TV instead of investing in a QHD or a 4K TV.
Some may even question whether investing in a 4K TV is worth it on PS5 given the newer trend of games either ditching 4K completely or replacing 4K with QHD resolution instead due to the hardware limitations.
PS5’s Native Resolution Capabilities
PS5 can support 720P, 1080P (FHD), 1440P (QHD), and 2160P (4K) resolution natively.
It is also worth noting here that PS5 does NOT support any other resolution such as 8K or 10K on any game at the moment despite it having an HDMI 2.1 port.
In addition to that, when it comes to 1080P TV, thanks to a very clever technology called “supersampling“, the gaming console can take a native 4K game and scale it down to fit your 1080P TV.
Supersampling actually results in a crisper, smoother, and more detailed image as compared to a standard 1080P output. In other words, supersampled 1080P visuals are BETTER than native 1080p rendered visuals.
This feature isn’t supported on all games though.
So Is PS5 Worth It on 1080P TV?
While there is no denying that 4K or QHD offers a more immersive and vivid gaming experience compared to 1080P, 1080P TVs are still absolutely worth it for PS5, and here are the reasons why:
1. Better Game Performance and Frame Rates
One amazing aspect of PS5 is that it actually gives you a choice between whether you want to play on performance or quality mode.
So, you can essentially actually choose whether you prefer to play at a higher resolution (4K) or higher at a higher frame rate.
Of course with a 1080P TV, the quality mode is not possible and hence you are left with the performance mode.
Now performance mode promises either 60FPS on 60Hz TV or 120FPS if you have a 120Hz TV.
If you are migrating from an older console, then the frame rates promised through the performance mode can be a sight to behold.
Hence, there is no denying that a 1080P @ 60FPS gameplay is well worth it for many gamers.
You can also think of it this way, while 4K gaming is undoubtedly gorgeous, it comes at the cost of lower frame rates due to the increased processing demand.
Take for instance the graphics modes for God of War Ragnarok above, you can see that on PS5, playing on 4K (quality mode) your frame rates will be capped at 30 FPS (which is often disliked by gamers).
On the other hand, in performance mode, you can actually achieve 60 FPS gaming.
While you are at you can also look at how abysmally bad it is for PS4.
2. Faster Performance and Load Times
Another obvious benefit you will experience is the overall quality of life improvement in the form of faster load times thanks to the Gen 4 SSD installed.
Gen 4 SSDs are multiple factors faster than an average HDD as found on the previous gen consoles. A Gen 4 SSD can reach speeds of about 7000 MB/s (compare this to the speed of the fastest HDDs which are 200 MB/s at max).
Hence, transitioning from one area to another, running your gaming, and even installing will seem as instantaneous if you compare it with the older gen consoles.
3. Graphics is NOT Just About Resolution
If you have ever played a game on PC and visited its settings, then you may have noticed that there are countless graphical settings that you can manipulate and that resolution is only one of the many aspects that contributes to the overall graphical fidelity of the game.
Texture details, lighting details, shadow details, water details, particles, smoke, atmosphere, foliage, etc are all settings that heavily impact the graphics quality of the game.
Now the more vivid these settings are, the more powerful the hardware you need. Hence a PS5, compared to the older gen consoles, can render much more detailed graphics even on a 1080P TV.
So if you discard the resolution aspect, a 1080P TV for PS5 would still be highly worth it if the quality is what you are after.
And of course, PS5 also has native support for ray tracing, which is a technology that makes light and shadows in games more realistic. While the subtle details of ray tracing can be more noticeable in higher resolution, the graphical enhancements even on 1080P TV will NOT go unnoticed.
If you compare the ray tracing capability alone with the older-gen consoles, it is like upgrading your regular sunglasses to a snazzy polarized pair – everything just looks way more vibrant.
4. Newer Games are Capped at QHD or 4K at 30 FPS
There is also another issue of the newer titles not supporting 4K at all. Take Gotham Knights, for instance, which is capped at 30 FPS on 4K and if you want to enjoy 60 FPS, then you will need to select the lower resolution or performance mode.
A Plague Tale: Requiem is another game that does not support 4K mode at ALL on PS5.
Hence, the promises of higher resolution and 60 FPS on PS5 seem to be dwindling as newer games are released.
5. Cost Benefit Analysis of PS5 on 1080P TV
And then finally, the most important point to consider is that of basic economics.
PS5 is certainly exceptional, however, it also has a price tag that can make your wallet quiver, especially considering the fact that your wallet will have to entertain the $60+ price tag of the newer AAA titles.
In that case, paying for hefty 4K TV can be a bit daunting. The price for a 4K TV at 60 Hz is expensive itself, but a 120Hz 4K is twice as expensive.
So if you do not have spare cash lying around, it may not be wise to make the jump from a 1080P TV to a 4K TV right away.
As far as the overall investment versus gaming experience goes, a 1080P TV may not have as many pixels as a 4K TV, PS5 is still a significant upgrade in terms of graphics, performance, and features compared to its predecessors.
