The new generation PS5 comes with guarantees to support high resolution and frame rates so it’ll be a shame if you miss out on these.
However, the investment needed to support PS5 on its max-rated specs i.e 4K resolution or 120 FPS (or both) can be way too high for an average Joe to afford.
As far as the question “is PS5 worth it without 4K TV?”, the answer is affirmative, at least in my strong honest opinion. While you do not need to invest in a 4K TV immediately. The graphics fidelity on PS5 will be leaps and bounds higher than that on the older PS4 console due to the better internal hardware even on a 1080p or FHD TV.
In addition to that, the quality of life improvement such as instant loading, haptic feedback, as well as an array of next-gen exclusive games cannot be understated.
In the following text, I will discuss the merits and demerits of getting a PS5 without a 4K TV.
Can You Play PS5 Without a 4k TV?
Let me first address the elephant in the room, particularly for most newbies out there. If you are wondering whether 4K TV is a mandatory requirement for PS5, then rest assured that it is not.
You DO NOT need to have a 4K TV. PS5 can work perfectly fine on your decade-old FHD @ 60Hz LED TV so long as it has an HDMI port.
Cons of Getting a PS5 Without a 4K TV
Let us get the demerits of this arrangement out of the way.
Obviously, the biggest drawback of getting a PS5 without a 4K TV is that you will have a far reduced graphics quality. They say you have to experience 4K gaming for you to believe it.
The next gen-consoles are not just touted to be 4K specific, they are actually centered around it. If you want to have a vivid and pristine picture quality for gaming 4K is the way to go.
Almost all PS5 games have two modes: Performance and Resolution
- Performance mode runs the game at 120FPS often at Full HD resolution (and requires a 120Hz TV)
- Resolution mode runs the game at 4K @ 60FPS
Unless you are a competitive player, you will almost always choose the Resolution mode to experience the graphics fidelity in all its glory at 4K resolution.
If you only have a 1080P @ 60Hz TV, you will neither experience the Performance nor the Resolution mode. You will only experience the sub-par 1080 @ 60 FPS gameplay.
Basically, my point is that without a 4K TV, you will waste the potential of the PS5 console and will fail to experience next-gen gaming quality.
But whether you absolutely have to have a 4K TV for PS5 is absolutely not true (again in my strong honest opinion). I explain why PS5 is Worth it without a 4K TV below:
Pros of Getting PS5 Without 4K TV
The following are some of the reasons why the PS5 is worth it without a 4K TV.
1. High Graphics Fidelity
Graphics quality Isn’t all about resolution!
You have to realize that resolution isn’t the ONLY attribute that relates to graphics quality. There are many other attributes that contribute to the overall quality including:
- Texture Details – improves the small fine patterns on the texture such as the terrain, material, etc.
- Shadow Details – shadows play a much higher role in improving the graphics quality than you may expect.
- Water detail – as the name suggests, improves the quality of still and running water.
- Lighting details – this includes the new and highly talked about Ray-Tracing This has a huge impact on the overall graphics quality. Ambient Occlusion is another important setting related to lighting.
- Anti-Aliasing – a graphics quality feature that smoothens the edges on a curved texture.
There are many more related graphics quality attributes in between.
As you’d expect, the higher the quality for a certain graphic attribute, the more powerful the hardware you’ll need.
As such, if you do not have a 4K TV, while you may not be able to enjoy 4K gaming, the graphical fidelity on a PS5 will be far more vivid as compared to older consoles.
2. You Will Get to Enjoy Exclusive Next Gen Games
Like with the previous generation when the PS4 came out, a few starting years saw games being released for both PS3 and PS4. However, as time went by and as the graphics engines on many games improved, so did the resources they required.
Then there came a time when almost all games released became next-gen or PS4 exclusive. The same can be expected with PS5.
So, if you want to enjoy next-gen gaming and if you want a console that will be compatible with the games to come, a PS5 is certainly worth it even without a 4K TV.
There is already an array of games that are ONLY playable on PS5, these include:
- Demon’s Souls
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
- Destruction AllStars
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade
- Ghostwire: Tokyo
- Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
- Gran Turismo 7
- Forspoken
- Final Fantasy 16
- Horizon Call of the Mountain
- Spider-Man 2
- Marvel’s Wolverine
The list is only expected to grow in the coming years.
3. The Quality of Life Improvement Cannot be Understated
Another very important reason why PS5 is still worth it without a 4K TV is the quality of life improvement you get regardless of what TV you have.
SSDs and Instant Load Times
The most important of these is the instant loading times thanks to the Solid State Drives installed as compared to the spinning disk platter drives installed on the older generation consoles.
PS5 offers a Gen 4 PCIe NVMe SSD which has the capacity to read and write at 7500 MB/s. Compare this to the old spinning disk drives which can have a MAX read and write speeds of 150-200 MB/s at best. As a result, the PS5 is theoretically about 30 times as fast in loading as compared to older consoles.
DualSense Controller Mic
The older controller did NOT have a built-in mic. The DualSense PS5 controllers do. This means you would not have to invest in or wear a separate apparatus for communicating in games.
DualSense Haptic Feedback
This is the obvious evolution of the classic rumble on the controllers. The haptic feedback can more accurately capture the nuances of the in-game scenarios for better immersion.
So, whether you are driving, shooting, or in the midst of a dramatic explosion, the haptic feedback will be better at capturing the experience as compared to the older PS4 DualShock controller.
4. Lighter on the Pocket
Another advantage that cannot be overlooked is that you will save up a lot financially.
PS5 consoles, their accessories, and the games are already expensive enough. And invest in a 4K TV as well can put a significant dent in your pocket.
The cost of the TV goes two folds higher if you plan to get a 4K TV with a 120Hz refresh rate. As you may already know, the PS5 is designed to support up to 4K resolution and 120FPS.
For playing 120FPS you need to have a TV with a 120Hz refresh rate. An average FHD or 4K TV has a 60Hz refresh rate.
4K @ 120Hz refresh rate TVs are at least twice as expensive as compared to their 60Hz counterparts.
So Is PS5 Worth it Without 4K TV?
The bottom line is that there is NO DOUBT that a 4K TV will significantly enhance the graphics details and the visual quality of the games you play on PS5; HOWEVER, it is hardly a requirement.
Your gaming experience on a PS5 will still be multiple folds better as compared to PS4 as far as graphics fidelity and performance are concerned even on a Full HD TV.
While you can always save up and get a 4K TV at a later date, there is absolutely no reason why the lack of having a 4K TV should stop you from getting a PS5.
