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The new Xbox and PlayStation consoles are almost here, which means you may need two things: learning terms like “8K” and “120Hz” and finally buying a new TV.
If you update enough retail websites, you may be able to get a pre-order for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X. Sony’s machine will launch on November 12, while Microsoft will get a head start on November 10. The consoles provide more graphical power than their predecessors, but that means you may also need to upgrade your TV to get the most out of them.
It can be a bit confusing figuring out exactly what these consoles can do and what you might need to fit them. Let us explain.
What do 8K, 120Hz, and all those other terms mean to me?
TVs have gone crazy.
Image: Wu Xiaoling / Xinhua via Getty Images
Video games are fun, but nothing is more fun than screen resolutions. Actually, maybe a lot of other things are, but it’s important to know whether you want a PS5 or X Series. There are four different screen resolutions that will come into play:
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1080p – This is probably the maximum resolution your current TV puts out, unless it’s really old or really new. The highest watermark of the “HD” era, 1080p is short for 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high. Compatible with all modern consoles.
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1440p – Sort of a half-step resolution that measures 2560×1440 on a normal screen. Compatible with Xbox Series S.
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4K: On the way to surpassing 1080p as the new standard, 4K generally measures 3840×2160. Compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X.
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8K: The new hotness, measuring 7680×4320. Four times the pixels of 4K, but significantly harder to find and more expensive as a feature in mass market televisions. Compatible with PS5 and Xbox Series X.
It is understood? I hope so because things only get nerdy from here.
In addition to supporting massive resolutions on TVs that you can barely buy right now, both new consoles claim that some games will be able to display at 120 frames per second (FPS). As the name suggests, it is a count of how many frames a video or game can show us in one second. More frames means a smoother and possibly more realistic image. It’s the reason sports and scripted dramas look different on your TV. Most console games run between 30 and 60 FPS, so 120 FPS will be a pretty big jump, even if some people’s eyes won’t really see the difference.
The problem with a big jump in frame rate is that it must be accompanied by a jump in refresh rate. We have a detailed explanation here, but the refresh rate is a measure in Hz of how many times a screen can refresh in one second. If the refresh rate of your TV cannot match the frame rate of a video game, you will get serious visual problems. As such, you’ll need a 120Hz capable TV to get the most out of that aspect of both new consoles.
There’s just one more expensive and hard-to-find TV feature you need to know about if you want to get the most out of your new game console: HDMI 2.1 support.
To play games with 4K resolution and 120 FPS, or in a 8K resolution period, you will need a TV with an HDMI 2.1 port. Yes, there is a new type of HDMI port and cable that you will need to use to get the most advanced images from both new machines. No, you don’t have to – a regular old HDMI port can deliver up to 4K and 60 FPS, which will be more than enough for many people. You’ll still be able to use your old HDMI cables on a 2.1 port, but those can’t transmit data fast enough to produce gigantic resolutions at insanely high frame rates.
In short, the ideal TV for both PS5 and Xbox Series X should support:
Sounds easy enough, right? If you have a few thousand dollars lying around, sure!
For wealthy early adopters
Make sure your new fancy TV matches the color scheme of the PS5.
Truth be told, there aren’t many TVs on the market right now that can do all of those things at once. The PS5 and Xbox Series X can support 8K and 120 FPS games, but most games don’t even run in true 4K at 60 FPS yet. The widespread adoption of these new visualization methods will take some time.
But that’s not what you, the first adopter, want to hear. Money is not a problem for you. You’re willing to pay for the best of the best, even if console games don’t use it for a couple of years. Samsung’s Q800T series will be one of the more “affordable” options starting at $ 2,800 on Amazon. With 8K and 120Hz support, it should be a useful TV in the future.
Sony is marketing its $ 5,999 75-inch XBR Z8H series TV as “PlayStation 5 ready.” Similar to Samsung’s option, the resolution maxes out at 8K and the refresh rate is 120Hz. It is also very large and expensive. With that said, it might as well be free compared to this 88-inch behemoth LG that retails for $ 30,000.
Yes, $ 30,000 for a television. It has all the prerequisites we’ve been talking about and our friends at PCMag said it’s a really good gaming TV. If someone has 30 of the greats out there that they can use on a TV, contact me because I also have a debt that they can take care of.
For everyone else
TCL produces very good budget 4K sets.
Image: zlata ivleva / mashable
Real quick, let’s tackle the Xbox Series S. It costs $ 300, it doesn’t have a disc drive, and it will almost certainly be the best-selling version of the new Xbox console because that $ 200 discount makes a huge difference. It also has lower specs, playing all the same games as the more powerful Series X, but with a maximum resolution of 1440p. It’ll improve things for 4K TVs, but your output won’t look as good as what you’d get from the X Series because games won’t run that way natively.
In simpler terms, this is a version of the new Xbox designed for people who are happy with the televisions they currently have. If you have a 1080p set and the S Series is what you want, you will be fine. There is no need to upgrade to a 4K TV with this specific console.
For the PS5 and X Series, it’s probably wise to get a 4K display as soon as possible. Those new consoles will work on older TVs, but the benefits of 4K and HDR will be lost. PCMag recommends Hisense’s 55H9G Quantum series, which costs $ 650. It “only” maxes out at 4K, but that 120Hz refresh rate might come in handy with these new consoles.
I have a 43-inch TCL 4-Series TV at home and it’s a great 4K set for under $ 300. You can scale up to 55-inches without crossing the $ 500 barrier, getting 4K resolution and a Perfectly adequate 60Hz refresh rate (but may soon be obsolete). I play video games on it exclusively and have no complaints.
Listen, it’s a terrible time for these new consoles to come out and make so many demands on our televisions (and wallets) during an economic downturn. The best measure might be to wait for good deals on both consoles and televisions, be it on Black Friday or even a year from now. But if you have the means and the desire, you can spend road too much money now to make sure you get the best possible PS5 or Xbox Series X experience this fall.
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