More than a year after its release, the Sony PlayStation 5 remains an elusive item to find on the open market. If you've persevered (or just got lucky) and managed to get your hands on the popular console, you might well be using it with a big-screen TV. And that's just fine for plenty of gamers.
But maybe you're strapped for space for a giant screen, or like to play fast-twitch, competitive PS5 games at high refresh rates. In those cases, you'll need a proper gaming monitor to match. Accessories like extra PS5 storage are helpful, sure—especially if you play epic titles like Call of Duty: Warzone. But one of the best outright upgrades you can make to your console-gaming and content-viewing experience is a better display.
The thing is, the PlayStation 5 has a specific set of resolutions and refresh rates that it supports. So you need to know the nuances of its video output to figure out which monitors will serve your PS5 well and which would just be overkill. Let's break down the details.
What Resolutions Will the PS5 Run At?
First up, there's screen resolution. Currently, the PlayStation 5 supports only two of the most popular gaming monitor resolutions: 1,920 by 1,080 pixels (a.k.a. full HD or 1080p) and 3,840 by 2,160 pixels (a.k.a. 4K or UHD). The console technically also supports 8K output, but anyone expecting an 8K gaming experience (or even a robust 4K one) is vastly overestimating just how much gaming power is under the PS5's hood. As of this writing (April 2022), anything relating to the unit's 8K video playback or gaming capabilities is locked down by the system's firmware.
Another resolution, 2,560 by 1,440 pixels or 1440p, is popular with PC gamers but not an option for the PS5, despite many developers' claims that activating it should be as easy as changing a setting. The middle resolution has become a sweet spot for many serious single-player gamers on PCs, who want more pixel density than 1080p while retaining the responsiveness that only resolutions below 4K can deliver in competitive esports. At least for now, though, forget it: no 1440p support from Sony.
That's why all of our monitor picks, at least this year, fall into just two resolution categories. Microsoft Xbox consoles, meanwhile, support a host of resolutions depending on the model and task. Here's a glance at how that particular messy mix shakes out...
By contrast, the PS5 keeps it real simple: 1080p or 4K, period (with 8K perhaps, in theory, someday).
Considering that games like Fortnite have been optimized to run at up to 120 frames per second (fps) at 1080p resolution on certain Xbox consoles, players of that and similar titles may want to look at monitors that regularly hit refresh rates (that is, screen redraws per second) of at least 120Hz or above. But there's some PS5-specific nuance there, too. So let's get into that key issue next.
Refresh Rate: Why Screen Speed Matters
The PlayStation 5 supports different resolutions and refresh rates, including a refresh rate of up to 120Hz at either 1080p or 4K resolution (output from the PS5). The thing is, only a few games can actually run at frame rates as high as 120fps at 4K, and not as many as you'd think can even manage it at 1080p.
With the PS5, support for refresh rates above 60Hz is game-dependent, and by no means consistent. Here's a list as of April 2022, courtesy of PlayStation Universe, of PS5 titles that offer 120Hz gameplay(Opens in a new window), with special notes for those that will render the game at customized resolutions under 1080p depending on the developer's limits:
Borderlands 3 (at 1080p)
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (at lower resolution)
Call of Duty: Vanguard (at lower resolution)
Call of Duty: Warzone (at lower dynamic resolution)
Centipede Recharged (at native 4K)
Destiny 2 (at lower resolution, specifically in Crucible matches)
Devil May Cry V: Special Edition (at 1080p)
Dirt 5 (at lower resolution)
Doom Eternal (at 1584p)
Fortnite (at lower resolution)
Ghostrunner (at lower resolution)
Gunborg (at scalable 4K)
Jumanji: The Video Game (at scalable 4K)
Knockout City (at dynamic 4K)
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (at native 4K)
Nioh 1, Nioh 2, and their DLC (at lower resolution)
Olli Olli World (at lower resolution)
Quake (at 4K)
Rainbow Six Siege (at lower resolution)
Rocket League (at lower dynamic resolution)
Rogue Company (at dynamic 4K)
The Touryst (at native 4K)
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (at 1080p)
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (at 1080p)
WRC 9 (in Performance Mode)
As you can see, 120Hz support can vary by resolution or even by in-game mode of play.
Most gaming monitors fall into one of the following maximum-refresh-rate tiers: 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, 165Hz, 200Hz, 240Hz, or 360Hz. If you plan to play only on your PS5 (that is, without any PC gaming in your future), choosing a display that tops out at either 120Hz or 144Hz is good enough; beyond that, you could be paying for higher refresh rates you'll never see on screen.
Display Cables (Can) Matter Connecting Your PS5
Next, a small detour to talk about cables. While previous consoles usually maxed out at the HDMI 2.0 level, both the PlayStation 5 and the latest version of the Xbox Series X support HDMI 2.1.
Our primer on the current state of HDMI 2.1 will give you a deeper understanding of why this is a crucial distinction. The HDMI 2.1 spec supports up to 120fps at either 1080p or 1440p resolution. However, if you're trying to play PS5 games at 120fps in 4K, you'll need a 4K monitor that's compatible with the HDMI 2.1 spec and that supports that refresh rate at that resolution. You'll also need an HDMI 2.1-compatible cable, dubbed an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. (More about that at the link above.)
Monitors with HDMI 2.1 support, 4K resolution, and 120Hz or higher refresh are pretty scarce at this writing, though we've tested one, the MSI Optix MPG321UR-QD.
What Are VRR and ALLM? (Hint: It's Sony Keeping You Competitive)
Finally, just in the past month, Sony has delivered firmware updates for the PS5 that enable two critical features if you take competitive gaming seriously: variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM).
VRR is the console version of Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync, two technologies that sync the graphics processing unit (GPU) with the display. For games like Fortnite that might exceed 60fps or 120fps at times, VRR makes sure that the game frames are synchronized with the timing of your monitor's screen redraws, reducing screen artifacts and an issue known as screen tearing. With tearing, partial images from two different screen draws misalign with one another during action sequences. VRR keeps your image clean from tears and visual stutters during fast motion.
ALLM, meanwhile, helps reduce the input latency between your console and display. Input latency affects how long it takes for an action such as a button press to be reflected on screen. The lower the number, the more quickly you'll be able to react to what your character does in response to your inputs.
Look for monitors that support these features. Several of the models we've listed in our roundup will have VRR, ALLM, or both buried somewhere in their settings for you to turn on and take advantage of during high-intensity multiplayer battles. Because these features are new for the PS5, we did not address them at the time the monitors were reviewed, but you should look for them on the spec sheets of any displays you may be considering.
So, What Is the Best Monitor for PS5?
Ready to make your PS5-centric pick? Above and below, we've provided a guide to some of the best gaming monitors we've tested that are a good fit for the latest Sony console. Keep in mind that a few high-refresh-rate 4K displays are compatible only with DisplayPort 1.4b connections (which is to say, with PCs only), though they'll support ordinary HDMI for PlayStation 5 use at 60Hz. (We've included them in the event you want to connect to either a PS5 or a high-powered gaming PC.) With that out of the way, let's dive into the list. (Plus, you might want to check out our favorite PS5 games to snag.)
