Buying a gaming console for the first time can be an intimidating decision with so many choices in the market available. You might be wondering about the requirements for PS5 and what all you need to start your gaming sessions. Worry not; we got your back in this. Here’s everything you need to know when buying a gaming console for the first time.
The list of requirements for PS5 is as follows:
- Display, i.e., a TV or a monitor with an HDMI port and display resolution of 720p, 1080p, or 4K.
- DualSense Controller.
- Your favorite game.
- PlayStation 5 console itself.
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Getting started with PlayStation 5 is easy but can quickly become daunting when presented with so many choices at once. In this article, we will keep it plain and simple so that you are ready to go in no time with your PlayStation 5 experience. We have provided you with all the details and links you need to get your PS5 setup and ready for the gaming session. Let’s jump right in.
A display to play your PS5 games on.
What type of TV do you need for PS5?
If you’re planning on getting a PlayStation 5, then you’ll want to make sure that you have a compatible television set so that you can enjoy the best possible gaming quality with your PS5. We will keep it simple, so lets’ break it down into three significant aspects to look at in a display, i.e., Resolution, Refresh Rate, and HDR support.
- Resolution: Your TV must have a display resolution supported by PlayStation 5 to enjoy the best possible experience. Following are the supported resolution by PS5: 720p, 1080i, 1080p, and 2160p(4K). We recommend getting a 4K TV as the picture quality is much sharper than 1080p TV. PS5 is also compatible with 8K displays. 8K will be made available on PS5 when much more content is available in the 8K format. For now, we recommend that you get yourself a TV with 4K resolution.
- Refresh Rate: PS5 also supports games with 120 FPS. This translates into a much smoother gaming experience, especially in fast-paced games. Therefore, if possible, get a TV with a panel having a refresh rate of more than 120hz
- HDR support: PlayStation 5 console also supports HDR10. Short for High Dynamic Range (HDR) attempts to produce images that look like they were captured under natural lighting conditions rather than artificial ones. It means you see a more comprehensive range of colors and tones when looking at different light and dark shades. You will see the difference yourself once you start gaming with HDR10. We highly recommend that you do yourself a favor and get a TV with HDR10 support.
We handpicked the following TVs for you, and you can choose whichever TV you want and start your PlayStation journey with the best experience.
If you need help connecting your PS5 to your TV and want to know the best settings you can enable with your PS5, you can follow our complete guide at How To Connect PS5 To TV? Best settings explained.
Can you use Monitor with PS5?
Of course, you can use your PlayStation 5 console with your monitor as long as the monitor has a free HDMI port to connect your PS5. You can follow the same recommendation regarding the resolution, refresh rates, and HDR support as described above.
One central point to note here is that PS5 currently doesn’t support 1440p resolution. So if you have a monitor with 1440p, then even if you set your PS5 resolution to 4K, the console automatically downscales the image to 1080p resolution. Then the display will try to upscale that image to 1440p. Which you might have guessed doesn’t look that good. Therefore, if you have a 1440p monitor or plan to buy one, you may consider purchasing a monitor with a 4K resolution. Sony might change this with a future update and may enable support for 1440p resolution as well. Till then, we recommend you better stick to a 4K or 1080p monitor.
The audio output is another point to give attention to when using a monitor with your PlayStation 5 console. Monitor that you may be interested in may or may not come with in-built speakers. If the monitor has inbuilt speakers, all is fine, but if it doesn’t, you are left with two options:
- Use the audio-out Port on your monitor.
- Use headsets with your PS5 DualSense controller.
You can read in detail how to get sound from your PS5 connected to a monitor at the following link: How To Connect PS5 To Monitor?
DualSense Controller with you can play games.
When you buy a PlayStation 5 controller, you are provided with one DualSense controller to play games on your console. That is enough for you to enjoy all the games on your PS5. You can read which accessories come with your PS5 at the following link: Which PS5 accessories are included in the box? Here’s the full list. We recommend you get yourself one extra DualSense controller so that when your friends come over to play some multiplayer titles such as Mortal Kombat, you don’t disappoint them.
Your favorite game to play on PS5.
PlayStation 5 comes pre-installed with Astro’s Playroom, which will give you the taste of what to expect from your PlayStation 5 console and make you familiar with all the features of the DualSense controller. But let’s be honest, you are setting up your PlayStation to play the best available games, and therefore be sure to pick up the games you like the most. We recommend that you start with some of the best games that PS5 has to offer, such as God of War.
The PlayStation 5 console itself.
You will require a PS5 console to play PS5 games; this is an obvious one. The PlayStation 5 consoles also come in two editions one is PS5 Standard Edition and PS5 Digital Edition. Choosing one or the other can be a daunting task initially. Still, we have compared the two editions in detail at PS5 Standard VS Digital Edition. Buy PS5 with a disc drive or save money? You can look at both versions and decide which one would be the best for you according to your preferences.
To further enhance your PS5 gaming experience, in the following article we have also listed the top 5 essential accessories for your PS5 console and their associated costs.
Frequently Asked Question regarding requirements for PS5
Does PS5 require a 4K TV or a 4K Monitor?
PS5 doesn’t compulsorily require your TV to have 4K resolution, HDR10, or 120Hz refresh rate. You can even buy a TV with 1080p resolution and play games with PS5 on it. But if you hook up your PS5 with TV having 4K resolution, 120hz or more refresh rate with HDR10 support, you can experience PlayStation 5 games up to their max potential.
4K TV is unnecessary for playing games with PS5, but it can immediately enhance your gaming experience. So if possible, we recommend that you invest in a good 4K TV to enjoy the latest and the most incredible visual experience with your PS5. You can also read Sony’s exhaustive list of FAQs about the PlayStation 5 at PS5: The Ultimate FAQ.
