Next-gen is here and you are looking to get the highest resolution and refresh rates combinations possible with your ASTRO HDMI Adapter for PlayStation 5, or you are connecting with a PC or Xbox Series X. This guide covers what you need to know to ensure you are getting optimal video output when using the ASTRO HDMI Adapter.
Before we get started, an important note about the PlayStation 5’s supported resolutions and refresh rates: Sony states the supported resolutions are 720p, 1080i, 1080p, and 2160p (4K) in their Ultimate PS5 FAQ. As of this writing, 1440p (2K) is not a supported output by the console and games running at 4K resolution are limited to 60 Hz refresh rates, even though the PS5 does support HDMI 2.1 and 4K at 120 Hz content. Additionally, the PS5 games themselves must support higher refresh rates and settings will need to be changed in-game and in the PlayStation system menus in order to unlock them.
Your resolution and refresh rate will be limited by the lowest version HDMI device in your video chain. This means that if you are using any device or cable less than HDMI 2.0b you will be capped at the HDMI rating of that device. For example if you are connecting with a cable rated for HDMI 1.3 then you will be limited to HDMI 1.3 capabilities.
The current PS5 titles supporting 120 Hz refresh rates are:
- Borderlands 3 (PS5, not PS4 version)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (PS5, not PS4 version)
- Destiny 2 (PS5, not PS4 version)
- Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition (PS5, not PS4 version)
- DIRT 5 (PS5, not PS4 version)
- Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PS5, not PS4 version)
- The Nioh Collection (PS5, not PS4 version)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (PS5, not PS4 version)
The ASTRO HDMI Adapter for PlayStation 5 is HDMI 2.0b certified and both the adapter and included HDMI cable are capable of up to 14.4 Gbit/s data throughput. This chart breaks down exactly what that means for supported resolutions and frame rates:
Taking into account what is possible on the PlayStation 5 today, here are the resolutions and frame rates you can expect to be supported with the ASTRO HDMI Adapter.
- 720p / 120 Hz
- 1080p / 120 Hz
- 4k / 60 Hz
On PC or Xbox Series X|S, these are the theoretical output options assuming the rest of your equipment and settings are all up to spec (more details in the checklist further below).
- 720p / 120 Hz
- 1080p / 240 Hz
- 1440p / 144 Hz
- 4k / 60 Hz
We have tested and confirmed that the above HDMI 2.0b resolutions and refresh rates are supported by the ASTRO HDMI Adapter. Again, the key being ensuring that the rest of your equipment — your cables, your ports, your gaming system / motherboard (and the game itself) support your desired resolution / refresh rate combination.
If you are unable to select a refresh rate higher than 60 Hz, you are experiencing flickering video, or your screen is black when selecting one of the above supported resolutions or refresh rates then it is very likely one or more situations in the below checklist applies to you and needs to be resolved:
- Are you running the PS4 or the PS5 version of your game? The PS4 version seems to be the default even when you have the PS5 version installed. To check: in the PlayStation 5 menu, select [your game] and press the Options button. Select “Game Version” from the menu, and set it to the PS5 version of the game if it is not already.
- Are you using an HDMI 2.0b or above HDMI cable for BOTH the output from your game system and the output from your HDMI Adapter? The HDMI cable included with the ASTRO HDMI Adapter supports the HDMI 2.0b specifications and the cable included with the PlayStation 5 supports HDMI 2.1.
- Do all of the other components in your HDMI chain also support HDMI 2.0b or above? For example, if you are connecting with an A/V receiver or a capture card they will need to support HDMI 2.0b and 120 Hz as well.
- Are you connecting with the correct HDMI port on your TV or monitor? Most TVs and displays only have one or two HDMI ports that support HDMI 2.0 or high bandwidth connections needed for 120+ Hz refresh rates.
- Does your display support high refresh rates over HDMI? Many monitors only support 4K resolution or high refresh rates over their DisplayPort connections.
- Are you using HDCP certified HDMI cables? Some cables are not certified for HDCP and result in a black screen when connected to your console.
- Are your in-game and system settings configured for 120 Hz refresh rates? At this time, only certain games support higher refresh rates on PlayStation 5 and require both in-game and console system settings to be configured to enable 120 Hz. Settings such as Ray Tracing and HDR will likely need to be disabled in order to achieve 120 Hz on your console. See how to enable this for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on PS5.
One final note about HDR. HDR10 requires even higher bandwidth and can further limit the maximum refresh rate that is possible with an HDMI 2.0b connection, so if your goal is maximum frames then HDR will likely need to be disabled as well.
Because it is worth repeating: Your resolution and refresh rate will be limited by the lowest version HDMI device in your video chain. This means that if you are using any device or cable less than HDMI 2.0b you will be capped at the HDMI rating of that device. For example if you are connecting with a cable rated for HDMI 1.3 then you will be limited to the HDMI 1.3 capabilities.
