When compared to legacy consoles, it’s incredible how far the PlayStation 5 is ahead of its predecessors.
One of the biggest draws of this console generation was the additional processing power and graphical fidelity afforded by the latest advances in hardware, and nowhere is it more obvious than in the phenomenal visuals on Sony’s flagship console.
For a long time, one notable absence was the ability to output in 1440p HDMI, a resolution commonly used by monitors rather than TVs. Microsoft’s competing consoles, the Xbox Series X/S, are able to output in native 1440p, so many users questioned why Sony’s latest console didn’t arrive with the ability packaged in.
Players who use monitors have been asking Sony for 1440p support since the console’s release, and it seems like the company has finally heard them.
Can I output in 1440p on the PlayStation 5?
1440p HDMI is an available output on the PlayStation 5, but only for select PS5 beta participants. A recent beta software update included the ability to output to 1440p as well as the ability to scale down games that output in 4K to 1440p and a way to test whether your TV or monitor supports 1440p within the console’s settings.
The option just arrived to a handful of beta participants in the US, Canada, Japan, the UK, Germany, and France, so it likely won’t be available to all users for at least a little while longer. Its presence in the beta means that it should be coming to all PS5 owners eventually barring a huge change, so it’s only a matter of time before monitor enthusiasts will be able to enhance their resolution options while they play.
The story of 1440p on the PlayStation 5
For a while, fans weren’t sure if they’d ever get 1440p support on the PS5. Shortly before the console was released, PlayStation EVP of hardware engineering and operation Masayasu Ito and senior vice president of platform experience Hideaki Nishino gave a Japanese-language interview that revealed more of the company’s thoughts behind 1440p. In the interview, Ito said there wouldn’t be many technical issues in bringing 1440p to the PS5, as evidenced by its appearance in the recent beta.
In a Eurogamer article from 2020, Sony revealed that they wanted to focus on support for TVs rather than PC monitors, so not including 1440p initially appears to have been a conscious decision on the part of the design team.
