Between Black Friday sales and launch of new consoles, everyone is talking about buying a new TV this year. It seems like everyone, including our own WIRED reviewers, exalts the virtues of modern panels when combined with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. But do you really need a new TV, and if so, what about these new, so special screens?
If you don’t have a 4K HDR TV, you’ll lose a lot
In recent years, television technology has been in transition with two major improvements in image quality: 4K and HDR. Without being too technical, they can improve the sharpness, color, and overall “pop” of the TV image, and both the PS5 and Xbox Series X are ready to make the most of these technologies. If you’re still using an older 1080p set, the new consoles will still contain some improvements (see below), but they’ll look like more incremental updates if you don’t have a relatively recent set.
Technically, the latest generation mid-cycle upgrades, the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, also made use of 4K and HDR, though the Xbox Series X takes it even further with its Auto HDR feature that add these brilliant looks to the Xbox compatible with the previous Xbox 360 version and Xbox One games. The disk-based versions of both consoles also contain 4K Blu-ray players, which is a good added value if you have a compatible TV.
A smoother game and faster charging times will benefit any TV
That doesn’t mean it’s these new consoles completely about new television technology. The more rugged hardware of the PS5 and Xbox Series X can play many games at higher frame rates, which means you’ll get smoother motion and more sensitive controls, regardless of the TV you use, even if it’s of an older 1080p set. Some gamers may not realize or care about the added smoothness, but I think 60 frames per second is a big improvement over the latest generation 30 fps game. (Some next-generation games will even have options to play at 120 frames per second, which may require a newer TV).
In addition, both consoles have added features that have nothing to do with your TV, such as the Xbox Quick Resume feature, or the improved PS5 haptic and 3D audio for headphones. Both consoles also have super fast SSDs, which means charging times will be very fast compared to the Xbox One and PS4. These features are nice, even on old or cheap TVs.
HDMI 2.1 features are good, but no urgent updates
Finally, if you’ve seen any TV buying guides this year, you’ll notice that “HDMI 2.1” is mentioned as a gaming feature to look at if you plan to buy a PS5 or Xbox Series X. HDMI 2.1, introduced in 2019, adds some Useful game features:
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Variable Update Percentage (VRR) allows the TV to “sync” the number of times it is updated per second to the number of frames the console emits. This can reduce screen tearing and certain types of motion stuttering. Note that the Xbox Series X may use a less powerful version of VRR called FreeSync on certain Samsung and LG TVs that do not have HDMI 2.1.
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Low automatic latency mode (ALLM) automatically puts the TV in game mode when it detects a game signal. This, along with HDMI 2.1 Fast frame transport (QFT), you can reduce the input delay without having to manually activate the game mode each time you turn on the previous PlayStation.
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Enhanced Audio Return Channel (ARC) allows the TV to send higher quality audio to a receiver or soundbar. This isn’t a game-specific feature, but it’s useful if you want to stream Dolby Atmos via TV (the PS5 only supports Atmos for Blu-ray Discs, while the Xbox Series X supports it in some games).