‘Consoles can’t even go over 60 fps let alone 4K’ is a famous quote among the PC gaming community. They have been trolling console players forever.
Unlike the previous generation, PlayStation 5 is released with the promise of a true 4K experience with 60fps gameplay and other next-gen features such as ray tracing.
Initially, PS5 had limited support for gaming on 4K at 60fps. Therefore rumors spread that the PS5 can’t do 4K 60fps. But gradually, PS5 entered the high-resolution gaming realm and now has a rich list of games that run on 4K at 60fps.
I have accumulated all the information you need to know in this article on PS5 4K gaming.
Let’s have a look!!!
Why Can’t PS5 Do 4K 60FPS?
Playstation 5 can’t run games on native 4K at 60fps primarily due to hardware limitations. Running games on 4K resolution requires a great deal of rasterization power and a huge amount of VRAM. On top of that, ray tracing requires additional high-performant ray tracing cores.
PS5 incorporates a customized hybrid chip. It is also known as the Advanced Processing Unit (APU). This chip possesses dedicated graphics and central processing cores. PS5 GPU is weaker to every extent than a traditional high-end desktop GPU.
However, PS5 upscales games at 4K. It renders the game at a lower resolution, then reconstructs the image at 4K. On the PC side, Nvidia and AMD utilize their own upscaling technology known as DLSS and FSR, respectively.
Despite of PS5 GPU being weaker on paper, recent games and updates allow it to run games at 60FPS on native 4K resolution. PS5 game optimization, rendering games with lower visual effects, enables true 4K in certain games.
Also, check out our separate post on PS5 headset not working.
Can PS5 Do 4K 60FPS with Ray Tracing?
PS5 can play some games at 60FPS on 4K with ray tracing enabled, such as Astro’s Playroom, Ghostrunner, Gran Turismo 7 etc.
When PS5 first came out, it did not support 4K 60FPS gaming with ray tracing enabled. Eventually, game developers started releasing new games with next-gen features. As a result, PS5 now has a rich list of 4K 60FPS ray tracing games.
With ray tracing enabled, games that PS5 can’t play on 4K at 60FPS can be upscaled to 4K. Also known as dynamic 4K resolution.
Dynamic resolution is an effective software trick to maintain the targeted FPS. This technology is applied to keep the game running at a constant 60 fps.
Due to PS5 hardware limitations, it can not run all games at a steady 60fps on 4K. Hence, to maintain the targeted FPS, PS5 lowers the internal resolution from 4K.
Typically, PS5 games that support ray tracing has two modes: Performance/FPS mode and Fidelity/ Quality mode. If you want to enjoy ray tracing, Fidelity/Quality mode needs to be activated. However, some games, such as Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, offer ray tracing in both graphics presets.
Check out our latest post to fix PS5 controller keeps disconnecting from PC.
Is the PS5 True 4k or Upscaled?
Most games played on PS5 are not true 4K but rather upscaled. That doesn’t mean PS5 cannot play games at true or native 4K. PS5 can play a handful of games on true 4K, depending on the graphical intensity.
Games running at 4K take a heavy toll on the PS5 APU. As a result, PS5 struggles to keep up with 4K resolution. Hence it utilizes AI upscaling technology; Provides stable FPS.
Initially, Sony advertised PlayStation 5 to be a 4K capable console. Gradually promised 4K support has been made into the console, with some titles able to upscale at high resolution while others run at native 4K.
There’s a massive argument on the difference in image quality between true 4K and upscaled. But in plain sight, from a usual couch to TV distance, it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference.
Also related to this guide for fastest DNS server for PS5.
Does PS5 Support 120FPS Gaming?
PS5 supports 120 fps for a wide range of games. Especially e-sports titles. Games of other genres also have 120 fps support on PS5.
The hardware inside Playstation 5 is capable of running many games at 120fps on 1080p. However, you may observe occasional dips in fps.
Sony releases old games on new consoles with updated features. And Playstation 5 is also getting the same treatment. Popular games have been remastered and released again for PS5.
These newer titles have two types of graphics preset. One is for stunning visual quality, and another one is for a high refresh rate. The High refresh rate in games on PS5 elevates the gaming experience significantly.
Here is the list of all 120 fps supported games on PS5:
| Game Name | Effective FPS | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Borderlands 3 | 120 | 1080p |
| Black Desert Online | 120 | N/A |
| Bright Memory Infinite | 120 | N/A |
| COD: Black Ops Cold War | 120 | Dynamic |
| COD: Warzone | 120 | Dynamic |
| Centipede Recharged | 120 | Native 4K |
| Destiny 2 | 120 | Dynamic |
| Dirt 5 | 120 | Dynamic |
| Devil May Cry : Special Edition | 120 | 1080p |
| Doom Eternal | 120 | Dynamic |
| Fortnite | 120 | Dynamic |
| Ghostrunner | 120 | N/A |
| Gunborg | 120 | Scalable 4K |
| Jumanji : The Video Game | 120 | Scalable 4K |
| Knockout City | 120 | Dynamic 4K |
| Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom | 120 | Native 4K |
| Nioh Collection | 120 | Dynamic |
| Olli Olli World | 120 | Dynamic |
| Quake | 120 | 4K |
| R6 Siege | 120 | Lower dynamic |
| Resident Evil 2/3/7 | 120 | Lower dynamic |
| Rocket League | 120 | Lower dynamic |
| Rogue Company | 120 | Dynamic 4K |
| The Last of Us Part I / Remake | 120 | Lower |
| The Touryst | 120 | Native 4K |
| Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1/2 | 120 | 1080p |
| Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection | 120 | 1080p |
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Can PS5 Do 4K 120FPS?
Currently, PS5 only supports 3 games to run at 120fps on native 4K. Apart from that, there are quite a few titles that PS5 can run on dynamic 4K resolution at 120fps.
Expecting 120fps on 4K on the latest Playstation console is a little too much due to the hardware constraints. GPU on the PS5 console is roughly equivalent to AMD RX5700XT. Running games on this GPU on 4K is ambitious, let alone targeting 120fps.
Here is the list of games that can support 4K 120FPS:
| Game Name | Effective FPS | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Centipede Recharged | 120 | Native 4K |
| Gunborg | 120 | Scalable 4K |
| Jumanji: The Video Game | 120 | Scalable 4K |
| Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom | 120 | Native 4K |
| Quake | 120 | 4K |
| Rogue Company | 120 | Dynamic 4K |
| The Touryst | 120 | Native 4K |
Check out the easiest way to fix PS5 X button not working.
FAQs
How do I enable 4k 60Hz on PS5?
To enable 4K 60Hz on PS5 you must Power on PS5 > Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Resolution > 3840 x 2160
Is 2160p same as 4K?
Yes. 4K resolution is measured by a width of 3840 pixels and height of 2160 pixels, effectively four times pixel count than standard 1080p or full HD resolution. Therefore, 2160p is known as 4K.
Can PS5 really run 4K 120FPS?
Yes, PS5 supports HDMI 2.1 out of the box. Thus it can output a 4K 120hz video signal.
Bottom Line
PlayStation 5 is the most popular console right now. The Previous generation of the console failed to deliver high-resolution gaming.
Sony promised to deliver a true 4K experience with the release of the PS5. But some rumors in the tech community often mislead people.
After reading this article, I hope all this confusion is gone. If you have any further questions, let me know in the comments.
