The immersive experience delivered by any gaming console, including PS4, relies not just on its internal hardware but also on the display and how interfaces with the display.
The seemingly unimportant HDMI cable actually plays a very significant role in the overall display delivery mode and hence it is important that you understand the PS4 HDMI cable specs.
This is because like the HDMI ports, while all HDMI cables may look the same, they vastly differ in terms of the BANDWIDTH they can carry.
Bandwidth essentially determines how much resolution or refresh rate can be carried over from the gaming console to the display.
Basically, the original PS4 and PS4 Slim features HDMI 1.4, and the PS4 Pro feature HDMI 2.0. As such the former two require a High-Speed HDMI cable, whereas the PS4 Pro requires a Premium HDMI cable.
Essentially, more robust HDMI ports require a more robust cable to go along with them
Understanding the specifics of these cables will pave the way for an optimized and maximized gaming experience.
HDMI on PS4 and Its Different Versions
All PS4 variants offer a single HDMI port.
PS4 variants do not offer DisplayPort or analog ports (unlike on their older PS3 cousins).
However, it should be noted that while all HDMI ports look the same, different PS4 models have different version of HDMI ports. These are summarized as below:
- Original PS4: HDMI 1.4
- PS4 Slim: HDMI 1.4
- PS4 Pro: HDMI 2.0
You can see here that the version of the HDMI port correlates with the overall performance capability of the console. Meaning, the more powerful a console, the newer the HDMI port it offers.
Now the version of the HDMI port holds serious implications. Have a look at the table below:
HDMI Version | Max Resolution | Refresh Rate | HDR |
---|---|---|---|
1.2 | 1440P | 1080P = 60Hz 1440P = 30Hz | No |
1.3-1.4 | 4K (4096 x 2160) | 1080P = 120Hz 1440P = 60Hz 4K = 30Hz | No |
2.0 | 4K (4096 x 2160) | 1080P = 240Hz 1440P = 144Hz 4K = 60Hz | Yes |
2.1 | 8K (7680 x 4320) | 1440P = 240Hz 4K = 144Hz 4K = 240Hz (DSC) 8K = 120Hz (DSC) | Yes |
You can see here how HDMI 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 differ in terms of the maximum resolution and frame rate they can support.
Since PS4 Pro is designed to support a maximum of 4K @ 60 FPS (albeit very rarely do games work in this mode), it naturally features an HDMI 2.0 port.
The original PS4 and the PS4 Slim are not capable enough in terms of performance. These are rated only to work at 1080 and 30 FPS.
To put things in perspective, the original PS4 and PS4 Slim have a graphics computational power of 1.84 Teraflops. The PS4 Por has graphics computation power of a whopping 4.2 Teraflops.
Hence, having an HDMI 1.4 port on PS4 Pro would actually have been a bottleneck.
Also Read: Does PS4 Come with an HDMI Cable?
PS4 HDMI Cable Specs
Now just as the HDMI ports conform to different versions, so do the HDMI cables that connect these ports to the displays.
The following table shows the different HDMI cables and their specs:
HDMI Cable Certification | Supported Specs | Intended HDMI Port Version |
---|---|---|
Standard | 1080P @ 60Hz | 1.0-1.3 |
High Speed | FHD @ 144Hz QHD @ 60Hz 4K @ 30hz | 1.4 |
Premium High Speed | FHD @ 240Hz QHD @ 144Hz 4K @ 60Hz | 2.0 |
Ultra High Speed | FHD @ > 240Hz 1440P @ > 240Hz 4K @ 144Hz (240Hz with DSC) 8K @ 120Hz (DSC) 10K @ 120Hz (DSC) | 2.1 |
So from the table above we can deduce the following PS4 HDMI cable specs for different PS4 variants:
- Original PS4 / PS4 Slim: Require a High Speed HDMI Cable since they have an HDMI 1.4 port.
- PS4 Pro: Requires a Premium High Speed HDMI Cable since it has an HDMI 2.0 port.
Why the Specs and the Right HDMI Cable Matters

The reason why having the right HDMI cable matters is that you do not want the HDMI cable to be the bottleneck for the performance of your console.
For instance, if you connect a PS4 Pro, which has an HDMI 2.0 port, to a display that also has an HDMI 2.0 port but with an older High Speed (HDMI 1.4) cable, then your overall display mode will be bottlenecked to 4K @ 30 Hz only.
Meaning you will NOT be able to utilize the full potential of 4K @ 60 FPS game mode on the PS4.
The same goes if you were to connect the original PS4 and PS4 Slim to an HDMI 1.4 TV/monitor but with a Standard (HDMI 1.0) cable.
The Display Must Also Have the Right HDMI Port Version
It should also be noted here that the version of the HDMI port on the display should also match that of the PS4.
This is because if you have a PS4 Pro with an HDMI 2.0 port but if you were to connect it to a TV or a monitor that only has an HDMI 1.4 port, then the display modes will be restricted only to those of the lower of the two i.e HDMI 1.4.
In this case, you would not benefit from the Premium High Speed (HDMI 2.0) cable. The High Speed (HDMI 1.4) cable would suffice.
Also Read: How to Connect PS4 to PC with HDMI?
Check For Labels for Premium High-Speed Cable
The Standard HDMI Cable (aka HDMI 1.0) cables have more or less gone extinct.
The vast majority of the HDMI cables you find out there belong to HDMI 1.4 specs.

But when buying the Premium HDMI cable (or Ultra High-Speed Cable) you have to be very careful.
You do not want to end up buying knock-off cables that market themselves as being Premium HDMI cables but are only rated at HDMI 1.4 specs.
To avoid this, look for certified labels from HDMI.org on the box as well as for the holographic label and QR code.
Final Words
For your gaming interface, every bit of the hardware specifications matters. And while the specs of the HDMI cable may seem trivial for PS4, it matters and this is particularly true for the more powerful PS4 Pro variant.
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