Gaming Console 101

What is PS4 Pro HDMI Version?

what is PS4 Pro HDMI version featured

While looking at the teraflops, 4K resolution, and 60 FPS and beyond can get certainly get you excited, this can often lead you to overlook the importance of seemingly trivial components.

One such component is HDMI and its version. You see while all HDMI ports may look the same, they can belong to different versions with drastic ramifications for your overall gaming experience.

The importance of HDMI ports first surfaced for console gamers with the advent of PS4 Pro and its counterpart from Xbox. This was the time when gamers started asking questions like what is PS4 Pro HDMI version and why it matters.

Basically, PS4 Pro comes with an HDMI 2.0 port. This is an upgrade to the HDMI 1.4 as found on the Original PS4 and PS4 Slim versions.

As a gamer, you can easily get caught with the glimmer of the more powerful components like the CPU and the GPU, while completely neglecting the smaller details that are equally as important.

In the following text, I will talk in detail about the HDMI port on PS4 and why it matters. But let me first introduce PS4 Pro.

PS4 Pro and What Sets it Apart

PS4 Slim vs PS4 Pro
PS4 Slim (Left) vs PS4 Pro (Right). Source: Sony.com

PS4 Pro was released in 2016, three years AFTER the original PS4 model and it brought with it some serious upgrades.

When we want to gauge the performance or the graphics rendering prowess of a machine, we often look at its teraflops number.

The Original PS4 and the PS4 Slim variants are the same in terms of hardware. They both are rated at 1.84 Teraflops of computation power.

As such, their maximum gaming capabilities were limited to 1080P at 30 FPS.

PS4 Pro, however, has almost twice as many teraflops. It is rated at 4.2 Teraflops. The additional Teraflops brought with it the support for 4K resolution at up to 60 FPS for certain games.

So in short:

  • Original PS4/PS4 Slim: 1.84 Teraflops / 1080P @ 30FPS gaming max
  • PS4 Pro: 4.2 Teraflops / 4K @ 60FPS gaming max

So What is PS4 Pro HDMI Version?

PS4 Pro conforms to HDMI 2.0 version. The original PS4 and the PS4 Slim conform only to HDMI 1.4 version.

Now, why so? and particularly WHY does the PS4 Pro feature an HDMI 2.0?

I answer this below:

HDMI Version and Their Impact on Gaming

You see while HDMI 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 ports may look the same, they are drastically different in terms of much resolution and frame they can carry.

The following table sheds some light on this:

HDMI VersionMax ResolutionRefresh RateHDR
1.21440P1080P = 60Hz
1440P = 30Hz
No
1.3-1.44K (4096 x 2160)1080P = 120Hz
1440P = 60Hz
4K = 30Hz
No
2.04K (4096 x 2160)1080P = 240Hz
1440P = 144Hz
4K = 60Hz
Yes
2.18K (7680 x 4320)1440P = 240Hz
4K = 144Hz
4K = 240Hz (DSC)
8K = 120Hz (DSC)
Yes

You can see here how important a role the HDMI version plays for PS4 Pro.

While the HDMI 1.4 interface is more than capable of supporting the 1080P @ 30 FPS on the original and the Slim PS4 variants. It is NOT sufficient for PS4 Pro.

In order to cater to the 4K @ 60 FPS specs of the PS4 Pro, it has to have an HDMI 2.0 port.

Of course, having an HDMI 2.0 port on PS4 Pro is just half the story.

You Need to Have a 4K @ 60 FPS TV or Monitor

In order to enjoy the 4K @ 60 FPS gaming that PS4 Pro supports, you need to have a TV or a monitor that supports 4K @ 60Hz refresh rate and has an HDMI 2.0 port.

You Need to Have a Premium HDMI Cable

What is PS4 Pro HDMI Version
For PS4 Pro, you will need a Premium HDMI cable.

Like the HDMI ports, the HDMI cables also conform to different versions.

In order to enjoy the benefits of an HDMI 2.0 port, you need to have a Premium High-Speed HDMI cable.

HDMI Cable CertificationSupported SpecsIntended HDMI
Port Version
Standard1080P @ 60Hz1.0-1.3
High SpeedFHD @ 144Hz
QHD @ 60Hz
4K @ 30hz
1.4
Premium High SpeedFHD @ 240Hz
QHD @ 144Hz
4K @ 60Hz
2.0
Ultra High SpeedFHD @ > 240Hz
1440P @ > 240Hz
4K @ 144Hz (240Hz with DSC)
8K @ 120Hz (DSC)
10K @ 120Hz (DSC)
2.1

The average HDMI 1.4 cable or High-Speed cable will bottleneck the entire performance.

Luckily, the PS4 Pro does come bundled with a Premium HDMI 2.0 cable. However, if you wish to replace it or get a longer one, you need to make sure that you get the right HDMI cable.

Also Read: Do You Need a 4K TV for PS4 Pro?

Final Words

Again, while the version of the HDMI port may seem very trivial, it plays a very important role.

Not just the HDMI port, but the cable that would go along with a particular version matters equally.

You do not want to end up building an entire gaming cave only to be bottlenecked by a minor error in not taking the HDMI port version into consideration.

So, the answer to the question “What is PS4 Pro HDMI version?” is HDMI 2.0.

Its weaker and older cousins i.e. the original PS4 and PS4 Slim, only feature an HDMI 1.4 port.

The newer sibling i.e. the PS5, however, features an even further upgraded HDMI 2.1 port that is capable of handling its rated 4K @ 120FPS specs.

Atif Qazi

Atif Qazi is the founder of GamingConsole101.com and a huge gaming nerd. Thanks to the vast gaming experience under his belt, you can often find him writing detailed pieces of content on gaming hardware and console. But in all honesty, nothing gives him more pleasure than 'one-shotting' everyone as a stealth archer in ESO: Skyrim.

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