When it comes to finding out whether the PS5 can support an 8K resolution, it can be a little tricky to get a straight yes or no.
While the PS5 is compatible with the best 8K TVs or standout HDMI 2.1 monitors, the answer to whether it will run games at 8K is a bit more complex.
What Is 8K?
8K refers to a resolution standard, more specifically, the number of pixels on a screen. Terms such as High-Definition (HD), 4K and 8K are often used to indicate a standard number of pixels.
For example, HD refers to a picture resolution of 1920 x 1080, meaning, there are 1920 rows and 1080 columns of individual pixels, giving the display a total of 2,073,600 pixels on a screen.
4K then doubles both the number of columns rows, providing a resolution of 3840 x 2160, which in total equates to four times the number of total pixels at 8,294,400.
8K then refers to quadruple the amount that 4K offers, with a resolution of 7680 x 4320, providing a total of 33,177,600 pixels on a display.
Are there any currently compatible 8K displays available?
Many of the best 8K TVs that are available do offer must-have features such as VRR and ALLM alongside HDMI 2.1 output to allow for both 4K at 120Hz and 8K at 60Hz.
With 8K monitors however, things are less clear cut. There's only one 8K monitor available at the moment which doesn't feature HDMI 2.1 given it launched back in 2017.
There is the hope that more 8K displays will be launching in 2022 and maybe some of these will have HDMI 2.1 capabilities and be able to work as a brilliant gaming monitor for your PS5 when the 8K feature gets enabled.
Can The PS5 support an 8K resolution?
The simple answer to this question is yes, the PS5 can support 8K, however, it is not that straightforward.
The PS5 currently, has the capability to support games at an 8K resolution and has an HDMI 2.1 slot, allowing you the potential to play games in 8K at 60fps.
While the PS5 has the ability to support 8K gaming, it is currently not available on the console, as Sony has capped the current capabilities at a native 4K.
In the ultimate PS5 FAQ Sony has stated, "PS5 is compatible with 8K displays at launch, and after a future system software update will be able to output resolutions up to 8K when content is available, with supported software."
This suggests that while the PS5 can support 8K, that feature is currently inaccessible.
Do Any Games For PS5 support an 8K resolution?
There is one current title available for PS5 that has the potential to run at 8K, The Touryst, which renders its images at an 8K resolution, and utilises the higher-res quality for processes such as anti-aliasing, which allows for smoother and more natural lines.
Regardless of this however, the images the game renders then have to be downscaled to 4K to then be shown on any TVs or monitors.
As time goes on, it is possible that more games will offer 8K, as long as Sony update the firmware on the PS5 sometime in the future.
When Will PS5 Have 8K?
Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing when Sony will update the firmware to allow for 8K gaming.
While some titles, such as The Touryst already have the potential to run at 8K and 60fps, it may be sometime before we see Sony unlock this feature.
The stipulation Sony looks to have provided concerns the availability of 8K content. It would therefore appear that there needs to be a wider spread of games and other media that can run at 8K for Sony to allow the unlocking of the feature on the PS5.
Of course, once Sony has updated the system to allow this feature, you won't be able to experience the next level of gaming without an exceptional 8K TV to match.