The new generation of consoles is finally among us and with it, a real avalanche of doubts and questions. One of the most common questions that we have come across these days has to do with the performance that, for example, the PS5 has when connected to an HDTV from a few years ago. We all know that the ideal is to connect your new console to a 4K display, but how good does it look on a 1080p one? Well, last weekend we decided to do the test and here we tell you a little about our experience.
First of all, it is important to mention that all new generation consoles are compatible with practically any display that has an HDMI input, even with older screens that work at frequencies lower than 60Hz. What I want to tell you with this is that you have nothing to worry about in terms of compatibility.
That said, I’ll tell you that my experiment was carried out with my old 32-inch Sony Bravia, which I bought about 8 years ago and that, to be honest, gave me a fabulous experience during all that time. There was not a single problem connecting the PS5 to said TV. The console automatically took the resolution of 1920×1080 at 30Hz and displayed a beautiful image of the menu on my screen. Next I tried some of the games.
The ray-traced lighting details and reflections in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales still looked amazing. Similarly, things like Demon’s Souls and Sackboy: A big Adventure, presented a beautiful picture. What you do have to take into account is that, for example, in the case of the TV with which I did the test, its frequency is only 30Hz, so seeing Demon’s Souls at 60 frames per second in its Performance Mode is not possible. The image does look a little more fluid than in Cinematic Mode, but due to the limitations of the TV’s hardware, this framerate that I mention cannot be appreciated. To see 60 frames per second you need a 60Hz TV or monitor.
The truth is that I just expected this to be my experience connecting a PS5 to a 1080P television, and I did not consider it necessary to make a note as such about it, but I saw when I shared my impressions on social networks, more than one showed special interest.
In conclusion, I can tell you that if you do not plan to make the jump to 4K yet and want to play PS5, you have absolutely nothing to worry about, other than that of course, you will not be watching games at this 4K resolution. The graphic details are there and very visible on a 1080p TV. What you should consider is the frequency at which your TV or monitor works, because as I told you, if it is below 60Hz, you would also be missing out on the famous 60 frames per second at which some titles run.
Do I recommend buying a PS5 even if you have no immediate plans to get a 4K TV? Yes, of course. I just think that you should also keep in mind that things like image quality and others can vary depending on the model of the TV, as well as its brand, time of use and general condition. I repeat, this experience I am telling you about was on a Sony Bravia LCD from eight years ago in perfect condition.