If PC gamers had the choice, they would use DisplayPort over HDMI seven times out of 10. Don’t quote us on the number, but you get the point.
The bandwidth prowess and other technical aspects of relaying audio-video via DisplayPort are marginally yet meaningfully better than HDMI.
But the VESA video interface is not as standard as the ubiquitous HDMI.
DisplayPort has its space in the computers and gaming monitors space, but it hasn’t made a dent in the entertainment hardware segment as its creators would have hoped for.
HDMI is still the uncrowned champion.
So, is DisplayPort available on PlayStations? If yes, is it there on all versions of Sony’s revered gaming console? If not, why not?
Let’s find out.
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Which PS Versions Have DisplayPort?
The PlayStation debuted in 1994 as just “PlayStation”. The next version, the PS One, was released in 2000. PlayStation 2 was also released in the same year.
PlayStation 2 Slim happened in 2004. Sony unveiled the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 3 Slim in 2006 and 2009.
The 2010s saw the:
- PlayStation 3 Super Slim (2012)
- PlayStation 4 (2013)
- PlayStation 4 Slim (2016)
- PlayStation 4 Pro (2016), and
- PlayStation Classic (2018)
The latest release, the 2020 offering, is the PlayStation 5.
Unfortunately, for DisplayPort fans, none of these PlayStation models come with DisplayPort.
VESA launched DisplayPort in 2006. It’s, therefore, obvious knowledge that PlayStations released before the PlayStation 3 didn’t have the audio-video interface.
Also, PlayStation 3 was released in the same year as DisplayPort 1.0 — November 2006 and May 2006, respectively.
Therefore, the console not sporting VESA’s digital display interface is comprehensible since PS3’s design and production would have been in the works several months before its official launch.
With the PS 3 Slim and later models, Sony had all the time it needed to incorporate DisplayPort into its devices. But it chose not to do so.
The reasons why that was and is still so are elaborated on later in this article.
Does the PS5 Have a DisplayPort?
To reiterate, the PS5 doesn’t have DisplayPort. It uses HDMI 2.1 instead, which is cutting-edge or comparable to the latest DisplayPort standard.
If you wonder why the gaming console uses HDMI instead of DisplayPort, it’s not that difficult to understand why.
HDMI is a lot more commonly used or widespread audio-video interface. Televisions, for instance, almost always come with an HDMI port as their default audio-video digital interface.
A TV may have DisplayPort, but the particular interface is pretty much never the primary port or used in place of HDMI.
PlayStation users invariably hook up their gaming consoles to their TVs and not external monitors since the former comes in much larger sizes.
For the large-screen gaming experience, TV is the next best option after projectors.
There could be a minor section of gamers who may use external monitors instead.
But because that cohort is relatively minuscule, it’s not worth the money and design effort for Sony and other console manufacturers to throw in a DisplayPort interface in their products.
The Xbox Doesn’t Use DisplayPort Too
The Xbox doesn’t use DisplayPort either.
So if you thought you could switch consoles to get the taste of some native DisplayPort gaming experience, you’re out of luck with the Microsoft Xbox as well.
If you’re curious, the latest Xboxes, the Xbox Series S and Series X, use HDMI 2.1 for wired connectivity, which does 4K at 120 Hz refresh.
Long story short, whether it’s Xbox or PlayStation, you can connect them to an external monitor through HDMI alone.
To use the DisplayPort on your monitor, you’ll need an active adapter/converter—more on that below.
Can You Connect a PS4 Using DisplayPort?
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You can connect a PS4 or any PlayStation console using HDMI to DisplayPort adapters.
For instance, if you want to connect your PS4 to your monitor that only has DisplayPort or you’d like to use the VESA digital interface standard for your gaming sessions, you could use HDMI to DisplayPort active adapters, such as the following:
- UPTab HDMI to DisplayPort 4K 60 Hz Active Adapter
- Ferrisa 4K@60Hz HDMI to DisplayPort Cable Adapter/Converter
- Tripp Lite HDMI to DisplayPort Active Converter
Last update on 2023-09-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Kindly note, the adapters mentioned above would not be able to do the greater bandwidth or high data transmissions your monitor’s DisplayPort could be capable of.
That’s because the HDMI standard these adapters use tops out at HDMI 2.0, which is a generation behind DisplayPort 1.4, which the latest computer monitors come equipped with.
DisplayPort is Backward-Compatible
An HDMI to DisplayPort cable won’t work. If you use the cord alone to connect your PlayStation and monitor, you’ll get the “no signal” prompt on your monitor.
However, connecting a laptop with DisplayPort to an external monitor with HDMI would work fine because DP is “powered”.
In essence, you cannot bypass the active adapter in your PlayStation-to-external-monitor setup if you’d like to use the monitor’s DisplayPort.
Important!
When looking for an HDMI to DisplayPort adapter, ensure you get the direction right.
Make sure the adapter directly plugs into your PlayStation’s HDMI port and not your monitor’s DisplayPort.
In other words, the following adapters will not work or are akin to using an HDMI to DisplayPort cable:
- Plugable Active DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter
- No products found.
- Benfei Active DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter
The above adapters help connect your DisplayPort-equipped laptop to a TV, projector, or monitor that only has HDMI ports.
How to Connect a PS4, PS5 to a DisplayPort Monitor?
As mentioned above, you can connect a PS4 or PS5 to a DisplayPort monitor. You’ll need an active adapter that serves as the bridge between your gaming console and the monitor.
Connecting a PS4, PS5 to a DisplayPort Monitor Using an Active Adapter
The following are the steps to connect your PlayStation to a DisplayPort-equipped monitor:
- Plug the male HDMI side of the adapter into your PS4/5.
- To activate the adapter, plug its short USB cable attachment into the USB port of your gaming console.
- Next, grab a DisplayPort-to-DisplayPort cable and plug one of its ends into the female DP port of the adapter and the other end into your monitor’s DisplayPort.
If you do not already have a DisplayPort-to-DisplayPort cable, listed below are some great cables:
-
- Capshi VESA Certified DisplayPort Cable 1.4
- Amazon Basics 8K DisplayPort to DisplayPort 1.4 Cable
- Snowkids 8K DisplayPort Cable 1.4
Last update on 2023-09-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Since DP 1.4 is the latest and most widely available standard (December 2021), look for wires supporting the recent DP version.
Taking Care of the Audio Side of Things
The PS4 came with an audio port, which enabled plugging your standalone speakers directly into the device for a wholesome gaming experience.
The PS5 doesn’t come with the audio port, however. It relies on the speakers of the output device it’s connected to, such as your TV or monitor.
If your monitor has built-in speakers, you need not do anything else besides establish the connection between your PlayStation and monitor.
You can do that directly through an HDMI-to-HDMI cable or via the adapter since both HDMI and DisplayPort can simultaneously carry audio and video signals.
If, however, your monitor doesn’t come with integrated speakers, or they are not good enough, and you’d like to hook up external speakers, use the audio-out port on your monitor to hook it up with third-party speakers.
If you’re not a fan of speakers and would like to use your headphones instead, plug them into the 3.5mm audio jack on your PlayStation console or controller.
Both the PS4 and PS5 come with audio jack support.
FAQs
1. Is HDMI the only output for PS4?
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Despite its smaller, more compact form-factor than the previous PlayStation, there’s no shortage of ports on the PS4. However, for signal output, it only provides HDMI. There is no support for composite or component cables, unlike the previous versions of the console.
The other output port is an optical audio port to hook up your external stereo system to the console.
2. Will future PlayStation releases have DisplayPort?
Sony has never had DisplayPort incorporated into its PlayStation consoles, and it’s improbable that that will change in the future.
Because HDMI is more widespread, it is a standard feature on TVs. Even though HDMI lacks technical capabilities compared to the VESA interface, it doesn’t trail DP so badly that the gaming experience between the two is night and day.
It’s, in fact, safe to assume DisplayPort is on its way out — at least in the case of PlayStation, Xbox, and other gaming consoles.
3. Can you connect a PS5 to multiple monitors?
With an HDMI splitter, you can take the output signal from your PlayStation and relay it to two devices simultaneously. However, you would see drops in video resolution and refresh rate performance. It’s, therefore, recommended you don’t go that route.
Conclusion
If you primarily play games on your monitor and prefer using DisplayPort over HDMI, your disappointment in the PlayStation’s port situation is valid.
Unfortunately, the status is not likely to change with gaming consoles, and you’ll have to make do with HDMI to DisplayPort active adapters.
That said, don’t be too particular about or fixated on DisplayPort. HDMI is not bad at all, or you’ll not experience a significant difference (if any) between HDMI and DisplayPort signal quality or transmission rates.
It’s all digital in the end, and they work pretty much the same way.
If the discrepancies between DisplayPort and HDMI were indeed that significant, Sony and Microsoft wouldn’t have omitted the VESA interface on their devices in the first place.
Catherine Tramell has been covering technology as a freelance writer for over a decade. She has been writing for Pointer Clicker for over a year, further expanding her expertise as a tech columnist. Catherine likes spending time with her family and friends and her pastimes are reading books and news articles.