When Do I Really Need HDMI 2.1 or Is HDMI 2.0 Enough?

Everyone seems to have an opinion about what tech you absolutely have to have these days. It’s true that innovation drives us forward and today’s bleeding edge is tomorrow’s standard feature. But adopting new technology isn’t a race to the finish line; it’s about getting what you need for the performance you want. HDMI 2.1 capability is a perfect example. Let’s look at when this connectivity is worth reaching for your wallet and when your existing HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort is all you need. If you’re a PC gamer all you need is DP. Console gamers, however, have to consider HDMI. Read on for details, but short answer is HDMI 2.1 is becoming increasingly relevant if you’re pushing 4K @120Hz or 2K faster than 165Hz. For lower refresh rates at lower resolutions, you can still get by just fine with HDMI 2.0 connections. 

Officially released in 2017, HDMI 2.1 took a very long time to become mainstream. The release of PS5 and Xbox Series consoles plus new graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD made HDMI 2.1 mainstream because of the need to deliver 4K 120Hz with HDR and VRR. HDMI 2.1 represents a huge leap over HDMI 2.0, with 48Gbps in bandwidth compared to 18Gbps. Also, HDMI 2.1 introduced standardized variable refresh rate (VRR) support, auto low latency mode (ALLM) to ensure the lowest possible input lag in gaming, and eARC (enhanced audio return channel). Additionally, HDMI 2.1 has dynamic HDR as opposed to static HDR, which means reactive brightness, color, and contrast based on displayed content.

While there was no need for HDMI 2.1 with any console until November 2020, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S were designed with it in mind. They’ll work with HDMI 2.0, but you won’t get the full feature set. So, if you have a current generation console, you should ideally connect it to a true, full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 display. 

PS5 and Xbox Series games that run at 4K 120Hz are rare, and most settle for 4K 30Hz/60Hz, but future proofing counts. Several titles, like Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War and Destiny 2, run at upscaled 4K in 120Hz mode. So, if you’re buying a new display, you should opt for HDMI 2.1 rather than try to save a little. In the long run, true 4K 120Hz will be more common on consoles, especially if we consider the possibility of PS5 Pro or updated Xbox Series models. 

Furthermore, without HDMI 2.1 you can’t get VRR on PS5, unlike Xbox consoles which support it through HDMI 2.0.  And that’s a big factor if you want the smoothest, most tear-free gaming experience.

Simply put, DisplayPort is the dominant video connection format for PC. DisplayPort 1.4 supports 4K 120Hz and even 8K 60Hz. Currently 4K 60Hz remains a very reliable and respectable target on PC even with the best hardware, particularly if you want to have ray tracing on. However, if you choose to use HDMI, version 2.0 is enough. Honestly, even version 1.4b is still enough for 1080p 165Hz.

HDMI 2.0 carries combinations like 1440p 165Hz with no issue, and for 1080p, frame rates of 240Hz are no problem. On PC, HDMI is secondary to DisplayPort, which offers significantly more bandwidth, with DP 1.4 not that far from HDMI 2.1 and capable of 4K 120Hz. However, it’s clear HDMI 2.1 is becoming dominant and from a pure common sense and futureproofing standpoint, obviously going with HDMI 2.1 makes a lot more sense. 

HDMI 2.1 is only needed if you want to use HDMI with 4K over 60Hz. This applies to consoles, as on PC you can get the same performance with DisplayPort 1.4, which is readily available.

So, it’s likely adding HDMI 2.1 cables and expense to your setup is not something you need to worry about now. If you have questions, please refer to this table to help you make the right choice based on your current device situation:  

For example: when you use 2K 165Hz EX2710Q with Xbox Series S, which can only support 2K 120Hz, the HDMI version you need is 2.0 instead of 2.1.