HDMI Cables for Connecting PlayStation and Xbox to Gaming Projectors

We strongly advise you to make sure that you connect your consoles directly to your gaming projector. The same advice applies if you choose to use a smaller form factor display, like a TV or monitor. Avoid routing HDMI connections via sound systems, switches, or any adapters. Any passthrough creates additional input lag, resulting in less responsive gaming and a compromised experience. Having multiple steps along the connection could also reduce image quality in subtle ways. Direct connections are by far the best for the most responsive gaming and highest image fidelity. 

As the most demanding throughput a base PS4/Xbox One can put on an HDMI cable is 1080p 60Hz with HDR, high speed HDMI or HDMI 1.4 is more than enough. You can even get 4K 30Hz with this cable, but the base PS4 and Xbox One don’t support 4K so that’s a moot point. 

We consider this the entry level console when considering the capabilities of high end gaming projectors. PS4 Pro and Xbox One X were designed with 4K 30Hz or 1080p 60Hz in mind, and offer better HDR implementation than the base PS4. Xbox One S outputs a 4K image, but it’s exclusively upscaled from 1080p. Also, unlike launch PS4/Xbox One, PS4 Pro/Xbox One X have lots of games running in custom resolutions between 1080p and 4K while maintaining framerates over 30Hz and often close to 60Hz. Thus, a high speed HDMI cable may not be enough. We recommend going with a premium HDMI cable, or HDMI 2.0. While HDMI 1.4 (high speed) has a bandwidth of 10Gb/s, HDMI 2.0 (premium) bumps that up to 18Gb/s, or nearly twice. 

Equipped with an  ultra high speed HDMI  port, or HDMI 2.1, the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S aim to deliver 4K 60Hz-120Hz and certainly 1080p 120Hz. Almost two years after launch, only a couple of games have managed to reach 4K 120Hz, while the majority are 4K 60Hz or lower. That means a premium HDMI cable, the same one we recommend for PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, is still just fine for a PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Premium HDMI even supports 8K 30Hz, and that’s not happening on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Games in 4K 60Hz with HDR work perfectly on premium HDMI (HDMI 2.0), with room to spare. Note that the PS5/Xbox Series X|S ship with an ultra high speed HDMI cable (HDMI 2.1), so if you have that, use it. All HDMI versions are backward compatible. 

With the growing popularity of the new generation of consoles, 4K HDR gaming has finally become a commonplace living room reality. And gamers everywhere are wondering big screen size is for their PlayStation and XBox consoles connecting to gaming projectors.

If playing 4K HDR games on a gaming projector, there is a guideline you should know:

•        Make sure the output of the PlayStation is set to a resolution of 3840x2160

•        Make sure to select the correct HDMI color range (full or limited of RGB; YUV limited), and check the output of the PlayStation or XBox

•        Select a compatible HDMI cable for 4K HDR to connect your PlayStation to a gaming projector

The firmware on all three consoles continues to improve and offers smart bandwidth detection. If you force a PS5/ Xbox Series X|S to connect to a fast 1080p 120Hz projector using high speed HDMI (HDMI 1.4), the console will simply not make 1080p 120Hz available and will limit you to 1080p 60Hz. If you use HDMI 1.4 to connect a PS4 Pro/ PS5 / Xbox One X / XBox Series X|S to a 4K 60Hz gaming projector, the same thing will happen. 

You won’t get blank screens, sparkles, or color shifts. If those occur, that’s a sign of a bad cable or that you somehow managed to force too much bandwidth on the cable, which is unlikely. Visual errors are by this point in HDMI and hardware evolution are nearly always signs of faulty cables or failing GPUs, and are very rare.

We hope this quick guide has helped you choose the right cable! Make sure to look at the packaging and read the specs, as those are clearly marked in nearly every case.