Can I Get 4K 120Hz with HDMI 2.0?

The upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as well as new graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD, all have one thing in common. They’re all going to support HDMI 2.1 and aim to go beyond 4K and closer to 8K resolution. The biggest thing with HDMI 2.1 is the exponential growth in bandwidth compared to HDMI 2.0, which has been most associated with 4K 60Hz. However, HDMI 2.0 also does have the ability to execute 4K 120Hz. As we’ve discussed before, it’s all a matter of bandwidth and the right settings. 

Several “buts” if we’re being honest. If you’re on PC, then you may as well save yourself all this video math by going with DisplayPort, which since version 1.3 has been able to do 4K 120Hz with ease thanks to an effective bandwidth of nearly 30Gbps. This is why you have plenty of wonderful 100Hz and above monitors in and around 4K to choose from in the PC realm, as DisplayPort is standard in that context. However, HDMI offers a far more universal approach and works equally well for PCs, consoles, and a whole host of input sources, like streaming boxes. While USB-C alt mode may increase the ubiquity of DisplayPort, for now HDMI is the more popular. Which is why we thought you’d want to know that 4K 120Hz is already doable with HDMI.

Another important “but” is that HDMI 2.0 doesn’t officially support 4K at over 60Hz, only HDMI 2.1 does. Experimenting and trying to force 120Hz won’t hurt anything or invalidate warranties, but it may not work. A lot of it will also depend on the quality of the HDMI cable you’re using. Good ones have the full 18Gbps while shady products may go as low as 15Gbps, which won’t be enough. Go with an ultra high speed HDMI cable from a brand you know and trust.

Also, don’t expect your PS4 Pro or Xbox One X to accept 4K resolution at 120Hz refresh rate. They simply won’t allow that combination, so no need to get frustrated. In practical terms, 4K 120Hz is a PC-only combo for now, at least until more powerful consoles arrive.