Support for 8K screens is certainly an unexplored feature, but Sony took us by surprise by revealing a new beta firmware that enables support for 1440p screens along with other features. And while this new introduction still requires some refinement, it’s a feature that delivers what it promises.
Before going into details, this feature was introduced to satisfy the copious demands of consumers through feedback. Not only has 1440p support been implemented, but the firmware has also solved the criticisms surrounding the initial implementation of Auto Latency mode, an option that basically calls Game Mode on TVs with HDMI 2.1. This mode was initially completely absent, then it was added but could not be deactivated (causing problems with other TVs, such as inserting black bands). Finally it was finally made available with a switch, thus making everyone agree.
The introduction of support for the 1440p resolution is a move that makes sense because it aims to attack the PC gamer market, this being the most common resolution for medium-high-end screens, while 4K is the most common resolution of the big ones. Living room TV. The 1440p screens typically support HDMI 2.0 at both 60Hz and 120Hz and we find more and more often also a more or less valid HDR as a side dish. Adding official support for this resolution solves the problem of some of these monitors not supporting 4K at 60Hz, which forced them to use 1080p. Not to mention 4K at 120Hz, which is only possible if the monitor supports HDMI 2.1, and there are currently very few. So with this new firmware the PS5 solves these incompatibilities but also the problems related to scaling, which in most cases worsens image quality and latency.
And at this point it must be added that, like the 1080p option in most games on PS5, the 1440p changes the output resolution but not the rendering resolution, which implies that the performance of the games will be identical to that in 4K. native. Additionally, we found that titles that have different profiles based on the selected output resolution (mostly PS4 Pro optimized games), carry over to 4K mode when 1440p output is selected, with the GPU downscaling the image first. to send it to the screen.
The interesting thing is that Sony has added a test function that allows users to understand if the 1440p works correctly on their screen, a bit like when changing the resolution on Windows, but in a more complex way. This test tests the 1440p resolution at both 60Hz and 120Hz, crossing with HDR and SDR. If the test passes all these modes then you can select the 1440p in the dashboard.
For the final roll-out of 1440p on PS5, we would like major changes to be made. Variable refresh rate (VRR) works well on PS5 at 1080p or 4K, but Sony has decided to oust this feature from 1440p. There is no technical reason related to the HDMI protocols for this choice, as it works without problems on Xbox. Using a 1440p monitor with FreeSync enabled on the menu may interrupt the 1440p output on PS5. While it is true that many monitors currently do not support 120Hz VRR, it is equally true that the feature must be offered for all those who do support it.
One aspect we have thoroughly tested is the support of the new firmware for TVs with HDMI 2.0. This standard does not allow 4K at 120Hz but only at 60Hz, while in theory at 1440p it is possible to reach this refresh, at least according to the HDMI protocols. We managed to get this mode to work on our Samsung NU8000 but it wasn’t easy. This display supports the 1440p120 but not the 1440p60, which implies the failure of the test performed by the PS5 system. To bypass this limit it is necessary to press the right arrow on the controller and then X to indicate to the system that everything is fine and go to the sequence at 1440p120 of the test. Once the final okay is given to the system, then the screen can be used correctly: 60Hz games will run in 4K and when selecting 120Hz in supported games, 1440p resolution will be used. A modification to the test would easily solve this problem and it would take very little.
So 4K60, with a switch to 1440p120 for high refresh content seems to work well. However it would be a more suitable option for the Xbox Series X / S, where to set the refresh to 120Hz forces all content to 120fps, even those limited to 60fps. For owners of HDMI 2.0 displays that support the 1440p120, the Xbox essentially requires you to manually change the resolution and refresh rate to get the best result, while the PS5 will do it all automatically depending on the content displayed.
Once the 1440p output is set up correctly, the next question is what happens when you run games at different rendering resolutions. Sony’s blog post indicates that the console is sending native 1440p output, but is it talking about games running natively at 1440p with an output that is 1: 1 to render? Let’s say the truth lies somewhere in between. First of all, to test this we need a game that outputs native 1440p and preferably without AA. Finding such a game isn’t straightforward, but digging into the PS4 Pro library we found that Star Ocean: The Last Hope offers the choice of different resolutions and even an image before AA. The image is very sharp so it is evident that it runs at 1440p natively without any scaling or double scaling process (from 1440p to 4K and back to 1440p).
But in our tests, this super sharp 1440p wasn’t always available. PUBG on PS4 Pro renders internally at 1440p. The gameplay with the TAA active does not present any problems, but a double scaling seems to be in action: in practice the algorithm takes the 1440p frambuffer and integrates it with previously calculated frames to obtain a more resolute image at 2160p in a way to adapt to 4K screens, but in this case then the console operating system scales it back to 1440p with the new scaling function. It’s not a big deal because there isn’t a significant loss of quality, but this highlights Sony’s cumbersome system, when native 1440p output would be simpler like on Xbox.
It must also be admitted that we are in an era of development where most games run natively at 1440p, with the TAA kicking in by injecting pre-calculated details from previous frames to upscale to 2160p and adapt to 4K schemes. Demon’s Souls Remake is a perfect example in its performance mode and the visual results are quite good on a 1440p screen with this new firmware.
In summary, we were positively surprised to see this new feature come out of nowhere, but this shouldn’t surprise too much, as Sony has launched a screen from the new InZone line that has its own 1440p resolution. However, the lack of VRR support should be filled and the system test must also be modified to enable 1440p output in the dashboard, to avoid having problems with HDMI 2.0 displays and TVs that support 120Hz but not 60Hz at that resolution. . Will the next train stop be 8K? At the moment it does not seem a priority given the lack of video games and media made with this support, but it is truly a paradox that the 8K logo is clearly visible on the console packaging when there is no functionality that can take advantage of it.
#PlayStation #firmware #enables #1440p #output #perfect #images #monitors