Does the PS5 Support 120 FPS Gaming at 1440p Resolution?

As a long-time gaming tech specialist and PS5 owner myself, I can definitively say yes – the PlayStation 5 absolutely supports 120 frame-per-second (FPS) gaming at 1440p screen resolution.

When the PS5 first launched, it could only output games in 4K or 1080p resolution. But thanks to a major firmware update in September 2022, native 1440p output is now enabled. And with the right display equipment, you can enjoy buttery-smooth 120Hz gameplay.

What‘s the Big Deal With 120 FPS and 1440p Anyway?

Higher framerates translate into much smoother perceived motion in games. Instead of seeing a choppy 30 or 60 FPS, a high 120 FPS gives your game visuals incredible fluidity. Rapid camera movements pan life-like, while fast-motion scenes become sharper and clearer.

Competitive multiplayer gamers strongly prefer 120+ FPS for this reason – it gives them split-second timing advantages to react to threats or aim accurately in first-person shooters. Their gameplay feels incredibly responsive.

1440p resolution strikes a "goldilocks" balance between performance and visual clarity. It quadruples the pixels of 1080p for way sharper imagery than Full HD. But it‘s still easier to run than demanding 4K, enabling those faster 120 FPS rates.

Here‘s What You Need to Unlock 1440p 120Hz Gaming on PlayStation 5:

• A Monitor or TV Supporting 1440p Over HDMI – Your display needs a native 1440p resolution panel and HDMI 2.0 connectivity or better to handle the bandwidth. Some older monitors only support 1440p over DisplayPort.
• HDMI 2.0 Cable (Or Newer) – To carry the 1440p 120Hz signal to your monitor or TV without caps or compression. This is included with PS5 consoles.
• 120 FPS Game Update – The title you want to play needs to specifically have a 120 FPS patch unlocked by the game developer. Support varies.

Assuming your monitor or TV ticks those boxes, enabling 1440p 120Hz on a PS5 is thankfully pretty straightforward:

1. Navigate to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output
2. Set Resolution to 1440p
3. Follow any prompt to auto-confirm your display works at 120Hz

And that‘s it! Game modes with unlocked 120 FPS framerates will now display in supersmooth 1440p resolution. Pretty awesome right?

But you might be wondering…

How Well Can the PS5 Actually Run Games at 120 FPS and 1440p?

Thanks to the PS5‘s cutting-edge AMD Radeon GPU and blistering fast solid state drive, it handles 1440p exceptionally well – better than 4K in many instances.

Digital Foundry (widely respected gaming tech analysts) rigorously benchmarked performance in several major PS5 titles. Here were some of their test findings:

As you can see from frames-per-second performance alone, the PS5 excels at 1440p. It can hit and sustain performance up towards its 120 FPS cap much easier than 4K. Developers also use lower resolution to add enhanced visual effects.

The impressive benchmarks speak for themselves – the PlayStation 5 seems purpose-built for high refresh rate 1440p gaming. It‘s really in its element here for fast-paced titles.

What Are the Tradeoffs of 1440p vs Native 4K?

Enable 1440p output on a PS5 does come with a single tradeoff:

• You lose support for VRR – Variable Refresh Rate technology that dynamically syncs your display‘s refresh rate with the game FPS to prevent ugly screen tearing artifacts.

However in return you gain:

• Up to 2x higher peak framerates for dramatically boosted responsiveness
• Reduced input lag for instantly translated controller reactions
• Higher detail levels and visual effects sometimes disabled at 4K
• Similar or slightly downgraded sharpness from ultra HD 4K

Weighing it up, many players gladly accept the small drop in clarity from 4K in return for massively faster refresh rates. Especially since some high-end 1440p displays almost match native 4K sharpness anyway when upscaling content.

And according to HDMI specifications, your PS5 will failback to enabling VRR automatically anytime a supported game drops from 1440p to 1080p rendering.

Why Pick 1440p Over 4K for PS5 Gaming?

If given the choice between buttery smooth 120+ FPS or cinematic 4K clarity, more and more console gamers seem to be moving over to high refresh rate 1440p gaming.

Both Reddit and gaming forums see lots of discussion around making the switch. Competitive players chase every last frame, while single player fans are realizing how much 120 FPS transforms gaming once they see it in action.

In particular, lots of cross-platform gamers coming from PC are used to high refresh displays. Console ports catching up fuels 1440p 120Hz adoption. Gamers universally agree that you can never have too many frames!

Display Requirements for 1440p 120Hz PS5 Gaming

As covered earlier, there‘s two core display specs needed to unlock 120 FPS support in 1440p on your PlayStation 5:

1. A True Native 1440p Resolution Panel

Ensure your gaming monitor or TV has an actual 2560 x 1440 resolution LCD panel inside – not a 4K screen that downsamples. PS5 doesn‘t support downscaled 1440p modes.

2. HDMI 2.0 Connectivity or Newer

Consumer TVs and monitors need at least HDMI 2.0 ports rated for 1440p at 120Hz. This became widely available from 2016 onwards. Some budget 1080p monitors still ship with older HDMI 1.4 ports limited to 60Hz.

Here‘s a quick connectivity spec breakdown between HDMI versions relevant to 1440p 120Hz PS5 gaming:

So aim for monitors sporting HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 2.1 for optimal 1440p performance.

Do You Need an HDMI 2.1 Monitor for 1440p 120 FPS on PS5?

Despite some claims online, thankfully no you absolutely DO NOT need HDMI 2.1 either on your PS5 or monitor/TV to achieve 1440p 120Hz.

That‘s only a requirement for 4K screens to surpass 60Hz, or for unlocking specific niche features exclusive to the port. For 1440p, mature HDMI 2.0 handles 120 FPS gameplay just fine with overhead to spare.

Community Reactions: Why Gamers Love 1440p 120Hz Gaming

Scouring Reddit and gaming communities, user reports on moving to 120 FPS and 1440p gaming on PlayStation 5 has been overwhelmingly positive.

Quick reactions commonly include:

• "Way smoother and responsive feel than 1080p or 4K modes"
• "Easier for PS5 to maintain high FPS with fewer drops or stutters"
• "Looks crisper and sharper despite not being 4K native"
• "I‘ll never go back below 120Hz gaming again, it‘s night and day better"

The extremely fast fluidity combined with respectable sharpness seems to strike the ideal balance. This shifts 1440p into the gaming display "sweet spot" that pleases both competitive and casual players.

Many also praise how easy it was to upgrade without buyingexpensive brand new HDMI 2.1 hardware. Existing 1440p 120Hz screens, cables and even GPUs continue working beautifully.

The Verdict: An Absolute Game-Changer for PS5 Owners

In closing, unlocking 120 FPS support in 1440p resolution represents a genuine game-changing moment for PlayStation 5 gamers.

It brings the console firmly into the era of high refresh rate gaming – with instantly noticeable improvements to motion fluidity, response times and visual smoothness.

And provided you have a natively 1440p 120Hz compatible screen, it requires no extra hardware or monitors to enable. Just switch your video output mode.

So if you get the chance, absolutely take your PS5 gaming to that buttery-smooth next level. Your reactions will get snappier, scenes become sharper and gameplay feels perfectly fluid.

Higher FPS transforms titles you thought you knew through completely renewed eyes. You‘ll never want to go back!

Now over to you – are you currently gaming in 120 FPS 1440p on PS5? If so, how have you found the experience? Let fellow gamers know in the comments below!