Best Monitor for PS5: What You Actually Need for 120fps and HDR

The PS5 outputs up to 4K at 120fps with HDR. Most monitors can't handle all three simultaneously. Many "best PS5 monitor" lists recommend screens that technically connect to a PS5 but don't actually take advantage of what the console can do. Here's what the specs actually mean and which monitors deliver the full experience.

The specs that matter for PS5

HDMI 2.1 is mandatory. The PS5 outputs through HDMI. HDMI 2.1 supports 4K at 120Hz. HDMI 2.0 caps at 4K/60Hz or 1080p/120Hz — you lose either resolution or frame rate. Every monitor on this list has HDMI 2.1.

120Hz minimum refresh rate. Many PS5 games now support 120fps performance modes (Fortnite, Call of Duty, Ratchet & Clank, Spider-Man 2). A 60Hz monitor wastes this capability entirely. Get 120Hz or higher.

HDR support varies wildly. "HDR compatible" and "good HDR" are different things. A monitor needs at least 600 nits peak brightness and local dimming to display HDR meaningfully. Most budget monitors list HDR400 certification, which is visually indistinguishable from SDR. Look for HDR600 or HDR1000 certification, or OLED (which handles HDR naturally through per-pixel lighting).

Resolution: 4K vs 1440p. The PS5 now supports 1440p output (added via update). 4K on a 27" monitor looks sharper. 1440p on a 27" monitor still looks excellent and is significantly cheaper. At 32", 4K is noticeably better than 1440p.

VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). The PS5 supports VRR to eliminate screen tearing. Make sure your monitor supports VRR over HDMI (not just DisplayPort — the PS5 doesn't use DisplayPort).

Size recommendations

27" at 4K: The sweet spot. Sharp enough to see the resolution difference, large enough to enjoy from a desk distance. This is what most people should get.

32" at 4K: Better for couch distance or if you sit further from your desk. 4K matters more at 32" because pixel density is lower.

27" at 1440p: The budget sweet spot. Still looks great on PS5, significantly cheaper than 4K equivalents.

24-25": Too small for 4K to matter visually. If you're going this size, save money and get 1080p/144Hz.

The recommendations

OLED (best image quality, premium price)

LG 27GR95QE (27" QHD OLED) — 1440p, 240Hz, HDMI 2.1, HDR with infinite contrast ratio. OLED blacks are genuinely transformative for games with dark environments. The best-looking monitor you can put a PS5 on at 27". Burn-in risk exists but modern OLED panels have mitigations.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (32" 4K OLED) — 4K, 240Hz, HDMI 2.1, incredible HDR. Larger screen with full 4K resolution. Premium price but the image quality is unmatched.

ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM — 1440p, 240Hz, OLED. Excellent build quality and color accuracy.

IPS (best value, great color)

Gigabyte M28U — 28" 4K, 144Hz, HDMI 2.1, IPS panel. The most frequently recommended 4K PS5 monitor because it hits every spec at a reasonable price. HDR is mediocre (HDR400) but the overall package is strong.

ASUS VG28UQL1A — 28" 4K, 144Hz, HDMI 2.1. Similar to the M28U with slightly different color tuning. Both are excellent.

Dell S2722QC — 27" 4K, 60Hz. Wait — 60Hz? Yes, but this is a USB-C hub monitor that doubles as a productivity display. If you use your monitor for work AND PS5 gaming and don't need 120fps, this is a smart dual-purpose choice.

Budget picks

Gigabyte G27Q — 27" 1440p, 144Hz, IPS. Under $250 on sale. The PS5 outputs 1440p natively now, making this a legitimate budget option. No HDMI 2.1 — you get 1440p/60Hz from PS5 or 1080p/120Hz. Trade-off territory.

ASUS VG27AQ1A — 27" 1440p, 170Hz, IPS. Good colors, good response time, reasonable price.

Common PS5 monitor mistakes

Buying a DisplayPort-only monitor. The PS5 has zero DisplayPort outputs. If a monitor's best features (high refresh rate, VRR) only work through DisplayPort, those features are useless with PS5.

Buying HDR400 for "HDR gaming." HDR400 doesn't look meaningfully different from SDR. It's a marketing certification, not a visual improvement. Real HDR starts at HDR600 with local dimming, or OLED.

Buying 1080p at 27"+. At 27 inches, 1080p looks fuzzy. Either get a smaller monitor or higher resolution.

Ignoring VRR over HDMI. Some monitors support FreeSync over DisplayPort but not HDMI. The PS5 needs VRR over HDMI specifically.

What we make at Choost

We develop and test Granny's Rampage on multiple displays — knowing how different monitors render our pixel art and VFX informs our art pipeline decisions. For more hardware content, the best gaming keyboard, best gaming mouse, and gaming monitor vs tv posts have more.

The shortest version

Best overall: Gigabyte M28U (28" 4K, 144Hz, HDMI 2.1 — hits every PS5 spec at a reasonable price).

Best image quality: LG 27GR95QE or Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (OLED, infinite contrast, real HDR).

Best budget: Gigabyte G27Q (27" 1440p, under $250).

Must-have specs: HDMI 2.1, 120Hz+, VRR over HDMI. Everything else is preference.