4K 120Hz on PS5 or Xbox Starts With a TV Port Setting

To get 4K at 120Hz from a PS5 or Xbox Series X, plug it into an HDMI 2.1 port on the TV and switch on that port’s full-bandwidth setting first: Input Signal Plus on Samsung, HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color on LG, Enhanced format on Sony. Then turn on 120Hz, VRR and ALLM on the console, where each is its own switch.

Sony’s PS5 support page says HDMI 2.1 support “may require that you change settings via the TV”, and Samsung’s pages say that without Input Signal Plus a PlayStation reports no HDR and an Xbox does not see 4K. The TV’s port setting comes before anything on the console.

Step 1: the TV

Use the HDMI port the TV lists as HDMI 2.1 or 4K 120Hz, and the cable that came with the console. Sony and Microsoft both recommend the console’s own cable; our guide to HDMI cable tiers covers what to buy if you need a longer one. Not every input on a TV carries 4K at 120Hz: Samsung’s 2026 series pages list 4K 60Hz inputs on some sets and 4K 120Hz or faster on others.

TV maker	Turn on for the console’s port	Game setting	Where, as the maker’s page gives it
Samsung	Input Signal Plus (also called HDMI UHD Color)	Game Mode, On or Auto	Settings › All Settings › Connection (or General) › External Device Manager › Input Signal Plus, then the port. Game Mode: All Settings › Connection › Game Mode Settings
LG	HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color, On for the port	Game Optimizer (2021 webOS 6.0); Instant Game Response (2020 webOS 5.0)	All Settings › Picture › Additional Settings › HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color (2020 path). Game Optimizer: All Settings › General › Game Optimizer (2021 path)
Sony	HDMI signal format: Enhanced format (4K120, 8K) or Enhanced format (VRR)	Picture mode: Game	Settings › Channels & Inputs › External inputs › HDMI signal format, then the input (2022 Help Guide). Picture mode: Dashboard › All settings › Display & Sound › Display (2026 BRAVIA 6)

Each of these is set per HDMI input, so turning it on for HDMI 1 does nothing for a console in HDMI 3.

LG says its game optimization mode works only once HDMI Ultra HD Deep Color is on for the console’s port. Sony lists five HDMI signal formats, says 4K at 100 or 120Hz “depends on your model/region/country” and VRR “depends on your model”, and asks for an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable rated to 48 Gbps for 4K 120Hz.

Samsung’s Xbox page adds one model-specific line: “Use HDMI 4 if you have a Neo QLED TV and an Xbox Series X.” Its PlayStation page says to use HDMI 1 or the next free port. Where the two differ, use an input your set’s spec sheet lists for 4K at 120Hz.

Each TV maker’s page notes that its screens or options vary by model. LG’s two pages give paths for its 2020 and 2021 TVs only, and Sony’s 2026 BRAVIA 6 guide uses a new Dashboard menu, so the names in the table are the ones to look for if the path differs on your set.

Step 2: the console

	PS5 (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)	Xbox Series X (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)
Menu	Settings › Screen and Video › Video Output	Profile & system › Settings › General › TV & display options
Resolution	Automatic or 2160p	4K UHD
120Hz	120 Hz Output: On	Refresh rate: 120 Hz
VRR	VRR: On (Apply to Unsupported Games is optional)	Video modes › Allow variable refresh rate
Low lag	ALLM	Video modes › Allow auto low-latency mode
Check it worked	Information for the Connected HDMI Device	4K TV details

PS5. Sony’s page lists 120 Hz Output, VRR and ALLM as separate entries in Video Output. 120 Hz Output applies to “games that support 120 Hz frame rate”. ALLM switches the TV to low-latency mode while you play, and Sony says that even with ALLM off, the PS5 does the same whenever VRR output is on. If the picture flickers, Sony suggests setting Video Transfer Rate to −1 or −2, which limits 4K 120Hz among other formats; leave it on Automatic otherwise.

Xbox Series X (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab). Microsoft’s 4K 120Hz page asks for a Series X, an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable and an HDMI 2.1 TV, then 4K UHD and 120 Hz in TV & display options. Its general display page still says 120Hz is “only available for 1080p and 1440p”, a page that also covers the Xbox One S and One X; the Series X page is the one that describes 4K at 120Hz. Microsoft says VRR needs a TV with HDMI-VRR or AMD FreeSync, and that ALLM tells the display to change latency modes when a game starts.

Xbox Series S (affiliate link to Amazon, opens in a new tab). Microsoft says the Series S can run 120Hz at a lower resolution, and that 4K at 120Hz on a Series S needs “a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable”. The cable in the Series S box is a High Speed one.

If a soundbar or receiver sits in between

Microsoft recommends plugging the console straight into the TV, and says a receiver in the chain can cause VRR display issues; for 4K 120Hz trouble through a receiver, it says to use the Ultra High Speed cable from the box. Sending sound back to a soundbar over eARC keeps the video path direct. If you are still choosing the TV, check its spec sheet for the number of 4K 120Hz inputs before anything on our TV shortlist.

Questions people ask

Why won’t my PS5 do 4K 120Hz?

Check three things Sony’s support page lists: the PS5 is in an HDMI 2.1 port on the TV, that port’s HDMI 2.1 setting is on in the TV’s menu, and Video Output has Resolution on Auto or 2160p and Video Transfer Rate on Auto. Then turn on 120 Hz Output.

How do I turn on 4K 120Hz on Xbox Series X?

Press the Xbox button, then Profile & system, Settings, General, TV & display options. Set Resolution to 4K UHD and Refresh rate to 120 Hz. Microsoft says this needs an HDMI 2.1 TV and an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable, which comes in the Series X box.

What is Input Signal Plus on a Samsung TV?

It is the per-port setting that lets a Samsung TV accept a console’s full signal. Samsung’s pages say without it a PlayStation reports no HDR and an Xbox does not see 4K. It is under Settings, Connection or General, External Device Manager.

Do I need Game Mode on the TV if the console has ALLM?

ALLM is the console asking the TV to switch to its low-latency mode when a game starts, so on a TV that supports it, the switch happens without you. Microsoft says the TV gets low latency by turning off processing, which can change how the picture looks.

Should I turn on VRR on my PS5?

Turn it on if your TV supports VRR. Sony says it lets the refresh rate adjust in real time with TVs and games that support it, and that results vary by TV. With VRR on, the PS5 also switches the TV to low-latency mode even if ALLM is off.

Which HDMI port should my console use?

One the TV lists as HDMI 2.1 or 4K 120Hz. Sony and Microsoft both ask for an HDMI 2.1 port. On Neo QLED sets, Samsung’s Xbox page names HDMI 4 for a Series X at 120Hz; your TV’s spec sheet lists which inputs support 4K at 120Hz.