What Is HDCP on PS5 and Should I Disable It?

Have you encountered HDCP while adjusting the video output settings on your PS5 and are wondering what it means and whether you should disable it?

For many people, HDCP will mean absolutely nothing. Until now, its existence has probably had no consequences for them. But if you are someone who plans on creating and sharing videos of your gaming exploits on your PS5, then HDCP is going to impact you.

So here is a handy little explainer, to tell you all you need to know about HDCP on PS5.

What Is HDCP?

HDCP, or High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, is a form of digital copy protection developed to prevent the copying of digital content as it travels across connections like HDMI or DisplayPort.

The PS5 is more than just a gaming console; it also serves as a platform for streaming movies. To protect copyrighted content, especially from streaming services and during Blu-ray playback, HDCP is implemented to prevent unauthorized recording.

If you attempt to record content from platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, or Amazon Prime, HDCP intervenes to block this, ensuring compliance with copyright laws. This means unauthorised devices cannot intercept and record the video.

Should I Disable HDCP on PS5?

Given that HDCP is designed to prevent the video from being recorded, if you are someone who plans to use a game capture device such as an Elgato, then HDCP is going to be a problem. You would need to disable HDCP to be able to use this sort of device and capture video. If you do want to disable HDCP, then the steps are pretty simple:

• Go to Settings and then click on System
• Choose HDMI to get a list of options
• Turn off HDCP by hitting the toggle next to Enable HDCP

This will enable you to start using game capture devices. But the caveat to be aware of is that it will prevent you from using many of the streaming services that are available on PS5.

You can alternate between having it on and off, should you need to. But whether watching the likes of Netflix through your PS5 is the best option, is another question.

Does HDCP Affect Games?

Another question people ask about this is whether or not it will have any impact on the games themselves.

The answer is that HDCP won't have any discernible impact on your games. It is in place purely to prevent the video from being recorded, so it won't cause any changes to the way your games run.

So it will depend entirely on your set-up, and how you intend to use your console, as to whether it makes sense to change the settings. Or, indeed, whether it will have any impact on you at all.

One particularly common question is whether HDCP can cause lag in games. The answer is no, it can't. So if you feel that you are experiencing lag in Modern Warfare 2 (or any other game for that matter) it isn't because of HDCP.