Does PS5 support ultrawide monitors?


An ultrawide monitor shot from the top down, with three browsers side-by-side on the display.
Credit: Samsung

Does the PS5 support ultrawide monitors? It's a good question for those who want a change of pace and viewpoint.

The PS5 is pretty close to being a gaming PC at this point, with things like an SSD, 4K support, and stunning performance, so it makes sense that some would be looking into things like the best ultrawide monitors for PS5 to make the most of all those pixels.

Microsoft even went as far as adding 1440p support to the Xbox One back in 2018. So it seems a reasonable question to ask, especially if you've invested in one already. We'll be delving into it in this article - here's what you need to know.

Does the PS5 support ultrawide monitors?

Two white and black PS5 consoles next to controllers.
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Credit: Sony

Ultrawide monitors tend to operate with an aspect ratio of 21:9 and 1440p resolution. The PS5, however, does not come with 1440p support. But that's not the end of the story.

The PS5 is smart enough to upscale the image so that it fills up the wider screen. Typically, it will take a 1080 image and upscale it to fit the monitor. So while ultrawide monitors are not "officially" supported on the PS5, you can still use them if your best gaming monitor is an ultrawide one.

It will be a matter of personal opinion as to whether you feel the image you are presented with is okay or not. From what we've seen, the picture you get isn't bad, but you don't get anything more than you would on a standard 16:9 ratio screen.

Does the PS5 support 21:9 aspect ratio?

The PS5 has 4 different resolution settings: 720p, 1080i, 1080p and 2160p. All of these resolutions have a standard 16:9 ratio, meaning that there is no setting on the PS5 that automatically supports a 21:9 aspect ratio.

You will usually find that your picture will still fill the wider screen, but may appear slightly stretched as a result. If you were comparing a game on PS5 with the same game on a PC, then the PC would almost certainly give you a wider field of view in comparison.

If you do choose to use an ultrawide monitor, then you can decide whether to upscale from 1080p, or downscale from 2160p. Each of these choices will potentially impact the quality of the image you see. It's worth experimenting with your settings and seeing what works best for your setup.

While it's a shame that your PS5 won't allow you to see the whole pitch on EAFC, for example, if you already have an ultrawide monitor as your setup, the PS5 will work on it. It just won't give you anything extra in comparison to a standard screen with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio.

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