The PlayStation 5 cannot currently output 8K video, but that is set to change (eventually).
Sony is working on a software update that’ll enable the PS5 to output 8K content, the company revealed in a giant FAQ for the console, which goes on sale this Thursday. “PS5 is compatible with 8K displays at launch, and after a future system software update will be able to output resolutions up to 8K when content is available, with supported software,” Sony says.
For now, the PS5 will only be able to render video output at 720p, 1080i, 1080p, and 4K 2160p resolutions. So, no luck for 1440p monitor owners. But the 8K support is certainly encouraging, especially since 8K TVs are expected to become more affordable—at the $1,000 to $2,000 range—by the year 2022.
However, we suspect the 8K support for the PS5 is more about streaming TV shows and movies than running video games at the insanely high resolution—a feat the system was never designed to pull off. (In our review of the PS5, we noted the hardware has no problems rendering a game at 4K resolution and 30 frames per second. But if you want a higher FPS, the PS5 will run the game at slightly lower resolutions with fewer visual effects.)
In the same FAQ, Sony also addressed how you’ll be able to store your growing collection of PS5 games. Currently, the games have to be saved via the hardware's internal high-speed SSD drive, which can be expanded. However, the company is indicating support for less expensive, external HDD drives may one day arrive as a storage option.
“Explorations for allowing players to store (but not play) PS5 games on a USB drive in a future update are underway,” Sony says. (However, running PS4 games over the PS5 via an external USB drive will work just fine.)
The PS5 will come in two versions. The standard model, which costs $499, features a 4K Blu-ray drive to install the games. The $399 digital model, on the other hand, nixes the disc drive, and instead installs the games by downloading them from the internet.