Do I need a PS5 monitor?
No: a PS5 runs on any TV, but a 27-inch 1440p monitor suits a desk, from £188.98 with HDMI 2.1. What a PS5 outputs, plus monitor vs TV price per inch.
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Do I need a gaming monitor for PS5?
No. A PS5 works on any TV with HDMI, and a gaming monitor only earns its place when the console sits on a desk, where a 27-inch 1440p screen with HDMI 2.1, such as the AOC Q27G4SRU at £188.98 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), fits better than a TV.
The wider monitor field is ranked in Best gaming monitor for PC 2026, and the sofa alternative in Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
| Situation | Verdict | Pick | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 under the living-room TV | No monitor needed | The TV already owned | £0 |
| PS5 on a desk or in a bedroom | Yes: a 27-inch 1440p monitor | AOC Q27G4SRU | £188.98 |
| Desk setup, dark room, best picture | Yes: a 1440p QD-OLED | ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMES | £332.94 |
| PS5 Pro at a desk, 4K at 120 Hz | Yes: a 4K monitor with HDMI 2.1 | MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED | £618.00 |
| Sofa play, second screen needed | A TV, not a monitor | Hisense 55E78QTUK PRO | £445.00 |
What can a PS5 output to a gaming monitor?
A PS5 outputs 1080p, 1440p and 4K, at up to 120 Hz, with VRR over HDMI 2.1, according to Sony's PS5 support pages. The console detects the screen and picks the best resolution automatically, so a monitor needs no special setup.
| Output | What the screen needs | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | Any HDMI screen | The PS5 picks the best resolution the screen supports |
| 1440p at 60 or 120 Hz | A screen that supports 1440p | Sony's Test 1440p Output checks SDR, HDR, 60 Hz, 120 Hz and VRR |
| 4K (2160p) at 60 Hz | A 4K screen | Sony says every PS5 console has 4K and HDR capability |
| 4K at 120 Hz | An HDMI 2.1 port and the bundled or an Ultra High Speed cable | Only in games that support 120 Hz, with 120 Hz Output on |
| VRR | An HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TV or PC monitor | PlayStation Blog, April 2022 |
Two points matter most for monitor buyers. First, Sony's settings stop at 120 Hz Output, so the 320 Hz of the AOC Q27G4SRU or the 240 Hz of the QD-OLED models runs at up to 120 Hz on a PS5; the headroom pays off only on a PC, as What refresh rate do I need for gaming? explains. Second, VRR needs HDMI 2.1. ASUS lists two HDMI 2.0 ports on the £169 ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL5A, so that monitor is a PC pick, not a PS5 one. The same HDMI 2.1 rule for televisions is covered in Do I need a 120Hz TV for PS5?.
Two Sony settings help on a monitor. VRR has an Apply to Unsupported Games option that steadies frame rates in games without VRR support, and ALLM switches a compatible screen to its low-latency mode automatically. Sony also notes that a PS5 Pro can output 8K at 60 Hz, but only to an 8K TV with DSC, so no gaming monitor in this guide is affected.
Is a monitor or a TV better for PS5?
A monitor is better at a desk and a TV is better from a sofa, and viewing distance decides it. RTINGS recommends a 30-degree field of view as the baseline and 40 degrees for more immersive games. Compare Electronic worked out the 30-degree distance for each screen size and divided each Amazon UK price by the diagonal and by the screen area.
| Screen | Size and panel | Distance for 30 degrees | Input lag (RTINGS) | Price | Per inch | Per sq inch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOC Q27G4SRU | 27-inch, 1440p IPS | 112 cm | Not reviewed | £188.98 | £7.00 | £0.61 |
| ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMES | 26.5-inch, 1440p QD-OLED | 109 cm | Not reviewed | £332.94 | £12.56 | £1.11 |
| MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED | 26.5-inch, 4K QD-OLED | 109 cm | Low at any refresh rate | £618.00 | £23.32 | £2.06 |
| Hisense 55E78QTUK PRO | 55-inch, 4K QLED | 227 cm | Not reviewed | £445.00 | £8.09 | £0.34 |
| TCL 55C6K | 55-inch, 4K mini LED | 227 cm | Not reviewed | £569.00 | £10.35 | £0.44 |
| LG OLED B6 48-inch | 48-inch, 4K OLED | 198 cm | Very low in Game Optimizer (US model) | £899.00 | £18.73 | £0.91 |
The maths shows three things:
- At a typical 70 cm desk distance, a 27-inch monitor fills about 46 degrees of vision, already past RTINGS's 40-degree immersive mark. A 48-inch TV at the same distance fills about 74 degrees.
- From a sofa at 2.5 metres, a 27-inch monitor shrinks to about 14 degrees, while a 55-inch TV fills about 27 degrees.
- Per inch, the £188.98 AOC (£7.00) and the £445.00 Hisense (£8.09) cost almost the same. Per square inch, the 55-inch TV costs about half as much, at £0.34 against £0.61.
RTINGS's review pages describe input lag in words: RTINGS rates the MSI MPG 272URX's input lag low at any refresh rate, and the US LG B6 OLED (2026) very low in Game Optimizer, with full PS5 and PS5 Pro support, including 1440p and 4K at 120 Hz and HDMI Forum VRR. Burn-in risk on QD-OLED is covered in Is an OLED monitor worth it for gaming?.
The buyer profiles follow from the numbers. A buyer who plays at a desk in a bedroom or student room gets a sharper, fuller view from a 27-inch monitor than from a small TV, for less money. A buyer who plays from a sofa needs a 48-inch or larger TV to fill a sensible field of view. A buyer who wants one screen for a PS5 and a gaming PC gets the most from a monitor, because the PC can use the 240 Hz or 320 Hz that the console leaves idle.
Which monitor should you buy for a PS5?
The AOC Q27G4SRU is the best-value PS5 monitor here, at £188.98 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). AOC pairs a 27-inch 2560 x 1440 Fast IPS panel with two HDMI 2.1 ports, so a PS5 and a PC can share it.
AOC Q27G4SRU specifications (AOC)
- Panel: 27-inch Fast IPS, 2560 x 1440, up to 320 Hz
- Response: 1 ms GtG, 0.3 ms MPRT
- Brightness: 450 nits, DisplayHDR 400
- Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x DisplayPort, USB hub
- Speakers: built in
- Stand: 130 mm height adjustment and pivot
- Warranty: 3 years
Built-in speakers matter more on a PS5 than on a PC, because the console sends sound over HDMI and a monitor without speakers needs a headset from day one. The compromises are an IPS panel's 1,000:1 contrast, entry-level DisplayHDR 400, and 1440p rather than 4K for a PS5 Pro.
Paying more buys contrast before resolution. The ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMES costs £143.96 more than the AOC for a QD-OLED panel with near-instant response, and the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED costs £429.02 more than the AOC for 4K, the resolution a PS5 Pro is built around.
AOC Q27G4SRU - pros and cons
Where to buy
Check price
Two step-ups cover a better picture and the PS5 Pro, at Amazon UK prices in October 2026.
Also consider
Radar · 0-100 scores
- AOC Q27G4SRU
- ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMES
- MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED
Verdict
A PS5 does not need a gaming monitor; it needs the right screen for the room. At a desk, the AOC Q27G4SRU at £188.98 gives 1440p at 120 Hz with HDMI 2.1, and the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED at £618.00 suits a PS5 Pro. From a sofa, a TV wins on size per pound. The full monitor shortlist is in Best gaming monitor for PC 2026, and TVs in Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a gaming monitor for PS5?
No. A PS5 works on any TV or monitor with HDMI, and Sony's console picks the best resolution the screen supports. A gaming monitor makes sense when the PS5 sits on a desk, in a bedroom or in a small room. The AOC Q27G4SRU, a 27-inch 1440p monitor with two HDMI 2.1 ports, costs £188.98 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026).
Does the PS5 support 1440p on a monitor?
Yes. Sony's PS5 video settings include a 1440p resolution and a Test 1440p Output tool that checks SDR and HDR at 60 Hz and 120 Hz, plus VRR. A 1440p monitor such as the AOC Q27G4SRU or the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMES therefore gets a sharper picture than 1080p without the cost of a 4K panel.
Does a PS5 need an HDMI 2.1 monitor?
Only for 4K at 120 Hz and for VRR. Sony says 4K 120 Hz needs an HDMI 2.1 port and an Ultra High Speed cable, and the PlayStation Blog says VRR works on HDMI 2.1 VRR-compatible TVs and PC monitors. ASUS lists HDMI 2.0 ports on the £169 ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL5A, so buyers should check the port version before buying.
Is a 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitor worth it for PS5?
Not for the console alone. Sony's PS5 settings offer a 120 Hz Output mode for games that support 120 Hz, and nothing above it, so a 240 Hz or 320 Hz monitor runs at up to 120 Hz on a PS5. The extra headroom pays off only for a buyer who also plugs in a gaming PC.
Is a monitor or a TV better for PS5?
A TV is better from a sofa and a monitor is better at a desk. At 2.5 metres a 27-inch monitor fills about 14 degrees of vision, against about 27 degrees for a 55-inch TV. The Hisense 55E78QTUK PRO costs £445.00 on Amazon UK, £8.09 per inch, close to the AOC Q27G4SRU's £7.00 per inch.
What is the best monitor for PS5 Pro?
A 4K monitor with HDMI 2.1 makes the most of a PS5 Pro. RTINGS calls the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED superb for console gaming, with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4K at up to 120Hz and low input lag. It costs £618.00 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). Sony limits 8K output to the PS5 Pro and an 8K TV.