Sony made waves last night after announcing that they will indeed update all existing PlayStation 4 models to the HDR specification, by means of a mere firmware update. However, something doesn’t make sense from the outset. When the PlayStation 4 launched, it was outfitted with the HDMi 1.4 ports that feature on the original Xbox One as well.
The specification does not support HDR output according to the HDMi organization, although it does support outputting basic 4K resolution, much like how a VGA port can “technically” output to 4K.
According to the HDMi.org website:
New features HDMI2.0b: Support (HDR) High Dynamic Range Video Transmission
The only port standard that supports HDR and 4K video output to a reasonable degree according to the HDMi Open Standard organization is the HDMi 2.0b specification (introduced in 2015 with the HDMi 2.0a standard), which is currently supported on the Xbox One S. Sony announced that they will update all PlayStation consoles via a firmware update, but since the hardware does not support that, how will they do it? It seems, from looking in from the outside, that Sony announced this as a possible headline-grabbing feature to combat the capability of the Xbox One S, without truly offering anything that will actually work. They’ll probably just increase the color gamut and label that their own version of HDR. It might also be a software tweak that will give gamers the “illusion” of HDR, but is that truly the same thing? The original Xbox One can technically output 4K, but is that true 4K output or just an illusion?
Sony needs to explain this, and fast, unless the ports are already HDMI 2.0 compliant.
Source: HDMi.org
Dreyer was a regular ICXM contributor between 2016–2017, publishing 139 articles across opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative. They post on X as @dreyer_smit.