Best TV settings for PS5

The TV and console settings that actually improve how a PS5 looks and responds — game mode, HDR calibration, 120Hz and VRR.

Updated Sep 25, 2026

Most televisions ship in a mode designed to look bright on a shop shelf, not to play games well. Twenty minutes of setup makes a larger difference than most hardware upgrades. Menu names vary by brand, but every setting below exists on nearly every modern set.

1. Turn on Game Mode

Do this before anything else. Game Mode disables the TV''s post-processing, which is what causes input lag. The same television can go from around 100ms to under 20ms with this one switch.

Find it in the picture settings, and make sure it applies to the input the PS5 is on. Some sets let you label an input as "Game Console", which enables it automatically. If your TV supports ALLM, it switches on by itself when the PS5 starts.

2. Turn off motion smoothing

Sold as TruMotion, Motionflow, Auto Motion Plus and similar names. It interpolates extra frames to smooth video, and in games it adds significant lag and makes motion look artificial. Game Mode usually disables it, but check it is actually off.

3. Use the right HDMI port and enable full bandwidth

Connect the PS5 to an HDMI 2.1 port if the TV has one, and use the cable that came with the console. Then find the setting that enables full HDMI bandwidth — it is called HDMI Deep Color, HDMI UHD Color, Input Signal Plus or Enhanced Format depending on the brand, and it is off by default on most televisions.

Without it you cannot get 4K 120Hz, VRR or proper HDR, no matter what the PS5 says it is sending. This is the most commonly missed step.

4. Run the PS5 display setup

On the console: Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Check that Resolution is set to Automatic, and that 4K Video Transfer Rate is set to Automatic. If your TV supports them, enable 120Hz Output and VRR (with "Apply to Unsupported Games" on — it often helps titles without official support).

5. Calibrate HDR properly

Go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Adjust HDR and run the three-screen calibration. On the first two screens, lower the setting until the symbol is just invisible — not clearly gone. On the third, raise it until the symbol just disappears.

Do this in the lighting you normally play in, and redo it if you change the TV''s picture mode. Skipping this step is the usual reason HDR on PS5 looks washed out or too dark.

6. Set the picture mode sensibly

Within Game Mode, most sets are most accurate on a warm colour temperature, even though it looks yellow at first against the default cool setting. Give it a day before judging it. Turn contrast enhancers, dynamic contrast and noise reduction off — in games they crush detail rather than add it.

7. Match sound to your setup

Under Settings > Sound > Audio Output, set the output correctly for a soundbar or receiver. If you play with headphones, turn on 3D Audio and run the headphone profile setup — on PS5 it makes a genuine difference to directional sound in games that support it.