Opinion

Should you use the HDMI cable that comes with PS5?

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The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digitial Edition console comes with a HDMI cable included inside their packaging box. So, should you use this included cable or can you use something else? You can find out in this article from Seeking Tech.

About HDMI 2.1

A HDMI 2.1 cable is included with each PS5 system. This cable is capable of delivering transfer speeds of up to 48 Gbps. Depending on your television set or monitor, you may be able to use the Variable Refresh Rate and 120 FPS features without any compromises or limitations.

If you use a HDMI cable that has a lower specification instead, then you may not be able to take full advantage of VRR or playing games at 120 frames per second due to the slower bandwidth. For the uninformed, Variable Refresh Rate will make games that have inconsistent frame rate look smoother as well as remove any potential screen tearing.

It is also important to note that the HDMI 2.1 cable is also backwards compatible with older HDMI ports. For example, you can use a HDMI 2.1 cable to connect your PlayStation 5 to a HDMI 2.0 port of your TV; however, the bandwidth will be limited to the HDMI 2.0 specification.

How to find identify the PS5 HDMI cable

If you have a bunch of HDMI cables lying around but don’t know which one came with your PlayStation 5, then you need to look for the one with box-shaped connectors at the end:

Our PS5 HDMI cable also came with the following printed on:

  • High Speed HDMI Cable
  • E321011
  • AWM
  • 20276
  • 80°C
  • 30V
  • VW-1
  • LUXSHARE-ICT

Should you use the included HDMI cable for PS5?

Unless you already have an extra HDMI 2.1 cable lying around, we highly recommend using the HDMI cable that came with your PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console.

With the 48 Gbps transfer speed, this video cable will allow your console to take full advantage of the Variable Refresh Rate and 120 Hz refresh rate features of your TV or monitor without any compromises.

The cable is also backwards compatible with older HDMI ports. Therefore, you can still use it even if your screen does not support VRR or being able to display games at up to 120 frames per second.

The HDMI 2.1 cable that comes with the PS5 is around 5.5 feet long. If you find that this length is too short to connect your console to your screen based on your current gaming space setup, then you can check out this guide to find longer alternatives.

Can you fix the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster judder or stutter issues on PlayStation or Switch?

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The first six Final Fantasy games have been remastered for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. When playing these titles, you may notice that there is a bit of judder or stutter when you are moving your character in towns, dungeons and world map. The environmental background does not appear to be scrolling smoothly in relation to the movement of the character.

So, can you possibly fix this issue? You can find out in this article from Seeking Tech.

Why Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is stuttering or juddering

The reason why you are seeing a lot of stuttering or juddering when playing the PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games is due to a mismatch of the character’s movement with the frame rate.

The character sprites in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI all move at 80 pixels per second instead of 60 pixels per second. As a result, the background movement does not look smooth at all.

Can you fix the stutter or judder on PS4 or Nintendo Switch?

The stutters and judders also appear in the PC versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection. Fans were able to create a mod to fix the issue by limiting the character movement to 60 pixels per second or increasing the movement to 120 pixels per second.

To find out more about how you can fix the PC releases of these games, you can check out a video tutorial done by Matthew Dadoun YouTube channel below:

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do if you are playing these games on your PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite or Nintendo Switch OLED. The only potential solution is to wait for Square Enix to release a patch that will limit the character movement to 60 pixels per second.

So, unless a new software update is available, you just have to tolerate this issue. Keep in mind that these visual artifacts may be less noticeable for some gamers when compared to others, who can be more sensitive to the less than smooth gameplay.

It is also important to note that the background movement is a lot smoother if you move your characters diagonally instead of just using the up, down, left and right directions. So, you can try moving diagonally more often if the stuttering is really bothering you.

Here’s what Sony has to say about PS VR2 causing motion sickness

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Playing the PlayStation VR2 may end up causing motion sickness. This is especially prevalent to new virtual reality players or for users who haven’t played in VR for a long time. So, what does Sony has to say about these issues?

According to the user manual, Sony states that using this virtual reality headset may cause “motion sickness, nausea, disorientation, blurred vision, or other discomfort or other abnormalities.” If you experience any of these symptoms, then the company urges you stop playing immediately.

If possible, they recommend that you rest up. You should not partake in any activities that require you to use your “unimpaired vision, balance or coordination” until you recover.

You can find their full statement regarding motion sickness and other issues below:

“Some people may experience motion sickness, nausea, disorientation, blurred vision, or other discomfort or other abnormalities. If experienced, stop using immediately, and remove the VR headset. If you experience symptoms during or after use, rest, and do not engage in any activities that require unimpaired vision, balance or coordination until after symptoms have completely disappeared.”

In another section of the same manual, Sony suggest taking a 15-minute break after every hour-long play session. With that said, these lengths and frequencies will be different from the individual.

If you are new to VR and/or more prone to motion sickness, for instance, then Sony recommends that you take more frequent breaks:

“It may take some time to become accustomed to images from PS VR2. During initial use, it is recommended that you use the product for short periods of time.”

If you are experienced in virtual reality gaming and/or don’t feel any discomfort at all while playing for an hour, then you most likely won’t need any long breaks.

You can find Sony’s comments regarding taking breaks below:

“Generally we recommend that you take 15 minute breaks for every hour of play. However, when viewing virtual reality content, the length and frequency of necessary breaks may vary from person to person—please take breaks that are long enough to allow any feelings of discomfort to subside.”

In addition to building up your VR legs for the PlayStation VR2, there are also tips and tricks that you can use in order to prevent yourself from getting motion sickness. You can take a look at this PSVR 2 nausea prevention guide to see how you can stop feeling nauseous when using this virtual reality headset.

Here’s what Sony has to say about PlayStation VR2 Mura issues

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You may notice that there is a bit of noise and/or cloudiness when playing a PlayStation VR2 game on your PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console. This is most likely due to Mura, which is the result of uneven brightness and/or color consistency across pixels.

If you look through the user manual of the PS VR2, you should be able to find a section where Sony talked about this issue. According to the company, Mura is considered to be a “normal occurrence” and isn’t considered to be a sign that the virtual reality headset is not functioning properly.

While the OLED display is made with “precise technology,” the manufacturing process does not result in consistent brightness and color uniformity.

You can find the full statement below:

“Black (dark) pixels and continuously lit pixels may appear in certain locations on the screen. The appearance of such spots is a normal occurrence associated with screens and is not a sign of a system malfunction. Screens are made using highly precise technology. However, a very small number of dark pixels or continuously lit pixels may exist and color irregularities or brightness irregularities may be visible on each screen.”

It is important to note that Mura also occurs on other OLED screens, such as the original PlayStation Vita model and the Nintendo Switch OLED model. So, this issue isn’t just limited to the PS VR2.

So, what can be done if you are noticing that your PlayStation VR2 headset has Mura? For one, you can try adjusting the brightness level, either through the in-game settings or through the PS5 system menus, to see if the cloudiness will become less noticeable in darker or brighter lighting. Mura usually becomes more apparent in extremely dark areas or in places where there is only one primary color being shown.

Of course, you can simply choose to power through and play the game despite the Mura effect. Once you get fully immersed in the experience, you most likely won’t care about the graininess.

While Sony considers Mura to be normal, you may be able to still exchange your virtual reality headset for a new one as well. Some PlayStation VR2 units may have less Mura than others. Of course, there is also a possibility that Mura will be just as prevalent, if not more, with the new unit.

To find out more about how you can deal with this issue, you can take a look at this PlayStation VR2 Mura troubleshooting article.

When will PlayStation VR 2 be available in other stores?

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Update: PlayStation has confirmed that PSVR is coming to other retailers.

In the U.S., you can only purchase the PlayStation VR 2 from the PlayStation Direct store at launch. So, when will this virtual reality headset be available at other retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart? You can find out in this guide at Seeking Tech.

Why PSVR 2 is only available at PlayStation Direct

While Sony has not given an official statement as to why they decided to only sell the PlayStation VR2 headset exclusively from the PlayStation Direct website, it is pretty easy to surmise.

For one, the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition consoles were heavily scalped for around the first two years of launch. Scalpers were able to buy these systems and then re-sell the units at a much higher price.

In the beginning, you can only pre-order the PlayStation VR 2 through an invite from PlayStation Direct. While the invite-only system has since gone away, you can still only purchase one headset per household.

Furthermore, PlayStation Direct is owned by Sony. So, by selling PSVR 2 at their own stores, the company is able to cut off the middleman (Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart). As a result, they will be able to get more revenue per unit sold.

It is unknown if Sony currently makes a profit by selling just the PlayStation VR2 headset. With that said, the company previously sold PlayStation consoles, including the PS5, at a loss in the beginning in order to increase the install base. Sony then earns profits from accessories and software sales.

What Sony has said so far about PSVR 2 being available at other retailers

In a blog post that was published on November 02, 2022, Sony stated that the virtual reality headset will be exclusively slod at the official PlayStation online store during its “initial launch phase” in the U.S. and other select regions.

You can find the full statement below:

  • “During this initial launch phase for our next-gen headset, players in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg will initially be able to pre-order PlayStation VR2 solely through PlayStation’s online store at direct.playstation.com.”

When can you expect PlayStation VR 2 to be available outside of PlayStation Direct?

As you see in the aforementioned statement, the PSVR 2 headset should be made available at other major retailers after its launch period.

Sony previously made the DualSense Edge controller exclusive to the PlayStation Direct in the U.S. region when the premium controller came out on January 26, 2023. This gamepad wasn’t made available at other retailers until February 23, 2023.

Another potential hint is a recent showcase event streamed by Perp Games, which ended up announcing the release dates for the physical versions of PlayStation VR 2 games. The physical copies are slated to arrive as early as March 3, 2023. You can watch the showcase below:

Based on these hints, it is very likely that the PlayStation VR 2 should be made available in major U.S. retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart in March of 2023 or a little bit later.