HDMI 2.1 is a new addition that will affect your gaming a lot, & of course positively. Especially if you have recently bought the new PS5 or Xbox & started playing the newly release Cyberpunk 2077 or Assasins Creed Valhalla then this feature will take your gaming experience to the ultimate level.
You may already have known the features of HDMI cable. HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. An HDMI cable is way faster compared to a general USB cable. This cable supports a bandwidth of 18 Gigabytes per second. This high speed is enough to cover 4K gaming at 60Hz & a higher refresh rate. An HDMI cable also lets you enjoy the HDR features of your Gaming Monitor or TV.
We are talking about the older version of the HDMI cable here. The HDMI 2.1 cable compared to the older version offers a lot. It is faster than the previous HDMI cables & offers a lot of new features that will be really helpful to enhance your gaming experience. We will discuss all the details regarding HDMI 2.0 & HDMI 2.1. But first, let us introduce you to the Best HDMI 2.1 Monitors in 2021.
Best HDMI 2.1 Monitors
You may get a bit disappointed at this point if you are someone having less patience. The reason is there are no available HDMI 2.1 monitors available in the international market yet. You may find some in the market of China where there are few unofficial HDMI 2.1 Monitor available. Here we will let you know about all the famous Upcoming HDMI 2.1 Monitors after a few times. But there is also a piece of good news for you. There are few TVs with HDMI 2.1 available for your PS5 & Xbox X. The Best 4k TV for PS5 & Xbox X is always a better option for multipurpose uses. Here are our top picks.
1. LG OLED55CXPUA – Best for Gaming Console – OLED TV
Our first pick for the best HDMI 2.1 TV for PS5 & Xbox is this 55 inches 4K OLED TV by LG. The main attraction of this TV is its OLED display panel. The OLED panel is one of the most advanced display panels in mobile, TV & Monitors. It is well known for its punchy color & deep black. Even in the darkroom, you will not watch washed-out black while playing your favorite game. And of course, the LG OLED55CXPUA features HDMI 2.1 for a better & faster connection while playing your favorite game using your gaming console. It also includes Built-in Alexa for smart control This one may be an expensive option. But if you can afford this then it will over you great benefits.
2. Sony X900H – Best Budget TV for PS5 & Xbox Series X
This is our second choice & a budget option for you. The Sony X900H features a LED panel, unlike the LG OLED panel. As a budget 4k TV for gaming consoles, it offers a great display. The viewing angles are great, the picture quality is sharp. The black is not as dark as an OLED panel. As a budget 4K TV, you can not expect more from this. It does not feature built-in Alexa, but it offers Alexa compatibility. And finally, it features the latest including VRR, ALLM, & 4K at a 120Hz refresh rate.
What is HDMI 2.1
The HDMI cable you are using in your smart TV or Monitor is probably an HDMI 2.0. It can be an HDMI 1.4 cable as well if you have an older PC setup. It is hard to recognize which HDMI cable you have just by looking at this because all look the same &. Even if you buy a new monitor with HDMI 2.1 even then you can not differentiate this because all HDMI cable has the same connector. The magic is inside. The HDMI 1.4 has been introduced in 2009 & in 2021 you are going to get the latest HDMI 2.1. This is an all-new innovative technology that will open the door to the new generation of gaming.
How Much Better is HDMI 2.1 Compared to Previous Generation Cables?
This is the thing you may have been looking for. We are talking about HDMI 2.1 in our whole topic. But if you move to HDMI 2.1 from HDMI 2.0 then how much better will it be? Well, we can let you understand this very easily just by letting you clarify two points. First, you need to understand HDMI 2.1’s Refresh Rate & Resolution then you need to understand How it works.
Refresh Rate and Resolution
HDMI cable is well known to support higher resolution screens. You would be surprised to know that even the HDMI 1.4 can support a 4K monitor which has been launched 11 years ago. But now a 4K monitor is more demanding & has become a standard for PS5 & Xbox Series X gaming. What HDMI 2.1 does here is even if you are playing an FHD game you will have the experience that you are playing a 4K game. If your 4K monitor or 4K Tv features HDR+ technology then the quality will increase rapidly.
The resolution of a monitor or 4K TV affects your video-watching experience. That is why this is more important if you are watching a movie or your favorite TV series. But if you are a gamer then having high-resolution image quality is not enough, you also need a fast response & lag-free gaming experience. At this point, the refresh rate that your HDMI cable can handle comes plays the most important role.
When it comes to general 4K TV users then the main attraction may be a bigger screen with crystal clear image quality. But in the case of gaming, most gamers prefer a smaller screen because on a smaller screen they will get higher frame rates. But this is going to become past now. HDMI 2.1 will change your gaming experience even if you are using a 75” Gaming 4K TV like the TCL 75S425 4K UHD Smart Roku TV. You will get a minimum of 60 frames per second at 5K (5120×2800) resolution using an HDMI 2.1 cable. That is why if you prefer a bigger monitor then it is your time to move on. You can also check our Perfect Gaming Monitor Size Identification for a better experience.
How Does HDMI 2.1 Cable Work?
This is our main topic you need to understand for HDMI 2.1 bandwidth & how it works. We will make this as simple as possible to make you understand easily.
TVs & Gaming Monitors display images by painting pictures on your TV or monitor screen. This process is done very fast that tricks your brain to connect the dots among all those images. Here the refresh rate also plays a vital role. The higher the refresh rate the more smooth the image transition & video quality you will receive. This may not be a great deal when you are watching movies but in the case of gaming, a smooth transition is very much important. And that is when the problem arises.
Normally, if you are going to have a higher refresh rate then it is obvious that your HDMI cable or the cable you are using to connect your PC or gaming console to the monitor can deliver more data. Because a higher refresh rate smooth transition requires faster data transfer. In this case, HDMI 2.1 will really shine. It has a Bandwidth of 48 gigabytes per second which is more than 3 times that compared to an HDMI 2.1 cable. Note this, the data transfer capability of a cable is known as Bandwidth. Here is a table that will show you the Bandwidth & Display Uncompressed of HDMI 2.1 compared to other cables.
| Cable Type | Bandwidth | Maximum Display Uncompressed (4:4:4 at 8-bit) | Maximum with Display Stream Compression (4:4:4 at 10-bit) |
| USB- Type C | 10Gb/s | 4K @ 60Hz | N/A* |
| HDMI 2.0 | 18Gb/s | 4K @ 60Hz | N/A |
| Display Port 1.4 | 32.4Gb/s | 5K @ 60Hz | 8K@ 60Hz |
| Thunderbolt 3 | 40Gb/s | 5K @ 60Hz | N/A* |
| HDMI 2.1 | 48Gb/s | 5K @ 60Hz | 10K @ 60Hz |
1. ASUS ROG Monitors (27″, 32″, and 43-inch)
Maybe this one will be the world’s first HDMI 2.1 certified monitor. ASUS ROG series always tries to step ahead when it comes to gaming. In the case of a revolutionary technology like the HDMI 2.1, ASUS ROG is the first to announce that the ASUS ROG monitor will feature this technology. HDMI company also confirmed that this ASUS ROG monitor is capable to have this feature. Brian Shih announced that the upcoming ASUS ROG monitors passed all required compatibility & validation tests to include HDMI 2.1. (Brian Shih is the Vice President of Logo & HW Validation Consulting at Allion Labs). This is a 4K monitor & will have a refresh rate of 120Hz. This monitor by ASUS ROG will be available in 2 sizes,27”, 32” & 43” Ultra Wide. We hope that this one will be available in the beginning months of 2021.
2. Acer XV282K KV 4K Monitor (28 inches)
Acer is next to ASUS ROG to get the HDMI 2.1 feature. It will be available in one of Acer’s NITRO XV2 Series monitor, the Acer XV282K KV. This also is a 4K, IPS panel monitor with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Unlike the ASUS ROG HDMI 2.1 monitor, it will be available only in one size, 2 inches. According to our research team, 28 inches is the most preferable size for monitors. That is why Acer made this decision to launch its very first HDMI 2.1 monitor of this size. Acer has not confirmed the exact release time of this monitor but we hope that it will be available in the market by the middle of 2021. Acer is already taking pre-orders for this HDMI 2.1 Monitor.
3. Philips Momentum 328M1R Monitor
ASUS ROG Monitor may be the first officially announced HDMI 2.1 Monitor, but Philips announced to launch of their monitor with HDMI 2.1 back in August 2019. Philips was supposed to launch its monitor in the middle of 2020. This is a 32 inches 4K monitor with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. But all of a sudden Philips decided that it will wait until the PS5 & Xbox Series X releases. As we already have the PS5 & Xbox in the market that is why we are expecting that they will be available in the market in early 2021.
4. ViewSonic Elite XG320U 4K Monitor (32 inches)
ViewSonic is well known for its budget monitors. As a budget-friendly yet high-quality monitor manufacturer ViewSonic also has unofficially announced that it will launch its very first HDMI 2.1 Monitor. It will be a 32 inches 4K monitor with a refresh rate of 144 Hz. It may not be a premium-built monitor like ASUS ROG but if you are going to buy an affordable HDMI 2.1 4K monitor then this will be a great choice for you. We do not know the release date yet but we hope that it will be available in the market by the second quarter of 2021.
That’s all for today. Stay with us for more updates on this gaming monitor & get the most reliable buying option.
Recommendation For You:
