MSI may be primarily known as a PC hardware maker, but the company seems to be making some moves to attract console gamers. Following the worldwide launch of the Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) earlier in December, MSI announced that it has developed a ‘Console Mode’ that enables certain gaming monitors to play PS5 games in 1440p resolution.
The company explained it developed Console Mode because it found that there were many gamers that preferred to use monitors instead of TVs to play console and PC games.
Just to recap, officially the PS5 can output games at 4K resolution at up to 120fps, though not every game will hit that high refresh rate. For example, the launch title Spider-Man: Miles Morales plays natively at 4K at 30fps and maxes out at 60fps.
MSI claims its developed the feature to allow compatible MSI monitors to accept the 4K signal from a PS5 and output it in 1440p, which it officially does not support. In a nutshell, the mode is basically downscaling the 4K signal from the console and outputs it in QHD resolution. MSI added that the mode also offers support for HDR, which is a nice bonus.
The following table is a list of MSI QHD monitors that support Console Mode.
Apart from that, MSI posted a handy guide on its blog that walks console gamers through the process of setting their PS5 or Xbox Series S/X i[ to play games at 120 frames per second (fps) on select MSI monitors.
If you have a PS5, go to Settings and search for the option ‘Saved Data and Game/App Settings’. Once selected go to the ‘Game Presets’ option. From there, you need to globally set your titles so that the Performance Mode will always be selected by default. With this enabled, you will need to restart your game to run it at the highest supported screen refresh rate.
In case you didn’t know, the PS5 has two options to adjust the type of experience you prefer while playing games. You can choose either: Performance Mode, which prioritises higher frame rates and Resolution Mode, which focuses on the highest resolution over frame rate.
For Xbox Series S or X consoles, you will need to find the ‘TV display option’ within Settings/ General. Here you will be able to select the refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz. This will work so long as your display supports it. It should be noted that Xbox gamers have a wider selection of titles that support 120Hz compared to PS5.
If you need a more detailed explanation on how to set your PS5 or Xbox Series S/X up to play games in FHD at 120fps, MSI has a handy video walkthrough that you can view here.
Now, not every game on the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X can run games at 120fps. Below are a list of games that MSI has tested and verified.
Unlike the few MSI QHD monitors that support 4K to 2K conversions, there are many more than enable you to player next-generation games at 120Hz at a Full HD resolution. Below are a list of monitors that support this workaround.
MSI does however note that there is a ‘catch’ to getting games to play at 120fps on their monitors. Firstly, not every game will support this workaround. Also, within certain games on the list, you can only play it in 120fps under certain modes like multiplayer. Also, because the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X do not support 21:9 aspect ratio displays, there will be black borders on the left and right of the screens.
According to MSI, if gamers are unable to play their games in 120fps at first, they should try turning off FreeSync and Raytracing in the settings.
So, what do you think? Do you own a PS5 or Xbox Series S or X console and game on a monitor? Would you be interested in giving this mode a try? Let us know in the comments.
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