For the perfect gaming experience with a modern video game console, you don’t just need a good TV – high-quality cables also play their part.
A video game console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S on its own isn’t much use. If you don’t combine it with other hardware, it becomes just another decorative item in your living room. You need a few more bits to be able to game with it and really enjoy the experience. This includes several types of cables. Not all of them are essential, but they can enhance your gaming experience. Read on to learn more.
Go for HDMI 2.1 for the best picture quality
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X pack a lot of performance for their price point. Both video game consoles are capable of displaying graphically stunning games in native 4K resolution. To enjoy that to the fullest, you not only need a 4K TV but also a good HDMI cable to hook up your video game console to your TV. You can use a high-speed HDMI 1.4 cable, but you’ll be missing out. While it can carry 4K video, you won’t get faster than 30fps (frames per second) out of it.
For unrestricted gaming fun, you should use an Ultra High Speed cable that meets the HDMI 2.1 standard. Thanks to its incredible bandwidth of 48Gbit/s, you can game in 4K at a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Few games currently support this, but if you want to future proof yourself then you should opt for an Ultra High Speed HDMI 2.1 cable over the older 2.0 standard. The newer variant supports 8K at 60Hz and even 10K, which just goes to show its sheer power.
In addition, with an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable you benefit from cutting-edge technologies such as dynamic HDR, VRR (variable refresh rate), and ALLM (auto low latency mode). All this will tick every box for gaming fans. Dynamic HDR delivers strong contrasts and realistic-looking brightness. VRR provides a smoother gaming experience by dynamically adjusting the TV’s frequency to match the game’s frame rate.
ALLM is especially good for those gamers who appreciate competitive online games that demand quick reflexes. It ensures that the TV automatically switches to gaming mode when you use your video game console. However, HDMI 2.1 is not only important for video but also for audio thanks to its support for the latest audio formats such as Dolby Atmos. Thanks to eARC, higher-quality audio can also be sent from your TV to a connected soundbar, surround sound system, or amp. And thanks to the higher bandwidth, no compression is necessary.
Without a charging cable, it’s game over
Both the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller and the Xbox equivalent need to be refuelled after a few hours of wireless use. The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S come with a charging cable, but if you have multiple gamepads, you’ll want to be able to charge them at the same time – so you need multiple cables.
Owners of one of the Xbox video game consoles can only use a USB-C to USB-A cable if they don’t have an additional charging adapter at hand. By contrast, PS5 gamers can also use a USB-C to USB-C cable: Sony’s device not only has multiple USB-A ports but also a USB-C port, just like the DualSense controller. So if you need an additional charging cable, you can use one of our USB-C cables to refuel your controllers very quickly thanks to Power Delivery 3 and the integrated chip. The alternative with a USB-A connector on one end and a USB-C connector on the other is perfect for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and also ensures that you can game wirelessly again very quickly.
The right adapter cable for headset users
Frequent players of competitive multiplayer shooters or anyone who generally likes to voice chat with friends when gaming typically uses a headset. But both the Xbox Series X/S controller and its PS5 counterpart only have a single 3.5mm jack that combines the headphone and microphone signals. However, most older headsets with a jack cable always have two plugs: One for the headphones and one for the microphone. So it’s clear, you’re going to need an adapter.
With our adapter cable, you can plug any headset with twin jack plugs into the controller for your latest-gen video game console. It consists of a 3.5mm male connector for the controller on one end and two female connectors on the other. And as it meets the CTIA standard, the adapter supports the typical headset functions (microphone, play and pause music, and skip tracks) for complete convenience.
Ethernet cable for fast downloads and low ping
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S offer native Wi-Fi support. That’s handy, but if you really want to always download games and updates at the fastest possible speed and have the lowest ping when gaming online, you should connect your video game console to your router using an Ethernet cable. This is especially true if your console and router are not in the same room.
A stable internet connection is guaranteed with a Cat 7 network cable – as long as your home’s connection and provider cooperate. It supports a maximum bit rate of 10Gbit/s. So if you have a fast internet connection, you’ll always get the most out of it with such a cable. In comparison, the quality of a Wi-Fi connection fluctuates quite frequently and can therefore have a negative impact on your online experience with your PS5 or Xbox Series X/S.
