What is 4K?

4K is a common and less confusing way to refer to a resolution of around 4,000 pixels horizontally. Most commonly used displays have a 16:9 aspect ratio, where 4K specifically refers to a resolution of 3840x2160 (3,840 pixels horizontally and 2,160 pixels vertically). Interestingly, 4K screens in movie theatres use a specific resolution of 4096x2160, making them slightly wider than standard TVs and monitors.

We've already mentioned that there are two different types of 4K resolution, which is related to this question, too. If you want to be really pedantic, then it’s only “true” 4K if you're talking about 4096x2160, whereas 3840x2160 is Ultra HD or UHD. So, if you want to be technically correct, which is the best kind of correct, then you almost certainly do not have a 4K TV or gaming monitor, you have an Ultra HD TV or gaming monitor.

Of course, practically speaking, it doesn’t really matter. True 4K only has about 6% more pixels than UHD horizontally, meaning that no normal person would ever be able to tell. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us.

A few years ago, the answer might have been “no”, but these days the world has moved on. Now we have gaming PCs powerful enough to play games in 4K. We have internet connections fast enough to stream content in 4K.

Additionally, 4K TVs have plummeted in price, so now they don’t really cost a meaningful amount more than a 1080p TV. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for gaming monitors. 4K monitors are still expensive because the market is much smaller. Everyone watches TV, not everyone plays PC games.

However, even though gaming in 4K is attainable right now, it requires very new and therefore expensive GPUs, CPUs, and enough cooling to handle it all. So, it’s no surprise that the vast majority of PC gamers are still gaming at 1440p or 1080p.

So, for gaming, the answer is a solid “maybe”, but for watching TV and movies, it’s definitely a “yes”. The improvement in clarity is huge and you don’t need expensive hardware like you do for gaming.

The earliest version of HDMI that could do 4K was HDMI 1.4. That version came out in 2009 so chances are that any HDMI cable you have lying around is 1.4 or newer. Also, if you’re buying a new HDMI cable these days, it will almost certainly be a more modern version than 1.4, and therefore totally capable of 4K, too.

At this point in time, basically any relatively modern device supports 4K. GPUs have been capable of outputting 4K since around 2010 (even if not powerful enough to take advantage of this in gaming). Sony’s PlayStation consoles have been able to output 4K since the PS4 Pro and the Xbox Series X can output in 4K, too. The Nintendo Switch can’t do 4K, however, but Nintendo games have never been about pure fidelity so they get a pass.

Common streaming dongles, such as the Chromecast and the Fire TV Stick, support 4K as well. For movie afficionados, modern Blu-ray players can play 4K content, letting you experience the majesty of a 4K UHD film.