Do you use your PS5 to watch Netflix or for streaming services like Amazon Prime? MeinMMO explains to you why this is not a good idea.
On the PS5 you can not only play current games like Horizon: Forbidden West or Elden Ring, but also watch films or series via streaming service. But that’s not the best idea if you want to get the most out of your series or conserve resources.
MeinMMO explains what’s behind it and why you have to do without the best picture and sound on the PS5.
You can “only” use normal HDR on the PS5
If you use Netflix, Disney+ or other services on the PS5, then you have to do without the currently best HDR format: Dolby Vision. Because the PS5 cannot output the dynamic HDR format. Instead, the console uses the usual HDR10. In terms of color depth and contrast, however, this does not come close to Dolby Vision.
With a few tricks, it is probably possible to activate Dolby Vision on Sony’s in-house Bravia TVs (via mp1st.com). This allows you to use Dolby Vision in certain games, but it’s not official.
What is HDR anyway? HDR stands for High Dynamic Range Image and primarily improves colors and contrasts when playing films and series.
The current state of the art is Dolby Vision. This offers you a color depth of 12bit and thus the most intense colors. This gives you a particularly high image quality.
The alternative is license-free HDR10 technology. Here, a uniform tone is superimposed over the image, but this makes playback very static. Due to the color depth of 10bit, the picture still looks much better than if you use SDR quality.
In Windows 10 and 11 you can now activate Auto-HDR. We will explain exactly what this brings you in a separate article:
You’ll soon be able to use Auto-HDR on Windows, but what’s the point of that anyway?
On the PS5 you don’t get Dolby Atmos with Netflix
The PS5 cannot play Dolby Atmos if you use Netflix on the console. Dolby Atmos is an audio format that offers particularly high quality. Many streaming services now use this format.
Dolby Atmos works with audio objects that are distributed to different channels in real time by a decoder. For example, you can hear the leaves rustling in the forest or perceive an airplane flying directly overhead.
If you watch current 4K BluRays on your PS5, you can use Dolby Atmos. For Dolby Atmos you have to activate the transmission via Bitstream. The audio is then passed from the PS5 via bitstream to either a suitable AVR/AVC or soundbar, where the signal can then be decoded.
Games and apps from streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Co are not supported. Whether Dolby Atmos will ever be extensively supported on the PS5 is questionable so far. Some even suspect that Sony would rather support its own 3D audio format “Tempest Audio-Tech”. However, “Tempest 3D Audio” does not work perfectly, as GamePro explains in a reference report.
The Xbox Series X takes ray tracing for the ears – and the PS5?
Your PS5 consumes a lot of power when streaming
For many, being able to use streaming services like Netflix through the PS5 is a nice bonus. Because instead of switching to another device, you just have to switch from your game to Netflix and Co.
But this little convenience costs money. One reason why you shouldn’t use your PS5 for Netflix and Co is the console’s high power consumption. If you use your PS5 for streaming, you use an average of 70-80 watts just to watch Netflix.
Where does this information come from? “Natural Resources Defense Council” measured the power consumption of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and found that your PS5 console uses about 10 to 25 times more power than a streaming device like an Apple TV or the FireTV stick (via nrdc.org). An Apple TV 4K needs about 6 watts and a Chromecast Ultra only 3.4 watts.
This applies to both the disc version and the digital edition of the PS5. Then there is the consumption of your television and connected boxes.
In comparison: if you play a game on the PS5, you only use around 200 watts with the console. This also applies to both versions of the console. Because in contrast to the Xbox Series X|S, the same hardware is installed in both Sony consoles:
PS5: which console is better, with or without disc drive?
Why is that? Both the Xbox Series X and PS5 are gaming consoles first and foremost. Streaming services are more often thought of as a nice bonus. The consoles are optimized for games and are officially gaming platforms and are significantly less efficient when streaming than, say, a streaming dongle. For example, ARM processors are installed in a FireTV stick or comparable devices, as we know them from mobile devices. They are significantly more efficient than the PS5 or an Xbox.
Rather watch your films and series on your television
If you watch a lot of series and films via Netflix or other streaming providers, switching to the television can be worthwhile in many cases. Because the popular consoles are not really optimized for streaming.
If you prefer to use the television or a streaming stick, you will benefit from many advantages and also save electricity at a time when it is becoming more and more expensive. Incidentally, our colleagues from GameStar took a look at how much more expensive PC gaming can become with rising electricity costs.
It is recommended to use the pre-installed apps on your TV. If you don’t have a television with smart functions, you can buy a streaming stick like the FireTV stick from 30 euros for little money.
For example, we would recommend buying a Fire TV Stick 4K. Because here you get both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for 60 euros. With the normal Fire TV Stick for 40 euros you have to do without Dolby Vision. The Amazon devices are also regularly available with hefty discounts.
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