Sometimes, but not directly. The PS5 is designed to send video through its HDMI OUT port to an HDMI IN on a TV or monitor. A television without HDMI needs an active converter that accepts HDMI from the console and outputs the exact signal format the television supports.
For an older set with yellow, red and white composite sockets, that means an HDMI-to-composite RCA converter. It can make a picture possible, but it cannot preserve the PS5’s 4K, HDR or 120 Hz capabilities. Compatibility depends on the converter, the TV’s analog standard and the PS5 output mode.
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Why the normal PS5 connection does not work
Sony’s documented setup is simple: connect the cable from the PS5’s HDMI OUT to the display’s HDMI IN. HDMI carries the console’s digital video and audio together, and the display reports which formats it can accept. A TV with no HDMI input has no socket for that standard signal, so plugging the PS5 cable into an unrelated connector cannot establish a direct connection.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe missing port is a physical-interface problem, not a setting that can be fixed in the PS5 menus. You need electronics that receive HDMI, convert the signal, and output a format your particular television understands. A passive plug or a cable with a different connector on each end generally does not perform that conversion.
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The workable case: an old TV with composite RCA
Many older televisions have three color-coded RCA sockets: yellow for composite video and red/white for right and left audio. A powered HDMI-to-AV or HDMI-to-composite converter is the relevant category for this setup. Cirago’s converter documentation, for example, describes HDMI as the input and composite RCA as the output for analog TVs.
Direction matters. An “AV to HDMI” device is intended to take an analog source and feed an HDMI display; it solves the reverse problem. For a PS5, the source side must be labeled HDMI IN, while the output side must match the TV’s actual sockets. An RCA-to-HDMI upscaler is therefore not interchangeable with an HDMI-to-RCA converter.
Composite is a low-resolution analog connection. The converter guidance and an Insignia composite guide both warn that its picture quality is limited compared with a digital or HD source. Expect a softer image, less readable small text and more visible artifacts. This route does not retain 4K resolution, HDR, or 120 Hz gaming, even if the PS5 and the original television support some of those features independently.
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What the PS5 can output, and what conversion changes
PlayStation’s 2020 FAQ lists these PS5 output resolutions:
| PS5 output mode | What it means for an analog conversion setup |
|---|---|
| 720p | A lower HD mode that may be easier for a converter to accept, but the composite output is still reduced to the analog television’s capabilities. |
| 1080i | An interlaced HD mode; support must be confirmed in the converter manual and on the TV. |
| 1080p | A progressive HD mode; the converter may accept it, but it will still produce a low-resolution composite signal. |
| 2160p | The PS5’s 4K mode when connected to a 4K display; it should not be assumed to work with a legacy converter or TV. |
Those are console output modes, not a promise that every converter accepts every mode. A converter may support only a subset, and an older television may accept only one analog timing standard. Start with a mode explicitly listed by the converter’s manual rather than assuming that the PS5 will negotiate a usable signal.
Sony also describes PS5 support for HDMI 2.1 and 4K/120 Hz video with compatible equipment. That statement applies to a direct digital connection. It does not describe a composite path, which cannot carry those features to the screen.
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Check the TV before buying anything
- Inspect every input panel. Look at the rear and side of the set, not just the most obvious connector. Record the labels exactly: composite video and audio, component, SCART, coaxial antenna, DVI or another format.
- Identify the color and function. Yellow/red/white sockets indicate composite video plus stereo audio. Red/green/blue video sockets are component, not composite, and require a different converter design.
- Check the television’s regional standard. Composite equipment commonly uses NTSC or PAL. The converter and TV must use the same standard, or a model with the required selection, for a stable picture.
- Find the manual for the exact television. Note which input source name appears in its menu and which video timings it accepts. “AV,” “Video,” and “Ext” labels vary by model.
If the television has only an antenna/coaxial input, a composite converter alone will not help; it does not create an RF channel. If it has DVI, component or SCART, a different conversion chain may be possible in principle, but the cited product documentation here establishes only the HDMI-to-composite route. Do not buy a composite unit for one of those connectors without confirming the required standard and signal direction.
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- Choose a converter whose source specification says HDMI input and whose display specification says composite RCA output. Confirm that it supports the PS5’s expected HDMI mode and the TV’s NTSC or PAL standard.
- Read the power requirements. Many active converters require a USB or wall-power connection; an unpowered cable cannot perform the conversion.
- Connect a PS5 HDMI cable from the console’s HDMI OUT port to the converter’s HDMI IN port.
- Connect the converter’s yellow plug to the TV’s composite video socket. Connect red and white to the matching right and left audio sockets.
- Power the converter, switch on the TV, and select the TV input labeled AV, Video or the equivalent source.
- Start the PS5 with an output mode listed as supported by the converter. If the converter provides an NTSC/PAL switch, set it to match the television and the region for which the TV was designed.
- Check that game audio is routed through the red and white RCA outputs. Some converters handle stereo audio through those cables; others have separate audio behavior described in their manuals.
Keep the converter close to the TV and use short, securely seated RCA leads. Loose yellow connectors can produce a rolling or monochrome image, while an incorrectly seated red or white plug can make one audio channel disappear.
HDCP and protected content: an important qualification
HDCP is copy-protection signaling carried over HDMI. Cirago lists HDCP compatibility for its HDMI-to-composite product, but that is a manufacturer’s claim rather than an independent PS5-specific test. A converter that handles one HDMI source or application may still fail with a particular console mode, game, streaming application or firmware version.
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For that reason, treat HDCP support as a requirement to verify, not as proof of universal compatibility. If games display but a particular application shows a blank screen, the problem may be protected-content handling rather than the RCA wiring. The converter’s support documentation and return policy matter when buying for this use.
What picture and play should you expect?
- Resolution: Composite is substantially below the PS5’s normal HD and 4K presentation. Text-heavy menus and fine HUD elements can be difficult to read.
- Dynamic range: HDR is not preserved through a basic composite path.
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz output is not carried to a legacy composite TV.
- Latency: The converter adds processing. The amount varies by model, so no universal delay figure can be promised. Fast games may feel less responsive if the converter or TV performs additional scaling.
- Aspect ratio: A 16:9 PS5 image may be displayed as letterboxed, stretched or cropped depending on the television’s controls.
- Audio: The red and white RCA cables normally provide stereo, not the multichannel formats available through a direct HDMI link.
This can be a useful temporary or low-cost way to use an existing set, but it is a compromise rather than an equivalent replacement for a modern HDMI display.
Troubleshooting a blank screen or bad picture
No picture at all
- Confirm that the PS5 cable is in the converter’s HDMI input, not an HDMI output.
- Verify that the converter’s power indicator is on and that its USB or power adapter is firmly connected.
- Select the TV’s composite/AV source instead of a similarly named component or tuner source.
- Check that the yellow plug is in the yellow video socket and fully inserted.
- Use a PS5 output resolution the converter manual explicitly lists. A mode outside its range can leave the screen blank.
- Check NTSC/PAL compatibility and any selector on the converter.
Picture rolls, flickers or appears in black and white
These symptoms commonly indicate a regional-standard mismatch, a wrong input type, a loose RCA connection or a damaged cable. Reseat all three plugs, choose the correct AV source, and set the converter and television to the same analog standard where the equipment permits it.
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Picture works but audio does not
Confirm that the red and white plugs are connected to the TV’s audio inputs associated with the selected composite video input. Test both channels with another source if available. Some televisions require a separate audio-input assignment in their menus.
Only one game or application fails
Check the converter’s HDCP statement and supported input modes. A manufacturer may claim HDCP compatibility without testing every PS5 game, application or firmware combination. If the issue persists, connect the PS5 directly to an HDMI display to establish whether the console itself is working normally.
Sony’s recommended baseline for diagnosis
Sony’s troubleshooting guidance says, “Connect your PS5 console directly to the HDMI port on the screen.” It also recommends checking the cable and the selected display input. That is the documented baseline because it removes third-party conversion from the signal path. An analog converter is outside that baseline, so direct HDMI testing is the most reliable way to separate a PS5 fault from a compatibility problem in the old-TV setup.
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When replacing the display is the better answer
If you need sharp menus, HDR, 4K output, 120 Hz play, dependable application compatibility or low and predictable latency, use a television or monitor with a compatible HDMI input. A converter cannot add those capabilities to a composite television; it only translates the signal into the older format.
A converter makes sense when the existing set is temporary, space is limited, or the goal is simply to see and hear the console. Buy only after confirming the TV connector, converter direction, supported resolutions, analog standard, power needs and HDCP behavior. There is no single adapter that is guaranteed to work with every PS5 output and every legacy television.
Bottom line for common old-TV questions
You can connect a PS5 to some TVs without HDMI, most clearly to a set with yellow/red/white composite inputs, by using a powered HDMI-to-composite RCA converter. It is a conditional workaround: the converter must accept HDMI from the PS5, output the exact format the TV accepts, and handle the selected PS5 mode. The result is an analog, low-resolution picture with possible added latency, not 4K or 120 Hz gaming. For full-quality and dependable operation, a display with HDMI remains the correct solution.
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