[SOLVED] Why does my TV cause input lag for my PC, but not my PS4?

[Kubadakuba]

Hey guys, this is my first time posting here! Hopefully this is the right place to do it... I'm not totally sure.

I tried asking reddit, but didn't get anywhere there. So, I've got my fingers crossed here!

I've had my PC for a few years and have always enjoyed it, but wished I had the ability to play my PC games on my TV from the couch if I felt like it. It was a pretty low priority, but recently, I've wanted it more. The only thing that had stopped me was not having a long enough HDMI cable, but I finally went ahead and got one - 15ft.

Now, I'm well aware that your typical TV has more input lag than your typical computer monitor, but I game on my TV all the time with my PS4. I have a Samsung UN50KU630D and use game mode, and never notice any input lag when playing PS4. Perhaps ignorance, but it's been my understanding that if this was the case, I would then receive the same amount of input lag if my PC were plugged into the TV and therefore, not notice it just like on my PS4.

However, I notice a great deal of input lag as soon as I plug my PC in. I'm playing the same game (Hollow Knight - I own it on both PC and PS4) using a DS4 controller plugged into the same HDMI port and get quite the delay on PC as opposed to an unnoticeable amount on PS4.

All the research I've done on this (which has been very tough. Apparently this is a unique situation...? Or I'm bad at googling) has led me to believe that this should not be happening.

Just in case, I tested the new HDMI I got by plugging it into my computer monitor from PC and no lag there. Also, it works fine going from PS4 to TV... just to rule that out, I guess.

Does anyone have any ideas why this happening?

TL;DR When playing my PS4 on my TV, I don't notice any input lag whatsoever. However, when playing my PC on my TV, there is quite a bit. Same game, same controller, same HDMI port, game mode on. Why is this happening?

 

[bmockeg]

Best I can guess is console games are optimized differently than PC games and made for the average person using high input lag TVs. Most 4K TVs are around 25ms. My gaming monitor for my PC is 1ms. That’s a pretty big difference. But I’m im pretty certain it’s got to do with optimization.

 

[sizzling]

Try swapping the HDMI sockets, so plug the PC into the TV HDMI socket you are currently using for the PS4. Any input lag is caused by the TV, not the cable or anything else. I know with one of my LG I have to reclassify the HDMI input to PC to get low input lag, switching on game mode is not enough, maybe something like this for your TV.

Just checking, you are not using V-Sync?

 

[Kubadakuba]

Try swapping the HDMI sockets, so plug the PC into the TV HDMI socket you are currently using for the PS4. Any input lag is caused by the TV, not the cable or anything else. I know with one of my LG I have to reclassify the HDMI input to PC to get low input lag, switching on game mode is not enough, maybe something like this for your TV.

Just checking, you are not using V-Sync?

I tried plugging the PC into all the HDMI ports, just to be sure. No difference, though. And as far as I know, my TV doesn’t have a setting for PC... if it does, I’m not sure where to find it as I definitely didn’t see it.

Also, I don’t believe I was, but would have to check again later. I’ve never really done much research on v-sync so don’t fully know what it does and therefore have never turned it on.

 

[sizzling]

TV input lag is entirely to do with TV so by trying the port which your PS4 uses and still having the problem suggest the issue is elsewhere or it does exist for your PS4 but you don’t notice it. V-Sync introduces another lag hence my idea if that is the cause.

 

[Kubadakuba]

TV input lag is entirely to do with TV so by trying the port which your PS4 uses and still having the problem suggest the issue is elsewhere or it does exist for your PS4 but you don’t notice it. V-Sync introduces another lag hence my idea if that is the cause.

You have solved the vast majority of my issue!

I noticed that V-Sync was set to follow the application being used and as you might imagine, Hollow Knight, which was the game I was using to test things out, had a setting for V-Sync, which was turned on. As soon as I turned it off, the lag was almost entirely gone! The difference is huge - I'm not sure if that's typical for V-Sync or not.

After that, there was still a tiny bit of lag, which I managed to get rid of by changing my resolution. The recommended resolution was way too high for what the TV could handle, lag-wise, apparently. In fact, 1080 was still too high. Setting my resolution to 1280x720 was what was needed.

So, the combination of V-Sync being off and resolution being changed to 1280x720 seems to have solved the issue! Unfortunately, I'm sure now I'll have to endure screen-tearing, but at least I won't have input lag.

I sincerely thank you for mentioning V-Sync.