Arcana 2 is required for 4K120 and VRR. The original Arcana limits the HDMI chain to 18 Gbps and therefore normally to 4K60.
With this game console, resolution, HDR, refresh rate and low latency matter as much as audio. Arcana 2 is required when 4K120 and VRR must be preserved through the HDMI chain.
Arcana extracts audio from the HDMI signal before a TV or projector can restrict it. A compatible soundbar or receiver can therefore receive the best available soundtrack while the video signal continues to the display.
Arcana works well with PS5 at 4K60. Arcana 2 preserves 4K120, VRR and higher HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
Cable order: PlayStation 5 → Arcana HDMI IN → HDMI OUT to TV/projector + eARC to soundbar
Use this route when 4K60 is sufficient and you need one video output.
Cable order: PlayStation 5 → Arcana 2 HDMI IN → TX0 to TV/projector + eARC to soundbar
Use TX1/HDMI audio when a second display or HDMI receiver is required.
Arcana works well with PS5 at 4K60. Arcana 2 preserves 4K120, VRR and higher HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
Only use EDID, scaling or lip-sync corrections afterwards when the standard route demonstrably does not work.
The settings above are the starting point. These are the things that most often go wrong on this specific device.
Screen and Video has a test that reports what the chain actually negotiated: resolution, refresh rate, HDR and whether VRR and ALLM came up. It tells you in ten seconds whether the console even sees a 4K120 path, which saves you from adjusting settings that were never the problem.
This surprises people who bought a PS5 as a disc player. It decodes disc audio internally and outputs PCM, so Dolby TrueHD Atmos from a UHD Blu-ray never leaves the console as a bitstream. Atmos in games and streaming apps works fine. If you want lossless disc audio, you need a dedicated player.
The original Arcana caps the chain at 18 Gbps. A PS5 will then simply not offer 120 Hz, and no cable or setting changes that. Everything else about the PS5 works on the original Arcana — it is only the high-bandwidth video path that requires the Arcana 2.
Still not right? Work through the troubleshooting pages — no Atmos, eARC falling back, lip sync and a black screen at 4K120 are covered there step by step.
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