TVs come in all shapes and sizes these days, and that goes for the ports as well. Your high-end TVs are usually packed with enough HDMI 2.1 ports to get everything you want plugged in, but that’s not the case with lower-end options. There are still a lot of TVs out there in living rooms that have a mix of 2.0 and 2.1 ports. My Sony Bravia X90J falls into that category, and for the most part, it’s not a big deal.

It wasn’t until I started to use things that need HDMI 2.1 ports that I realized its limitations. This TV has four HDMI ports, and just two of them are HDMI 2.1. The problem is that one of the ports is also the eARC port, which means audio equipment needs to be plugged in there. That means if you have a soundbar you need to plug in, it leaves just one 2.1 port. As you might know, game consoles benefit mightily from HDMI 2.1, so if you have an Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and a PS5, all of them have to take turns swapping in and out of that port.

I solved this problem by getting a receiver, as that gave me access to more HDMI ports than I know what to do with, and it also gave me Dolby Atmos in my living room. Obviously, that’s not a solution for everybody, as receivers are bulky and expensive. I also wouldn’t recommend getting one if you don’t plan on hooking up speakers to it, either. If you need more HDMI ports, then there are much cheaper avenues to use.

An HDMI switch doesn’t break the bank

Add ports to your TV for cheap

Not everybody has a ton of devices they need to plug into their TV, but if you’re a gamer, then you probably do. It’s no fun having to constantly unplug a cable from one device and move it to another, so you don’t have to do that anymore. HDMI switches don’t cost a lot of money at all, and in fact, they might be cheaper than you’d think. If you just need to add a single port to have your PS5 and Switch 2 plugged in, for example, then you can spend as little as $25. If you need more ports, then you can find something that offers more, but the point is that this is far cheaper than a receiver is.

Keep in mind that you need to match your switch’s specs to your TV’s specs. You can’t plug a 2.1 switch into a 2.0 port and expect it to give you 2.1 ports. It can only give you what you put in, so don’t expect magic to happen here. As long as you’re aware of that, there aren’t any real downsides to grabbing a switch. The biggest thing is that these are relatively small and easy to hide away. A receiver is big and bulky, so you need a dedicated spot for it. Even if you get a great deal on one, as I did, you still have a lot of things to figure out where a switch is something you just plug in and go from there.

Moving between the HDMI inputs is done with a remote, so it’s not convoluted to set up and use, even if you’re a novice in the tech world. An inexpensive switch might run into input lag or audio issues, so that’s something you need to be aware of. On the bright side, it’s something you’d notice right away, and returns are often very easy if you buy from a store such as Amazon.

Don’t get a receiver if you don’t have to

A switch can do the same for far less

I’m a big believer in receivers because they not only give you more HDMI ports but they also offer upgraded audio. Audio is a huge part of my viewing experience, and that means a receiver was always going to be in the cards. If you don’t want to go through the effort of putting together a surround sound setup in your living room, then you can skip the receiver and get something that does the same thing for cheaper.

A receiver’s value comes with it being able to do the job of many things at once. If you don’t need the ability to plug in speakers, then you should not spend the premium it costs to make that happen. An HDMI switch will be pretty much the same thing for you, and it won’t break the bank by any means. I often like to dip my toes into something before diving in fully, and figuring out if I’d actually use an HDMI switch is a lot easier to justify when I’m out just $20 or so instead of hundreds. The nice thing is that an HDMI switch can be used with a different TV if you eventually upgrade to one with more ports or a receiver.