If you’re a PC gamer, then you are likely well aware of the debate that seems to constantly be taking place between DisplayPort and HDMI. The battle is actually an interesting one, because GPU makers seem to be pushing you heavily in one direction. For example, my 3070 Ti has just a lone HDMI port on it, so it’s not like I can really invest in the format if I wanted to. I mean, I guess I could if I got a hub that allowed me to plug in mroe cables, but that’s not worth the trouble.

Despite that, DisplayPort isn’t necessarily the best format — it’s just the most accessible on PC. There are plenty of ways HDMI comes out ahead of DisplayPort, but you have to remove yourself from the PC ecosystem to see them fully. That’s not difficult to do if you don’t have a PC to begin with. If you’ve been playing games on PC for years now, you might be surprised by how many advantages HDMI has over DisplayPort. Whether they matter to you or not is another thing entirely.

Dolby Vision is pretty much exclusive to HDMI

The best HDR format is behind a walled garden

My favorite HDR format available today is Dolby Vision. It makes the image really pop off the screen, and it’s a big part of why I started to invest in a physical media collection. To get Dolby Vision, you have to buy a TV that supports it, and you need to use at least an HDMI 2.0 cable. TVs with Dolby Vision are far more widespread than Dolby Vision monitors, so it’s a lot easier to get access if you are looking for something other than a computer monitor. If you settle for a TV, then HDMI is your only option.

What’s cool about Dolby Vision is that while it makes your TV shows and movies look better, but you get the same thing with video games. Your PS5 and Xbox Series X both support Dolby Vision for select games, so you can get the best of both worlds. On PC, you’re more likely to be limited to just HDR10, but that’s still a great format. As time goes on and more Dolby Vision monitors are released at affordable prices, other formats might be able to make up some ground on HDMI here.

HDMI-CEC is a very cool feature

One device to rule them all

HDMI-CEC allows one remote to control all your devices as long as you have the feature turned on. Essentially, it lets your devices communicate with each other, and it’s huge for people who are looking to ditch all their extra remotes.

Once everything starts working, it almost feels like magic, even in 2026. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not without its share of issues. Sometimes, you’ll run into problems where the remote isn’t controlling things, and the only solution is to turn everything off and start over. I run into things like that more than I’d like, but I guess that’s just the price of using the latest technology. Fortunately, the problem is easy to fix, and it’s not like it happens all the time. It’s more often than I’d like, but it’s manageable.

HDMI cables are longer for cheaper

It’s there if you need it

I’m not somebody who wants to use long HDMI cables just because they create tripping hazards and leave themselves open to being messed with by my pets. If you’re able to hide all of that, getting a long cable makes some sense. For example, running a cable from your PC in the office to your living room TV is something you can do if you want to natively play your games on the big screen without having to haul your computer into another room.

Just a quick look at Amazon shows you can get a 30-foot HDMI cable for around $15, and even 100-foot ones can be found for around $70. Meanwhile, 30-foot DisplayPort cables come in for about double the price, and that price rises quite a bit as you look for longer cables. Both formats run the risk of losing signal the longer they go, so that’s something you should keep in mind as well.

More widespread support in general

Something to keep in mind

What’s interesting to me is that you can use the word DisplayPort in front of somebody, and there’s a strong chance they’ll have simply never heard of it. DisplayPort just isn’t as common as HDMI is if you’re not a PC gamer. If you have only a TV and a game console, then you’re stuck with HDMI, for better or worse. Also, good luck finding a receiver that supports DisplayPort. Even if you did find one, it’s not like you could plug in your game console or 4K Blu-ray player using a DisplayPort cable.

The good news is that HDMI is a great format, and I love that it can be used with all of your devices that support it. Your fancy HDMI 2.1 cable works with an Xbox 360 the same way it works with your Xbox Series X. No, it doesn’t give your Xbox 360 any additional performance, but it’s nice that one size fits all. That’s not always the case, so I have to give credit where it’s due.

Your eARC channel needs HDMI

Better audio requires HDMI

This really comes back to your TV only supporting HDMI, but it’s important to note. If you don’t already know about your TV’s eARC port, then let me let you in on a secret. This port is the secret to unlocking the best audio that you can from your TV. This means that if you have a soundbar or audio receiver, you should get it plugged into this port. It also means HDMI is your only option here.

If you care about your sound quality at all, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you aren’t using it with your sound system already. It might be tempting to plug your game console into this port, especially since it seems like the most feature-rich option, but that’d be a mistake. This channel is meant to enhance your sound, so just make sure you use it for your sound paired with an HDMI 2.1 cable if you can. If you don’t have an external sound system, it’s perfectly fine to plug your PS5 or whatever you want into the port. You won’t have degraded performance, but you won’t see any gains either. Just remember to switch your cables around if you decide to get a soundbar down the road.