You press the power button on your PlayStation 5. The blue light pulses, then turns steady white. You’re ready for some Elden Ring or a quick lap in Gran Turismo 7. But the TV just sits there, mocking you with a "No Signal" message or a flickering black screen that cuts out every three seconds. Honestly, it’s one of the most frustrating things about modern console gaming. You've got this $500 piece of hardware and a high-end 4K TV, yet they won't talk to each other.
This is a classic HDMI handshake failure.
Think of an HDMI handshake like a digital "hello." When you turn on your PS5, it sends a packet of data to your TV or monitor. This packet says, "Hey, I'm a PS5. I want to output 4K resolution at 60Hz with HDR and HDCP 2.3 encryption. Can you handle that?" The TV has to reply, "Yeah, I've got you. Send it over." If the TV takes too long to reply, or if the data gets garbled because of a cheap cable, the handshake fails. The connection drops. You get a black screen.
It’s not always a broken port. People panic and think their console is fried, but usually, it's just a software disagreement or a physical bottleneck in the signal chain.
Why the PS5 Struggles with Handshakes
The PS5 uses HDMI 2.1, which is a massive jump in bandwidth from the PS4. We're talking about pushing up to 32Gbps (though the PS5 is capped around there, unlike the full 48Gbps the spec allows). Because the signal is so dense, the margin for error is tiny. If your cable has a tiny kink in it, or if your TV’s firmware hasn't been updated since 2022, the handshake will fail.
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is usually the culprit. This is the "anti-piracy" layer that prevents you from recording movies off Netflix. If the PS5 detects even a millisecond of lag in the HDCP authentication, it cuts the video feed entirely to "protect" the content. It's annoying, but it's how the industry works.
The "Power Cycle" That Actually Works
Don't just turn it off and on. That rarely fixes a stubborn handshake. You need to clear the capacitors and force both devices to forget their current, bugged state.
First, shut down the PS5 completely. Not Rest Mode—full power down. Unplug the HDMI cable from both the back of the console and the TV. Now, unplug the power cord for the TV and the PS5 from the wall. Walk away for two minutes. While you're waiting, check the HDMI ports for dust. Seriously, a single cat hair in the port can disrupt the pins enough to cause a flickering signal.
Plug the TV back in first. Turn it on. Then, plug the HDMI cable back in, ensuring it's seated firmly. Finally, plug in the PS5 and boot it up. This forces a "cold" handshake, which fixes about 60% of these issues instantly.
When the Cable is the Problem
A lot of people use the HDMI cable that came with their PS4 or a random one they found in a drawer. That won't work for a PS5. You need a "Ultra High Speed" certified cable. If your cable doesn't have that specific branding on the jacket, it might struggle with 4K/120Hz or HDR. Even the cable included in the PS5 box is sometimes prone to failure if it’s been bent too sharply behind a media center.
✨ Don't miss: GTA 6 Postcard Clips: Why Fans Are Obsessing Over These Leaked Animations
If you're seeing "sparkles" (tiny white dots) on your screen before it goes black, your cable is failing. Swap it out for a known 48Gbps cable from a brand like Zeskit or even the official Sony ones. Avoid long cables—anything over 10 feet starts to lose signal integrity unless it’s an active fiber-optic HDMI cable.
How to Fix PS5 HDMI Handshake Issues via Safe Mode
If you can't see anything on the screen, you can't get to the settings menu. This is where Safe Mode becomes your best friend.
- Hold the power button on the PS5 until you hear a second beep (about 7 seconds).
- Connect your DualSense controller via a USB cable.
- You should see a low-resolution menu. This works because Safe Mode uses a basic signal that even a broken handshake can usually handle.
Change the Video Output
Select "Change Video Output." Then, choose "Change Resolution." The console will restart. When it comes back, try selecting a lower resolution like 1080p. If the image stays stable at 1080p but disappears at 4K, your HDMI cable is definitely the bottleneck. It can't handle the higher bandwidth required for 4K.
Toggle HDCP Mode
In that same Safe Mode menu, you'll see an option for HDCP. Switch it from "Automatic" to "HDCP 1.4." This is a legacy version of the copy-protection protocol. It might limit you from watching 4K content on apps like Disney+, but it will often stabilize the handshake for gaming. If this fixes the black screen, you know the issue is specifically how your TV is handling the newer HDCP 2.3 signal.
Dealing with Smart TV Weirdness
Samsung, LG, and Sony TVs all have their own quirks. Sony TVs usually play nice with PS5 (for obvious reasons), but Samsung TVs are notorious for "Source Not Found" errors.
Check your TV settings for something called "HDMI UHD Color," "Input Signal Plus," or "Enhanced Format." If this is turned off, the TV will reject the high-bandwidth signal the PS5 is trying to send. Conversely, sometimes "Game Mode" can actually cause handshake drops if the VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) isn't synced correctly.
Try disabling VRR in the PS5 settings menu under "Screen and Video." It’s a great feature, but it’s a common point of failure for handshakes, especially on mid-range TVs from 2020 or 2021.
The Receiver and Soundbar Trap
If you are running your PS5 through an Atmos soundbar or an AV receiver before it hits the TV, you are doubling the chance of a handshake failure. Every device in the chain has to agree on the signal.
Try a direct connection. PS5 straight to TV.
🔗 Read more: Why the Barbeque Bacon Burger Meme Is Still Living Rent-Free in Our Heads
If the problem goes away, your receiver is the problem. It might not support HDMI 2.1 passthrough. In this case, you should connect the PS5 directly to the TV and use the HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) port to send the audio back down to your soundbar. It's a much cleaner way to handle the signal and prevents the "black screen of death" when switching inputs.
Updating the Chain
Software matters. Sometimes, a PS5 firmware update breaks compatibility with certain LG OLED panels until LG releases their own patch. Ensure your TV is connected to Wi-Fi and check for system updates.
Also, look at the PS5’s "Video Transfer Rate" setting. You'll find this in the Screen and Video menu. If you set it to -1 or -2, it limits the color subsampling. This reduces the amount of data being sent through the cable. You probably won't even notice the difference in image quality, but it can make a shaky connection rock solid by reducing the strain on the HDMI handshake process.
Specific Steps to Take Right Now:
- Audit the hardware: Inspect the HDMI pins on the PS5. If they look bent or pushed back, that’s a hardware repair, not a software fix.
- The 4K Video Transfer Rate Trick: Go to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output. Change "4K Video Transfer Rate" to -2. This is a "magic fix" for many people using older 4K TVs.
- Disable Rest Mode: Sometimes the PS5 doesn't "wake up" the HDMI controller properly from Rest Mode. Try a full shutdown every time for a week and see if the issue persists.
- Toggle HDR: Turn off HDR in the PS5 settings. If the flickering stops, your cable is failing to carry the extra data HDR requires.
- Check for HDMI-CEC conflicts: Turn off "HDMI Device Link" on the PS5. Sometimes the TV tries to turn the PS5 off at the same time the PS5 is trying to turn the TV on, causing a logic loop that breaks the handshake.
Honestly, most of the time it’s just a bad cable or a confused HDCP handshake. Don't assume the worst until you've tried a high-quality, short HDMI 2.1 cable and a full power cycle of every device in your entertainment center. If you've tried three cables and Safe Mode still doesn't show a picture, only then should you start looking at Sony's repair portal. High-resolution gaming is amazing, but the "smart" tech behind it is surprisingly fragile. Keeping your signal chain simple is the best way to stay in the game.