Best AV Receivers for 4K 120Hz gaming on PS5 & Xbox Series X using HDMI 2.1 for 2022
AV Receivers that support 4k/120hz HDR and 8k/60Hz HDR in 2021
So, what are your best options for a receiver that supports 4k/120hz HDR and 8k/60 HDR?
Assuming you buy one of the newer Denon or Marantz receivers, these should all work with 4k/120hz HDR.
Which receiver is best, depends on your needs. I will assume most people reading my site are looking for something a touch more affordable.
The Denon AVR-X2700H is the most affordable at around £679 from Richer Sounds. It is well received, including a glowing 5-star review from What Hi-Fi (but they make no mention of the HDMI issue it has).
However, many people suggest the Denon AVC-X3700H is worth the extra money (£1149 from Richer Sounds) due to its far superior calibration using the top tier version of Audyssey (MultiEQ XT32). It is a big jump in price, so not sure if it is something I could justify for myself.
The Onkyo TX-NR6100 is also now confirmed to work with 4k/120hz HDR. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be UK availability, but it is available in the US for $799.
[Originally posted on 24 May 2021] Updated with relevant information concerning the fixed HDMI issue on Denon and Marantz AV receivers
Original Post (before HDMI fix)
My current recommendation would be that, if possible, don’t buy any receiver until all these problems are confirmed to be ironed out. Maybe wait for the full 2021 line-up to be out before committing to anything, or wait another year when all these kinks should be ironed out.
To the best of my knowledge, there is currently no AV receivers that will support 4k/120hz HDR and 8k/60Hz HDR out of the box for the Xbox Series X or PC gaming. The new Yamaha receivers will support it at some point in the future and the new expensive Anthem receivers can be hardware upgraded.
So your best bet would be one of the aforementioned Denon and Marantz where they have the SPK618 HDMI adaptor that has started shipping.
The Denon AVR-X2700H is the most affordable at around £630 from Richer Sounds. It is well received, including a glowing 5-star review from What Hi-Fi (but they make no mention of the HDMI issue it has).
The Marantz NR1711 is a touch more expensive, offering a slimline design while still being able to offer 7.2 audio with 4k/120hz HDR or 8k/60Hz
The new Yamaha RX-V4A is the most affordable overall at just £449, available from AV Online, and it should make an excellent option once the firmware update rolls out to enable all the features.
[Original Post from 29th December 2021]
UPDATE: Denon and Marantz AVRs made after May 2021 are HDMI 2.1 bug-free
UPDATE 2: The Onkyo TX-NR6100, which launched later in 2021, appear to be the first receiver to launch with no HDMI bugs. While I can’t personally guarantee this, there are numerous reports online confirming it works with the PS5, PC and Xbox Series X with 4k 120hz HDR.
[Update 3: 13th June 2022] Updated the content with a better list of which AV receivers work with 4K 120Hz
