How to Resolve Can’t Connect Xbox One to 4K TV

4K TV’s are famous today because of their better quality and crisp display. The extra resolution provides a more immersive experience whether you are watching a movie, a video or doing something else. Likewise, 4K gaming has also become popular and all of the latest generation consoles support 4K resolution.

In this article, we’ll be discussing an issue faced by Xbox One users who are unable to connect their consoles with their 4K TV’s. Many users have experienced this issue when they were attempting to connect their consoles to a newly bought 4K TV. Others have reported this issue after receiving the May 2020 update on their Xbox One. The console either gets stuck on a lower resolution (like 640p) or in the worse case, it does not even connect to the 4K TV.

Method 1: Start In Low Resolution

This method will help users who are facing no signal issue. Moreover, it will also help users whose Xbox is stuck at a lower resolution.

1. Firstly, completely turn off your Xbox.
2. Next, check your HDMI cable connection on the back of your Xbox.
3. To get a signal, it’s necessary to plug your cable into the ‘HDMI OUT to Tv‘ port of Xbox and not ‘HDMI IN from SAT/Cable’ port.

   

4. After connecting the cable, hold the Eject and Xbox Power button to turn on your Xbox in low-resolution mode.

   

5. You will hear two sounds. Release the buttons on the second sound.
6. On the TV screen, you will see your Xbox turn on with black spaces left on both the top and bottom of the screen. This is because your Xbox just launched in low resolution (640 * 480).
7. Now once your Xbox is successfully turned on, you can change the resolution to the one you want (e.g. 4K).
8. To change resolution, first press the Xbox home button on the controller. It will bring up the side menu.
9. Scroll right to the gear icon and choose Settings.

   

10. Now, go to Display & Sound.

    

11. Then go to Video output.

    

12. Here you can see the resolution your Xbox is currently displaying.
13. You can also switch the display to a higher resolution. Since you have a 4K TV you should see an option for 4K.
14. If the 4K option is not appearing to you then go to Video Fidelity and change Color Depth option to 36 bits per pixel.
15. Now select the 4K resolution. It will ask if you want to keep this resolution. Press Yes.

    

    Note: If your screen turned black and the resolution was reset to 640 * 480 then it means the selected resolution was not supported. So choose some lower resolution.
16. Lastly, go into video mode and check the Allow 4K and allow HDR10 options.

    

Method 2: Try Different HDMI Ports

If you are not getting any signal from the TV after you connect the cable, then there is a high possibility that something is wrong either with your HDMI cable or the HDMI ports. Follow the steps below to test the HDMI ports.

1. Like advised in method 1, firstly check that you are connected to the right HDMI port on Xbox.
2. You should plug your cable into the ‘HDMI OUT to Tv‘ port of Xbox and not ‘HDMI IN from SAT/Cable’ port.
3. If there is still no response, then you could try connecting the cable to a different HDMI port on your TV.

   

4. Normally, TV has three or more HDMI ports. So try connecting to either of them and see if it works.
5. If your Xbox is old enough then there is also a slight possibility that the Xbox HDMI port has become loose. In such a case, you could try firmly reconnecting the cable and check if it works.

Method 3: Check and Test Your HDMI Cable

If there is no issue with the HDMI ports then your HDMI cable is probably faulty, broken, or may even be incompatible. Some HDMI cables may also not be compatible with the TV due to different HDMI specifications.

1. The first step would be to check the HDMI cable you are using.
2. For better compatibility, it is recommended that you use a High-speed HDMI cable which has an HDMI logo engraved onto it. That logo verifies that the cable you are using is certified.

   

3. If you have the right cable and there is still no signal, then maybe try flipping the ends of the cable and then connect it.
4. If that doesn’t work, then you should preferably try connecting using another cable.

Method 4: Change Power Mode Settings

If you are using an HDMI splitter and not receiving any signal from the TV then this method might be helpful to you.

1. First, press the Xbox home button on the controller to bring up the side menu.

   

2. Now, scroll right to the gear icon and choose Settings.
3. From the options, select Power and Startup.
4. Afterward, select Power Mode & startup.

   

5. Once there, change Power mode option from ‘Instant On’ to ‘Energy-saving‘.

   

6. This should remove your signal issues with the splitter.

Method 5: Examine Your TV

If the above solutions did not work for you then your TV could be the culprit.

1. You can try resetting your TV to default settings.
2. You could also try updating your Tv’s software.
3. There is also a possibility that your TV only accepts a 4K signal from a specific HDMI port. Like some TV’s only have one port for 4K@60Hz.

   

4. Read the user manual to make sure you are using the correct port.
5. If none of the above options worked, then you should try researching online. Search if other Xbox users with a TV similar to yours, have faced this issue.
6. The last option would be to replace your TV for some other manufacturer or model. Before replacing your TV, do verify that the Xbox connects to that other 4K TV.

Remarks

If none of the solutions worked for you then you can try resetting your Xbox to default settings. If that doesn’t help either then it’s better to wait for an official update that fixes this bug.