Last year, we reported on a "major HDMI 2.1 bug" that meant Denon, Marantz and Yamaha's high-end 8K AV receivers couldn't support 4K video games played at 120Hz. The good news is that Sound United, which owns Denon and Marantz, has announced a fix.
"The SPK618 adapter takes an HDMI input signal from the gaming source and delivers the corrected HDMI data to the AVR, remedying the error and allowing a 4K/120Hz or 8K signal to pass," a Sound United spokesmen said.
The "low profile" adapter is due to ship from the end of May and will be provided free to any customer who owns an affected AV receiver within warranty. The affected models are as follows:
Denon AVC-A110 / Marantz AV7706
Denon AVC-X6700H / Marantz SR8015
Denon AVC-X4700H / Marantz SR7015
Denon AVC-X3700H / Marantz SR6015
Denon AVR-X2700H / Marantz SR5015
Denon AVR-X2700HDAB / Marantz SR5015DAB
Denon AVR-S960H / Marantz NR1711
The pass-through glitch can result in a black screen on your TV (or games monitor) when attempting to play games at a high frame rate. Not ideal for those hoping to max out the graphics capability of their PS5 or Xbox Series.
When the problem was first discovered, Sound United moved quickly to come up with a couple of workarounds. The temporary fixes included connecting the console directly to the display and sending audio back to the AVR using ARC or eARC.
Own one of the affected AV receivers? Fill out the online form at either Denon or Marantz to order the free adaptor. Provided your receiver's firmware is up to date before you plug the device in, you should be able to game in 4K at 120Hz.
The form is valid for those living in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Customers in other countries will need to contact the retailer where they bought the product.
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