Did you know that you can stream World Cup 2026 matches in 4K on BBC iPlayer? Well, you can — it’s just not entirely obvious as to which devices actually support the feature. What is certain is that not all of them do — and your TV may not be among them.
While it would be useful to have a list of which of the best TVs and other devices support 4K for the World Cup, there isn’t one. Instead, BBC says the easiest way to check if your device supports 4K content on iPlayer is to go to BBC iPlayer app itself and stream some 4K content, then look for the ‘UHD’ logo. If it appears, then your device supports it: hooray! If not, then unfortunately you won’t be able to watch the World Cup in 4K on your current device.
If you want a list of 4K shows on BBC iPlayer to check, there’s one here, but some quick names are Blue Planet II, SAS Rogue Heroes and Doctor Who (the latest series). If the UHD logo doesn’t appear in the listing for one of the shows, then your device doesn’t support it.
Thankfully, there are two devices that do support 4K streaming on BBC iPlayer: the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and the PS5. The Roku is a cheap upgrade to your TV that will allow 4K streaming on iPlayer and while the PS5 is pricier, it’s a multimedia system that can obviously play games and 4K Blu-rays, as well as supporting most of the best streaming services.
And just in time for Amazon Prime Day, there are deals available for both devices.
