HEVC Content on PS4 Games?

Solution 1:

No, because the PS4 does not support HEVC (aka H.265).

According to the official user's guide, the supported video formats are:

• MKV
  • Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Level 4.2
  • Audio: MP3, AAC LC, AC-3 (Dolby Digital)
• AVI
  • Video: MPEG4 ASP, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Level 4.2
  • Audio: MP3, AAC LC, AC-3 (Dolby Digital)
• MP4
  • Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Level 4.2, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Level 5.2 (PlayStation®4 Pro only)
  • Audio: AAC LC, AC-3 (Dolby Digital), LPCM
• MPEG-2 PS
  • Video: MPEG2 Visual
  • Audio: MP2 (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2), MP3, AAC LC, AC-3 (Dolby Digital), LPCM
• MPEG-2 TS
  • Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC High Profile Level 4.2, MPEG2 Visual
  • Audio: MP2 (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2), AAC LC, AC-3 (Dolby Digital)
• AVCHD (.m2ts, .mts)
• XAVC S™ (.mp4)

As you can see, there is no mention of HEVC or H.265, not even for the PS4 Pro.

While it is technically possible for a game to include its own HEVC decoder, it's unlikely any developer would put in the effort to port a video decoder to a console that already ships with a number of decoders of its own.

If size is an issue, it's more efficient to let the console render cutscenes on its own. And if in-engine cutscenes are not an option, a day-one patch that includes the 4k videos could easily be downloaded while the game is running. Distributing the 4k videos as a free DLC is also a viable option.