YouTube introduced support for 4K-resolution video uploads in 2010. The change arrived as camera manufacturers began producing more consumer-accessible cameras capable of recording at ultra-high-definition resolutions.
At the time, YouTube’s 4K support was ahead of the viewing experience available to most people. Users could upload high-resolution footage, but compatible displays, fast internet connections, and suitable playback hardware were still uncommon. Initially, viewers accessed the highest-quality version through an “Original” quality setting.
YouTube later made 2160p, the usual label for 4K video, visible in its quality menu in December 2013. The platform also adopted Google’s VP9 video codec, which Google said was better suited to delivering 4K video efficiently than older compression approaches. The commonly confused years refer to later improvements in playback visibility and broader 4K adoption, not the original upload support.