With the trend shifting from consoles to PCs and gaming routers there are a number of questions arising every day regarding the Gaming PCs and their accessories. One such question is about the best size for gaming monitors.
We recommend a 15.6 iches screen size, when it comes to laptops and 27 inches screen size, where the gaming monitors are in question.
People often tend to focus on the best gaming hardware they can afford, and sometimes, not always, the monitor is a bit of an afterthought. If you are thinking of buying a new gaming monitor, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.
You might be thinking that size isn’t as important as an aspect to consider as all the other ones, but when you go into a store and say you want to buy a gaming monitor, the first thing you’ll be asked is what size do you want?
Optimizing your gaming PC ‘s software and hardware is just as important as the main display of your gaming PC.
This article discusses what’s the best monitor size for gaming considering a number of aspects, the advantages, and disadvantages of smaller and larger monitors, what size goes best with which resolution and other various gaming monitor size related questions will be answered.
What sizes do they come in?
If we are talking about modern monitors you would be hard-pressed to find anything smaller than 21 inches diagonal. Anything smaller than this particular size is usually reserved only for laptop monitors that trade size for other features.
For example, some laptop monitors would trade size for features like having a touch screen and so on.
Common Monitor Sizes Nowadays
Monitors are available between 20 and 49 inches of size, but the two most sizes common for new displays are 21 inches and 27 inches.
These 21 and 27-inch monitors provide a good amount of screen size for productivity and gaming.
In addition to that, they also suit a wide variety of budgets.
Within this 21 and 27 inches, range monitors are reserved for different resolutions.
The monitors between 21 and 24 inches are reserved for 1080p resolution.
Monitors are after all made for viewing from up close and any display larger than 24 inches and 1080p might suffer from noticeable misidentification of a signal frequency and distortion or error while viewing from that distance.
This means that you’ll be able to distinguish actual individual pixels, something you really don’t want to happen.
The wider monitors, however, might be unfit for 1080p but they do work pretty well in 2K and 4K resolution.
Cramming all these pixels offered by 2K and 4K resolutions into a smaller monitor size would be like wasting them.
The reason why monitors only go up to 27 inches is more pragmatic in nature. As we said, monitors are made for viewing up-close and it would not be the best choice to watch something larger than 27 inches from that particular distance.
It becomes really uncomfortable to view anything larger than that from this close proximity of viewing.
Issues with Bigger Monitors
Some people do use 32-inch TV-sized monitors or even bigger ones, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Of course, such monitors offer a much wider screen but it’s just too much to look at. 27 inches is the maximum size recommended by most pro gamers that too if it offers 1440p, otherwise the most recommended size is 24 inches.
So gaming in anything above 27 inches is like when you go to the movies and you sit in the very front row and the big old screens right there, that’s how it feels.
Big monitors are a little bit too immersive so you won’t be able to get a balance between the things, you might just feel that you aren’t able to see everything simultaneously.
Difference between 24 and 27 inches
These 2 are the most common sizes when it comes to gaming.
There isn’t a big difference of size on paper while considering the 24 and 27-inch monitor versions, but practically speaking there is. Having a 24-inch monitor will definitely enhance your awareness in-game. Since it’s smaller you can see everything.
A 24-inch monitor gives you a perfect balance between being immersed and aware. You don’t want to be too immersed because once you are really in there, you are not going to be able to see everything but at the same time, you do want to be aware of everything.
So the difference between these isn’t too much of a big deal, but at the same time it is so your choice mainly depends upon personal preference considering all these things in mind.
Best Monitor Sizes Respective of the Resolutions
The monitor size you choose to far extend also depends upon screen resolution also known as pixel density which is measured in pixels per inch (PPI).
As discussed earlier, some people find 27 inches to be too large whereas others don’t hesitate in using a 32 inch, something that is based on their personal preferences. Nevertheless, you should also keep the resolution in mind while choosing a gaming monitor.
Best size for 1080p resolution
If you are gaming in today’s world, a 24 inch 1920×1080 resolution is pretty basic and one of the most economical options out there. With the technology so improved, anything below this won’t be recommended for gaming nowadays.
A 24-inch 1080p monitor will pretty much do the job for you when it comes to the image details and screen real estate.
You might be thinking why not buy a 27-inch 1080p monitor since it’s bigger in size and there isn’t much of a difference in price. The answer is that a 27-inch monitor is just too big for this particular resolution. You’ll get 81PPI which will make the image pixelated and details would be blurry. So for 1080p resolution, a 24-inch monitor is the best option.
Best size for 1440p Resolution
Unfortunately, the 2560 x 1440 WQHD (Wide Quad High Definition) resolution doesn’t come in 24-inch monitors.
It does however come in the 27-inch monitors which are considered ideal for this resolution as they give you 108 PPI which is just the most perfect spot between the picture details and screen real estate.
The 1440p also allows you to have higher refresh rates than the 4K resolution in case your PC can handle it.
The 1440p resolution also comes in the 32-inch monitors which will give you the same picture clarity as you get with a 24-inch 1080p monitor.
But, a 32-inch monitor is just too big for gaming as you have to move your head around all the time.
Best Size for 4k Resolution
Many people might think that for 4K resolution, a 27 or 28-inch monitor might be large enough as the resolution is too high.
They believe that the resolution is so high that it will cause everything on the monitor to be small meaning that you might have to scale the user interface for the text to be possibly readable.
However, this isn’t applicable as a whole and some people don’t even scale at all. This affects gaming in a manner that if a game doesn’t offer custom scaling, the user interface elements might appear much smaller in size. So you must ensure that your favorite games do support 4K resolution before buying a 4K monitor.
Ultra-Wide Monitors
Ultra-wide monitors recently came into the scene and are getting popularity at a very high rate. These monitors feature a 21:9 aspect ratio as compared to the standard 16:9 ratio. They provide a more immersive gaming experience because of the curved screen.
These monitors come in different sizes but the 34 inches size is most common. The 34 inch size comes in both 3440×1440 or 2560×1080 resolutions. The 2560×1080 resolution is not the best option as it provides you the same pixel density as 1080p resolution on a 27 inch monitor. So if gaming isn’t the only sole purpose for buying such a monitor then we recommend not to buy them.
Multi-Display Setup Monitors
You often see people playing games with a configuration of two or three monitors placed in a similar manner as a single curved monitor. This allows them to reach a next level of immersion, blocking out the distraction and letting them concentrate into the game.
There is no specific size for creating such a setup though as you are possibly using 3 monitors you might want to choose smaller ones to ensure that they do fit on your desk.
So what is the best size for gaming monitors?
Besides all the discussed details and functionality, there are two major factors you also might want to consider before finalizing your decision. These factors are the type of game you are playing and the distance between you and your monitor.
Type of Game:
Your gaming style and preferences matter a lot.
For example, if you play fast-paced games that require quick reflexes and refresh rate then you should probably opt for a smaller monitor somewhere in the range of 24 inches and 27 inches.
Such monitors will provide you the speed you need to maneuver quickly in a first-person shooter or other similar games.
However, if you like playing games with highly cinematic graphics and sharp details like a story or RPG games then we recommend using a 27-inch 1440p monitor.
Make sure you also check out the Top 10 Metroidvania Games we covered.
Distance from the Monitor:
It’s pretty clear that, greater the monitor size, the farther away you will have to move in order to get the finest view.
On larger monitors, you also have the chance of getting eye fatigue if you are not viewing from a safe enough distance.
A formula for keeping the distance
This might surprise you but there is actually a formula for determining the distance you should maintain with your monitor screen.
This isn’t as complex as you might think. The rule of thumb is that the viewing distance should be roughly proportional to the monitor’s diagonal.
This means that if you have a 20-inch monitor, then your eyes should be somewhere viewing from a 20 to 40-inch distance from the monitor, similarly, if you have a 22-inch monitor then the distance increases to somewhere between 22 inches to 44 inches.
If you still suffer from eye fatigue from the recommended distance then you should probably move a bit farther away, but this is certainly a good place to start.
So you should also consider the distance you are used to between your eyes and the Monitor before buying a new one.
Is using your TV as a gaming monitor a good option?
Back in the day, there were obvious differences between a TV and Monitor but even if you were able to connect your TV to your PC as an output source, the results weren’t pretty encouraging. But with the improvement in technology, you might be thinking why to spend more if you’ve already got a nice TV at home.
Well turns out that there are still a few differences.
Since computer monitors are specifically designed for more specific applications in mind, such as gaming.
Their visual design and productivity are different from that of televisions.
For example, most monitors out there today give you a much smoother experience with a much shorter delay between pressing a button and seeing the corresponding movement on the screen as output. Even some brilliant quality TV’s on the other hand turn out to give a lag time which is around ten times slower.
In addition to that, it’s much easier to find monitors with high refresh rates, TVs on the other hand though on paper have higher refresh rates are usually referring to software trickery that inserts fake frames to make the motion appear smoother.
Having said that all, the best monitor size for gaming depends upon numerous factors.
Before reading this article, you might have thought that 4k is probably the best option available out there but the truth is that no standard size gaming monitor will do it justice.
A 24-inch monitor will give you a marvelous 1080p full HD output whereas a 27 inch with 1440p resolution is the best for visuals.
If you are willing to spend money, a curved monitor is also a good choice. If you are willing to spend even more, you can check out Alienware products. (Why Alienware products are so expensive?)
Regardless, consider all the resolutions and sizes based on your personal preferences and pick the one that ensures you the most exciting experience.
So to reach any sort of conclusion for this topic, we have to consider how different screen sizes, resolutions, and viewing distances work in tandem.