Gaming monitors Vs TVs... which is better?

Deciding between a monitor or a TV for your gaming screen is a difficult decision. Many aspects separate the two and there are many benefits to both. To help you on this quest, we have considered the key factors.

Screen size

Screen size is the main concern for most gamers choosing between a gaming monitor or a TV. But is bigger actually better?

In short, no.

A gaming monitor sits an arm’s length away from a gamer while the TV is somewhere between 3 and 5 feet away from a gamer. This means that a gaming monitor brings a more impactful visual closer to the user.

The main benefit of the TV size is multi-player functionality. In comparison, details tend to get lost while playing split-screen on a gaming monitor.

Resolution

Arguably the most important aspect of any screen is the display resolution. Higher-resolution screens have more pixels, resulting in smoother gameplay and clearer picture quality.

The TV gap between Full HD and 4K means that it’s difficult to find a TV for smaller budgets, while gaming monitors offer a variety of resolutions to fit any budget.

Response time

Response time determines how quickly a pixel can change from black to white or from one shade of grey to another.

Low response times equal smooth movements and better-quality images, whereas long response times often result in motion blurs and potential ghosting from where the pixels cannot change colour in time.

TVs have a higher response time as they’re not designed with gaming in mind. But it’s difficult to compare gaming monitors and TV response times as TV manufacturers don’t tend to disclose the response time.

Further considerations

Connectors: TVs exclusively use HDMI, while gaming monitors have DisplayPorts, DVI and VGA.

Ergonomics: Gaming monitors are designed to be used at a desk with adjustable stands. Whereas TVs are fixed to a basic stand, making it difficult to adjust.

Value for money: Gaming monitors offer more to gamers on a budget. Affordable TVs don’t provide the same high-quality results while gaming-centric TVs tend to be expensive.

There’s no clear winner between gaming monitors and TVs. It comes down to a gamer’s personal preference and requirements. Gaming monitors provide a better personal experience while TVs allow multi-functionality and multi-player games.