Having a great gaming monitor often means that we want to use it for more than just gaming. I mean, why not? We tend to spend more money on gaming monitors than we do for work, so they generally have more features, like better resolution and a higher FPS. The question is, does this mean that gaming monitors are good for everything else? Let’s find out.
Gaming monitors are great for everyday use. In fact, they are used in architecture, design work, software development, and other professional uses. Gaming monitors do everything that regular monitors do, but they do it better. From watching movies to reading emails, gaming monitors do it smoother.
If you play games on a PC and use your PC for other things like everyday activities, there is no reason why you could not just use the gaming monitor for everything. In this article, we will look at what you can do on gaming monitors, the difference between regular and gaming monitors, playing consoles on monitors, and more, so keep reading.
Gaming Monitors For Everyday Use
There is absolutely no reason why you wouldn’t be able to use a gaming monitor for everyday use. After all, the display is a display. The thing with Gaming Monitors though, is that they have more features, customization, and overall they offer a better experience.
Gone are the days where Gaming Monitors were just used for gaming. Now, you might be thinking that they are only used by gamers and people who work in design. This is no longer true. In fact, more and more people are starting to use gaming monitors for everyday use and activities.
If you are still wondering what it is like to watch movies or stream things like YouTube on a gaming monitor. Or even if you are wondering what it is like to work on a gaming monitor, don’t worry, we will cover that in the upcoming section.
Watching Movies On A Gaming Monitor
Ok, so before we talk about watching movies on a gaming monitor, we need to know that movies generally do not go higher than 45 frames per second. In most cases, they only support up to 24 frames per second. This means that if you are watching a movie on a 144hz monitor it does not mean that the movie will play at 144hz it will stick to its 24 or 45 FPS cap.
All of that being said, the video might actually play a lot smoother on the gaming monitor. This is not because it is running at a higher FPS but rather Because the 24 of 45 frames-per-second that the movie runs at divides nicely into the 144 frames per second.
You won’t have much luck on YouTube either. Youtube on PC and Mobile only supports up to 60 frames per second on their platform. Again, as with the movies, the YouTube videos that you are watching will seem a lot more fluid as it divides nicely into the higher FPS monitor.
When it comes to image quality, it obviously depends on if you go for a 1080p, 1440p, or 4K monitor. Whichever one you go for, if you had to compare it to its TV counterpart, the image will look a lot sharper on the monitor.
Obviously, you won’t be able to sit as far back as you could with a TV, but if this is for just sitting at your desk and watching YouTube, series, or movies, then you should be good with a monitor
Working On A Gaming Monitor
Working on a gaming monitor, as weird as it seems, can improve productivity. This is because everything you do seems better. Whether it be scrolling through emails, scrolling through the web, or doing just about anything. It will always feel more fluid on a higher frame per the second monitor.
Don’t worry, if you are doing any type of design or development work and especially architecture work, the company that you work for will probably have Gaming Monitors set up in the office for you to use already. If you are working for yourself and you are just starting out, I highly recommend getting a gaming monitor for your office.
Whether you choose to go with a 1080p, 1440p, or 4K monitor depends on what you need. To be honest, only you can determine which is best for you and your business.
Are Gaming Monitors Worth It?
Yes, Gaming Monitors are most definitely worth it, but this is something that depends on what you need and what you want to get out of the monitor. It also depends on how much you want to spend. If you are a gamer and want to use it for everyday use well, then that justifies the price even more, and it justifies its worth.
Playing Console On A Gaming Monitor
Consoles are generally seen as gaming machines that sit in our lounge. While this is true for most console gamers, we are actually starting to see a shift where a lot of console gamers are moving their consoles to the desk. Once they move to the desk, they can use the console on a monitor.
This is especially true for gamers who play quite a lot of games. If you think about it, you can’t just sit and hog up the TV all day, but at the same time, you want to play games. You want to be able to play with your friends and when they are playing. So, instead of clashing with your family, you can just hook your console up to a monitor. Now you have your own little gaming corner with a desk, monitor, and console.
Is Console Gaming Better On A Monitor?
Ok, so we have spoken about this before but playing console on a gaming monitor is far better than playing it on a TV. In fact, as far as the PS4 and Xbox One goes, playing it on a normal 60hz monitor is still better than playing it on a TV. Allow me to explain why.
Gaming monitors or any monitor for that matter, normally have a faster response time than what TVs do. They also allow you to sit closer to the screen, which makes everything look a lot sharper and allows you to see more detail.
Most professional console gamers, or at least any aspiring professional console gamer, will almost always use a gaming monitor as their choice of screen. Even if you are using a normal everyday monitor for the console, you will still have better image quality than on the TV. This is because the faster response times mean that there is less ghosting on display.
Can Xbox Series X/S Run 144Hz?
Microsoft has been pretty clear with their plans to give gamers a lot more freedom in how they choose to play. On previous Xbox consoles, namely, the Xbox One and the One X, we were limited to 60 frames per second. However, most games run at 30 frames per second.
With the Xbox One X, we saw a significant jump in performance and resolution. Games then received updates, not every game, but some were optimized for the Xbox One X, so they got a bump in resolution and frame rates. For most games, you were able to choose between graphical fidelity, resolution, or performance. If you went the performance route, it would give you higher frames per second.
With the Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft has been clear that they plan on allowing gamers to choose up to 120 frames per second. So, while that is not 144hz, it is still a nice jump from the previous generation. This also means that getting a 144Hz monitor for your new Xbox might be a good idea.
Can PS5 Run 144Hz?
Sony hasn’t said much regarding this. We do know that the PS5 will support 4K resolution at 60 frames per second and most definitely 1080p at 60 frames-per-second. We are still unsure as to whether or not the PS5 will support up to 144hz, but we can only hope so.
The previous generation PS4 Pro did not support more than 60 FPS. That said, the PS5 is significantly better than the Pro.
I’m not sure why Sony would decide not to support 120 frames-per-second with the PS4 Pro, but I can only assume that it is because they understand that their player base, well, at least the majority of their player base still played on TVs that don’t support up to 144hz.
Is A 4K Monitor Worth It?
A 4K monitor definitely has its benefits. Images look sharper and better, but one thing that comes to mind is that PC graphics cards are really not good at supporting 4K. This is especially true for multiplayer games. When it comes to single-player games where you don’t need a high FPS, 4K monitors are great, so long as you have the hardware to run them.
Is A 4k Monitor Good For Office Work?
This is where 4K monitors are more worth it. See, as we said above, if you are playing games on a 4K monitor, you need the hardware to run it, but if you are just working on the monitor, then you don’t need as powerful of a graphics card.
The main benefit of working on a 4K monitor is real estate. You will have a lot more space on your desktop then you would if you were using a 1080p monitor. At the same time, a 4K monitor gives you a sharper image, which is better for reading if you do a lot of reading for work. It is better for doing just about anything, and this includes design work, development, and all architecture work.
Is A 4k Monitor Good For Xbox Series X/S?
Microsoft first started supporting 4K with the launch of the Xbox One X. We mentioned this console above and how it gave players the ability to choose between 4k or performance.
With their new consoles coming up, they have stated that it will support 4K up to 120 frames-per-second, or at least, we can assume with the power that inside the console, it will support games at 4K 60 frames per second.
The way I think about it is, having a 4K monitor won’t do you any harm if you are planning on getting the new Xbox consoles. That being said, I prefer 1080p or 1440p gaming because I play online, and I just prefer it. I choose performance over resolution in almost all cases.
Is A 4k Monitor Good For PS5?
Sony also introduced 4K gaming on consoles with the PlayStation 4 Pro, which was a major success in terms of sales. They, just like Microsoft, support up to 4K at 60 frames-per-second, but most games run at 4K at 30 frames-per-second.
With the new PlayStation 5 consoles, they have been very clear that they are targeting the 4K demographic. In terms of what FPS they will support, Sony hasn’t been as clear as what Microsoft has been, but we know that they will support 4K at 60 FPS. They already did this with their PS4 Pro.
Best Gaming Monitors for everyday use
The MSI Optix MAG240R is my favorite monitor for a dual monitor setup. It is a 24-inch curved 1080p 144Hz 1ms display with AMD Freesync. The monitor retails at $220 on Amazon, and you can find out more about the monitor HERE. The curve suits a dual setup, and the MAG240R has some seriously thin bezels that will ensure great immersion when gaming.
The DELL S2719DGF is a 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor that has a 155Hz refresh rate. The bezels might not be the thinnest amongst the ones I mention here. The monitor is just so good that I had to mention it. It retails for $399 on Amazon and can be found HERE.
For Multitasking and other non-gaming purposes, the Samsung S22R350FHN is a 22-inch 1080p thin bezel IPS 60Hz monitor that can be found on Amazon for only $109. Unless you are in design work or simply just prefer having a bigger monitor, then this monitor is perfect. You can find this monitor on amazon by following this LINK. You can game on this monitor; in fact, it will be great, but if your PC can run at 1080p 144Hz, I recommend trying a monitor like that
The Acer Predator XB271HK bmiprz 27-inch is a UHD IPS monitor with a 60Hz 4ms display. The monitor supports G-sync and has built-in speakers for those days where you don’t feel like wearing a headset. To find out more about this beast, follow this link.
Conclusion
I know that Gaming Monitors can be rather expensive, and you might be considering that they are not worth it because of the price. If I was to give you some advice, I would say that gaming monitors should be the only kind of monitors that get released because they offer so much more value than their counterparts.
Whether it be for work, school, or play, having a gaming monitor not only gives you a lot more freedom, customizability, and features, but it also gives you a better experience overall.
Lastly, I just want to add that gaming monitors look really, really cool. In most cases, they often come with thinner bezels, some nifty little RGB lighting mostly on the back, and they make working feel a lot less daunting and more exciting.