It is true, a lot of people have gaming monitors, and they do not own gaming PCs. This is because gaming monitors offer a lot more than just gaming performance enhancements. The question for this article is, can you play games on a gaming monitor without your PC? Well, let’s take a quick look.
You can play games on a gaming monitor without a PC. You can connect any device that has the same connection as the monitor. This includes PS4, PS5, as well as Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles. Finally, you can also play Google Stadia via Chromecast connected to the monitor.
There is actually more to it than what we could answer in that short little paragraph above. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at everything that you need to know about playing games on a gaming monitor without a PC. We will start with consoles and move on all the way down to mobile phones. So, let’s get into it.
Can You Play PS4/PS5 On A Gaming Monitor?
The PS4 and PS5 are designed to be a part of your home entertainment system. This means that it should be used with your TV, at least in the eyes of Sony.
However, you can connect your PS4 to a gaming monitor, and it will work. In fact, I do this myself. With that said, I do like to turn down the refresh rate of my monitor to suit the console. So, I set the refresh rate of my gaming monitor to 60 frames-per-second.
Playing PS4 on a gaming monitor will still give you a competitive edge. We will discuss that in more detail further on in this article.
One important thing to note is that the PS5 is different from the PS4. Unlike the ps4, the ps5 supports refresh rates above 60Hz. So, the PS5 is better suited to a gaming monitor than a PS4.
Can You Play Xbox One/Xbox Series On A Gaming Monitor?
Much like with the PS4, the Xbox One was designed to be part of your home entertainment system. In fact, Microsoft marketed the Xbox One original as being the only thing you need for a full entertainment experience in your lounge. That backfired, but that is an article for another day.
Again, as with the PS4, the Xbox consoles can connect to a gaming monitor. However, if you are using an Xbox One or Xbox One X, you will still be limited to 60 frames-per-second. In all honesty, with both the PS4 and Xbox One, you will be lucky to hit that in most games.
So, as I do with the PS4, I like to turn the refresh rate of my monitor down, but things get a little bit different with the Xbox Series X/S.
The Series X/S have been advertised as being able to play games at 120hz per second. So, it makes more sense now than ever to use your Xbox on a gaming monitor.
Is Playing Console On A Gaming Monitor Better Than A TV?
My answer to this question is based on experience, with some slight bias thrown into the mix. Whether it be on console or PC, playing any game is best experienced on a gaming monitor.
With that being said, some TVs are starting to catch up. We have written a recent article about this but for now, let’s take a look at why you might actually be better at games if you play them on a gaming monitor. This actually also includes any 1-millisecond monitor.
A TV traditionally had very high latency from your controller to the console and finally to the display. That latency is cut short on a gaming monitor where your latency is usually 1 millisecond instead of 30 or 40 milliseconds.
That can be a huge boost for you in terms of how good you are. This is especially true in fast-paced multiplayer games.
With TVs catching up and offering extremely low latency with high refresh rates, my previous statement might become less relevant over time. I just wanted to acknowledge that.
Does Freesync And Gsync Work With Consoles?
We first need to understand that Freesync is different from G-sync. Freesync is AMD’s technology that helps synchronize the frame rate from your device to the display. This is to avoid screen tearing. G-sync is the same thing, except it is known to be more efficient, and it works with NVIDIA cards.
Also, there is now something called “adaptive sync,” which allows the monitor to work with either of these technologies depending on which one you have.
The PS4 and PS5 do not yet support either of these technologies even though they have an AMD GPU inside them.
Xbox, on the other hand, does support Freesync. This is true whether you are on the original Xbox One or the latest Xbox Series consoles.
Can You Play Stadia On A Gaming Monitor
This might be a little bit confusing, but it doesn’t have to be, as we will explain everything in the section. You can definitely play Google stadia on a gaming monitor. There are two ways of going about this. While this article is not about PCs, I will have to mention a PC in this section but not a gaming PC.
I would just like to highlight that you can use a direct connection from your mobile device via an HDMI splitter to your gaming monitor if that is something you want to do. However, that is not the easiest option, and so we won’t cover it too much in this article. Also, it is not a popular option.
Play Stadia On A Gaming Monitor Via Chromecast
If your gaming monitor has an HDMI port, then all you have to do is connect your Google Chromecast to the monitor as if it was a TV. Connect the Chromecast to the internet, and you can play Stadia on your gaming monitor.
Via A PC
Google stadia has shown that it works on any PC, regardless if it has a GPU or not. This is because everything is rendered in the Google stadia servers and then streamed to you. So, you don’t need a gaming PC to play Google stadia on a gaming monitor. You can use any old PC.
Can You Play Mobile Games On A Gaming Monitor?
So, there are two main ways in which you can play your mobile games on a gaming monitor. Whether or not they work properly is up for debate. With all of that being said, let’s take a quick look.
Play Mobile Games On A Gaming Monitor Via An Android Box
Before we even start, allow me to say that I absolutely love Android boxes. Yes, even for gaming monitors. It is similar to how we discussed setting up a Chromecast for Stadia. All you do is plug in the Android box via HDMI, connect the box to the internet, and bam, you are done.
Ok, maybe not yet; you still need to download the games. You can either mirror your phone to the Android box, or you can simply download games from the Android play store. After all, it is an Android box.
Direct Connection From Mobile To Monitor
Again, this is as easy as pie, but it is not a popular thing to do. All you have to do is connect your mobile device to an HDMI splitter and plug it into your gaming monitor. Once you are done with this, use your gaming monitor as a display while controlling everything with your mobile phone or tablet.
Final Thoughts
I guess this article was aimed towards console gamers who want to get a competitive edge in the games that they play. With the rise of Call Of Duty War Zone and the new Call Of Duty’s being cross-platform, this is more relevant than ever. Console gamers are starting to find ways to give themselves the best chances of beating their opponents and winning games.
With all of that out of the way, it all comes down to YES; you can use a gaming monitor without a gaming PC. Feel free to take a look at some of our other articles regarding monitors, gaming monitors, consoles, and much more.