Is a monitor or TV better for console gaming?

Playing video games is not the same as watching a movie or a television series, that is why many gamers ask themselves the eternal question: What is better to play on? A monitor or a television? In this article, we are going to try to shed some light on this question. Choosing which is the best console gaming monitors or TV is difficult. They both have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your budget. The place where we are going to locate it and the technology that is implemented in each of them, among other factors that can make balance from one side to another.      

Monitor vs TV for video-games: what to buy and why

Both are a screen but do not offer the same technical features. Both a television and a monitor can be connected to a video game console, or to a computer, if we want to use video games . But there are some technical differences that we should take into account when buying one or the other . In this way we will achieve the experience we seek, and spending as little money as possible.  

The video game television

The television, as its name indicates, allows us to watch television . It is a good idea to have this feature, if the place where we are going to install the screen and the console is also where, albeit occasionally, we go to watch television. But they are more limited devices in connectivity ; most of them only have HDMI connections , and although they have several audio / video inputs of this type, they usually have only one HDMI 2.0 , which is what we need for a 2160p resolution at 60 fps. At the same time, although we take advantage of the HDMI 2.0 connection, we can not aspire to a higher framerate, which is one of the main disadvantages of a television that does not have DisplayPort. In a video game console we will not have problem, but if we are going to play with PC, we can go beyond 2160p 60 fps.  

Why do televisions have no DisplayPort?

But there is an advantage in televisions – besides that they are for watching television, of course – and that is that they have a built-in sound system ; that is, speakers. Maybe you are going to use more helmets, or maybe you want to buy specific and independent speakers , but having integrated speakers is interesting, and it is also a second factor that makes them more expensive , another disadvantage that we can add to the list in this comparative monitor vs television. Returning to that of the resolution and the framerate , most of the TVs are limited to 60 Hz , then the maximum framerate that we will reach is 60 fps for its refresh rate. It does not matter if you have an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti inside your computer, that the maximum number of images you will see per second will be 60. There are TVs that reach up to 120 Hz, but they are undoubtedly more expensive than a 120 Hz monitor; In addition, monitors can reach far beyond this refresh rate.  

How to use two screens with your PC in Windows 10

But what if, besides playing, I want to see movies on this screen? So, maybe you should consider that there are more and more HDR televisions , and increasingly cheaper, while this technology is scarce in the market of monitors. And it’s not just about movies, because both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – in some of their versions – support HDR for some of their video games, in addition to 4K resolution . Another important problem for a large number of televisions is the ‘over processed’ image . If we want a television to play , we should make sure it offers a PC mode or a game mode ; otherwise, the image signal is processed before it is displayed to ‘correct’ any type of imperfection, or give it a more HiFi look, and this introduces a significant delay , something we do not want when we are playing video games.  

Monitors for Video Games

The monitor is a screen more focused on the computer. Hence, they are more complete devices in connectivity , with the DisplayPort connection as a feature more prominently extended. And this connection is the one that, as we mentioned earlier, will allow us to play content at 2160p above 60 fps , with a significantly higher image quality and, above all, greater fluidity. In video games, framerate is important, as we will now continue to explain, and having DisplayPort is almost essential. Following this framerate, the refresh rate in monitors reaches higher figures . We have 60 Hz monitors, of course, and at ridiculous prices if we settle for Full HD resolution; but there is also a wide variety of models with 144 Hz , and even 240 Hz. We can get four times more images per second on one of these monitors than on a 60 Hz TV, something that completely changes the gaming experience if we look for the maximum quality and fluidity. In a monitor, the response time is noticeably lower, and the input latency also because there is no such ‘processing’ of the image carried out by a television. For a lower price we can find monitors with better features in this section, and online games at a competitive level is something that drastically changes the experience. Much more still if we join the previous section, relating to the refresh rate of the screen, which will take advantage of all the power of our graphics card.  

So, I buy a monitor or a television for video games?

It depends on your priorities, and how far you want to go with the video games, or you can for the hardware that you are going to use. If yours is a video game console , check if it offers 4K HDR , and in this case you may be more interested in a TV – especially the HDR – and remember that although it is very likely that you are limited to 60 fps for the refresh rate from the screen, your console can only reach up to 2160p 60 fps maximum. And if you meet all this, get yourself a DisplayPort cable for your new TV, or you’ll stay at 30 fps maximum at this resolution. In addition, you may also be more interested in a television for games if, as we said before, you want a television set and you are interested in integrated sound . And finally, it is also a point in favor of the television that the largest screens are only possible in this format, unless we are willing to sacrifice a kidney to afford our new screen for video games. But if you want the best experience, buy a monitor . Only with them you will be able to reach 240 Hz as a refresh rate, and squeeze your graphics card up to 240 fps . And only with them will you get the shortest possible response time , as well as the lowest entry latency . Things that, as we said before, in a video game console are over because, due to hardware limitations, you simply will not be able to take advantage of it – the refresh rate, specifically. The conclusion is to buy according to your needs and priorities. A television or a monitor can be better depending on your circumstances . In my case, I have gone with a computer monitor since I only game, watch Netflix and Amazon Video.