When it comes to gaming there is no doubt that resolution is certainly the most crucial graphics setting in any game’s options menu.
But the question is what the best resolution for gaming is. Today, 1080p offers the best performance; 1440p is the best when balancing between performance and visuals, and 2160p is the best for visuals, but the problem is very few exclusive GPUs can handle it.
What Is The Best Resolution For Gaming?
As we have mentioned above resolution is the most important graphic setting for you in any games options menu if you want good graphics.
And as far as hardware is concerned this option is also very challenging. There was a time when almost every gamer use to prefer the good old 1080p,
But after the launching of the PlayStation 4 Pro and the Xbox One X in 2016 and 2017, respectively, it became quite clear that even the mainstream knew it was time to upgrade things up.
So, today when all the latest GPUs are out. What is the best resolution for gaming these days? So without wasting any time let’s discuss and put some light on this topic.
The Resolution: Most people normally know; that a monitor’s display resolution illustrates the number of pixels on the screen vertically and horizontally. When the pixels are more the image will emerge more precise and sharper.
In the gaming world, people usually pick from these three resolutions. As they are quite popular today and they are:
- Full HD (1080p)
- Quad HD (1440p)
- Ultra HD (2160p)
Let’s discuss these and see what are the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Full HD:
There was a time when most seasoned gamers felt that Full HD was as modern as display technology got. At that time, the options came down to 720p and 1080p, mostly known as HD (or HD Ready) and Full HD, respectively.
Today, it’s very tough for you to find a genuine 720p gaming monitor but some 720p TVs are still around usually the smaller ones comprising diagonal less than 30 inches.
No matter what, you most likely won’t be playing any games in 720p at this age. You may do it only if you’re using a dated/low-end GPU.
And when we talk about 1080p, it is still very popular, and for several logical reasons. Maybe the main reason behind its continuing popularity is that the new GPUs mid-range and up can get reasonable frame rates in this resolution.
So, 144 Hz and 240 Hz 1080p monitors are quite good for competitive gamers who crave the richness and responsiveness that such high frame rates offer.
Not only that, 1080p is not expensive it’s very affordable, both when monitors and GPUs are concerned.
Even If you get the cheapest budget GPUs available in the market it can handle 1080p with much ease, but surely it all depends on the graphics settings and the game in question.
So you can easily say, that 1080p is still popular today because it can attract both those who prefer performance over visuals and those who are not interested in or have budget issues to spend extra on a monitor comprising a higher resolution.
Quad HD:
Today most gamers feel that QHD is the best resolution for gaming. The reason is it occupies a sweet spot in between FHD and UHD, catering to the best of both worlds. It is far superior to 1080p and can offer high frame rates that would otherwise be unthinkable to get with 2160p.
It’s a decent way of assessing visuals and performance and sometimes price also. Mid-range GPUs, like AMD’s RX 580 or 590 or Nvidia’s GTX 1060 or 1660 Ti, are all outstanding GPUs for 1440p gaming,
The best thing is some of the weaker models also can handle this resolution with much ease, but of course at lower frame rates.
Ultra HD:
Ultra HD or people also call it 4K, is the current standard that the industry is drifting towards. 4K TVs are slowly capturing the market, so you can see many 4K monitors now, some of which are remarkably inexpensive. The 4k is well known for its exceptional clarity and image quality.
But, as it comprises a huge pixel count, it is very demanding and needs strong hardware. You should have robust exclusive GPUs, like Nvidia’s new RTX models, to truly master this resolution when it comes to challenging AAA games.
All in all, UHD is best for people who prefer visuals over performance and can afford an exclusive GPU and a genuine 4K monitor. But most people usually go for something that is more cost-efficient.
The Aspect Ratio:
There is one more crucial aspect to ponder the aspect ratio. Usually, most of the monitors today are your regular 16:9 widescreen monitors, though ultra-wide 21:9 or even 32:9 options are also available.
But, how the aspect ratio is crucial in all of this? When you deal with a wider screen, the horizontal pixel count is normally better with ultra-wide monitors.
And this certainly emulates the performance, as a 16:9 monitor with a resolution of 2560×1440 monitor isn’t as testing as a 21:9 monitor, which brags a resolution of 3440×1440.
So, when you have an ultra-wide display all you get is a broad field of view, which can be helpful in competitive gaming.
But sometimes your performance can get worse because of the increased pixel count. And of course more screen space for enjoying movies.
There is this one problem that competitive gamers should be aware of and that is some developers knowingly impair ultra-wide support in their games to stop some players from gaining an unfair advantage over others.
They don’t block you from gaming in a higher resolution, but the FOV will stand the same as if you were gaming on a 16:9 monitor.
Not only this, some games usually don’t support 21:9 or 32:9, so you may have to modify some settings files to make them work properly. All of these things you’ll most likely face when you deal with older games or subpar console ports.
Conclusion:
The Best Aspect Ratio for Gaming:
First, let’s clear this out as this is quite simple. So when it comes to the aspect ratio, 16:9 is by far the best choice for many people.
As we have mentioned above, the perks that ultra-wide monitors cater for gaming are a bit dodgy, particularly if you are not interested in cashing the benefits of other non-gaming features that such a monitor would bring.
Besides, ultra-wide monitors are a bit costly as compared to regular widescreen ones, so you should go for the 16:9 gaming monitor as you will get better value for your money.
The Best Resolution for Gaming:
We have tried our level best to answer the question that many gamers have in their mind. And that is what the best resolution for gaming is.
Finally, you can’t say that a single resolution is objectively the best, and it usually comes down to your personal needs and preferences.
But all you can do is you can go for 1080p if you prefer performance over visuals, that is if you want to have a triple-digit frame rate. And importantly, 1080p is the best choice for those who have budget issues.
And if you can afford and want the best graphics then pick 2160p.
And 1440p is for those who want a decent, cost-effective balance between graphics and performance.
But don’t forget that, when you are picking between a 1080p and a 1440p/2160p display and the frame rates are not important to you, then better to go with a higher resolution.
When you do this you will get a monitor that’s more future-proof, so when the GPU that you have doesn’t perform well in a higher resolution; you don’t have to bother about upgrading the monitor after upgrading the GPU.