LG C2 OLED Series
Pros
Improved Evo OLED panel
Perfect blacks
Incredibly fast response time (0.001ms)
New Game Optimizer features
Alpha a9 Gen 5 processor
Excellent gaming performance
Cons
Expensive
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CHECK PRICETV vs monitor for gaming in 2023
The age old question - a dedicated display or just one repurposed from all those hours watching Netflix?
Updated: Apr 5, 2023 10:12 am
When it comes to console gaming, the debate between TV and monitor has been bubbling away for years. On the surface, the choice seemed simple – casual console gamers would opt for a TV whilst competitive-minded players would choose the gaming monitor. However, thanks to the arrival of next-gen consoles from both PlayStation and Xbox that offer 120 frames per second gameplay in stunning 4K resolution, that debate just became much more important.
You see, to actually reap the rewards of these new performance capabilities, you need a supportive monitor or TV to match. A 60Hz 4K TV simply won’t cut it anymore. Luckily, manufacturers are working hard to bring a tonne of high-performance TVs and monitors to market that will support the new HDMI 2.1 standard – sparking the debate once again.
READ NOW: 55 inch TV dimensions
In this article, we’re going to answer all of the big questions that surround both monitors and TVs when it comes to gaming. Before that though, we are going to go over some of the more common terms you will come across when buying a gaming-related display. If you aren’t familiar with the fancy jargon, read the section below to familiarise yourself with the need-to-know terms.
TV vs monitor for gaming: What’s the difference?
On the surface, there are many similarities between TVs and gaming monitors, but the differences lie in the specifications. In this section, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the main specs that determine performance differences when comparing TVs vs monitors for gaming. We’ll also recommend options for both so you can see how they differ in reality:
Gaming monitors
On average, gaming monitors will offer much higher refresh rates and pixel density when compared to modern TVs. Furthermore, they usually offer better (less) input lag and much more stand versatility. Historically, monitors weren’t that great when it came to color reproduction or maximum screen resolution – however, thanks to developments made in panel technology over the last 3-5 years, that isn’t the case anymore. 4K monitors that offer extremely accurate color reproduction aren’t quite as rare as they once were – great for content creators and color-accurate productivity users.
ASUS TUF Gaming VG279QM
Size
27″
Refresh Rate
280Hz
Response Time
1ms
Panel
IPS
Maximum Resolution
1920 x 1080
“The VG279QM is one of ASUS’s latest gaming monitors, bringing to the table a whole host of exciting performance specifications which will literally give you an edge over your competition.”
Check out the full VG279QM review here:
TVs
TVs are usually larger, with 65-Inch being a common size these days, and more focused on things like better color reproduction and viewing experience rather than sheer pixel density or responsiveness. They also tend to be much better for viewing at wide angles, thanks to display technologies that are geared toward the classic living room setting.
Gigabyte AORUS FO48U
Refresh Rate
120Hz
Response time
1ms
Screen size
48″
Resolution
3840 x 2160
“Gigabyte’s AORUS FO48U really ticks all the right boxes. Thanks to the OLED panel at the heart of this monitor, or tactical gaming monitor as Gigabyte call it, the FO48U delivers superb gaming performance.”
Check out our full AORUS FO48U review here:
OLED TVs
Thanks to the arrival of OLED technology, some gaming-tailored TVs now showcase extremely low input lag and pixel response times, reducing the amount of motion blur and ghosting that may normally occur on lesser performance-driven offerings. Furthermore, with TV refresh rates now reaching 120Hz (mainly thanks to the latest next-gen console options), you really can get a lucid gaming experience with a TV geared towards gaming.
LG C2 OLED Series
Sizes
42″, 48″, 55″, 65″, 77″, 83″
Screen Technology
OLED
Resolution
4K Ultra HD 3840 x 2160p
Refresh rate
120 Hz
Panel type
WOLED
HDMI standard
HDMI 2.1
Image quality and HDR
In terms of resolution, modern TVs usually offer 1080p or 4K – with the recent addition of 8K. Monitors, on the other hand, are a little more versatile – offering 1080p, 1440p, and 4K.
Generally-speaking, TVs tend to focus more heavily on raw viewing experience and picture quality. Alternatively, gaming monitors try to balance specifications as and where they can – sometimes compromising on one area for budgetary reasons. With the recent influx of IPS monitors, however, compromising color accuracy for responsiveness is becoming much less common.
If you take HDR into account, it’s practically no competition. Whilst HDR (high dynamic range) has become much more popular within the gaming monitor sphere, TVs still offer this feature much more readily. Additionally, if you’re playing on PC, most of your content doesn’t have HDR support yet, while PS4 Pro, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X do.
Thanks to increasing HDR support and IPS panels bringing better color reproduction and viewing angles, it’s no surprise seeing so many gamers make the switch from TV to monitor.
Input lag
In the move from CRT displays to large flatscreen HDTVs, many gamers may have noticed that their games are almost unplayable without enabling a “Game Mode” on their TVs. This is because large HDTVs have started to use their own dedicated graphics processing hardware to handle the higher-resolution signals, which makes images look cleaner and the movement look smoother.
CRTs did not have this problem, and to this day are still favored by some gamers (looking at you, Melee players) who want to minimize input lag.
Monitors have never needed to adopt a Game Mode for tolerable input latency, and across the board, monitors perform much better in this category. With the existence of 144hz monitor and 240hz monitor taken into account, monitors become even better at reducing input lag than any comparable TV.
Looking at the numbers, most monitors fall between 1ms to 5ms (although some cheaper, larger, or IPS displays are slower), but TVs tend to start at 5ms and just climb higher; even up to 20ms. It’s generally less advertised, and built-in Game Modes help deal with this to varying degrees, but the numbers reinforce that TVs are slower.
High refresh rates and ‘sync’ technologies
First up, let’s talk about -Sync tech. Specifically, G-Sync and FreeSync. These two technologies, from Nvidia and AMD respectively, are focused on removing screen tearing by dynamically matching refresh rate to frame rate – increasing perceived smoothness by doing so. These two technologies do essentially the same thing, and both are widely-supported in the higher end of gaming monitors.
With TVs, preventing screen tearing is less straightforward. Some very high-end TVs support G-Sync and FreeSync, but only a few. You’ll be spending a lot more to get these features on a TV than you would on a monitor.
As we mentioned in the “terms” section, both display types can have high refresh rates but tend to handle them differently.
If you buy a 120Hz monitor, it will display that refresh rate natively and be capable of displaying extra frames rendered by your PC when you’re gaming.
If you buy a 120Hz TV, you might end up with a soap opera effect, and you’re unlikely to see 120Hz benefits in gaming. This is because most TVs using a high refresh rate are using a technology called “interpolation,” which is focused on reducing ghosting and making motion look smoother. In some cases, this results in what’s called the “soap opera effect,” where a TV show or movie looks too smooth to be natural, though this isn’t a concern with gaming.
That being said, there are high-end TVs that actually do support these higher refresh rates and are tailored for gaming purposes. Just expect to spend more on it.
Pricing
While gaming TVs exist, getting one with the desired features often comes with a price penalty. This is because TVs are ultimately larger, more complex, and more expensive to produce as a result.
Both display technologies have high-end solutions that bust the wallet, but even low-to-midrange monitors provide less latency and input lag than TVs at comparable prices. If we’re talking sheer value for pure gaming, then monitors are the clear winner.
Comfort
Now, let’s talk about comfort. We’re going to assess this on two fronts: viewing distance and viewing angles.
Viewing distance
A TV’s larger size makes gaming from your couch or your bed much more viable, and this benefit only increases the larger your display becomes. With monitors and their smaller size, you need to stay much closer to your display. Unless you have hundreds of dollars to spend on a high-end gaming chair, the fact is you simply aren’t going to be as comfortable sitting at a desk as you would be slouched on a couch or laying in bed.
Of course, being sat at a desk is no problem for PC gamers, and the added benefits of responsiveness out weight this issue entirely.
Check our complete curved TV vs flat guide here.
Viewing angles
TVs benefit from excellent viewing angles, giving you a wide range of places to sit in your living room without the colors transforming. While IPS monitors do have much better viewing angles than TN monitors, they are more expensive and aren’t really worth it for hardcore gamers. TVs have the benefit of wide viewing angles and large sizes. While it may seem that TVs beat monitors in terms of viewing angles, remember you are likely to be sat in front of your monitor when you game, rendering a great viewing angle useless in most usage scenarios.
Are OLED TVs better than OLED monitors?
One of the big questions we get when it comes to TV vs monitors is, are OLED TVs better than OLED gaming monitors?
It’s a tough one really, because they’re two very different products.
Let’s not forget, an OLED gaming monitor is a device purposely designed to play PC games. That means its main features will be geared up for PC Gaming.
By contrast, an OLED TV is more tailored towards watching TV and movies – meaning, features will vary dramatically.
All in all, it comes down to what you prioritize in your display. For console gamers, many of the latest OLED TVs in todays market feature gaming specifications. However, they still aren’t optimized for gaming like a gaming monitor.
TV vs. monitor for gaming: Verdict
What’s the score on the doors? In this section, we’re going to do some quick summarizing, along with our final verdict and a few recommendations.
Image quality and HDR
TVs achieve superior viewing experiences at lower price points, and also have better support for HDR than monitors do. For this reason, we chose TVs for this category, but you can get better image quality if you’re willing to spend more on your monitor.
Input lag
Monitors win this category, hands-down. Even with high-end gaming TVs sporting fast response times and high refresh rates, they are less affordable. Even IPS panel gaming monitors now feature incredibly low input lag, so it’s a clean sweep for the monitor.
High refresh rates and sync technologies
If you want to play with a high refresh rate and actually make use of framerates above 60, a gaming monitor is an obvious choice. Most TVs with high refresh rates only use those refresh rates for interpolation, not raw visual performance, and even the few that do have worse input latency than monitors.
Variable refresh rate technologies are supported by both TVs and monitors but are much more affordable on the latter. FreeSync and G-Sync displays still have a hefty price premium over displays that don’t support those features so make sure you use the technology if you are going to buy it.
Pricing
For those just looking for a solid gaming experience at a low price, it’s going to be much easier to achieve that with a gaming monitor than it is on a TV, especially if you’re a competitive player.
When we are looking at monitors vs TVs for gaming, it’s clear that monitors win. However, if you prioritize viewing over playing, you could argue a TV is the way to go. That said, with the latest gaming monitors featuring IPS panels, HDR, and wide viewing angles, gaming monitors are the clear winner.
Comfort
Last but not least is comfort, which TVs win pretty conclusively thanks to larger viewing distances and wider viewing angles. There’s a reason that TVs are the go-to for couch gaming and local multiplayer, they simply create a better experience overall.
Yes, slouching on the couch while gaming is the ultimate in comfort but with high-end gaming monitors featuring IPS panels you get excellent viewing angles, and with the option to buy ultrawide 4K gaming monitors, there is something to be said for both.
Conclusion
Monitors seem to be the better choice for pure gaming performance, latency, and they win more of our categories, so we have a clear winner.
That being said, there are still going to be scenarios where you might want to use a TV instead. If you’re playing casual single-player games, for instance, a TV and a couch offer much more than a desk and monitor setup.
Moreover, if you’re using an Xbox Series X or PS5, a TV with HDR might be a more viable option, although there are certainly great monitors for console gaming.
If you aren’t serious about playing competitively and don’t have the technology to drive high refresh rate displays, the ability to sit back, relax, and play a game on your widescreen TV is going to be superior to hunching over your desk and wildly tapping keys and buttons.
Ultimately, gaming is about choice, especially PC gaming. The winner here really depends on what you want out of your gaming experience.
If you’re a competitive gamer who wants to top the leaderboards, get into esports, and push yourself as far as you can go, get a gaming monitor.
But for the social gamers out there, a TV might just offer a better gaming experience for you.
ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQ
Pros
Quantum Dot Technology
155Hz refresh rate (via overclock)
Excellent image clarity
Fantastic build quality
Decent value for money
Cons
Local dimming feature is buggy
Some stand limitations
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CHECK PRICEVIDEO: Monitor vs TV for Gaming in 2023! Which should you choose?
TV vs monitor: Quick summary
Just in case you are new to all this and have never actually considered whether a TV or monitor is best for gaming, we have summarized some need-to-know terms below.
- Resolution – The amount of pixels a screen can display. 1080p = Full HD (most common), 1440p = Quad HD (high-end monitors), 2160p = 4K/Ultra HD (highest-end, used by both TVs and monitors).
- Refresh Rate – The number of times per second a screen refreshes the image. 60Hz is pretty much universal in TVs but considered entry-level for monitors. On monitors, a higher refresh rate provides a much smoother experience, voiding it from annoying screen artifacts such as screen tear. TVs, on the other hand, were historically known for not having native (or true) high refresh rates. However, that is no longer the case – with many newer options providing exceptional speed and response.
- Response Time – The amount of time it takes for a single pixel to go from one color to another. The lower, the better.
- Input Lag – Tied to the above, is a direct measurement of how long it takes for your actions to be registered onscreen. The lower, the better.
- HDR – High Dynamic Range. New 4K displays use the HDR10 standard for richer color reproduction and more diverse levels of darkness and brightness.
The above are just two examples of what to look for when comparing a TV to a monitor for gaming, there are a wide variety of TVs available on Samsung’s own website that would be perfect to be used as a gaming TV which you can check out right here.
TV vs Monitor : FAQs
Are monitors better than TVs for gaming?
Yes, monitors are a far better option for gaming in comparison to TVs. While there is nothing inherently wrong with gaming using a TV, a monitor will provide a better performance overall.
While this will depend on the specifications of the monitor or TV that you own, on the whole monitors are the better option. This is because they have faster response times in comparison to a TV. While response times are not as important for watching TV shows or movies, they are particularly important for gaming.
In addition to this, monitors have less input lag, which means that the graphics will display quicker, and there will be fewer delays in comparison to a TV. While the lag will not be noticeable for the majority of people, if you have an older TV screen, and a newer monitor, you will be able to notice the differences.
The refresh rates of a monitor are typically far better in comparison to a TV because a monitor is created to produce higher refresh rates. This means that your gameplay will be more seamless when using a monitor in comparison to using a TV. This is especially true if you are using a gaming monitor. This is because they are created specifically with gaming in mind, whereas a TV has multiple purposes.
Can I use a TV as a monitor for gaming?
While a PC monitor is the preferred choice over a TV, this does not mean that you cannot use a TV for gaming. You can absolutely still use a monitor for gaming on a PC.
The only things that you will need to take into consideration, as mentioned above, are the input lag, refresh rates, and response times. The majority of TVs do have slower specifications in comparison to using a monitor.
However, in the vast majority of cases, you will be unlikely to notice this difference, especially if you are using a newer model of TV. If you are looking for the more inexpensive option, a TV is a great idea as they can be cheaper to purchase.
In addition to this, it is useful to use a TV as a monitor if you already own one, and want to save money instead of buying a monitor.
Is it better to play Xbox on TV or monitor?
Whether you use a TV or monitor to play your Xbox is entirely your choice. However, as we have already discussed in this article, a monitor will be the better option for you, especially if you are using the Xbox solely for gaming.
The response time, refresh rate and fps for the monitor screen is far better than a TV. Given this, it is the better option. However, the majority of Xbox users will use their Xbox for a number of different purposes, such as watching TV or movies too.
If this is the case, often it is easier to use a TV if you are looking for a larger screen that can have multi purposes. Before choosing between the two, it is useful to weigh up what you will be using your Xbox for and choose from there.
Is PS5 better for TV or monitor?
When choosing between using a TV or a monitor with a PS5, the answer is very similar to the Xbox frequently asked question. For gaming, a monitor is always the preferable option when it can be used.
This is because the response time, fps, and refresh rates are better overall. This will allow you to have more successful game play. However, when it comes to using a PS5 often these are purchased to play split screen or multiplayer games on.
In this instance, a TV may be the better option as it is slightly larger and easier for multiple players to use. In addition to this, TV is great to watch TV shows and movies too.
However, if you are looking for the best option to get the most out of your gaming experience, you would want to choose to use a monitor instead.
Are big TVs bad for gaming?
When it comes to choosing the size of a TV to use for gaming, you may assume that the larger the TV, the easier it is to game on. However, this is not actually the case.
Typically, the larger the TV is, the slower the performance will be. If you are playing a game that is not particularly fast-paced, you are unlikely to notice this. However, if you are playing fast shooter games for example, you will likely notice that a larger TV is slower.
While the difference is not huge, larger TVs are around 1/10th of a second slower than a monitor. This lag will be noticeable in some instances. So, while TVs are not bad for gaming, they may not be the best option to choose.
Are monitors cheaper than TVs?
The answer to this question will entirely depend on the individual prices of a monitor and a TV. While sometimes monitors will be cheaper, in most occasions, they are not.
TVs can be quite expensive, and they are not built with gaming specifically in mind. Whereas, monitors are built with gaming in mind. When comparing the price of 4K monitors and TVs, the TVs will be less expensive typically because the PC monitors are higher margin products.
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