You can definitely do 1080p gaming on 4k monitors if you want to. Although the visuals won’t be so smooth, the response time will be good enough. If you are not into competitive gaming, you can go for playing 1080p games on 4k monitors.
1080p Gaming on 4K Monitor – Does It Have Smoothness?
To Smoothen the Perspective
For any display device, digital television, or computer monitor, the display modes or display resolution means the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed at a time. There are many different types of display resolutions, such as 480p, 1080p, 4k, etc, where the numbers represent the pixel amount.
The more the pixel in an image, the clearer the image or video will be since videos are made with nothing but a series of images that quickly flickers on the screen. However, if you put a low-resolution video on a high resolution or big monitor, for example, 480p video on a big screen, the video will be distorted and look bad.
The Experience of 1080p Gaming on 4K Monitor
1080p is a pretty higher resolution for gaming, most of the games are designed to run at 1080p with higher frames per second. If you want to play 1080p games on a 4k monitor, you can do so, but playing at 1080p on a 4k monitor is somewhat similar to playing 480p on a 1080p monitor.
If the 4k monitor doesn’t have any built-in scaling processor, everything will look blurry and jagged. If you prefer smooth gameplay with a quick response time, a 1080p monitor is the best. But if you prefer fantastic details and gameplay, no other monitor can beat a 4k monitor.
Although the visuals of 4k are more vibrant, it’s still not the better option for gaming because of its overall performance. There are some other criteria you need to keep in mind before buying a 4k monitor for gaming. We will discuss them shortly in this section.
Screen Size
For the best 4k experience, you will need a larger monitor with 27 inches or above. But if you are into esports, having a larger monitor can be a big disadvantage in competitive matters.
Hardware Requirements
Most of the decent graphics cards available now can run the 1080p games only. If you play games at 4k resolution, you will need a higher-performance GPU. Having a GPU less than RTX 3070 will not be worth playing on a 4k monitor, the picture quality will not be stunning.
Compatibility
Not all the games are compatible with the 4k monitor, specifically the older games. This is why there is no guarantee that you can play all of your games with proper resolution and amazing visuals.
Price
A 4k monitor is expensive compared to a 1080p monitor. A decent one will cost you around 500$. Also, the price of a 4k monitor setup is not only the cost of monitor purchase, you need to consider the overall cost and upgrades, including the GPU.
The overall cost is worth it for the stunning visual experiences. But if you only play 1080p games, then the cost is not really worth it.
Final Verdict
If you still want to try 1080p gaming on a 4k monitor, make sure to buy a 4k monitor with the best scaling processor. Because without a scaler, the monitor will stretch the pixels to fit the display, causing distortion and bad quality picture. Also, grab the best graphics card to experience the best of the 4k monitor.
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