Monitors for Console Gaming

So I just need a monitor with 1-2ms response time then?

The pixel response time is only one piece of the ‘responsiveness jigsaw’, and on modern LCDs is certainly not the biggest one. To understand more about the factors affecting the responsiveness of a monitor and how they interconnect, we’d highly recommend reading our dedicated article on exactly that topic. Some important take-home messages from the article with respect to this aspect of a screen:

With these concepts in mind, it’s quite clear that going for a monitor that has a quoted ‘1ms’ or ‘2ms’ response time is not necessarily going to benefit you over going for a model which may, on paper, be slower. It’s important to consider the spread of response times and the fact that you are limited to a 60Hz refresh rate – where the need for super-fast pixel responses simply doesn’t exist. As mentioned it’s also possible that a monitor that pushes for really fast pixel transitions actually hinders rather than helps the visual fluidity due to overshoot.

1ms, at what cost?

Depending on the pixel overdrive implementation and flexibility given to the user it may or may not be possible to select a more moderate level of acceleration that is free from such eyesores, without the overdrive being essentially being turned off. BenQ’s ‘AMA’ implementation on some of their ‘RL’ and ‘XL’ series is an example of this, where the ‘High’ setting (lowest level of pixel overdrive without disabling it) can produce a degree of overshoot that some users would find unpleasant. The exceptionally fast ‘real world’ response times offered without overshoot is a key reason some find OLED monitors particularly appealing.

Why should I care about viewing angles when I sit in front of the screen?

Some console gamers like to sit back from their screen a bit, perhaps in a posture that could be described as a ‘dynamic slouch’. With this in mind it might make sense to consider screens with strong viewing angle performance, the kings of which in the LCD world are undoubtedly the IPS-type (In-Plane Switching and similar) panels. But even if you sit right in front of your monitor, at a desk, and keep your head in one position, you can still observe weaknesses in viewing angle performance. Different sections of the screen are viewed at different viewing angles and can therefore be affected by relative weaknesses in this area. This is especially true for larger screens (27”+) but is certainly still a factor for smaller screens (21.5 – 24”) as well.

As explored in our panel types article, the relatively weak vertical viewing angles of TN (Twisted Nematic) panels means that a given shade tends to appear much less saturated at the bottom of the screen compared to the top. There are also some lesser shifts horizontally. A properly calibrated monitor with TN panel can produce very accurate shades in the centre of the screen, which is where the colorimeter or calibration device takes its readings and makes its adjustments. But that same shade will appear darker (more saturated) further up the screen and lighter (less saturated) further down the screen. For this reason this panel type is shunned for colour critical work. The effect is best explored and explained by viewing large areas of an individual shade or by viewing tests specifically designed to demonstrate it. The following photo was captured on the ASUS PG278Q (a generally highly regarded TN model) showing the movie ‘Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder’. It gives quite a decent representation of what you would actually see when viewing that particular scene on that monitor from a normal viewing position.

Of course, when gaming, you don’t generally see large blocks of a single colour like this so the ‘effect’ may not be quite so obvious. But the weakening saturation still occurs all the same and some users will notice this quite readily. Consider green vegetation in the environment on a game (who doesn’t like a bit of natural eye-candy?), for example. The intention is often for there to be a variety of distinct but closely matching green shades for different vegetation types or parts of the same tree or plant. On a properly calibrated IPS-type panel without uniformity problems, everything that is meant to be a particular shade will be that shade. It will be distinct from other shades even if the differences are intended to be subtle. Generally lush greens will appear just as lush at the top of the screen as the bottom whilst paler greens will appear an appropriate pastel shade throughout. On a TN panel all shades appear more saturated towards the top and less saturated towards the bottom of the screen, even if the screen is calibrated to display the correct shade centrally. Closely matching shades lose their ‘identity’ and individuality and there is ‘shade-crossover’. That is to say the lush and deep greens may even look weaker (less saturated and paler) at some parts of the screen than what are supposed to be paler greens elsewhere on the screen. Of course this doesn’t just apply to greens and vegetation – that was just to give an example. And there are plenty more ‘real-world’ examples given in our subjective analysis on relevant reviews.

Do I need a ‘Black eQualizer’?

The ‘Black eQualizer’ feature is simply a fancy way of saying that the monitor can adjust parts of the gamma curve so that games do not look as the director intended. With the intention being that some dark shades lighter than intended. This improves visibility in dark areas on games, which is where the competitive advantage comes in, but it also reduces any sense of atmosphere the game is trying to convey. The image below shows a star field, as it should look (roughly – it depends on the calibration of your own monitor amongst other things). This is actually a desktop wallpaper but could equally be a scene in a game where there are plenty of dark shades.

The intended image

And the image below shows that same image with the ‘Black eQualizer’ feature ramped up all the way. This example is from our review of the BenQ XL2411T, but the behaviour of this feature and end result is largely comparable on more recent models that sport it. You can see a lot of ‘unintended’ detail is revealed – this may be less extreme with some implementations of the technology, but there will always be some degree of this due to how the feature works. Near-black shades are raised so that they look lighter than they should and stand out, giving something of an ‘oil-slick’ appearance and really a rather unnatural look.

Add a dash of Black eQualizer

Similar technologies exist with other names such as; ‘Light Tuner’, ‘Black Stabilizer’, ‘Dark Boost’, ‘Shadow Boost’, ‘Shadow Control’ and ‘Night Vision’. On some models these settings raise the black point, flooding the image, or upset the balance of brighter shades which ideally wouldn’t be touched. Others are better-implemented and more targeted – and that includes the ‘Black eQualizer’ feature on most BenQ models that feature it. Although we feel these features can upset the image, to varying degrees, they can still benefit competitive gamers who will value this visibility boost over things looking as they should. Regardless of whether such a setting is found on a monitor, many monitors offer adjustable gamma settings or different gamma tracking in certain presets that can also provide a boost to detail in dark areas. This is less targeted than some of the gamma enhancement features that focus primarily on darks hades, however.

How do I set up my monitor for console gaming?

As noted earlier in the article, modern consoles are essentially simple low-mid range PCs internally. The setup we recommend in our reviews, for PC users, would therefore also apply to console gaming. But there are some aspects that muddy the waters a little bit, most notably the colour signal. In this article we explain how to correct the colour signal on both the monitor and GPU. You don’t have a GPU driver to mess around with as a console user, but you may find a signal range option somewhere in the menu system of the console. You also need to set the signal correctly on the monitor, if it has such an option. Not all monitors do and some will configure it automatically, whilst others will simply use Full Range RGB all the time. If your monitor provides such an option it will be covered in the OSD (On Screen Display) video if we’ve reviewed the model and is generally covered in the manual as well. You could experiment for yourself be setting the RGB Range (‘HDMI Black Level’) to ‘Full’, ‘Normal’, ‘0-255’ or something to that effect and see how it compares to setting the monitor to the alternative (‘Limited’, ‘Low’ or similar). The setting you’d ideally use depends on the specific console and in some cases the resolution and refresh rate you’re running. Newer consoles such as the Xbox Series X and PS5 generally work best with a ‘Full Range’ signal, though the PS5 uses a ‘Limited Range’ signal (YCbCr 4:2:0 or YCbCr 4:2:0, depending on the capabilities of the monitor) when running ‘4K’ UHD @120Hz. The Nintendo Switch tends to work best with a ‘Limited Range’ signal, too.

Conclusion and recommendations

Monitor manufacturers are doing a lot to try to pump out products which appeal to PC users. They are continuing to push up resolutions, increase refresh rates and expand their range of models with wider aspect ratios than 16:9. But some users simply don’t want to spend that much on a monitor – whilst others simply can’t use all of these features. Fortunately there is still a huge market for the humble 60Hz monitor with Full HD resolution, and there are plenty of models being churned out with those capabilities. There is also an expanding selection of QHD and ‘4K’ UHD models which use HDMI 2.0 and can therefore be used on games consoles that support the resolution. More recent games consoles can also make use of 120Hz refresh rates, whilst the HDMI 2.1 standard used on some of the latest consoles adds the possibility of combining a higher resolution and refresh rate. Models with HDR capabilities are also expanding and such capability can be harnessed on some modern games consoles.

Our dedicated best gaming monitors section focuses on models we recommend for gaming on PCs and the latest generation consoles. It is frequently updated, so be assured that we constantly assess changes in technology and new screens that are released. We’ve also got a dedicated guide which focuses on some of the key aspects to look for for both PC and console gamers, such as HDR performance levels. We also welcome discussion on our forum. General discussion is found in this thread whilst specific discussions related to the PS5 and Xbox Series X have their own dedicated thread.

As an Amazon Associate and Newegg Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases made using the below link. Where possible, you’ll be redirected to your nearest store. Further information on supporting our work.