-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
[Poll] Do you prefer to play on a monitor or on a big TV?
- Thread starter lunanto
- Start date
Depends what I'm playing. If I can control it with a pad I prefer the TV. Mouse/Keyboard games are usually better with a monitor sitting at the ol desk. I sometimes also prefer the small screens of a handheld so I can sink down into my couch or bed and just immerse myself into the world of what I'm playing.
All else being equal, bigger is better—but all else is rarely equal in reality. I've mostly played on monitors for years because my monitor is in my own space, whereas my big TV is in a shared space. A big TV dedicated to gaming in my own space would be ideal, but hasn't been practical. Maybe someday.
My 1440p G-Sync monitor is preferable to my current, aging 1080p TV, but once I upgrade to a 4K OLED, that equation will change somewhat. Monitor desk setups do have the advantage of making it easier to sit at the desired distance from the screen—just roll your chair forward or back—whereas shared-space living room setups usually have the seating farther away from the screen than I find ideal for gaming, and pulling a couch or big armchair forward and to a centered position can be inconvenient.
My 1440p G-Sync monitor is preferable to my current, aging 1080p TV, but once I upgrade to a 4K OLED, that equation will change somewhat. Monitor desk setups do have the advantage of making it easier to sit at the desired distance from the screen—just roll your chair forward or back—whereas shared-space living room setups usually have the seating farther away from the screen than I find ideal for gaming, and pulling a couch or big armchair forward and to a centered position can be inconvenient.
On paper I feel like I should enjoy gaming on my TV more than I currently do. I'm using a 55" LG C7 OLED, and I have a pretty good 5.1 surround sound system with it. But my brain is dumb and has a need to always be multitasking, which the multi-monitor setup on my PC caters too well towards. It's never enough for me to just play a game, I need screens dedicated to things like Twitter, Twitch, Discord, YouTube, etc.
I have my consoles and PC connected to my monitor just prefer it
Whenever people come over and they wanna play couch coop i connect the console to the TV temporarily
Thanks to covid that hasn't happened for awhile
Whenever people come over and they wanna play couch coop i connect the console to the TV temporarily
Thanks to covid that hasn't happened for awhile
I never played on a lets say... gaming monitor. Consoles was always on TV.
And my time on monitor is on my pc but it's far from being an high tech or gaming sided. And mostly of my time there, is pretty much for football manager. But i read some threads and comments lately, saying it's better experience on monitors than tvs. For response time etc etc things that Im noob 🤣
After reading some opinions, maybe i will spent in one and move away from the tvs.
In years i always played on tvs, like i said, and never seen a problem. So i really cant tell wich one i prefer without test it properly.
And my time on monitor is on my pc but it's far from being an high tech or gaming sided. And mostly of my time there, is pretty much for football manager. But i read some threads and comments lately, saying it's better experience on monitors than tvs. For response time etc etc things that Im noob 🤣
After reading some opinions, maybe i will spent in one and move away from the tvs.
In years i always played on tvs, like i said, and never seen a problem. So i really cant tell wich one i prefer without test it properly.
Hello me!
I'm fine playing on either, but these days been playing on my monitor mostly (1440p/140hz) + 1080p/60hz monitor on the side. I like the ability to multi-task and have discord up, or a video, or just be able to look something up on the fly. Main TV is an LG C6 OLED with a solid surround sound setup.
Mix. I still like to play a lot of PC games on my monitor because of gsync, but I can see myself connecting my PC to my LG CX permanently once I upgrade.
The gaming PC in my office with 5.1 surround and a 240hz ultrawide is mainly for MMOs, RTS, Strategy, and simulators.
My media room with 7.2 surround and an 86" 4k is for all my console needs and where I tend to play pretty much everything else. My kids have their own TVs and setups in that room as well and we often play together.
Each location fulfills a propose for me and my family. I will primarily be found in the media room, but honestly it is nice to tuck myself away in the office and just do my own thing separate from everyone else. Or perhaps my family wants to watch a movie in that room or something so I go off and play PC games. Generally speaking, we prefer to play together and therefore I can usually be found in the media room playing on the big screen. Big screen, big sound, and a blackout room is super immersive.
My media room with 7.2 surround and an 86" 4k is for all my console needs and where I tend to play pretty much everything else. My kids have their own TVs and setups in that room as well and we often play together.
Each location fulfills a propose for me and my family. I will primarily be found in the media room, but honestly it is nice to tuck myself away in the office and just do my own thing separate from everyone else. Or perhaps my family wants to watch a movie in that room or something so I go off and play PC games. Generally speaking, we prefer to play together and therefore I can usually be found in the media room playing on the big screen. Big screen, big sound, and a blackout room is super immersive.
I use my 75" Sony Bravia x900f for all my gaming needs for PlayStation 3/4, Switch and for PC gaming
That is the smallest door I've ever seen.
I don't want to play on a TV at my desk, and I don't want a desktop monitor when I'm on the couch.
Luckily with PC gaming, I can use my desktop PC (34" 3440x1440 160hz ultrawide), a living room/TV PC (65" 4K) or a laptop (15" 1440p 165hz) and play however I want. You can even get a GPD Win or something if you're crazy about portability.
Luckily with PC gaming, I can use my desktop PC (34" 3440x1440 160hz ultrawide), a living room/TV PC (65" 4K) or a laptop (15" 1440p 165hz) and play however I want. You can even get a GPD Win or something if you're crazy about portability.
Last edited:
Monitor by far, though I have two and use one for computer stuff and the other for gaming stuff.
With a TV I feel way less immersed and more prone to distractions. Pretty much the only thing I play on a TV now is Ring Fit Adventure because I have two Switch docks and that's a game you kinda need the space for.
With a TV I feel way less immersed and more prone to distractions. Pretty much the only thing I play on a TV now is Ring Fit Adventure because I have two Switch docks and that's a game you kinda need the space for.
It depends. FPS, CRPGs, most WRPGs and strategy games I play on my Ultrawide monitor.
3rd person action games, JRPGs, emulation mostly goes to TV. I Iave KBM on the couch as well as a controller.
3rd person action games, JRPGs, emulation mostly goes to TV. I Iave KBM on the couch as well as a controller.
I used to love playing on a monitor, but with working at a computer all the time, I've gone to almost always playing on my TV. It's also nice because I can sit on the couch with my girlfriend and still hang out with her.
TV basically isn't an option because I play a noninsignificant amount of rhythm games and need to reduce input lag for that reason. I can deal with playing RPGs and having text be a bit harder (but still possible) to read on the monitor I sit pretty far away from, I can't deal with playing Project Diva and have a few ms extra delay.
Ideally I'll play on a big monitor. I'm hoping Acer with reveal a big like 40" one with 4k and proper HDMI 2.1 support this year. Right now I'm using a 26" 1080p one. I also use it "like" a TV, it doesn't sit at a desk, it sits across from me on the other side of the room.
And funnily enough, I actually play on consoles. I've never even owned a proper HDTV. I went from CRT to monitor.
Ideally I'll play on a big monitor. I'm hoping Acer with reveal a big like 40" one with 4k and proper HDMI 2.1 support this year. Right now I'm using a 26" 1080p one. I also use it "like" a TV, it doesn't sit at a desk, it sits across from me on the other side of the room.
And funnily enough, I actually play on consoles. I've never even owned a proper HDTV. I went from CRT to monitor.
It really depends. And it depends more on me than the game. Sometimes I want the benefits of each: 65" 4K/HDR/120Hz vrr or 34" Ultrawide 1440p/120Hz gsync. Very, very fortunate to have these options available to me. Each is fantastic.
Big narrative console exclusive I like to play on my big 55 inch television, laid back on my bed but anything else I'm fine with playing on a 27 inch PC monitor, I play most games on a computer and sometimes switch to my 10 meter HDMI cable that connects to my second PC monitor if I want to play a console game and watch something on the side.
This is me, but from about 10 years ago. When we moved into our last apartment I didn't really need a desktop setup, per se, because I either gamed on the TV more or barely used my desktop for anything other than browsing the internet. That has stuck with me until now, so my desktop is an mITX build under my TV in the game room. The only reason I'm using a desktop in the office room at all right now is because of WFH, which is really, really not good for a wireless keyboard and mouse.
RTX 3080 and a LG TV are the biggest upgrade I've ever had in gaming. I waited a long time to upgrade to a tv that can handle 120hz, low lag, gsync, 4k, HDR and a good panel. Playing story games with 70fps with Ultra settings in 4k DLSS in balanced mode (or slightly lower settings for more fps) is just incomparable to anything else I've played. Since I got Cold war for free with the gpu I gave it a try and was very impressed by the visuals. That game looks absolutely gorgeous and is a perfect showcase game of the tech (graphics, DLSS, RTX, HDR, 4k, 120hz, gsync and perfectly playable with a lapboard keyboard and mouse). Control looks great and has some specific places it flexes its muscles with the lighting and chaos but overall Cold war takes the cake especially for a quick showcase for friends.
Only with highly competitive 1st person shooters like Tarkov I switch to the monitor and if I'm doing productive stuff.
This change also made it easier to split my pc for multiseat gaming too, I plug a 2nd gpu in my pc, I play from the couch, my guest from the desk (instead of sitting next to each other on two monitors).
Only with highly competitive 1st person shooters like Tarkov I switch to the monitor and if I'm doing productive stuff.
This change also made it easier to split my pc for multiseat gaming too, I plug a 2nd gpu in my pc, I play from the couch, my guest from the desk (instead of sitting next to each other on two monitors).
Last edited:
It depends on whether or not I'm playing a PC game. I can switch easily so that's all there is to it for me.
I've been a TV gamer for 95% of my life. Looking to buy a new monitor (curved, ultrawide, 120+hz, some kind of sync support) for my new home office setup, but I'm probably going to wait for HDMI 2.1 support only because the PS5 doesn't support 1440p.
You don't get quality 4K OLED monitors for ~£1k, so I stick with a TV. Better image quality, bigger screen size and lower prices. Monitors are almost universally overpriced for three image quality they offer.
FPS MP and Strategy games, prefer to sit at my computer near my monitor. Everything else, sitting on my couch with my TV and sounds systemmmmm ... aka loading up the game and sitting on my phone looking at ResetEra and TikTok.
Is 43 inch 4k TV considered more of a monitor than big screen tv? I have an OLED 65 inch TV in the living room but that TV is for the entire family to use so I don't want to monopolize it with gaming. I use my 34 inch ultrawide mostly for PC gaming and my 43 inch 4k TV for PS4 gaming or PC games that lack ultrawide support and can maintain 60 FPS since the 43 inch lacks g-sync.
Best of both worlds here - 48" OLED TV. Never going back, and that's after trying $1500 monitors for comparison. Obviously a larger TV would be even better for couch gaming, but 48" is small enough that it works well on a (very deep) desk with a traditional mouse/keyboard setup.
There's no way back for me after upgrading to 75" 4k TV last year, size does matter in my book.
Monitor, mostly because I just prefer playing games at my computer desk. I think the last time I played games on a TV was in 2018
I prefer playing on the TV, but play more on my monitor because most of the time I just don't feel like turning on the TV and getting out of my desk to get to the couch. Sitting in front of my monitor is kind of my "default place" at home, so it's easier to just grab the controller and start playing something than it is to actually switch places.
Also lends itself better to short sessions. If I feel like playing less than an hour of something, there's no way in hell I'm turning on the TV for this. If it's only on console, I'm more likely to just play nothing that night instead.
EDIT: It's one of the reasons why I'm 100% sure that VR isn't for me. I would absolutely feel like it's too much work after the first couple of months.
Also lends itself better to short sessions. If I feel like playing less than an hour of something, there's no way in hell I'm turning on the TV for this. If it's only on console, I'm more likely to just play nothing that night instead.
EDIT: It's one of the reasons why I'm 100% sure that VR isn't for me. I would absolutely feel like it's too much work after the first couple of months.
Can I ask how far away you need to sit from a 48" inch OLED in order for the screen to be a comfortable size when gaming?
A previous poster in this thread indicated that one meter was a little too close for 48". I have had my eye on a 48" LG OLED for some time and worried that it might be too big to be viewed within a few feet.
I would say that one meter may be a little too close, but really not much. I'm sitting roughly 4 feet (1.2 meter) away from the screen and it's perfect. In fact, I got used to it so quickly that I don't even think it's a huge screen anymore. It just feels right.
That said, it largely depends on personal preference and on the type of games you're playing. I mostly play RPGs, MMOs, adventure/exploration games etc where twitch reflexes aren't important. In such games, sitting close increases my immersion without adversely affecting my "performance". If you enjoy competitive shooters, however, you probably should sit closer or use a smaller screen.
Note that it requires some setup, as you typically cannot directly set the TV on the desk; you need to either mount it or use a floor stand behind the desk. I choose the latter (specifically Amazon.com: PERLESMITH Universal Floor TV Stand/Base with Swivel Mount for Most 32-65 inch LCD LED TVs - Height Adjustable, Cable Management and Space Saving, VESA 600x400mm, Perfect for Corner & Bedroom: Electronics).