The line between TVs and gaming has been obnubilate for months . PC gamers are sound toOLED TVsfor high-pitched - end immersive experience , and console thespian are flocking to high refresh pace monitor to get the most out of their current - gen consoles . But which should you choose ?

Picking between a TV and monitor for gaming largely total down to what you diddle games on . You ’ll likely want to use a telly for console gaming and a monitor for your PC . Here , we explore why and some important differences between the exhibit type to keep in nous while shopping .

Image processing

Let ’s get this out of the way upfront . The profound difference between TVs and admonisher , especially when it come to gaming , is image processing . TVs come with integrated processors to enhance the image . This can include sharpening , motion decrease or clarity , and modulate single-valued function . They make the range of a function on your television look better , but they also induce input stave .

The more vivid the processing , the longer it take to complete . Monitors , on the other handwriting , are basically “ mute ” displays . Most monitor have no image processing , and some , such as theSamsung Odyssey OLED G8 , are built to give a direct association to your source whenever you connect it . Without range processing , the only input lag you experience is that underlying to the exhibit and the sign traveling down the cable length .

To get around this job , TVs usually have a “ Game Mode ” or “ PC Mode ” that cuts the image processing . That gives you a verbatim connection to the display , just like a monitor , but it also disables all of the extra goodies that make figure of speech pop on a TV .

There ’s no best choice here , as both a monitor and a TV have the capacity to give you low input lag potential . It chiefly get down to if you want to use the image processing outside of gaming , or if you ’re comfortable keep open a still icon for both game and other sensitive .

Refresh rate

One expanse where TVs and monitors differentiate intemperately is refresh charge per unit . If you ’re unfamiliar , refresh pace is how often your presentation refreshes within a second . The higher the refresh rate , the smoother the picture . For exemplar , a 60Hz refresh pace imply the display shows a new image 60 clip each 2nd . A display with a 240Hz refresh charge per unit like theLG UltraGear OLED 27does it 240 time .

Refresh rate isnotyour bod charge per unit in games . recollect of refresh charge per unit as something with capability . If you have a 60Hz display and your plot is playing at 120 skeletal frame per second ( fps ) , you ’ll only see half of the frame . With that same 60Hz display , if you play a biz at 30 Federal Protective Service , every frame will be repeat . Thereality of refresh rateis a little more complex , but this is a good way to think about it in play . A higher refresh pace gives you the capacitance to have a smooth experience , but it does n’t needs think you ’ll get a politic experience in games .

This is an significant gunpoint for television receiver and monitors , as the frame rate you could gestate in games largely check what refresh pace you should go after . allow ’s start with consoles . The latest Xbox Series X and PS5 have some game that support 120Hz modes , and there are TVs , such as theLG C2 OLEDandHisense U8 K , that can reconcile up to 120Hz . Unless you ’re bribe the latest and greatest , however , you ’ll mostly see tv set with a 60Hz refresh rate . That ’s not a job for most cabinet instrumentalist , as the huge legal age of console game ca n’t head for the hills above 60 fps .

You have to be heedful when frequent for TVs here . Many brands will show an “ effective ” refresh rate ground on their respectivemotion smoothing technology . Motion smoothing is bad for gaming , so you ’ll want to turn it off . In most case , the “ good ” refresh rate is half what the aboriginal refresh rate is , so if a company pronounce it can do 120Hz with its movement smoothing tech , the display is only in reality capable of 60Hz .

personal computer is a unlike wildcat , where you may drive your figure pace as high as your hardware will allow . Unsurprisingly , monitors have adjudicate to keep pace . You ’ll unremarkably find gambling displays with a 144Hz refresh rate , but monitor like theSamsung Odyssey Neo G8go up to 240Hz . Alienware even has a500Hz gambling monitoravailable . In nearly all case , the refresh charge per unit you see advertised is the genuine refresh charge per unit with monitors .

Going back to content , the choice between a TV and monitor amount down to what you need . If you use a console , a monitoring equipment or a telly will sour just o.k. , but you may want to prioritize a 120Hz refresh charge per unit . If you practice a PC , a TV will crest you at 120Hz at most , so a monitor is your skilful option if you want to play game at higher frame rate .

Another factor here is Variable Refresh Rate ( VRR ) . This syncs the refresh rate of your video display to the frame charge per unit of the secret plan to prevent screen lachrymation , and you ’ll obtain it in monitors in the sort ofNvidia G - Sync , AMD FreeSync , and VESA Adaptive Sync . Some New TVs have VRR , but most older TVs do n’t support the tech . By contrast , most monitor from the past ten funding some form of VRR , and VRR is supported on both current - gen console and PC .

Size and stand

Another big area where tv set and monitor are dissimilar is the sizing . TVs mostly start at 42 inches and go up to over 100 inches diagonally , while monitors hover between 24 inches and 32 inches . There are exception for both , but those are the general ranges you ’ll find . The biggest thing to deal here is your viewing distance . If you want to play on a couch , a larger telly will generally be better . If you dally at a desk , though , you ’ll want a smaller monitor .

There are some strange cases here , though . For illustration , the LG C2 OLED andAsus ROG Swift PG42UQare both 42 - column inch OLED panels ( the same panel , in fact ) , but the LG display is considered a TV while the Asus is a monitor . There are some things that severalize them , such as image processing , but the stand also throw a vast difference . Large form factors with monitors are broadly speaking designed for a desktop , while video are almost universally designed for a media rack .

out of doors of the screen size of it , admonisher also come in more exotic aspect ratio . presentation like theAlienware 34 QD - OLEDoffer an “ ultrawide ” 21:9 aspect proportion , while monitors like theSamsung Odyssey Neo G9push out to 32:9 . well-nigh all telly have a stock 16:9 aspect proportion .

Ports and connections

The difference between TVs and monitors when it amount to connection is less severe than it used to be , and that ’s mainly thanks toHDMI 2.1 . This standard is capable of 4 K at 120Hz , offering a high resolution and refresh rate to both TVs and monitors .

Monitors also include DisplayPort , which used to be the de facto connection for gamey resolution and refresh rate . DisplayPort 2.1 could reestablishthe connection over HDMI 2.1 in the future tense , but it ’s only uncommitted in a few showing right on now .

The bigger remainder is USB interface . Some monitors support USB - one C input , include king pitch , allowing you to colligate a laptop with a single cable . In gain , monitors generally have small USB hubs built in , appropriate you to connect a keyboard , mouse , or other peripheral to your monitor . TVs have USB embrasure as well , though they ’re mainly built for connecting storage devices like USB driveway .

Color customization

Finally , there ’s customization . set out with boob tube , you generally have a deep wealthiness of option to customize your image , along with several presets . Monitors have customization options as well , though they normally have far less of an impact on image quality equate to a idiot box .

If you ’re using a monitor with a PC , though , it ’s much easier to calibrate your monitor through computer software . Devices like the SpyderX leave you to make a color profile that you’re able to hold in Windows . It wo n’t work across comment root , but it will work if you ’re using your Windows PC .

you may technically do the same with a TV , though you may not have a dandy result . Due to the image processing on telecasting , you may need to fine-tune and tweak the profile several time before it see correct . Monitors offer a more straightforward calibration process .

Which should you choose?

The line have been blur between television and admonisher over the retiring yoke of years , which is a bite of a blessing in camouflage . It in the end intend you have more options to find the perfect video display for your needs .

The erstwhile wisdom of using a telly for a console and a monitor for a PC contain true today . The difference is that you have displays like the LG C2 OLED and Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ that offer a nice middle flat coat for gamers who have both a PC and a console table .

I ’ve covered some of the biggest deviation between TVs and admonisher for gaming here , but there are wads of other small contingent to keep in mind . Make certain to read through our monitor lizard and video roundups to teach about particular on the best displays :