Buzz
Let's dive into the world of screen resolution in this article.
Whether you're a novice gamer or a seasoned one, one of the first things you'll encounter when exploring a game's settings is its resolution.
However, it's tricky to pinpoint what resolution really means, as there are different gaming resolutions, and determining the best one for you can be challenging.
Whether you've never heard of gaming resolution before or you're looking to upgrade, let's delve into the details in the following article.
What is screen resolution?
In simple terms, screen resolution refers to the number of pixels on a screen, expressed as width x height.
The higher the resolution, the more pixels you have to display an image, thus increasing the detail and clarity of what you're viewing.
Common gaming resolutions include: 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p), 2560 x 1440 (1440p), 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD/2160p), 7680 x 4320 (8K FUHD/4320p).
Although higher resolutions mean better images, gaming at the highest resolution will only be an enjoyable experience if you have the hardware to support it. One of the main reasons why 4K hasn't become the minimum gaming standard is due to the demanding requirements needed to run it.
Three main areas affect the resolution you play at: your platform, your screen, and the game you're playing.
Platform
If you're gaming on a console, the options to change resolution settings are non-existent.
On next-gen consoles, 'performance' and 'resolution/fidelity' modes become popular, corresponding to frame rate and graphics, but that's about it. You can't really adjust the resolution beyond that or tweak your own DRS settings; you just have to hope developers do a good job optimizing their games.
This brings us to PC gaming. Adjusting your resolution or any in-game settings on PC is much more flexible than on console. You'll be able to select your resolution and fine-tune your own DRS options, allowing you to find the best setup to complement your hardware.
Screen
Your screen will have a default resolution, and while you can run games at a lower resolution, you can't add more pixels to the screen to increase the resolution. Keep this in mind when purchasing your next gaming monitor (i.e., consider getting a 1440p or 4K monitor if you can).
Another important factor to consider is the pixel density on the screen, measured in pixels per inch. Pixel density is the number of pixels that a screen displays in a certain space; one influencing factor is the size of your screen.
4K will provide a home-like feel on larger screens due to their abundance of pixels, while sticking to 1080p for smaller screens, or else you'll easily notice stretched and less detailed images. 1440p holds up best on medium-sized screens.
In addition to resolution, also consider the refresh rate of the screen.
The game you're playing
The game you're playing may have a significant impact on the resolution you need. Once again, if you're a console gamer, there really are no options other than to say you can still enjoy beautiful games at resolutions below 4K. However, if you're a PC gamer, this is an important aspect.
Increasing the resolution can be quite taxing on your system. The level of performance you might lose can vary between games for several reasons, such as optimization, texture quality, and especially Ray Tracing.
Therefore, you should spend time in the in-game settings to see which combination yields the best results for you.
Resolution is just one part of your gaming experience
Despite all the different resolutions and methods you can tweak your screen resolution, it's just one part of your gaming experience. Besides resolution, there's a whole world of factors contributing to your gaming experience, from hardware to gaming accessories.
An important factor, alongside resolution, is performance, deemed to be more crucial in creating an immersive gaming experience.
(Refer to QTM)
