Updated at: 13-06-2022 - By: Leo Hall

The resolution, refresh rate, response time, and panel type are all important considerations for gamers when purchasing a gaming monitor. The optimal aspect ratio for gaming is often overlooked, yet it’s a vital consideration.

The aspect ratio of your gaming monitor is just as vital to your gaming experience as the rest of the factors that come into play when deciding on the type of monitor to buy. Let’s have a look at the aspect ratio to get a better understanding of this.

What Aspect Ratios Are There?

When it comes to gaming displays, the range isn’t as extensive as it was a few years ago — at least when it comes to aspect ratios.

Gaming monitors today come in two basic aspect ratios: 16:9 and 4:3.

  1. This is the standard widescreen 16:9 ratio.
  2. The 21:9 aspect ratio is an ultrawide format.

However, when it comes to gaming monitors, you won’t find many with these unusual aspect ratios. A few examples include 4:3, 5:4, 16:10, 18:9, and 32:9. There are countless others as well. Aside from the two above-mentioned requirements, monitors are generally consistent.

Advantages of a Larger Aspect Ratio

With a higher aspect ratio comes broader screens, although the monitor’s height remains relatively constant. So, what are the advantages of having a larger monitor?

With a larger display area to work with, multitasking becomes a more delightful experience for the user. However, when it comes to gaming, a higher aspect ratio provides a distinct advantage: a bigger field of vision (FOV).

Although not all games support ultrawide monitors, in most cases this means improved peripheral vision, giving you an advantage in multiplayer.

The 21:9 aspect ratio is supported by some older games and platform ports, while others, like Overwatch, purposely prohibit it to prevent some players from having an unfair advantage.

Disadvantages of a Larger Aspect Ratio

A higher aspect ratio can’t be a terrible thing in and of itself, can it? Choosing a 21:9 display over a 16:9 monitor has no disadvantages when all other factors are taken into consideration. As a matter of fact, these two monitors differ greatly in price and feature set.

The first and most evident difference is the difference in resolution. The higher the resolution, the larger the screen. As a result, users with lesser GPUs may see notable performance decreases as a result of the higher pixel count.

A gaming monitor’s refresh rate, or the maximum frames per second it can display, is also critical. As of now, the most often used standards are 60Hz, 144Hz, and 240Hz If you’re looking for a 21:9 ultrawide display that supports a 144Hz refresh rate, you’re going to have to pay more for it. Furthermore, there are still no 240Hz 21:9 monitors available.

The cost, which is the most important consideration for those on a tight budget. The price of ultrawide displays has dropped significantly in recent years, and one can now be purchased for less than $200. In the lower price ranges, however, a 16:9 monitor will provide better value and more features than a similarly cost 21:9 one.

If we go back to the original topic of which aspect ratio is ideal for gaming, we find that 16:9 screens are the most often used, even more so than 21:9 displays. As a result, more games have been built to fit monitors with the ratio in mind.

It’s more than simply that the aspect ratio is popular since it’s the best option for downscaling to different resolutions. In fact, this is one of the primary reasons why the 16:9 aspect ratio has become so popular.

One of the key advantages of the 21:9 aspect ratio is that it provides a larger field of view, allowing for a more immersive experience than with the other, much smaller, aspect ratio.. It’s better to acquire a high aspect ratio for a more immersive experience in gaming. If you’re using a curved display, you’ll be able to see more of the game environment around you, which will enhance your enjoyment.

There’s no reason why the 21:9 aspect ratio shouldn’t be your preferred choice if you play games on several monitors almost exclusively.

As a result of screen stretching when games of lesser resolution are forced to accommodate the 21:9 display, you may not get the greatest experience if you’re playing in full-screen mode for games that aren’t adopted by the 21:9 aspect ratio. However, keep in mind that there are still a number of games tailored for the resolution.

The refresh rate is also a factor to keep in mind. In spite of this, there are still some players that prefer the 240Hz refresh rate. 21:9 monitors may not be the best choice if you fall into this category because they do not yet feature 240Hz refresh rates.

As previously stated, 16:9 display monitors are the most common, but 21:9 displays are steadily making their way into the market and becoming more popular with gamers.

FAQS:

1. What is monitor resolution?

The amount of pixels on the screen, or visual dimension, is referred to as monitor resolution. When playing your favorite games, the more information you’ll see on the screen, the higher the resolution of your display should be.

2. So the higher the pixel density the better right?

Yes and no An image that is more detailed but also more taxing on your CPU, GPU and monitor can be achieved by using high pixel density. It’s possible that refresh rates will slow down and input lag will increase.

3. What is DPI/PPI?

Dots per inch (DPI) is a measurement of how many dots per inch are displayed on a screen. Pixels per inch (PPI) refers to the number of pixels on an inch. To determine how many pixels fit on an inch of screen real estate, this metric is used.

Conclusion:

When it comes to aspect ratios, there are many more than only 16:9 and 21:9, as indicated above. In spite of this, these two games continue to be the most popular on the market. While each has advantages and disadvantages, the 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the most often used, has the advantage in terms of gaming.

For the time being, the 21:9 aspect ratio is still in the shadows, but it is quickly gaining traction in the gaming industry. Prior to that, the issue of support still exists, as illustrated above, making the 16:9 aspect ratio the best for gaming.

There are many other factors to consider when purchasing a gaming monitor, and aspect ratio is not one of them. A good gaming monitor still relies heavily on factors like as refresh rate and resolution as well as response time.