The proportion ratio is a crucial but frequently overlooked detail on a screen’s description paper. Nowadays, many individuals concentrate on the screen resolution, the frequency of updating, and even the time taken to respond, while the aspect ratio is often disregarded.
But for some people, the aspect ratio will be the main thing they focus on before considering the rest. In this article, we will concentrate on answering this question: what is the optimal aspect ratio for gaming?
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What Aspect Ratios Are There?
Displays have been coming with various aspect ratios over the years, although the selection is not very broad today – at least if we’re talking solely about gaming monitors.
Today, there are two main aspect ratios that we see in gaming monitors:
- The regular widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio
- The ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio
Of course, other aspect ratios exist, but they are not common when it comes to gaming monitors. For example, there are 4:3, 5:4, 16:10, 18:9, 32:9, and others. Yet, monitors tend to stick to the two above standards in the vast majority of cases.
Advantages of a Larger Aspect Ratio
As you can tell, a wider aspect ratio usually means that the monitor itself will be broader, while the height remains more or less constant. So, what advantages does a wider monitor offer?
Well, for one, there is the enlarged display surface, which can make multitasking a more enjoyable experience. However, when it comes to gaming, a larger aspect ratio offers a particular advantage: a broader field of view (FOV).
In most games, this means improved peripheral vision, constituting an advantage in multiplayer, although not all games support ultrawide monitors.
While some older games or console ports simply may not maintain a 21:9 aspect ratio, others (such as Overwatch) intentionally disable ultrawide support to prevent some players from having an unjust advantage over others.
Disadvantages of a Larger Aspect Ratio
Having a larger aspect ratio can’t possibly be a harmful thing in itself. When disregarding all other factors, there is no drawback to picking a 21:9 monitor over a 16:9 one. However, these two types of monitors differ in pricing and in terms of the features that they offer.
- The resolution, is the first and most obvious difference. A wider monitor will also come with a higher resolution. As such, the higher pixel count may be problematic for those with weaker GPUs, as it may lead to a noticeable performance drops.
- The refresh rate is another vital aspect of a gaming monitor, which is the maximum FPS that a monitor can display. Today, 60Hz, 144Hz, and 240Hz are the most common standards. Now, while there are ultrawide 21:9 monitors that support a 144Hz refresh rate, they start at a higher compared to their 16:9 counterparts. Plus, there are still no 240Hz 21:9 monitors.
- The price, which is the most crucial factor to consider for the budget-conscious. Today, ultrawide monitors are not that expensive, and you could easily get one for under 200$. However, a 16:9 monitor will offer better value and more features than a similarly priced 21:9 one, especially in the lower price ranges.
Conclusion – What Is The Best Aspect Ratio For Gaming?
Keeping all of the above in mind, we would recommend a 16:9 aspect ratio. For most gamers this is the ideal aspect ratio. Why?
The 16:9 proportion is currently the most common one, implying that it is also widely supported. Moreover, a 16:9 monitor will unavoidably offer better value and, potentially, features that aren’t obtainable in the more economical 21:9 monitors.
Of course, there are several more vital factors to consider when purchasing a monitor than the aspect ratio itself, such as the resolution, the panel type, the refresh rate, and even pixel response time.
At the end of the day, however, unless you’re a PC gaming enthusiast or you like having multiple windows open at once on your desktop, going with a 16:9 aspect ratio is the safest bet. And as mentioned above, not all games support 21:9 displays, so if you plan on getting one to get an edge in competitive multiplayer, make sure the game you’re playing can support it first.
