32" 16:9 monitor too big for Gaming?

Is a 32" 16:9 monitor too big for Gaming?

  • Yes- it is too large for gaming.

    Votes: 3 6.0%

  • No- it should be fine

    Votes: 41 82.0%

  • Other - I will explain below

    Votes: 6 12.0%
  • Total voters
    50
GotNoRice

GotNoRice

[H]F Junkie
Joined
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Messages
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What are your opinions when it comes to using a 32" 16:9 LCD for gaming? I've read a bit about the larger screen pushing more content into your peripheral vision and potentially having to move your head around more compared to something like a 27", resulting in less awareness, possible neck strain, etc. For those who have actually gone this route, how big of a deal is it in practice?

Overall I've used various 27" LCDs for over 12 years now and would love to finally get myself a bigger screen but so many people claim that 27" is the "sweet spot" that it makes me sort of nervous. The peripheral vision / head movement reason is usually the explanation given.

I'm not asking about resolution / ppi, because I'm coming from a 27" 1080p 120hz panel that I've used since ~2011 that I would like to finally retire. Even 1440p at 32" would still be an upgrade in terms of ppi compared to what I was using.
 
If you have room and it feels too big, you can move it a bit further back, but chances are you will get used to it quickly.

I had 30" 16:10 (taller than 32" 16:9, but less width)monitor for while, and while it felt massive, I quickly thought it was awesome for games.
 
it's fine, just save your eyes and don't sit so close. I have a 32 inch monitor and i'll never go back.
 
I love my 32" 1440p. Fit more on the screen while keeping a reasonable text size at native res. Gaming on it is much more immersive than the 22 or even 27 i had before it.
 
Distance is the key. I am using a 43" 16:10 plasma monitor for living room gaming. No regrets.
 
It's my belief that 16:9 is a shitty aspect ratio for computing. Height is just as desirable as width. You pretty much need to go to 32" at 16:9 to get a monitor that's taller than Peter Dinklage.

A 27" 16:9 monitor is the same height as a 22" 4:3 monitor. Doesn't seem so big anymore, does it?

http://www.displaywars.com/27-inch-16x9-vs-22-inch-4x3
 
I have 24, 27, 32 and 49 monitors in 2 different rigs.
32” as a size is great for gaming. Better than 27” imho. The biggest issue with 32” so far is the res/refresh rate. 4k 32” is 60hz and the panels are not optimized for the fastest response time. WQHD 32” is good for gaming if there is a high refresh rate available but feels a little low dpi for desktop use.
There are several new options coming out over the next few months including new high refresh 40”+ options but 27” is getting the most new panels due to popularity/ cost.
 
sethk said:
I have 24, 27, 32 and 49 monitors in 2 different rigs.
WQHD 32” is good for gaming if there is a high refresh rate available but feels a little low dpi for desktop use.
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I think it the perfect DPI for a Windows Desktop (same as my 1920x1200 24"). I think Windows was designed for that DPI. Much higher DPI and you start needing Windows broken Scaling.
 
Not big enough! I used a 49" for racing games at a distance of about 3 feet and I felt it was just slightly too big. 43" would probably be perfect for desktop gaming.
 
The question is: with what resolution. I feel 1080p and 1440p is too little for 32" and you start to see the pixels. At 32" I'd go to 4K but there are no high refresh rate options available yet.
 
kasakka said:
The question is: with what resolution. I feel 1080p and 1440p is too little for 32" and you start to see the pixels. At 32" I'd go to 4K but there are no high refresh rate options available yet.
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I was not really that concerned about DPI. I've been using a 27" 1080P 120hz panel since 2011 or so. It's fairly low DPI never really bugged me. Even 1440P at 32" is a DPI upgrade over what I was using. Though I do have my limits and certainly would not have gone 1080P at 32".
 
Using 55" LG C9 OLED. Sitting about 3 feet back. It's awesome. Can't wait for HDMI 2.1 cards to arrive so I can move to 4k@120Hz.
 
GotNoRice said:
I was not really that concerned about DPI. I've been using a 27" 1080P 120hz panel since 2011 or so. It's fairly low DPI never really bugged me. Even 1440P at 32" is a DPI upgrade over what I was using. Though I do have my limits and certainly would not have gone 1080P at 32".
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In that case get a 120hz+ 32” and you should be good.
 
tisb0b said:
In general people are idiots as some people's circumstances do not allow for bigger screens. If you have the space bigger is always better I went from 32" to 43" with zero regrets.
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40 " here , when you get old , no going back.
 
I'm actually going through this right now. I had a BenQ XL2720Z for several years that I dearly loved. Easily in the hall of fame of gaming monitors but I kinda wanted to go to a 32" screen and 1440. I took a chance on a HP 32Q Pavilion. From what I could find out, it is the same panel and everything as the HP Omen 32 with the only differences being cosmetic and the Omen's refresh rate of 75 Hz. They both have Freesync and the 32Q can be overclocked to 70 Hz with no problem and best of all, could be had for $300 at Best Buy (plus I had a $50 gift card) so I sprung for it and gave my beloved BenQ to my kid who lives and breathes Fortnite. I love the monitor and it's excellent image quality (always liked the looks of VA panels) and while Freesync works like a charm with my RTX 2070, I wasn't really happy with the gaming performance.

I sit with my monitor at arms length away and at this distance, for faster paced shooters I felt it was too close. Not only was I having to look around more as opposed to seeing things immediately in my peripheral but fast and crowded movement kinda got overwhelming for me and I was having a hard time keeping track of what was going on. I was actually about ready to trade in the panel and go back to a 27" high refresh rate "gaming monitor" but decided to spend a little time trying different distances because the PQ on this 32Q is really very good. I moved some things around on my desk and now my monitor sits arm's length plus about 9 inches away and so far that's working a little better but it's still not exactly right.

27" at arm's length I think was perfect for me. It was close enough that it filled most all my field of vision but it wasn't so big that I couldn't keep track of what was going on around me. Moving the 32" back further has helped in tracking but now I see my speakers, my case, my 2nd monitor, the wall behind it....it's kinda cut down on the immersion factor for me.

So yeah, I would say a 32" is fine for gaming BUT I am one of those that thinks a 27" is the sweet spot, at least for my eyes, in terms of screen real estate, immersion and the ability to quickly see and track everything that is going on.

Then there is the whole argument about being able to use 1080 on the 27" screen for faster frame rates of which I have to admit I'm really missing gaming at 144 Hz.....but that's for another thread.
 
kasakka said:
The question is: with what resolution. I feel 1080p and 1440p is too little for 32" and you start to see the pixels. At 32" I'd go to 4K but there are no high refresh rate options available yet.
Click to expand...

4k is just a little too much- I have that beside a 1440p, both 32". Neither sits in the sweet spot of say 24" 1080p, but at least the 1440p 32" is readable ;).

35" 4k is probably about right.
 
IdiotInCharge said:
4k is just a little too much- I have that beside a 1440p, both 32". Neither sits in the sweet spot of say 24" 1080p, but at least the 1440p 32" is readable ;).

35" 4k is probably about right.
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Umm... 24" 1080p is exactly the same pixel density as 32" 1440p. Also the same as 48" 4k.

As far as I'm concerned, 4k without scaling is totally impractical, regardless of display size.
 
It depends.

If you are about 3 feet away, 32 inches is probably the best size.

I run a LG 32uk550-B. It is a 4K VA panel that is pretty good. I sit about 3-5 feet away.
 
Cannot answer without more info. Is your nose almost touching the screen or is it 10 feet away? Can tell you that a 65 inch monitor is not too big for gaming if you have the room for it.
 
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