Does PC gaming work well on a large TV?

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Mr Happy

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Jul 19, 2013
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Hello

I use a 21.5" monitor for gaming on my PC.

It is a relatively low power PC, Im cobsidering whether to upgrade it or buy a ps4 (I cant afford both)

If I was to connect my PC to a 42-50" tv would it be playable or are there issues with the HUD being too small in games?

Thanks
 
If you just use Steam you can use big picture mode you can use a controller for alot of games so you could play at a distance. I suppose you could use a mouse and keyboard but would need a desk or something. I would upgrade your PC get a 550.00-600.00 instead of a PS4 which doesn't have alot of quality games right now.
 
Why would the HUD be smaller in a game? If anything it'd be bigger b/c the TV is bigger and likely running at the same resolution. Anyway, I have a PC hooked up to my 50" Vizio 4K and I loaded it up with all Full Controller Capability games and I think it works great. No complains at all. But I do use the wireless Xbox 360 controller for it.
 
zamardii12 said:
Why would the HUD be smaller in a game? If anything it'd be bigger b/c the TV is bigger and likely running at the same resolution. Anyway, I have a PC hooked up to my 50" Vizio 4K and I loaded it up with all Full Controller Capability games and I think it works great. No complains at all. But I do use the wireless Xbox 360 controller for it.
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I thought that PC games were designed to be played close to the screen ie at a desk with mouse and keyboard, therefore the HUD would be smaller
 
I've used a 42" for almost ten years now and I play csgo, Dota, etc. No way could I ever go back
 
Mr Happy said:
I thought that PC games were designed to be played close to the screen ie at a desk with mouse and keyboard, therefore the HUD would be smaller
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The HUD elements scale to the resolution, not the physical size of the screen. If you run a game at the same resolution on both a 21" monitor and a 50" TV the HUD will be larger on the TV.
 
If you are getting a 1080p I would advise to not go over 40"... even 40" is low PPI for gaming, but I use my 40" TV a lot for games and other than the low res compared to 1440p 27" its good. If I buy a bigger TV it will be 4k.
 
Mr Happy said:
Hello

I use a 21.5" monitor for gaming on my PC.

It is a relatively low power PC, Im cobsidering whether to upgrade it or buy a ps4 (I cant afford both)

If I was to connect my PC to a 42-50" tv would it be playable or are there issues with the HUD being too small in games?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I did tons of a research and here's the biggest deal breaker. Lag. Large format TVs have tons of display lag which is a result of added "visual enhancements". You want to find a TV with minimal lag or PC gaming just feels awful on it.

http://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-usage/video-gaming/best
 
I knew input lag was a problem, but not display lag. Input lag is often, IIRC, caused by "apps" on the TV.

I just got my HTPC running Steam with my wirelss Xbox 360 controllers, on a 60" Panasonic Plasma. It's awesome. My TV has minimal "apps" and is rated very good for input lag. I've not noticed display lag, though I've not tried playing any shooters on it yet. I've mostly been playing couch co-op games.
 
As long as you aren't playing competitive games and twitch shooters then playing on a TV is fine. You just have to take into account the lower response time. We play simple games on my HTPC like Five Nights at Freddy's and RPGs.
 
You can read about it on the Display thread, but a few of us on [H], including Kyle, purchased the Samsung JS9000 curved 4K TV. It is amazing. 4k, 444 Chroma, low input lag in PC/Game mode. I bought the 48" model for a little shy of 2 grand.
 
I'd like to share that I've been using a Panasonic Viera 47" LED TV for a few years now with an HDMI cable run through the wall into my living room for gaming. I have the Logitech (I think K40) keyboard with a touchpad that I use and XBOX 360 controllers to play. It works flawlessly. I don't think I've gamed at my desk with my 25" IPS monitor for some time now. I am running at 1080p and I turned off the stupid "motion 120hz" feature so I play with VSync at 60fps.
 
Yes.
Very well.

I sit in front of this 60 inch everyday. (Because I have a chair here, I just move it when I feel like sitting on the couch, that is behind the chair.)
This is a personal station, btw. Not family room type setup... well... I guess it is when using the couch when people come over... eh, nevermind.
 
Play on my Panasonic 65" VT50 almost exclusively. Never had a problem. The only issue you might run into is HZ related bugs. Some games like Castle of Ilusion or Metal Gear Rising don't work too well with TV style connections.
 
twonunpackmule said:
Some games like Castle of Ilusion...
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This will fix it.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\DirectDraw
Add a new DWORD with name 'ForceRefreshRate', set it to (Decimal) 60. Done.

This has the added effect of working for all DirectX games you run, so it may fix your other game too.
 
twonunpackmule said:
Play on my Panasonic 65" VT50 almost exclusively. Never had a problem. The only issue you might run into is HZ related bugs. Some games like Castle of Ilusion or Metal Gear Rising don't work too well with TV style connections.
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I have a professionally calibrated Panasonic VT30 55" plasma and personally would not want to play PC games on it (I have a dedicated 24" NEC monitor for my PC)...when playing PS4 games on it, I notice image retention with the HUD or other elements which stick to the screen...yes it's very faint and temporary but sometimes it stays on there for a long while...you really need to display an all white screen to notice the image retention but it's there
 
polonyc2 said:
I have a professionally calibrated Panasonic VT30 55" plasma and personally would not want to play PC games on it (I have a dedicated 24" NEC monitor for my PC)...when playing PS4 games on it, I notice image retention with the HUD or other elements which stick to the screen...yes it's very faint and temporary but sometimes it stays on there for a long while...you really need to display an all white screen to notice the image retention but it's there
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Pause TV for more than 30 seconds and it will retain the image.
 
The only problem I've had with my PC on a 50" TV is KB&M usage. I tried a Phantom lapboard and it was a piece of shit.

If I ever do a permanent PC build for my living room I'll pick up a wireless keyboard with a touchpad and will just game using a game pad.
 
I use a 42" LG 42LK450 as my primary monitor both for general usage as well as gaming, and it's awesome. Before that I used a 42" Westinghouse TX series set... basically I've been using a 42" TV of some kind for PC gaming since late 2007.

About the only things to be aware of are:

1. Input lag. Most TVs introduce huge lag (as much as 500ms or half a second) and many times even switching to a built in 'PC' or 'Gaming' mode doesn't get rid of it in a satisfactory manner. When scoping out a potential TV it's good to see if you can find some reviews or forum posts where someone has measured any excessive lag.

2. 4:4:4 chroma. Not a huge deal if you're only planning on using the TV for gaming, but if you plan to use it for desktop usage too you really want to find a set that supports 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. Otherwise text quality can suffer and certain colors of text can be smeared and aliased looking.

Stay away from 'Smart' sets if you can since all of that extra circuitry tends to inflate the input lag issues mentioned above.
 
Yes. My experience has consistently been that the larger screen is more enjoyable - even if the resolution is lower.
 
My eyesight isn't the best, so I actually prefer playing games on my monitor (27"), where I can sit up close.
 
I will seriously argue people to death about lag on large monitors. Just buy one that isn't a walmart brand and you should be fine. My old Hitachi has absolutely zero ghosting or lag playing csgo.
 
I use this Hisense 55" 120hz smart tv for $399 for all my couch gaming and I cant stop. I use 5670x1080 23"x3 setup and I regret waiting so long to buy a TV. Competitive stuff i still sit at my desk (CS:go, wow arena ect) but stuff like rocket league and more casual games like SWTOR, GW2, Witcher is so awesome. The input lag is noticeable on my TV but its not a problem. Its not a monitor, this was to be expected
edit: can the witcher be played with a controller?! :O
 
aeonrevolution said:
I will seriously argue people to death about lag on large monitors. Just buy one that isn't a walmart brand and you should be fine. My old Hitachi has absolutely zero ghosting or lag playing csgo.
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Even some Vizios, Sony and LG have huge amounts of lag. Upwards of 40-50ms alone. I recommend doing the research before getting a TV and being stuck with it for years like I did. My old Samsung was great when I bought it but when I tried using it for PC it was god awful. The damn thing had over 50-60ms of lag! Just got my new 4K Samsung JS series and I am down to 28ms, it's beautiful.
 
aeonrevolution said:
I will seriously argue people to death about lag on large monitors. Just buy one that isn't a walmart brand and you should be fine. My old Hitachi has absolutely zero ghosting or lag playing csgo.
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After playing on my G-sync monitor for 10 months and going back to The Master Chief Collection on my TV, the lag is most definitely noticeable. The difference in input response was enough for me to give up after 20 minutes. It was enough for me to consider getting another monitor with an HDMI input just so I can play my consoles on a snappy display.
 
Armenius said:
After playing on my G-sync monitor for 10 months and going back to The Master Chief Collection on my TV, the lag is most definitely noticeable. The difference in input response was enough for me to give up after 20 minutes. It was enough for me to consider getting another monitor with an HDMI input just so I can play my consoles on a snappy display.
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In your opinion, how good is g-sync?

Is it worth paying the high price tag to get a monitor with g sync?

If g sync is the next big thing its a pity no TVs have it/a pity they dont make g sync monitors over 40"
 
I recently received a 55" 3D TV, and I will say that gaming on it is quite good. The 3D is fun when I feel like messing around with it. Shadows don't render correctly but overall its fun.

Put the TV on gaming mode and tweaked the settings and the input lag is barely noticeable, the IQ is worse than when its on Cinema mode, but the input lag reduction is well worth that price.

I do miss sitting at my desk when I play POE and DOTA, but the more casual turn based games and one with controller integration are a blast.
 
Mr Happy said:
In your opinion, how good is g-sync?

Is it worth paying the high price tag to get a monitor with g sync?

If g sync is the next big thing its a pity no TVs have it/a pity they dont make g sync monitors over 40"
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I think the monitor I purchased, the PG278Q, was $200 US more expensive than what it was worth. But the monitor was really the first of its kind and I was willing to spend the premium as an early adopter. Most people who have experienced G-sync firsthand will tell you that variable refresh rate is the next big thing in gaming; a real game-changer. I'm of the same opinion. The smoothness and clarity of motion has really spoiled me to the point that I have a hard time going back to a fixed-refresh display regardless of the input lag.

The TV market isn't generally aimed toward the gaming crowd, so I don't think many manufacturers (if any) will readily adopt Adaptive-sync or G-sync into their displays. Right now, both or exclusive to DisplayPort anyway. G-sync over HDMI is being developed, while Adaptive-sync is part of the DP standard. Either way, the connected hardware needs to support the technology in addition to the display.
 
polonyc2 said:
I have a professionally calibrated Panasonic VT30 55" plasma and personally would not want to play PC games on it (I have a dedicated 24" NEC monitor for my PC)...when playing PS4 games on it, I notice image retention with the HUD or other elements which stick to the screen...yes it's very faint and temporary but sometimes it stays on there for a long while...you really need to display an all white screen to notice the image retention but it's there
Click to expand...

I'm not too scared about it. Seeing at most I play for an hour. As I age - I'm 30 now - I find my ability to game for long periods of time has diminished. I can't play all types of games on it. I won't play something like Pillars of Eternity or Civ 5. That's just asking for burn in. However, I played a lot of FPS and things for bursts.

I do see your point. If I played for longer stretches, I would probably be worried.

I'm more addicted to the gym now, than gaming.
 
I've played on a 60" Panasonic LCD TV and now a 60" Samsung DLP from my couch and have not noticed any lag (doesn't mean there isn't any, just that I don't notice it).
 
I used a 39" LG 5300 series to PC game on before I picked up a 34" 21:9 monitor. The tv is a 1080p and my biggest gripe about it was trying to read text. It was great for gaming and watching movies but try and serf the net on it. Rather sucked compared to a pc monitor. The text in the games was hard to read as well. That's the biggest drawback to TV PC gaming IMO. Now 4k TVs are much better but the higher resolution can make it hard to read text if you don't have good eyesight to see the small lettering.
 
naticus said:
Too much input lag for M&KB games. Ok for controller focused games.
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This comment is horrible. Input lag affects games that require fast reaction times negatively -- it's that simple. Super Meat Boy (controller) would be miserable with high lag while Civilization (M&K) is fine.
 
Mozex said:
This comment is horrible. Input lag affects games that require fast reaction times negatively -- it's that simple. Super Meat Boy (controller) would be miserable with high lag while Civilization (M&K) is fine.
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You can feel the input lag on a Tv just moving the mouse. Going from a normal IPS ~5ms+ monitor, let alone a 144hz 1-3ms monitor, feels like absolute shit. Even on some of the low response time Sony Tvs, which I have owned.

M&KB on a TV is shit, period.
 
naticus said:
You can feel the input lag on a Tv just moving the mouse. Going from a normal IPS ~5ms+ monitor, let alone a 144hz 1-3ms monitor, feels like absolute shit. Even on some of the low response time Sony Tvs, which I have owned.

M&KB on a TV is shit, period.
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I think you haven't experienced a good low lag TV. You can get TVs with less than 20ms which is pretty reasonable.
 
NickJames said:
I think you haven't experienced a good low lag TV. You can get TVs with less than 20ms which is pretty reasonable.
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My TV in the office room in my house has ~20ms input lag. Let me tell you that is still way too high. You can still feel the floaty input delay. When TVs get to half that and lower then we should be good to go. But 20ms still is too much. When using a controller it is fine, but using a mouse even oon the desktop is pretty bad tbh.

Tvs are getting there just not yet.
 
naticus said:
You can feel the input lag on a Tv just moving the mouse. Going from a normal IPS ~5ms+ monitor, let alone a 144hz 1-3ms monitor, feels like absolute shit. Even on some of the low response time Sony Tvs, which I have owned.

M&KB on a TV is shit, period.
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You'd experience the same delay using a mouse or a joystick on that display. You might as well say "Interactive displays are shit unless your input lag is less than 4ms".
 
Nothing wrong with gaming on a TV and many arguments against it are we.
If the TV has input lag it is not going to be any better on a PS4.
Depending on what you play most people won't notice it. How often do you hear people asking which TV is best to pair with a PS4 or XBOX?

Controls do matter. A mouse and keyboard is not always appropriate depending on how things are set up but TONS of games support a 360 controller and many are better with one. As for resolution and size it depends on how far away your screen is. I don't have an issue with hud size and in some games you can increase it. Chances are if it isn't too small on your little monitor it won't be too small on your TV.
 
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