jawa asks... Is it okay to play a new gen console on a 1080p screen?

Is it okay to play a new gen console on a 1080p screen?

I've had my PS5 for two years now but I've hardly used it and the key reason is that I have trouble seeing text and user interfaces whilst sat on the sofa in my living room. I have a 43" screen (LCD, 4K, HDR10) and sit around seven feet away. It's fine for TV - and Switch! - but PS5 is pretty much a no-go.

So, I'm thinking about moving my PS5 into my small box room. I have a desk with my PS4 systems setup there and I don't have any probs.

The thing that has stopped me doing this before is that my box room screen is 1080p. Would my PS5 games look rubbish running on such a setup? Would it destroy the experience? Or... maybe it'd be fine?

Select a voting option that is closest to your thinking and please do add guidance/experience text in the comments!

Thank you, GRcade!

It'll be fine. 4K is a bit of a con for TV users. Does the monitor support HDR though?

It's fine, I'd say the thing you are missing out on most is HDR, well, if you don't have HDR. HDR > 4K.

Bluesky

4K or 1440p games look fine on a 1080p screen. The image is supersampled down and that gives a sort of anti-aliasing effect.

I still haven't gotten a 4K screen myself. Besides, I tend to pick performance modes in games which in some cases brings the res down to 1080p.

Pedz wrote:It's fine, I'd say the thing you are missing out on most is HDR, well, if you don't have HDR. HDR > 4K.

I agree, HDR is the bigger loss imo

Octoroc wrote:It'll be fine. 4K is a bit of a con for TV users. Does the monitor support HDR though?

Pedz wrote:It's fine, I'd say the thing you are missing out on most is HDR, well, if you don't have HDR. HDR > 4K.

My smaller screen doesn't have HDR (it's an old 24-inch Sony LCD TV) but my PS4 Pro output looks good enough on it. I'm glad to hear the PS5 output will look okay in 1080p... I think I'll move it there and set it up. Thanks, Octo and Pedz!

Kriken wrote:4K or 1440p games look fine on a 1080p screen. The image is supersampled down and that gives a sort of anti-aliasing effect.

I still haven't gotten a 4K screen myself. Besides, I tend to pick performance modes in games which in some cases brings the res down to 1080p.

Thank you, Krik! I'm super-pleased to hear folk saying that it'll look decent enough in 1080p mode. I think this is gonna be the kickstart for getting into PS5!

Tomous wrote:I agree, HDR is the bigger loss imo

Yeah, HDR can be really nice, Tom - I've noticed it in a few films and it looks great. I think it's probably a feature worth giving up in this case if it'll help me get into the new console more.

It's fine. To enjoy 4K TV you need to be no more than 1.5x the diagonal screen size. So in your case you need to be within 6ft. HDR brightness is also very reliant on actual distance from the screen.

It's all a complete con for most people when it comes to TV's.

No and shame upon you and your family for even suggesting it.

The majority of people, maybe even an overwhelming majority, will be playing games on a 1080p screen whichever platform they're using, it's fine.

In the latest Steam hardware survey results for instance, 60% of users play at 1080p, 15% 1440p, and less than 4% at 4K and above.

1440p is a nice sweet spot for the PC I think, but 1080p for consoles is absolutely fine. 1080 is fine for PC too it's just you tend to be closer which is when the higher resolutions pay off.

kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:It's fine. To enjoy 4K TV you need to be no more than 1.5x the diagonal screen size. So in your case you need to be within 6ft. HDR brightness is also very reliant on actual distance from the screen...

Yeah, I'm okay looking at standard TV stuff from my sofa but 4K games are often proving to be a problem, kaz. Ta for confirming that the PS5 will be okay at 1080p!

Victor Mildew wrote:No and shame upon you and your family for even suggesting it.

...

. I'm not gonna be a hardcore gamer any more, am I? :cry:

.

Oh! And the added bonus of this change in setup is that I could connect up my Wii or Wii U to the bigger living room screen again; they went off to the cupboard when I bough my PS5!

Yeah I recently bought a 27" 1080p PC monitor and I can see that it is pretty much at the PPI threshold when sat at normal computer desk distances. But I only have a Steam Deck and pushing out anything more than 1080p is asking a lot anyway. 720p certainly looks a bit low res.

Cuttooth wrote:The majority of people, maybe even an overwhelming majority, will be playing games on a 1080p screen whichever platform they're using, it's fine.

In the latest Steam hardware survey results for instance, 60% of users play at 1080p, 15% 1440p, and less than 4% at 4K and above.

Wow! Some interesting stats there, Cuttooth - I'd have assumed that far more people played at 4K than this figures indicate. I don't feel so unsure about making this change now.

aayl1 wrote:1440p is a nice sweet spot for the PC I think, but 1080p for consoles is absolutely fine. 1080 is fine for PC too it's just you tend to be closer which is when the higher resolutions pay off.

Yeah, I will be sat closer to the screen in the new setup (I'll be at a desk with the screen only around two feet from where I sit) but, again, good to hear that 1080p will be perfectly okay.

aayl1 wrote:1440p is a nice sweet spot for the PC I think, but 1080p for consoles is absolutely fine. 1080 is fine for PC too it's just you tend to be closer which is when the higher resolutions pay off.

PC users have also generally taken the choice of using available GPU power for the highest graphics settings and higher framerates at a lower resolution, rather than spend a stupid amount of money to get all that at 4K too.

>>> Breaking news! <<<

GRcade has said that this is fine and so I'm gonna move my PS5 into my box room and connect it up to the 1080p screen. Thank you, GRcadians!

The key challenge now is gonna be space at my desk. I think I'm gonna have to pack away my 360 for now!

Depends on the console, Series S is perfect on a 1080p TV. I tend to forget that's it's a big upgrade over the X1, Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite, Overwatch 2 and Dying Light 2 all run locked 60 and look fantastic on a 1080p. Starfield is a carbon copy of it's X brother, even the textures are the same (some games on S opt for lower resolution textures - Sea of Thieves for instance).

Also remember that in a lot of cases you have no reason for the "graphics" setting now as it'll put it at a higher resolution that what your monitor can even display.

jawa_ wrote:>>> Breaking news! <<<

GRcade has said that this is fine and so I'm gonna move my PS5 into my box room and connect it up to the 1080p screen. Thank you, GRcadians!

The key challenge now is gonna be space at my desk. I think I'm gonna have to pack away my 360 for now!

I just want to be in the public record that I most definitely did not say its OK.

Banish Jawa, the heretic.

jawa asks... Is it okay to play a new gen console on a 1080p screen?

Is it okay to play a new gen console on a 1080p screen?

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