What is the Best Size for 4K Gaming?

With the growing popularity of the new generation of consoles, 4K gaming has finally become a commonplace living room reality. And gamers everywhere are wondering what the best screen size is for their PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. Usually, people wonder what the best TV size would be, and whether TV size affects the quality of gaming. We’re here to help with that.

1. How to Determine the Ideal Screen Size?

2. What is the Cost Per Inch?

3. Does Screen Size Affect Input Lag and Gaming Performance?

How to Determine the Ideal Screen Size?

Room size and viewing distance make all the difference when you’re trying to figure out the best screen size for your situation. While for something like a 65”-75” TV the best distance for viewing is around six feet, if you prefer a larger, more cinematic screen, then of course seating location needs to change. For an 80” to 100” screen (whether TV or projector), you should be seated 12 to 15 feet away from the display.

It’s important to remember that the higher the resolution, the more essential the viewing distance. If you sit too far, 4K becomes indistinguishable from 1080p, and thus you waste the power of your PS5 or Xbox Series X. Sitting very close to the screen may cause not just eye strain, but will make the graphics too detailed, making you aware of individual pixels, and that’s not good.

As a whole, the higher the resolution, the bigger your screen should be. If you want to be seated comfortably away from your screen, then a larger display is recommended, otherwise the benefits of higher resolutions may be wasted. Naturally, the bigger your display, the more spacious the room where it’s located needs to be. This is something only you can determine, we can only recommend the best viewing distances, as it’s something we test for at BenQ labs all the time.

Cost Per Inch

Sure, TVs in the 80” to 100” range do exist, but they’re not so easy to find, are super expensive, heavy, and difficult to setup, especially on your own. Conversely, 4K projectors provide displays larger than 100” with ease and are far more compact. But most importantly, they’re much more affordable inch-to-inch. For large screen entertainment, projectors cannot be beat. If you want a 100” display, you should opt for a good 4K gaming projector. You’ll pay a lot less than for a 100” TV (assuming you can find one), and get a far more flexible device with fewer encumbrances. When calculating cost per inch, projectors very handily beat larger TVs.

Does Screen Size Affect Input Lag and Gaming Performance?

With projectors no, with TVs generally yes.

We’re not saying TVs are bad, not at all. But the larger the display, the more distance signals need to cover across the panel, and sheer physics mean latency and lag thus increase. Advances in TV CPUs mean that now there’s very little difference between a 55” TV and a 75” TV, but it’s still there.

That’s a disadvantage of internal displays, while projectors are external. To the projector’s processing components, it matters little if you have an 80” image or a 120” one. Total latency will be the same.

Screen size with TVs means the space a 4K screen’s 8.3 million pixels/transistors cover, so of course if that space is bigger, data takes longer to reach every pixel. That’s not an issue for projectors, as the processing is done in the projector, and the projected image is simply light, and not directly generated on transistors or pixels.

Another aspect of this to consider is resolution, which affects TVs and projectors in a similar fashion. The higher the resolution, the lower the framerate due to processing burden in the gaming console (or PC). Combined with screen size and other factors, higher resolutions result in high total input lag or latency.

Modern, high quality 4K gaming projectors give you 4K 60Hz, which is more than fine for PS5 and Xbox Series X, at just over 16ms of total input lag. That’s very competitive with the quickest TVs, and faster than most.

A Logical Conclusion

To get the most of out of your PS5 or Xbox Series X you may want to consider a gaming projector that’ll give you a nice 80” to 100” screen for a much more affordable price than a similarly-sized TV. And that’s assuming you can find a TV in that size range, as they’re quite rare given supply issues.

Contemporary gaming projectors deliver 4K with little input lag, while providing you with the big and vibrant HDR-enhanced image quality you expect. They also showcase the latest games on a big display that does 4K viewing justice, and offer more flexibility in terms of seating distance and location. Something to think about!

How to Choose the Best Screen Size for 4K Gaming?

How to Determine the Ideal Screen Size?

Cost Per Inch

Does Screen Size Affect Input Lag and Gaming Performance?

A Logical Conclusion

Recommended Articles

What Makes a Projector Great for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S

Strictly necessary cookies

Functional cookies

Performance cookies and advertising cookies

How to Choose the Best Screen Size for 4K Gaming?

How to Determine the Ideal Screen Size?

Cost Per Inch

Does Screen Size Affect Input Lag and Gaming Performance?

A Logical Conclusion

Recommended Articles

What Makes a Projector Great for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S