Want to push the limits of play with your Xbox Series X (or older) Microsoft console? Compare reviews and specs side by side, and find out what you need to know to get the right Xbox-compatible display.
Maybe you just got your first Xbox, an Xbox Series X, sometime in the past year. Or maybe you’re still playing on one of the later Xbox One consoles. Either way, are you getting the most out of your console-gaming experience by playing your games on your TV? While accessories such as customized controllers or external storage are always useful (especially if you play giant-capacity titles like Call of Duty: Warzone), one of the best upgrades you can make to your console arsenal could be a different kind of display: a new gaming monitor. With the new Xbox Series X supporting all three major display resolutions that today’s ordinary-size gaming monitors do (1080p,1440p, and 4K), your options are plentiful. But make sure you know the benefits and drawbacks, as well as how to buy the best monitor that suits the types of games you like to play most. The Right Resolution: How Xbox Marks the Spot First up, there’s the issue of resolution. As we mentioned above, at the time of this writing (October 2021), the Xbox One (plus variants within the Xbox One family) and the Xbox Series X are the only consoles that support all three major monitor resolutions: 1,920 by 1,080 pixels (a.k.a.,1080p),2,560 by 1,440 pixels (1440p), and 3,840 x 2,160 pixels (4K). Here’s a quick breakdown… The Sony Playstation 5, meanwhile, only supports either 1080p or 4K, which leaves a swath of affordable, high-performance gaming monitors out in the cold: namely,1440p models. Indeed,1440p is seen as the native-resolution sweet spot by many competitive PC and console gamers. Considering that certain key titles (such as Fortnite) have been optimized to run at up to 120 frames per second (fps) on Xbox consoles at either 1440p or 1080p, players of titles like those may want to consider a 1440p option over a straight-up 4K display if getting a high frame rate is their biggest concern. Speaking of high fps, that ties into the next factor… Refresh Rate: Why Screen Speed Matters The Xbox supports different resolutions and refresh rates, depending on the model you own.
