Why 144Hz 1080p Monitors Work Great with Xbox Series X and PS5

You already have a nice 4K 60Hz HDR monitor for your PC. Sure, it’s got enough inputs to accommodate the PC, Xbox Series X, and PS5. However, we know many upcoming games are going to target 4K 60Hz as their upper limit. That’s good for your current monitor. But many titles will also have a performance mode going for 120Hz in 1080p. The difference between 60Hz and 120Hz is palpable if you enjoy fast response and smooth gameplay. Something like the EX2510 will make for an excellent high speed 1080p monitor with its 144Hz framerate and 1ms MPRT.

This way, you can simply switch HDMI ports and have a choice between a dedicated 4K 60HZ and a FHD 120Hz display. With even launch titles for the PS5 running at “only” 1440p 60Hz, you can surmise that 4K 120Hz won’t be that common on the new consoles.

Also, if you’re a big fan of first person shooters, then a 120Hz 1080p mode will serve your reflex-based competitive needs better than a 4K 60Hz mode. After all, for multiplayer graphics are less essential than for single player campaigns, and the first big shooters of the generation are expected to offer such a choice.

Plus, 25” and 27” monitors don’t take up a lot of space, which leads us to the next point. 

Many of us live in small quarters and have pretty compact desktop work spaces. A massive 43” or even a large 32” 4K monitor may both be out of your budget range and also not the most doable within your current living arrangement. But you still saved enough to get a Series X or a PS5. There’s nothing wrong with gaming in 1080p on those two for the time being. While sizeable, the consoles aren’t as imposing as a larger monitor, and fit nicely next to a reasonably-scaled 1080p monitor. Something to consider.

And consider well, because while aimed at 4K, the Series X and PS5 don’t treat 1080p like some forgotten resolution, but as a mainstay. 

The Series X and PS5, much like their Xbox One X and PS4 Pro predecessors, know how to super sample or effectively “downscale” from 4K to full HD 1080p. That means you’re actually viewing 4K quality textures and effects that render in “denser” 1080p. The result is noticeably better image quality compared to native, non-super sampled full HD. Those 4K textures compressed to 1080p retain their data complexity even if it’s not fully shown on the screen. You will notice better texture filtering, less jaggies, less asset pop, and so on. Simply put, super sampled 1080p is improved 1080p.

The EX2510 and EX2710 offer great quality IPS panels with superb colors and viewing angles, plus HDR. You’re not compromising on image fidelity, only on pixel count. How much that’s worth is up to you to decide. 

Much-touted additions brought by the Series X and PS5 like hardware raytracing work just as well on a 1080p display as they do on a 4K monitor. Improved lighting, post processing, and screen effects will all scale to match the resolution you choose in console settings. The Series X and PS5 have 1080p as one of their primary resolution choices, which tells you it’s fully supported and not shortchanged in terms of appearance. The only difference is really pixel count.

The Series X and PS5 both support AMD FreeSync to prevent screen tearing and ensure a consistent framerate. Naturally, the EX2510 and EX2710 have FreeSync so you’re all good there. 

Here we’re speculating based on industry knowledge and current trends. But similar to NVIDIA’s DLSS or deep learning super sampling, Series X and PS5 may support DirectML, or Direct Machine Learning. In essence, this is AI-controlled super sampling that turns a 1080p game engine render into 4K or even 8K image output. The result looks identical, and sometimes better than, native 4K or 8K. In any game that’ll run at 1080p internally but output 4K, you’ll simply get the original full HD render either untouched or super sampled on your EX2510, for example.

For this point, we’ll need to study games as they release. However, you probably already realize that there’s still a case to be made for high performance, high quality 1080p monitors as Xbox Series X and PS5 enter the proverbial ring.