4K is a waste of time and money, and is a completely unnecessary investment to make. Here's why.
A little fun fact about myself: this isn't my first job in the video game's industry. Oh no, oh no, I also worked in retail... and what a laugh that was! In many ways, retail can be an absolute joy, selling games and consoles to mum's who want nothing more than to give their kids just the best Christmas or birthday present they possibly can. It can also be fun as an exercise in debating. There are a lot of gamers out there who know a lot less about video games, and the consoles they are buying, than you would otherwise think. The most painful part of the job (other than dealing with bureaucratic nonsense from the management team, of course), though, was trying to explain to people the following statement:
"No, you don't need a $10,000 4K TV. It's just not necessary, it's very expensive, and you won't get much out of it."
Let's Start With a Few Purchasing Tips & Tricks
Look, here's the deal: 4K is great, but it is not the be-all or end-all of choosing a great television or a great monitor. In fact, it is rather the opposite – one of the less important things to consider when buying your gaming screen. I am going to keep this bad-boy relatively short, but before I get into the details, I first want to get a few things off my chest. The first is that, for goodness’ sake, refresh rate is key. You need a good refresh rate or that high frame-rate that your PC or console is outputting ends up being, well, pointless.
The second thing is... for the love of god... don't spend ten thousand f**king dollars on a screen. It is completely unnecessary, and your money is better off going elsewhere. It is literally pointless. You can get fantastic screens from around the $3000 mark, and they will do you for a number of years. You want those good blacks, you want that high refresh rate, you want a decent resolution, but you don't need to spend $10,000 on it. You will regret it, you will have an empty bank balance, and you could have spent that money on far more worthwhile things like overseas travel and spending quality time with your loved ones.
The third and final thing, is that you need to ask for a discount when you buy an item like this. Haggle, people, haggle. Purchase price is often a whole lot lower than the retail price, and sometimes you can end up with a television that's being sold at a whopping $4000... and only pay $3500 for it. Don't be a d**k to the staff at the store, of course, but make sure that you remember to haggle. You won't regret it, it's fun, and it could get you a pretty sweet deal. The other benefit, of course, is that a good-quality haggle will give you a s**tload of bragging rights with your mates. It's a win-win, honestly.
Before we get on with the article, though, check out this video on why 4K Gaming is kind of pointless. This dude is on-point!
Now Let's Discuss Why 4K Gaming is Pointless
Here's the deal: you probably don't sit insanely close to your screen. I mean, perhaps if you're PC gaming, but if you are playing on an Xbox Series X|S that's connected to a massive 90" TV? Yeah, you're not going to want to sit too close to that, but what you will want to do, is pay a little attention to my next point... even if you are sitting close to a screen, with anti-aliasing turned on and playing a video game wherein the image moves rapidly, it's kind of unnecessary to have a 4K screen.
The point of things like anti-aliasing is to assist you with functions like text-based editing, reading, and more. It is extremely useful, and does make a big difference in gaming as well, though. Anti-aliasing and higher resolutions do make the game's image look much smoother and better. It is a nicer and crisper-looking image, and often features better colors and contrast. What makes the real difference here, though, is the aforementioned refresh rate. This is what is truly important when you buy a screen for gaming.
Sure, having that crystal clear image from a 4K screen – especially with anti-aliasing – is great. What's more great, though? An affordable high-quality screen that looks really fantastic, and is within our price-range. The extra pixels that you get from a fully 4K monitor are certainly a benefit, but are not worth a reduction in refresh rate, as you will perform better and will enjoy the gameplay more on a gaming monitor or television with a higher Hz refresh rate. That goes for whether or not your PC itself is outputting at a high frame rate.
So you're best spending a bit less money, and focusing more on things like getting an OLED, for example, or a QLED, or a high-Hz monitor, or whatever floats your boat. Ultimately, it's not necessarily about the technology itself. We could talk all day about the benefits of different resolutions and monitors, but ultimately, it is about getting the optimal experience for you. A 4K screen will make for some really jaw-dropping graphics, but in a lot of cases won't run as well as a lower resolution, higher refresh rate, cheaper screen. Think before you buy, don't just get sucked in by the big "4K" symbol, talk to the salesperson, know what you want, and make informed purchasing decisions. Don't just follow the 4K mob like a lamb to the slaughter.
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