Steam Survey Shows Most PC Gamers Still Play in 1080p and Lower

For a gamer, a big factor that affects one’s gameplay other than free steam codes is the computer’s screen resolution. A resolution describes the number of horizontal and vertical pixels present on a display screen. When more pixels are present, an image will appear sharper, more detailed, and more visually appealing.

The three most popular display resolutions to choose from nowadays are full HD (1080p), quad HD (1440p) and 4K or ultra HD (2160p).

Steam, a digital game distribution platform developed and launched by Valve Corporation last September 2003, shows a survey that most PC gamers still play in full HD (1080p) even with the introduction of newer and more advanced resolutions.

Full HD displays 1,920 pixels horizontally and 1,080 pixels vertically.

63.72% of the registered members of Steam play games with this resolution. Only 3.12% play at Quad HD (1440p) and 1.14% are playing at 4K or Ultra HD (2160p)

Why is that? Here’s a basic information that we need to know regarding three resolutions to further understand the survey:

Full HD (1080p)

Possibly the best reason for the high percentage of the full HD (1080p) is its affordability. It is the most cost-efficient resolution among the three, both when monitors and GPUs are concerned.

GPUs (graphics processing unit), regarded as the soul of a computer, manipulates computer graphics and image processing.

Even the most affordable GPUs, like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, can handle full HD (1080p). This is no wonder that in Steam’s survey, 12.50% uses this particular graphics card. Even though it is cheaper than other graphics cards, it can still give a good performance for a full HD (1080p) while playing most of the popular games nowadays.

Aside from the cost of a monitor and GPU, a gamer considers the kinds of games to play a factor in choosing the right resolution. The most popular competitive games nowadays like Dota 2, League of Legends, Fortnite, PUBG, and Rocket League don’t require higher resolutions to make the games better.

A gamer won’t be given any additional advantage if these games are played on a higher resolution. This is the other reason why gamers still prefer the full HD (1080p).

Quad HD (1440p)

The quad HD (1440p) lies between full HD (1080p) and 4K or ultra HD (2160p). It offers a better visual graphic design than the full HD (1080p), though it is not as impressive as 4K or ultra HD (2160p). The price range of quad HD (1440p) is also in between the two.

4K or Ultra HD (2160p)

The 4K or ultra HD (2160p) is the most expensive among the three resolutions. With its pixels four times as many as with full HD, it gives you exceptional clarity and image quality. However, this resolution requires powerful hardware and only a few high-end GPUs can handle this.

Conclusion

With everything considered in deciding which one is the best resolution, the choice still boils down to your personal preferences and capabilities as a gamer.

The 4K or ultra HD (2160p) is the way to go if you value stunning visuals over performance and don’t have any problem with the budget. Nevertheless, full HD (1080p) is still being favored by the majority, as depicted on the survey, due to its cost-efficiency and good performance.