IPS and VA gaming monitors are the most popular and accessible options, with a wide range of price points and features to choose from. OLED and mini LED gaming monitors are newer and more expensive, but offer superior image quality and performance. The best gaming monitor for you will depend on your budget and priorities. If you’re looking for a great value for money, an IPS or VA monitor is a good choice. If you’re willing to spend more for the best possible image quality and performance, an OLED or mini LED monitor is the way to go.
IPS is the more popular panel type for gaming, but VA has some key advantages. Both IPS and VA panels are affordable, so price is not a major factor when choosing between the two. However, it’s worth noting that IPS is more widely used than VA, as it is found in a wider range of display products.
Color Coverage and Accuracy – VA or IPS?
Both VA and IPS can have wide gamut volumes, especially if they have added technologies like Nano IPS or Quantum Dot tech. However, according to the tests we’ve seen, IPS is the better choice when vibrancy is a priority. The panel tech has reached near-full coverage of extended gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, but VA panels are not that behind.
Accuracy also belongs to IPS panels since most prosumer variants use the type exclusively. There are notable VA variants that can provide superb accuracy, but they lose out when it comes to consistency in some cases. Colors aren’t always uniform since gamma on the sides of the screen is usually watered down compared to the center.
The latter issue is directly related to VA monitors’ lower viewing angles than IPS. IPS monitors look almost identical when viewed at an offset or dead center. VA types, on the other hand, show some color and contrast shifts like TN panels, although they have also improved in this regard.
Contrast Ratio – VA or IPS?
The trophy for best contrast ratio obviously goes to VA panels which almost always have three times the level of what IPS can offer. This number dictates how dark blacks are on the screen, so the higher it is, the inkier and more convincing dark scenes will be. IPS panels will look grayish or washed out when an all-black image is shown.
IPS has the upper hand in color volume and consistency, but VA is the better pick when it comes to black and other dark scenes. VA monitors are usually rated to have a 3000:1 contrast ratio, as opposed to IPS which is limited to 1000:1. That advantage enables the panel type to represent black as real black instead of a washed-out rendition.
Although, some IPS monitors can improve contrast by using special implementations such as local dimming backlights and HDR modes. The former helps panels look deeper and darker when needed while boosting saturation and brightness at the same time. However, these add-ons usually make monitors more expensive.
Also, not all HDR modes are affective, and special backlights that do not go all the way can worsen things. HDR emulation isn’t truly effective by today’s standards, while low-end implementations such as edge-lit local dimming backlights can’t truly increase the contrast ratio. Most of the time, colors will appear wrong and massive clouding or uncontrolled light blooms will ruin the image.
Response Time – Is VA or IPS Faster?
There was a time when TN monitors were the top dogs in this regard since VA and IPS modules back then had massively slower pixel response. However, today’s Fast IPS has blurred the lines between that distinction. VA panels have also seen massive improvement in this regard, along with increasingly effective overdrive implementations.
However, blurring is less of an issue with IPS gaming monitors, according to our reviews and experience. VA gaming monitors are faster in this regard as well, but no overdrive can completely eliminate persistence and smudges. This is most notable in dark scenes with bright streaks like a gunshot in the dark, and even maxing out overdrive solutions could not eliminate it.
The only saving grace for VA panels is when they have a higher refresh rate. In this regard, a 240Hz VA gaming monitor will have the advantage over a 144Hz IPS monitor. The downside is that you will have to spend more to get comparable pixel response performance if you want a VA variant and its benefits.
Refresh Rate – Is VA or IPS at the Top?
As mentioned, a high refresh rate can solve blurring and ghosting, making games smoother and pleasing to the eyes. It also dictates pricing and availability, so your choice will affect how much you must spend and how long you might have to wait for a restock. Refresh rate also affects input lag since draw times will be faster the higher you go.
But to be direct, IPS technology has the advantage in this regard, based on what’s coming to the market. We recently got wind of a laptop IPS panel from BOE that can reach 600Hz. 480Hz monitors are on the way, but it’s safe to assume that newer gaming variants will breach that speed limit faster than anyone can expect.
VA panels are limited to 240Hz, and we haven’t seen any indication that a variant with a higher native refresh rate is on the way. It probably has something to do with the panel’s limited draw rate, which has stagnated in recent years. We might not see a VA panel that exceeds 240Hz soon, but you never know what OEM manufacturers are developing in their labs.
So, is VA or IPS Better for Gaming in 2024?
We’d have to say that IPS is clearly the better choice for gaming based on the results and reviews we published this year. Advancements were more significant with IPS in 2022 unless you count Samsung’s 240Hz 4K VA panel for its Neo G8 monitor. However, that doesn’t put a dent on IPS’s victory because it’s one of a kind, and we think the technology behind it is still maturing.
IPS is the clear choice if speed, color volume, and accuracy are a priority for your gaming needs. It’s also better for competitive gamers who want the highest refresh rate. However, we’d still recommend VA gaming monitors if you play immersive titles due to their truer blacks.
Paolo is a gaming veteran from the golden days of Doom and Warcraft. Since junior high, he has built gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes every citizen’s the right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He has also spent half a decade researching, reviewing, and writing about these products and now has over 1400 articles about the best gaming tech under his belt.
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