In the world of competitive gaming and esports, 1080p gaming monitors have long been the go-to for professionals and wannabe-pros alike. Full HD 24″ displays have been accepted as the industry standard for many competitive games, but an increasing amount of people are starting to upgrade.

We recently spoke with BenQ to catch up with what it has been up to, as well as check in on how the gaming monitor industry is moving forward. The spokesperson we interviewed says that the “1080p sweet spot” is still incredibly relevant for the tactical FPS crowd (think Valorant or Counter-Strike), but admits that there is a “trend line towards higher resolution” for other genres. This comes following the prediction that 8K won’t be widespread for up to 10 years from now.

1440p is slowly taking over, but 1080p isn’t going anywhere, says BenQ

The migration to higher resolutions can be observed in the monthly Steam Hardware & Software Survey. In February’s results, QHD monitor usage saw a rise of 9.92%, with every other resolution dropping – 1080p dropped by 3.39%. While we’re yet to see how the March results are shaping up, we expect to see this trend continue, and full HD could drop below the 50% mark.

Perhaps the biggest benefit for full HD is that it is less demanding on your system. Considering the fact most PC gamers aren’t upgrading to the latest and greatest hardware, 1080p will remain relevant for some time to come. BenQ notes that is especially the case for competitive games, referencing tactical FPS as the main target for its Zowie gaming monitors. When asked where 1080p stands at this moment in time, here’s the response we got from BenQ:

“I think it’s title and use-case specific. If you’re talking Counter-Strike or Valorant, 1080p sweet spot certainly currently is still the preference and sort of default mode of the vast majority of pro and high skill players. What we’ve observed in the market is that, certainly on the battle royale front, it seems like there’s definitely a trend line towards higher resolution.”

BenQ spokesperson

BenQ has taken note of the growing need for higher resolutions, even within the FPS genre, especially as entry-level hardware catches up with the display technology. For example, Intel’s Arc B580 is a $250 (MSRP) graphics card that offers solid 1440p performance. When we tested the card in Counter-Strike 2, it offered an average of 124 FPS at 1440p and even managed over 60 FPS in 4K on the very high preset.

However, with all that said, the brand doesn’t think 1080p is going away – certainly as long as it continues to support esports; tactical FPS in particular. The highest refresh rate monitors out there target the esports crowd, with BenQ’s Zowie XLXL2586X+ offering 600Hz at full HD.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.