Introduction
You don’t always see people online using to monitor set ups for gaming. If you do, it’s usually some overkill set up with tons of screens emerging to create one display.
But have you ever wondered if there’s an actual utility and using more than one monitor? After all it costs significantly more money to buy a second one if you don’t already have one lying around. And after all the work of calibrating the screen, you’ll be asking yourself is it worth it?
Before I bought my second gaming monitor, this was the exact same question I asked. I didn’t know if there was real utility in it or if it was just for people who had extra money. So I did some research.
After this article, you’ll understand why it might make sense for you to use two monitors.
So why do gamers use two monitors?
Gamers use more than one monitor to view in-game chat posts, expand their field of view on strategy based games, and manage their streaming applications and gameplay simultaneously. Some gamers prefer to buy a large 40 inch monitor and digitally split the screens using software.
There’s a ton more reasons why you want to get a dual monitor or triple monitor setup (reasons you’ve never considered until reading this article). The good news is, you don’t have to break the bank on a super expensive monitor, there’s plenty borderless screens for less than $100. At the end of this article, I’ll provide my contact info if you have any questions or comments.
6 Reasons to Get a Dual Monitor Setup for Gaming
- Managing chat windows: Games like Battlefield, Apex Legends, and Rainbow 6 require extensive communication with teammates. Often times, text covers too much of the screen and distracts your field of view. With a second screen, you can easily declutter your space without having to hide chat windows all together.
- Field of View: Some games you want to be able to see as much of the screen as you can to get a competitive advantage. Games like Rocket League make it beneficial to see the ball coming out of the corner and a dual display can help you expand your view.
- You already have another monitor laying around: You can pair any monitor with another monitor even if they’re not the same resolution. One display can be for gaming while one can be for looking something up.
- You work and game at the same time. Some jobs require managing a chat post screen, awaiting emails, or receiving updates from the Cloud. If you work a job that doesn’t require immediate attention all the time, you can game in the meantime. Check out this article on Why Gamers Use Gaming Monitors for Work for more.
- Streaming: One display can be to see the status of your in-game recordings, and to view live chat threads from your Twitch fans.
- Split screen gaming: You could easily calibrate your setup to play co-op games on independent screens on the same system. This is another great benefit of having another display laying around.
Important Note: You can use any two monitors in combination for gaming. Even if the resolutions are different, Windows 10 (and 11) will still allow you to merge them. The displays will look different, but you can still get them to work.
Is a Dual Monitor Setup Worth It?
While most people would greatly benefit from having a dual setup, there’s also some things you want to consider to double check you’re not doing it for the wrong reason.
Using bordered displays for increased field of view. Don’t get a dual monitor setup and then try to run a first person shooter on both at the same time. You’ll be staring at the black frame border that splits your displays like the picture below.
To fix this, you would need to get a 40 inch monitor and split the screens in-game.
Anything smaller than 40 inches wouldn’t feel like a dual display setup. But there’s plenty of quality 40 inch displays that aren’t super expensive for all gaming levels. Buying one big monitor like this (with curve) would be the same as two 27 inch borderless monitors.
Another important note: background tasks are what slow down your computer, not using more than one display. Even if you split your display with another monitor, don’t run two separate games at the same time. For an in-depth analysis of if dual monitors slow down your computer (and how they do specifically) check out another one of my articles here
I personally use my dual displays for work, but I’m saving up to get a 43 inch single display which allows me to still split my screens.
Free Gaming Ebook Guide
If you want more easy to understand tips about the ultimate gaming setup. Check out this Free Ebook I created to help cover everything you need to know! It contains zero fluff and will save you hours of research trying to find the same information I wish I knew when I was a beginner.
In short, gamers use dual monitors setups for a variety of reasons, and ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. I don’t play extremely competitive games that require me to have the edge over other players, but I do work on my gaming PC more than any other device and use it for all kinds of activities.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to respond. I’m currently taking article suggestions so feel free to send those over too. Until then, stay tuned for the next article!