As gamers, we often have to make a choice for a monitor panel. These days three-panel types dominate the market namely TN, VA, IPS. Are IPS monitors good for gaming? This is the question we are going to answer in this article. 

In case you are in a hurry, here is the answer.

If you can get an IPS monitor with higher refresh rates and low response time, they are good for gaming due to great colors, image quality, and wider viewing angles. While TN panels are relatively cheaper and better for competitive gaming but have poor image quality and narrow viewing angles. 

If you are on a budget, here is a list of the best IPS monitors under 200.

Let’s dive into details. 

What makes a good gaming monitor?

As a pro gamer who spends the whole day in front of the screens playing games, I consider four factors absolutely essential. 

1- Refresh Rates

Let’s admit we hate screen tearing while playing games. And do you know what causes screen tearing? It is the low refresh rates of your monitor. Therefore, we need monitors with higher refresh rates. And TN nails it with high refresh rates of up to 240Hz. But today you can also get IPS monitors with 240Hz but a bit expensive.

2- Response time

Have you ever faced lag in your monitor where your monitor does not respond quickly to input? This is the peril of high response times. For a smooth gaming experience, you need monitors with low response times. Here again, TN panels are the fastest with 0.5ms. But IPS have also evolved to provide a 1ms response time which gives a perfect gaming experience. 

3- Viewing Angles

Viewing angles are extremely important for consistent visual quality. IPS monitors have (178/178) viewing angles. This means whether you look at it from the front or top or side, you get a perfect image from all sides. But TN panels are the worst in this department with viewing angles of 110 only. When you look at the screen sideways, you get image colors changing. 

4- Colors and Image Quality

If you want your colors to pop up and have immersive image quality, IPS panels are the thing to get. They have better color production and image quality than the other two. 

Why TN Panels (Twisted Nematic)?

TN panels are the oldest panel technology of the three. TN can be LCD as well as LED. But in both cases, it has certain advantages and disadvantages. TN panels are loved by gamers due to insanely high refresh rates of up to 240 Hz and the lowest response time of up to 0.5m. Moreover, they are relatively much cheaper than other panel types. 

On the flip side, TN panels have narrow viewing angles of around 110 degrees. Narrow angles mean if you look at the screen from the front you will get good color and image quality. But when you look from the sides or from the top or from an angle, you will see totally different colors and poor image quality. Furthermore, TN panels don’t have good sRGB support. As a result, the colors are not good and realistic. 

Why IPS Panel (In-plane switching)?

IPS panels are the latest panel technology that eliminates major issues of the previous technologies such as TN and VA panels. Today, they provide everything a gamer needs from a monitor. You can get as high refresh rates as 240Hz and as low a response time as 1ms. 

In addition, they have the widest viewing angles, thus giving amazing color and image consistency from all sides and angles. Moreover, IPS panels have better sRGB coverage. As a result, they have vivid colors that pop up. 

But IPS monitors are costlier than TN and VA panels. 

Final Words

If you are willing to invest more money, IPS monitors are really good monitors for gaming. They give you everything from lag and tearing-free smooth gaming experience to great colors and consistent image quality. While if you are low on budget and yet want an excellent gaming experience, TN panels are the only option.