PC gamers are rejecting 4K, as 1080p gaming monitors continue to dominate

While 4K screens now dominate the TV market, most PC gamers are still only running their games at 1,920 x 1,080, according to data from the June Steam Hardware Survey. Meanwhile, only a fraction of PC gamers are playing at 3,840 x 2,160, despite the wide availability of these high-resolution screens for well over a decade, as well as new AI features such as AMD FSR and Nvidia DLSS making it easier to achieve decent frame rates at high resolutions.

A look at the GPU data from the same Steam survey reveals the key reason, which is that most PC gamers are using sub-$300 Nvidia GPUs that, in some cases, are many years old, and simply can't play games above this resolution if you want to achieve a decent frame rate. It's not just cash-strapped gamers that opt for this resolution, though. As you can see on our guide to buying the best gaming monitor, some premium 4K displays, such as the LG Ultragear 32GS95UE, specifically give you the option to switch to a 1080p mode so you can access an extremely fast 480Hz refresh rate for fast-paced action.

Even today, new GPUs such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050, as well as the more expensive RTX 5060, only come with 8GB of VRAM and are only really good for playing the latest games at 1,920 x 1,080. The top eight graphics cards in the latest survey are all either 50 or 60-series RTX or GTX GPUs that, in some cases, such as the GTX 1650, are now three generations old. In fact, the number 12 GPU on the survey is still the GTX 1060, which is now nearly nine years old, and was only intended for 1080p gaming when it was released.

According to the data, the primary display resolution of 54.54% gamers who took part in the Steam Survey is 1080p. Meanwhile, just 4.49% (up just 0.01% since last month) have 3,840 x 2,160 as their primary display resolution. Interestingly, though, the number of 1080p gamers is falling, and the biggest area of growth is 2,560 x 1,440 rather than 4K, with the former resolution now accounting for 19.86% of gamers who took part in the latest survey, up 0.37% from the month before.

The PC might have a reputation for being the Formula 1 of the gaming world, but the high prices of new graphics cards, as well as much more demanding system requirements from the latest games, mean that, for all but a select few gamers with huge amounts of money to spend, 4K is a pipedream and 1080p remains the default.

If you're thinking of making the push to 2,560 x 1,440, but need a GPU that's up to the job, check out our guide to buying the best graphics card, which takes you through all our favorite options at a range of prices, as well as our full tutorial on how to install a GPU, which guides you through the whole upgrade process.

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