Gamers being duped by monitor makers into buying low-quality displays: Report

If you are a die-hard gamer and have invested in quality monitors for a more immersive gaming experience, prepare to have your eyes opened. A recent report has stated that some monitor manufacturers are trying to cut down on costs by producing downscaled 4K  panels instead of native 2560 x 1440 (QHD) panels.[caption id="attachment_4606631" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

Gamers play video games during the opening of the world's largest computer games fair Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. Reuters[/caption]Now at first glance, it would seem that buyers are just getting a free upgrade to 4K (UHD). However, since the entire resolution is downscaled to QHD the image quality becomes even worse than an image on a native QHD display.Gamers look for 1440p panels as they don't eat up as much processing power as needed for a 4K monitor, giving higher refresh rates needed for smooth gaming. What they might instead end up buying is a downscaled 4K monitor with a bad refresh rate and image quality that's worse than a typical QHD display.The German website Prad.de, who broke this news, has refused to cite any sources or reveal any model numbers of these 1440p displays.Looking at it from an economic perspective, it starts to make sense. "The costs of producing a 27-inch 4K 3840 x 2160 panel (are) often lower, or at least the same price as, creating a 27-inch 2560 x 1440 QHD panel.” said a report by Digital Trends.If you think your QHD monitor is faulty, a report Techspot says that "If you want to be certain, try to find where it specifies the model’s pixel size. On a 27-inch 1440p monitor, it should be around 0.23 mm, whereas with 4K panels it’s 0.16 mm.”