Let’s cut right to the chase. You’re probably here because you’ve seen “120Hz” plastered all over new TVs and gaming monitors, and you’re asking a straightforward question: is 120Hz good for gaming? The short answer is a resounding, absolute yes. It’s not just good; for today’s console gamers on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, it’s arguably the most important feature you should be looking for. It represents a massive leap in how games look and, more importantly, how they feel.
For years, console gaming was stuck at 30 or 60 frames per second. It was just the standard we all accepted. I remember playing for hours on my old 60Hz TV, perfectly happy with the experience because I didn’t know any better. When I finally decided to upgrade my setup specifically for my new console, I was deeply skeptical. Was this just another marketing gimmick designed to sell more expensive electronics? However, after countless hours of gameplay, I can tell you with complete confidence that the jump to 120Hz is one of those game-changing upgrades that you simply can’t unsee. It’s the new sweet spot for a truly next-generation experience.
More in Refresh Rates Category
What Exactly Is a Refresh Rate and Why Does 120Hz Matter So Much?
Before we dive deeper, it’s crucial to understand what we’re talking about. The refresh rate of your screen, measured in Hertz (Hz), is simply how many times per second the display can draw a new image.
Think of it like a flipbook. A 60Hz display is a flipbook that can show you 60 unique pages every second. Consequently, a 120Hz display can show you 120 pages in that same second. This means the motion you see on screen is constructed from twice as much visual information.
Now, this works hand-in-hand with a game’s frame rate, measured in frames per second (FPS), which is how many images your console is creating. If your PS5 is running a game at 120 FPS, but your TV is only 60Hz, you’re essentially throwing away half of those frames. Your TV simply can’t keep up. To get the full benefit, your screen’s refresh rate needs to match or exceed your console’s frame rate.
So, How Does This Look in an Actual Game?
The difference is night and day, especially in fast-paced action. On a 60Hz screen, when you quickly whip your camera around in a shooter, the world blurs into an indistinct mess. On a 120Hz screen, that motion is dramatically cleaner and clearer. You can pick out details, track enemies, and react to your surroundings far more effectively.
Imagine you’re drifting around a tight corner in Forza Horizon 5. At 120Hz, the sense of speed feels smoother and more connected. You can better judge your braking points and acceleration because the visual feedback is more immediate and fluid. In a shooter like Call of Duty: Warzone, it means when you’re scanning the horizon, distant enemies remain distinct figures instead of pixelated blurs. This clarity is not just a cosmetic improvement; it directly translates to better performance.
120Hz on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
This is where the conversation gets really exciting. The previous generation of consoles, the PS4 and Xbox One, could barely maintain 60 FPS in most games. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, however, were built from the ground up with 120 FPS gaming as a central feature. This isn’t an afterthought; it’s a core part of their design philosophy.
Many of the most popular titles on these consoles now offer a “Performance Mode.” This setting often lowers the graphical resolution slightly in exchange for targeting that buttery-smooth 120 FPS. Developers are giving players the choice: do you want prettier graphics, or do you want a more responsive and fluid gameplay experience? For a growing number of gamers, the answer is easily the latter.
What Kind of Games Benefit the Most from 120Hz?
While nearly every game feels better at a higher refresh rate, some genres see a truly transformative improvement. These are the games where split-second reactions and visual clarity are paramount.
- First-Person Shooters (FPS): This is the number one category. Games like Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Halo Infinite become a different beast at 120Hz. Tracking fast-moving opponents is easier, your aim feels more precise, and the overall experience is significantly less jarring. It gives you a legitimate competitive edge.
- Racing Games: Titles like Gran Turismo 7 and the Forza series benefit immensely. The heightened sense of speed and the clarity you get while navigating high-speed turns make the entire experience more immersive and controlled.
- Fighting Games: In games like Street Fighter 6 or Mortal Kombat 1, where input precision is everything, 120Hz is a huge deal. The reduced input lag and smoother animations allow for more accurate timing on combos and defensive maneuvers.
- Action Games: Fast-paced action titles, such as Devil May Cry 5, feel incredibly fluid and responsive, making it easier to dodge attacks and execute complex combos.
Are There Games Where 120Hz Doesn’t Make a Big Difference?
Absolutely. Not every game needs to be played at 120 FPS to be enjoyed. For certain genres, developers rightly choose to prioritize stunning visual fidelity over raw performance.
Slower-paced games often fall into this category. Think of sprawling role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or cinematic narrative adventures like The Last of Us Part I. In these titles, you’re meant to soak in the atmosphere, admire the detailed environments, and appreciate the graphical artistry. They typically offer a “Quality Mode” that targets 30 or 60 FPS at a full 4K resolution with all the bells and whistles like ray tracing enabled. While 120Hz would still feel a bit smoother, the trade-off in visual quality isn’t worth it for these types of experiences.
My Personal Journey: Was Upgrading to a 120Hz TV Worth the Money?
I have to be honest. For the longest time, I thought 120Hz was just marketing fluff. I was playing on a perfectly decent 4K 60Hz TV, and I was doing fine. I’d read the forums and see people raving about high refresh rates, but I figured it was a placebo effect or something only hyper-competitive PC players could appreciate.
The skepticism was real when I finally bit the bullet and bought a 120Hz television with HDMI 2.1. I spent a good hour setting it up, half-expecting to be disappointed. Then I booted up Call of Duty—a game I’d played for thousands of hours on my old set.
The difference was immediate and startling. Just moving around in the menus felt snappier. In-game, the simple act of turning my character felt fundamentally different. It was so incredibly smooth. The first time I got into a close-quarters firefight, I knew I could never go back. I could track the enemy player’s movements without them dissolving into a blurry mess. It felt less like I was fighting the game and more like I was in complete control. That night, my performance was noticeably better, not because I magically became a better player, but because the information I was receiving from the screen was clearer and faster.
What Do You Actually Need to Get 120Hz Gaming on Your Console?
Getting this setup running isn’t overly complicated, but you do need to make sure you have the right gear. It’s a chain where every link matters.
- A Compatible Console: You’ll need a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X|S.
- A 120Hz Display: This is the most crucial piece. Your TV or monitor must have a native 120Hz refresh rate panel. Be careful, as some cheaper TVs use motion interpolation to simulate 120Hz, which is not the same and actually adds input lag.
- An HDMI 2.1 Connection: For 120Hz at higher resolutions (like 4K), you need the bandwidth provided by an HDMI 2.1 port on your TV and an HDMI 2.1 certified cable.
Why is HDMI 2.1 So Important for Modern Console Gaming?
HDMI 2.1 is the new standard that unlocked the full potential of the latest consoles. Its main advantage is a massive increase in bandwidth, which is the amount of data that can be sent through the cable. This extra bandwidth is what allows for a 4K resolution signal to be sent at 120 frames per second.
Beyond that, HDMI 2.1 brings other fantastic gaming-centric features:
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR): This allows the TV to sync its refresh rate with the console’s frame rate in real-time. This eliminates screen tearing and stuttering when the frame rate dips slightly, resulting in a consistently smooth image.
- Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM): This feature automatically detects when you’re playing a game and switches the TV to its “Game Mode,” ensuring the lowest possible input lag without you having to touch the remote.
How Can You Check if Your TV Supports 120Hz?
The best way is to look up your TV model’s specifications online. Websites like RTINGS.com do incredibly detailed technical breakdowns. When you’re in the store, look at the port labels on the back of the TV. A compatible port will often be labeled with “4K@120Hz.” Finally, once you’re connected, both the PS5 and Xbox have a video output information screen in their settings that will confirm the resolution and refresh rate you are currently running.
The Great Debate: 120Hz vs. 4K Resolution?
This brings us to the core choice you’ll face in most modern games: Performance or Quality? For me, and for almost every gamer I know who plays fast-paced titles, the choice is a no-brainer. Frame rate wins over pixels every single time.
A higher frame rate provides a tangible gameplay advantage. The smoothness, the clarity in motion, and the reduction in input lag directly impact your ability to perform. A higher resolution, on the other hand, is a purely aesthetic benefit. Sure, the game looks a bit sharper and more detailed, but that doesn’t help you land a headshot or nail a perfect lap time. The responsiveness you gain from 120Hz is a practical advantage that you can actually feel.
But What About the Visual Downgrade? Is It Noticeable?
This is a fair question. When you select a 120 FPS performance mode, the game will almost always lower the rendering resolution. It might drop from a native 4K to a dynamic 1440p or even 1080p.
However, modern game engines use incredibly sophisticated upscaling techniques to reconstruct the image back to 4K for your TV. From a normal viewing distance on your couch, the drop in pure sharpness is often far less noticeable than you might think. The dramatic increase in fluidity and motion clarity, conversely, is impossible to miss. After a few minutes, your eyes adjust to the resolution, but you never stop appreciating the smoothness.
Can Your Brain Even Tell the Difference Between 60Hz and 120Hz?
Skeptics often claim that the human eye can’t perceive the difference above 60 FPS. I can tell you from personal experience that this is demonstrably false. The easiest way to prove it is to play at 120Hz for a week and then force yourself to go back to 60Hz. The experience will suddenly feel choppy, sluggish, and almost unplayable. Your brain quickly becomes accustomed to the higher level of smoothness.
I’m no neuroscientist, but I got curious and spent some time digging around for a more scientific explanation. While sifting through some rather dense technical documents on visual perception from Carnegie Mellon University’s Computer Science department, it became incredibly clear that the human visual system is far more sensitive to changes in motion and smoothness than most people realize. The brain doesn’t see in “frames,” but it is exceptionally good at detecting judder and inconsistencies in motion. A 120Hz refresh rate provides a stream of information that is much closer to the smooth motion we perceive in real life.
The Unseen Benefits of 120Hz
Yes, there’s another hidden benefit: reduced input lag. Input lag is the tiny delay between you pressing a button on your controller and the corresponding action happening on screen. A higher refresh rate inherently lowers this delay.
Imagine your screen is a canvas that gets wiped and redrawn. A 60Hz screen redraws the canvas every 16.67 milliseconds. A 120Hz screen does it every 8.33 milliseconds. This means there are more frequent opportunities for the screen to display the result of your input. That 8ms difference might not sound like much, but in the world of competitive gaming, it can absolutely be the difference between winning and losing an encounter.
In conclusion, the upgrade to 120Hz is far more than just a number on a spec sheet. It’s a fundamental improvement to the way games feel and play on modern consoles. It delivers a level of smoothness and responsiveness that was once exclusive to high-end PC gaming. For anyone serious about playing fast-paced games on a PS5 or Xbox Series X, it’s not just a feature to consider—it’s an essential part of the true next-gen experience. It’s an upgrade you’ll appreciate every single time you pick up the controller.
Frequently Asked Questions – Is 120Hz Good for Gaming
Why is HDMI 2.1 vital for 120Hz gaming on modern consoles?
HDMI 2.1 provides the necessary bandwidth to transmit high-resolution signals at 120 frames per second, enabling 4K gaming at high refresh rates. It also supports gaming-specific features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which enhance gaming smoothness and reduce input lag.
What equipment do I need to enjoy 120Hz gaming on my console?
To achieve 120Hz gaming, you need a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S console, a display with a native 120Hz refresh rate, and an HDMI 2.1 certified cable. Ensuring your TV or monitor supports these specifications is essential to fully utilize 120Hz gameplay.
Are all games better at 120Hz, or are there exceptions?
While most fast-paced games benefit significantly from 120Hz due to smoother motion and responsiveness, slower or story-driven games with emphasis on visual fidelity might not see much benefit from higher refresh rates. In these cases, developers may prioritize visual quality over frame rate, making 120Hz less critical.
How does 120Hz improve the gaming experience in fast-paced games?
In fast-paced games like shooters or racing titles, 120Hz makes motion appear smoother and clearer, allowing players to track moving targets or navigate high-speed environments more accurately. This increased smoothness helps in reacting faster and improves overall gameplay performance.
What is a refresh rate and why is 120Hz important for gaming?
The refresh rate, measured in Hertz (Hz), indicates how many times per second the display updates its image. A 120Hz screen refreshes 120 times a second, providing smoother motion compared to lower refresh rates. This is especially important for gaming because it ensures the display can keep up with the game’s frame rate, resulting in clearer, more fluid visuals and better reaction times.
