Gaming Updates: 53% of PC gamers are stuck at 1080p (even when 1440p monitors cost $150)

Source:

https://www.howtogeek.com/2026-will-be-the-year-of-1080p-gaming/

ChatGPT:

In a February 2026 article for How-To Geek, Ismar Hrnjicevic highlights a surprising trend: despite years of hype around higher resolutions, 1080p remains the dominant PC gaming standard. According to the Steam Hardware Survey, 52.6% of PC gamers still use 1080p, compared to 21.3% on 1440p and under 5% on 4K. More than a decade after becoming mainstream, Full HD continues to hold its ground.

This persistence is striking because 1440p monitors are now highly affordable. High-refresh-rate models frequently sell for under $200, with some discounted to around $150. Even premium displays, including mini-LED and OLED options, have dropped significantly in price. On the surface, monitor cost should no longer be a barrier to upgrading.

The real bottleneck is graphics cards. Modern AAA games at 1440p typically require GPUs with 12GB to 16GB of VRAM to avoid performance issues like texture pop-in and low frame-rate dips. However, GPU prices have surged due to ongoing memory shortages, and both major manufacturers are rumored to focus heavily on 8GB cards in 2026. That amount of VRAM is increasingly insufficient for demanding games, even at 1080p in some cases.

While upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR offer partial workarounds, they don’t fully solve VRAM limitations and can compromise image quality. As a result, many gamers stick with 1080p, which remains easier to run, delivers high frame rates on modest hardware, and still looks good on typical 24-inch monitors.

Unless GPU pricing and VRAM capacity improve, 1080p’s dominance may continue longer than expected.

Comments:

Interesting information.