New research into human vision proves high-res PC monitors right up to 16K are worth it and comes with a handy calculator to help you choose your next screen

Time to save up for a 16K PC monitor?

When it comes to PC monitors, I've been a high-DPI aficionado—OK, a high-DPI bore—since forever. So, forgive me for feeling just a touch of triumphant as I report on new research that entirely vindicates my personal peccadilloes when it comes to pixel density. It turns out really high-res PC monitors are worth it, after all. Huzzah!

Now, when it comes to pixel density, viewing distance and screen size are critical. Handily, researchers from Cambridge University and Meta Reality Labs (via Tomshardware) have come up with a display resolution calculator that factors all that in, plus new data on the actual acuity of the human eye, and shows whether you're wasting your time on that fancy new monitor or TV.

To work all this out, the researchers took a closer look at what the human eye is actually capable of. They found humans can discern more pixels than previously thought, but there are still limits.

"Our results demonstrate that the resolution limit is higher than what was previously believed, reaching 94 pixels per degree (ppd) for foveal achromatic vision, 89 ppd for red-green patterns, and 53 ppd for yellow-violet patterns," the paper published in Nature says.

Pixels per degree, of course, is an absolute measure of vision that isn't dependent on the size of and viewing distance of the screen. So, how does it apply to real-world screens and viewing distances?

Along with the calculator, into which you can plug the specs for your current or proposed screen, plus how far away you intend to sit, there's also a handy quick reference table showing the limitations of human vision at various screen sizes and viewing distances.

Let's say, for instance, you have a 50-inch TV and sit three metres away. Turns out, the limit of your vision at that distance and with that screen size is in the region of 1440p. Anything beyond that you won't be able to discern. So 4K would be overkill, 8K even more so.

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Source: PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com)