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I replaced my monitor with a TV and I’m never going back
If you think I’ve lost the plot because of the above statement, I completely understand. The notion of pairing a PC with a TV undoubtedly sounds incredibly impractical to most. Give me a chance, though, and I think I can turn you around on this argument.
First off, some context. I have a very specific work/play setup. I’ve been writing from home since the beginning of the pandemic, and as such, I’ve subsequently curated two very distinct PC setups in my apartment. One is strictly for my day job on MUO, which involves a monitor, and the other is for playing the best Steam games at frame rates the PS5 Pro could only dream about on a large OLED TV.
Connecting my PC to a TV has been a revelation
A big screen desktop experience is incredible
Up until a few months ago, my RTX 5090 PC was always hooked up to my 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED. Brilliant for productivity tasks, this 32:9 super ultrawide monitor is a pleasure to work on. Owing to its unique screen proportions though, it’s not always practical to game on. That’s because support for 32:9 aspect ratios in modern titles continues to disappoint in 2026.
It’s in large part because many of my favorite Steam games don’t adequately work with the unique dimensions of my monitor, which has made me fully appreciate the joys of hooking up a high-end PC to a television.
I first carried my desktop through to my living room a few months ago (almost shattering my spine in the process), and I’ve never looked back. Part of the reason I love using my mid-tower rig on a TV is because the screen in question is an all-time great.
I’ve been in love with OLED technology since 2015, and 2023’s LG G3 OLED TV is unquestionably the finest display I’ve ever owned.
OLED TVs are the pinnacle of display tech
The best black levels in the biz
The G3 is simply a stunning set. Thanks to its MLA (Micro Lens Array) panel, it’s substantially brighter than any OLED TV that came before it. Peak HDR brightness measured across a 10% white window comes in at around 1,400 nits. By contrast, the Samsung monitor my laptop is currently connected to maxes out at less than 500 nits.
My G3 is also huge. I paid a wince-inducing sum for the 77-inch model almost three years ago, and it’s astounded me ever since. My favorite memory? Playing all-time masterpiece Elden Ring with my PC connected to this magnificent display over the course of 120 brutal, yet utterly captivating hours.
LG continues to lead the way with its Game Optimizer mode for fans of Steam games. At around 12ms of input lag, the G3 feels super-responsive to play titles on. Sure, that figure has nothing on the sub-1ms numbers the best gaming monitors can produce, yet unless you’re into switch shooters like Call of Duty, you’re unlikely to notice the response time difference between modern TVs and monitors if you're playing with a controller.
TVs have accessories monitors don’t
My TV smart light setup leaves my monitor in the dust
Another reason I prefer using a TV with my PC over a monitor? That would be my Philips Hue Gradient Lightstrip and Philips Hue 8K sync box. This combination of smart lights projects the colors of whatever on-screen action is happening on my rig onto the wall behind my PC.
At its best, it’s an incredibly immersive effect; one that gives whatever content you’re viewing/playing an almost 3D effect. I also massively appreciate that the latest Philips sync box fully supports HDMI 2.1 connectivity, meaning I can enjoy PC games at 4K/120 FPS.
Philips’ smart light setup might sound gimmicky, but I really do urge you to give it a chance. The Dutch company’s sync box supports up to four devices at once, and whether eking out maximum enjoyment from Steam games or Amazon Prime Video movies on my Firestick, the light show these devices put on really is something else.
Gaming on a TV beats a monitor
The best monitors can’t compete with TVs for gaming
The main reason I like having my PC hooked up to my TV, though? It’s because I’m using my rig for the exact purpose I built it for: playing modern triple-A games at levels PS5 Pro or Xbox Series X can get nowhere near.
My OLED TV is brighter, more vivid, and has superior screen uniformity than any PC monitor currently on the market (even though Micro-LED could soon overthrow OLED). A cheap $20 Amazon laptop tray allows me to happily sink back in my reclining chair with my wireless keyboard and mouse in Steam Big Picture mode to provide me with a video game setup that’s (almost) as easily accessible as any of the current consoles.
In terms of comfort, gaming on a couch in front of a TV is always going to be more relaxing than sitting upright in an office chair with your face pressed up against a monitor. I’d wager it’s significantly less stressful on your eyes too.
Monitors definitely beat TVs when it comes to work
A desk environment is far better for productivity
As someone who has worked from home for the last half decade, I can’t deny I much prefer using a monitor to work on than a TV. While I have occasionally written articles on my television while sitting on the sofa, even with wireless peripherals, it’s an odd, somewhat off-putting experience.
That’s why I still use my Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED every day for work. My Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) is an incredible, high-end RTX 5080-powered laptop, no question. And you know what? I’ve barely played any games on it this year. Instead, I’ve turned Asus’ sleek machine into my main workstation.
The Zephyrus G14’s beefy AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU and 32GB of DDR5 RAM make it a productivity beast. Paired with my 32:9 Samsung display, I’ve stumbled upon an unusual but compelling workstation.
Multi-screen monitor setups are fabulous, I don’t deny that. Yet when it comes to juggling photo editing, writing, and online research, I wouldn’t trade my super ultrawide/laptop pairing for my desktop/TV combo.
Big screen PC gaming on a TV is a treat
So yeah, I did indeed replace my monitor with a TV … kind of. Using my desktop purely as a Steam machine (no, not that one) has made me realize just how much more I prefer gaming in my living room as opposed to my home office. With work, though, I’m always going to be more productive on a 32:9 monitor than a 16:9 TV.
I’ll admit my situation is incredibly specific, and for those of you with families, connecting your PC or laptop to your home’s main screen will obviously be a non-starter. If you have a non-conventional hardware situation like mine though, please consider hooking your rig up to a sizable TV, at least for gaming purposes.
