What are FPS games, and why is 240Hz monitor a necessary spec?

FPS (First-Person Shooter) games are among the most popular gaming genres, offering fast-paced combat and high-stakes competition in titles like VALORANT, Apex Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Call of Duty. These games demand quick reflexes, precise aiming, and strategic thinking, where milliseconds can determine victory or defeat.

As of 2024, the global gaming community has grown to 3.32 billion active players, with FPS games leading the charge. For competitive play, having the right equipment, especially a high-performance monitor, is critical. While 144Hz refresh rates were once the standard for smooth gameplay, the advent of 240Hz monitors has set a new benchmark. The superior fluidity and clarity of a 240Hz monitor provide players with a competitive edge, ensuring they can react faster and more accurately in intense situations.

By embracing these advanced specifications, FPS gamers can fully immerse themselves in high-speed digital arenas, maximizing their performance and enjoyment.

FPS, or First-Person Shooter, is a gaming genre where players experience the action through the eyes of the character they control. This perspective immerses players in fast-paced combat scenarios, emphasizing precision, reflexes, and strategy.

In FPS games, the camera places you directly in the character’s viewpoint, creating a highly immersive experience that demands sharp reflexes and quick reactions. In contrast, TPS (Third-Person Shooter) games position the camera behind the character, offering a broader view of the surroundings and placing more emphasis on situational awareness and character movement.

Given the split-second reactions and visual clarity required in FPS games, ZOWIE’s commitment to designing monitors optimized for precision and performance has established us as a trusted name in the FPS gaming community. Our products are built to meet the exacting standards of competitive players, ensuring every movement and decision counts.

For PC gamers, some must-try FPS titles include VALORANT, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Apex Legends. These games not only test your reflexes and aiming skills but also offer diverse modes and strategic depth to keep players engaged for hours

When it comes to FPS games, hardware specifications go far beyond just having a powerful PC. While components like the CPU and GPU are essential, a high-performance monitor is often more critical for competitive play. The visual clarity and responsiveness provided by a 240Hz monitor can dramatically impact a player’s ability to react and aim accurately. 

The refresh rate of a monitor, measured in hertz (Hz), determines how often the display updates per second. A 240Hz monitor refreshes the image 240 times every second, creating an ultra-smooth visual experience that is especially beneficial in FPS games. This heightened clarity minimizes motion blur and allows players to track enemies and movement with greater accuracy. The difference becomes even more evident when compared to the more common 144Hz monitors. While 144Hz already provides a significant upgrade from the standard 60Hz, 240Hz offers an even greater advantage, making gameplay feel seamlessly fluid and giving players a more immersive and responsive experience.

Equally important are specialized accessories like a high-precision mouse and a surface-optimized mouse pad. Each piece of equipment plays a unique role in enhancing performance, precision, and comfort. ZOWIE’s mice are specifically designed with FPS players in mind, incorporating a sports science approach to ensure optimal weight distribution and responsiveness. Unlike mice designed for other genres like MOBA or RPG games, FPS mice are tailored to the unique grip and movement style of FPS players. This design ensures better control during fast-paced aiming and swift, precise movements that are critical in competitive FPS games.

Moreover, the size of the mouse pad is just as important. In FPS games, where the mouse movement can be large and fast, a larger mouse pad is required to provide ample space for rapid and wide-range motions. ZOWIE’s larger mouse pads are designed to accommodate the broad swipes typical in FPS gameplay, ensuring smooth, uninterrupted control. This allows players to make swift, large-scale movements without worrying about running out of space, maintaining accuracy even during high-speed action.

By combining the weight distribution design and precise functionality of ZOWIE's mice with the optimal surface area provided by their mouse pads, players are equipped with the tools they need to perform at their best in competitive FPS game environments.

FPS games emphasize precision and quick reactions. The visual fluidity provided by a 240Hz monitor is a critical specification for competitive gaming. Compared to lower refresh rates, a 240Hz display delivers smoother motion, reduces motion blur, and ensures players can respond quickly to fast-moving targets.

Refresh rate refers to the number of times a monitor updates the image per second, measured in hertz (Hz). In FPS games, a higher refresh rate ensures smoother visuals, making it easier to track fast-moving objects. A high refresh rate also reduces screen tearing and motion blur, providing a clearer image for precise aiming.

While 144Hz monitors provide a significant improvement over standard displays, 240Hz monitors take smoothness and responsiveness to the next level. In high-intensity FPS games such as VALORANT or CS:GO, the additional frames make enemy movements appear clearer and more fluid, allowing players to react faster and with greater accuracy.

Monitor size significantly impacts gameplay, particularly in fast-paced FPS games. A 24-inch display allows players to focus their attention with minimal eye movement but may feel too small for some. A 27-inch monitor provides a wider field of view but requires more head and eye movement, potentially slowing reaction times.

Infact, the optimal choice for FPS gamers is a 24.5-inch monitor. This size offers the perfect balance, providing enough screen space to track enemies while keeping focus sharp and avoiding unnecessary visual distractions.

Differences Between TN, VA, and IPS Panels

TN (Twisted Nematic): Offers the fastest response times and lowest input lag, making it the top choice for FPS games. However, it has limited color accuracy and relatively narrow viewing angles.

IPS (In-Plane Switching): Provides excellent color accuracy and wide viewing angles but much slower response times, making it less ideal for competitive FPS games.

VA (Vertical Alignment): Delivers high contrast but is prone to motion blur, making it unsuitable for fast-paced FPS gameplay.

Learn more about different panels.

While OLED panels offer incredible color accuracy and deep contrast, their susceptibility to burn-in and higher latency makes them less reliable for competitive FPS games. For serious FPS players, TN panels remain the preferred choice due to their speed and responsiveness.

At ZOWIE, we focus on equipping FPS players with tools that enhance their gameplay precision and reaction time. The XL2540K has proven itself to be an outstanding monitor, offering exceptional performance for competitive FPS games. However, for players aiming to take their skills in VALORANT and CS2 to the next level, ZOWIE has introduced a more advanced option: the XL2546X.

The XL2546X features our exclusive DyAc™2 technology, which offers industry-leading motion clarity by minimizing blur during rapid movements. This ensures smoother tracking of targets, helping players manage spray patterns and spot enemies during high-speed actions. With a finely-tuned Fast TN panel, it significantly reduces overshoot, allowing players to focus on the game without unnecessary visual distractions​.

In fast-paced FPS environments, visibility is everything. The XL2546X enhances Target Identification with tools like Black eQualizer and Color Vibrance, making it easier to detect enemies in shadowy or low-light areas. It also features quicker recovery from flashbang effects compared to standard IPS panels, giving players a crucial advantage in regaining vision and staying ahead​.

Feedback from professional players helped shape the ergonomic Esports Design of the XL2546X. It includes an industrial-grade height adjustment system for precise positioning and maximum comfort, ensuring players remain focused during extended sessions​.

For players who are new to competitive FPS games, the XL2540K delivers excellent performance with a native 240Hz refresh rate and user-friendly features. However, for those seeking every possible advantage in titles like VALORANT and CS2, the XL2546X provides next-level technology designed to meet the demands of elite competition.

In FPS games, reaction time is crucial, and the monitor’s refresh rate and low input lag directly impact the player’s experience. A high-refresh-rate monitor reduces motion blur and screen tearing, providing clearer visuals and smoother gameplay, which is often more impactful than simply upgrading the GPU.

The refresh time for each frame at 144Hz is approximately 6.94ms, compared to 4.16ms at 240Hz—a nearly 40% reduction. In FPS games like VALORANT or CS:GO, where split-second decisions can determine victory or defeat, this difference significantly impacts gameplay. A 240Hz monitor has become the standard for competitive play, helping players minimize latency and focus on skill improvement without being hindered by hardware limitations.

According to player surveys, over 90% of users reported improved performance and win rates after switching to ZOWIE’s 240Hz monitors. Features like DyAc+™/ DyAc™2 technology, customizable settings, and low input lag are specifically designed to enhance the FPS games experience.