43” (and larger) 120Hz+ monitors for beatmania IIDX Infinitas (written in 2020)
Table of contents
Update on February 27, 2023
Warning
This page was originally written in 2020 and here for archive purposes only.
As of 2023, there are plenty of choices for flat 43” monitors that support 120Hz. Some arcades are even using 43” OLED TVs for old IIDX cabinets with good results. The recommendation moving forward should be that you should do your own research, using sites like rtings.com. Most monitors listed on this page have been discontinued.
Notes
Last updated December 2021.
This is a list of monitors that meet the following criteria:
- Native 120Hz+ panel and supports 120Hz input at 1080p or more.
- 40” diagonal or larger
- 16:9 aspect ratio
- flat, not curved
Features that do not affect IIDX or BMS simulators will not be explicitly called out; such as FreeSync, G-Sync, HDR, and so on.
Panels that support higher than 120Hz (e.g., 144Hz, 165Hz monitors) almost always support 120Hz, but in limited resolutions. You should consult the technical manual from the manufacturer’s site to see the full list of supported resolution and refresh rate. Infinitas runs at 720p @ 120Hz. You can always fall back to GPU-side resolution scaling if the panel does not natively support 720p.
It is recommended that you do NOT use the speakers on these monitors and TVs for playing IIDX or BMS. Same thing for plugging in headphones into the monitor / TV * not recommended. There are various reasons * audio over HDMI / DisplayPort may add significant latency, the DAC on the monitors may be picky about audio sample rate, TVs may have additional processing that may increase the latency, and so on. You should always try to have a separate low-latency audio source.
For details on the official / semi-official monitors, see Arcade cab monitors page (e.g., for Lightning Model TLK-4300 monitor).
Acer
Acer Predator CG7 (CG437K Pbmiiippuzx)
43”, VA panel, 4K, 144HZ, $1500. Tom’s hardware review
Asus
Asus ROG Strix XG438Q
43”, VA panel, 4K, 120Hz. Around $1000. TFTCentral review
Asus ROG Swift PG43UQ
43”, VA panel, 4K, 144Hz. MSRP $1500 but typically sells for around $1100. Tom’s hardware review.
Asus ROG Strix XG43UQ
43”, VA panel, 4K, 144Hz, HDMI 2.1. $1300, released in late 2021. Tom’s hardware review
Gigabyte
Gigabyte Aorus FV43U
43”, VA panel, 4K, HDMI 2.1. Available for around $1050. Tom’s hardware review.
Gigabyte Aorus FO48U
48” OLED, 120Hz, HDMI 2.1. rtings review
TVs
There are also a handful of TVs that are small enough (less than 55”) and support native 120Hz input; e.g.,
- Sony X85J
- Sony X90J
- LG NANO85
- LG 48CX (OLED)
- REGZA 43Z730X
… and so on. This is a rapidly growing segment especially in 2021 and onwards. Note that:
- you should look for reviews on rtings.com. Make sure the size of TV you are buying actually uses a 120Hz panel
- it is common for TV manufacturers to use 120Hz panels for larger sizes but only 60Hz for smaller sizes of the same model (Samsung is the worst offender in this regard)
It’s also worth noting that most TVs use a glossy screen, while most monitors use a matte screen. While glossy screens look nicer, glare from other light sources can be distracting when playing IIDX.
Mounting
Ideally, the monitor is not mounted on the same furniture as your controller, due to shaking and distance.
You might want to consider:
- Just putting them on top of cheap but stable garage shelving (~$100 at hardware stores)
- Monitor arms ($200-$300 for good ones that will support extra large monitors)
- TV cart (perhaps a rotating one like this if you also play games like Sound Voltex) - $100-$200
- Wall mount
Remember to check the size and weight limit, and also VESA size & compatibility.