As a gamer, your setup is a collection of your most prized possessions. Your TV, sound system and even your seating arrangement are all essential to the way you engage with the medium. Playing games on other people’s displays and in other people’s houses can be a bit of an alienating experience for this very reason.
Sometimes, though, circumstances will take you away from home, and you won’t have access to your equipment. When this happens, you should be calling on portable gaming monitors. Portable displays are an excellent way to take your favourite games with you wherever you go. Why forego your premier pastime just because you’re travelling?
Just like a lot of the technology world, the sheer range and variety of portable monitors on offer can be a little daunting. Don’t worry, though, because we’ve collected all of the displays you should consider buying right here. Don’t waste your time with the also-rans. Check out our list of the best portable gaming monitors you can buy right now.
GAEMS M155 Performance Monitor [amazon_link asins=’B00P45U628′ template=’PriceLink’ store=’gamerbolt-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’4db4e750-a5f2-11e8-9fe7-01b17b23ac6f’]
If you’re looking to spend the big bucks on a portable monitor, you might think twice when you see this beauty. The M155 is an absolute monster for the price. Its 15.5-inch display is crisp, sharp and clear, and although it doesn’t reach 1080p (it’s a 1366×768 resolution), you probably (probably) won’t notice the drop in quality too much given the size of the screen. There’s no noticeable latency, either, so you’ll be able to play your favourite online games with no trouble.
The GAEMS M155 has a single HDMI port, meaning you can use pretty much anything with it, including consoles, gaming PCs and even laptops or other media players if you want to watch movies on it. It’s powered by USB, and comes with a zippered carrying sleeve for safety. The thoughtful folks at GAEMS have even included an HDMI cable so you won’t have to supply your own. The speaker isn’t too powerful on the M155, though, so you might want to use the headphone port to amp up the sound a bit.
All in all, the M155 is an excellent choice for the money. You can’t go wrong with the specs on offer here, and although many gamers might prefer a slightly sharper image, the M155 will more than suffice for most.
WIMAXIT 13.3-inch IPS Portable USB Monitor [amazon_link asins=’B07FD68CQJ’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’gamerbolt-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’561f4a5b-a5f2-11e8-828b-e35ee2969ed6′]
Those who prefer a Full HD display should start here. WIMAXIT might not be a household name like some of the bigger brands, but that doesn’t mean they can’t knock it out of the park just like their more established competitors. With this monitor, they’ve done just that. The display is full HD, which looks pin-sharp on the 13.3-inch screen and complements more modern consoles like the PS4 perfectly.
The screen boasts a 400-nit brightness level, which should be more than adequate for dimly-lit hotel rooms and bright bedrooms alike. The 800:1 contrast ratio means colours pop off the screen, and although this monitor probably won’t trouble dedicated home displays, the screen size and portability mean that this isn’t something you’ll need to worry about.
The WIMAXIT monitor also has dual stereo speakers built into it, so you’re getting a much more full sound from the default speaker setup. If you don’t like it, or if you have a pair of beloved speakers you carry with you, then you can utilise the 3.5mm headphone port to plug something a bit more beefy in. This monitor is excellent value and excellent quality to boot.
GeChic On-Lap 1503A Portable Gaming Monitor [amazon_link asins=’B01M9CXOTV’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’gamerbolt-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’67e29013-a5f2-11e8-b0b6-1337abfbadba’]
Some gamers might prefer utility and portability over pure image quality. If that’s you, the GeChic 1503A is absolutely designed for you. The screen isn’t incredible compared to some similarly-priced offerings – it’s just a 720p display – but it’s adequate, and surprisingly good-looking considering the low pixel count.
Where the 1503A shines, though, is in its convenience. Although it’s quite a sizeable unit (its display is 15.6 inches), it’s incredibly slim and light, with a width of just 11mm. This makes the 1503A perfect for laptop bags, backpacks or suitcases, so it’ll travel with you effortlessly. Although the screen is quite large, the bezels surrounding it are pretty minimal, so there’s not much between you and your game.
There are a few other quality-of-life quirks, like a reversible USB-C power connector and several colour settings. The 1503A, though, is definitely a “convenience over pure quality” monitor. It’ll still kick out a very respectable picture, but considering how slim and light it is, it’s a miraculous little device.
G-STORY 11.6-inch PS4 Slim Gaming Monitor [amazon_link asins=’B073ZJ1K8G’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’gamerbolt-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’73878531-a5f2-11e8-8d92-c33e4f1ce982′]
Strictly for the PS4 owners, this monitor comes complete with a mount that matches the shape of the PS4 Slim. This does mean it won’t work with the PS4 Pro or standard old-school PS4, but models are also available for those two consoles, so take this review as a recommendation for all of them.
The screen might be small on the G-STORY monitor, but it still manages to kick out a very, very respectable 1080p image with nearly 180-degree viewing angles, so it looks great from every side. There’s a dual speaker setup, too, so you can enjoy your game’s music and ambient sound the way the developers intended.
The G-STORY monitor doesn’t quite rival more sizeable competitors, but its picture is excellent for the size, and the price is absolutely right. What’s more, if you’re a PS4 aficionado, you’ll love the complementary visual style of this monitor. Perfect for PlayStation professionals.
We hope this guide has helped you to decide which gaming monitor you want to plump for. All of these are excellent choices, and they’ll all supercharge your portable gaming experience for a pretty reasonable price.
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