Gaming Monitors Better with Remote Controls (2021 Update)

You may associate remote controls with TVs but your gaming monitor could definitely use one. If you’re treating yourself to a display with superb color, excellent response, optimized resolution, and ideal viewing angles then why not also remember to get a monitor with a remote control? For example, BenQ's EX3415R and EX2780Q include a remote, and so we think of it as a complete package for the discerning gamer.

Remotes give you convenience and direct access to monitor settings so you don’t need to pause and start messing around with clunky buttons for the on screen display (OSD). You may not even have to take both hands off the keyboard or controller with a remote, which can’t be said for monitor-mounted buttons. Don’t think of it as laziness just because you’re close to your gaming monitor as opposed to a living room TV. It has nothing to do with that, but rather plain and simple common sense: remotes were invented for good reasons like convenience and efficiency. You want to spend time gaming, not reaching under your monitor for the menu button.

Whether PC or console or both, something seemingly as simple as remote control signals that a monitor offers attention to detail and represents a product that has all the proverbial bells and whistles. For better gaming, a remote certainly ranks as a must-have. 

The BenQ ultrawide curved monitor EX3415R is a powerful gaming monitor that comes with a convenient remote control for your gaming enjoyment. It's a 34” IPS panel with 98% DCI-P3 and 10-bit color which offers a vivid image performance for your gameplay. With ultrawide 21:9 3440 x 1440 resolution and native 144Hz refresh rate and the field of view is at least 40% wider than a 16:9 2560 x 1440 monitor on the horizontal axis, it's destined to be the best choice for sim racing game. 

With the EX2780Q as an example, let’s take a look at what makes for an ideal gaming monitor and why a remote control forms part of the equation. The EX2780Q offers a 27” QHD panel with just the right pixel density. The beautiful, wide viewing angle 10-bit IPS screen offers the sweet spot for 2560 x 1440 (QHD) gaming at up to 144Hz, covering genres from open world adventuring to competitive fast reaction FPS-ing. HDR and wide color gamut support for color spaces beyond standard RGB (Adobe RGB and DCI-P3, notably) translate into gorgeous graphics. AMD FreeSync eliminates annoying screen tearing and makes sure your video card and the EX2780Q always, well, see eye to eye.

On the audio front you get two speakers plus a subwoofer for true 2.1 channel sound, with a headphone out obviously included for times when consideration of others is a priority.

Noticing a theme? The EX2780Q was built from the ground up to offer features that gamers actually need, want, and use. Not including a remote control would simply be weird at this point. Hence, gaming monitors in the EX2780Q’s league have remote controls, because that’s one feature skimping on makes zero sense. Sure, you can get a cheapo “gaming” monitor with basic features, but that’s not going to be the same experience by a long shot. 

Because the EX3415R and EX2780Q both offer superb sound through speakers and headphones, it’s a great base for cross-platform audio. Thanks also to multiple video inputs (dual HDMI and one DisplayPort), you can easily connect your PC and up to two consoles to the same display. While a trivial thing on the face of it, managing volume for all three quickly becomes a hassle regardless of OSD buttons. PCs and consoles require going into menus and settings to change volume. Muting an Xbox or a PlayStation via their dashboards deserves its own article, while with the EX2780Q remote it’s one button press. But even if something takes just 30 seconds manually, with a remote it only takes you two seconds. So once more, not having a remote would make very little sense, unless you enjoy the thrills of settings menus. We didn’t think so. 

As much as we’re all tempted to go one more round/turn/checkpoint/quest/raid/tech tree step etc., sometimes all you want to do after a long day at work is game a little and then put down the controller or mouse and watch a movie. With a lovely IPS panel right in front of you, the EX3415R and EX2780Q double as a masterful monitor for movies and TV beyond their clear role as gaming bliss enabler.

And what goes hand in hand with movies and TV, no pun intended? Of course, a remote control. Do you really want to do the old reach around the monitor thing in the middle of a viewing session? You wouldn’t do that with your TV, so why tolerate it with your monitor?

Don’t take anything for granted. Remote controls are missed when they’re not included, so please don’t think you’ll be doing yourself a big favor by saving a little through skipping the remote and opting for a generic monitor. Do the logical thing – as we said the inclusion of a remote shows the people who make the monitor mean business. A gaming monitor that includes a remote is likely to be good all round, and definitely better than displays that omit the remote. Think before you buy!