What is Aspect Ratio?

In simple terms, aspect ratio is the width and height of a screen or image. It is often seen as the ratio of the width to height separated by a colon, with examples being 21:9 for a XENEON FLEX 45” gaming monitor or a the 4:3 ratio common circa 1990.

Each monitor will have its recommended resolution that correlates with a respective aspect ratio, and you can find that in ‘Advanced display’ options under ‘Display’ inside your settings for Windows PCs. You can find the resolution to ratio conversions further into the article.

Aspect ratio is so important because it can affect work-based or everyday tasks like gaming. The enjoyment of videos, beauty of photos, and your gameplay performance can all depend on your aspect ratio.

Having the correct ratios allows for images or videos to be displayed on different devices without huge black bars on the side or top of the screen.

• 16:9 is the most common ratio, which is good for everyday use or gaming and is common for most PC monitors.
• 21:9 is an ‘Ultrawide’ setting and is more popular for an enhanced gaming and cinema experience.
• 32:9 is also an impressive ‘Super Ultrawide’ ratio that many enjoy for the extra desktop space and more view for gaming.
• 4:3 is often used by pro gamers to widen their view so they can hit enemies easier and for greater frames per second.

If you want some help, check out our article on finding the best monitor resolution.

Sometimes it can be hard to tell what aspect ratio any given monitor will have from its resolution. Below is an easy-to-understand table of the aspect ratios and their respective resolutions.

Aspect ratios are simple in definition, but they can seem complex if you're unfamiliar. It's important to understand what they are and how to use them effectively.