[Disclosure: This is a guest post from Userful]
Immersive gaming is not a trend. It is an experience. Future gaming promises to be more immersive with Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. Those technologies have not matured enough for game developers to create flagship titles in those platforms. For now, video walls are the best solution for immersive gaming.
Whether PC or Console gaming, video walls provide a great experience. A video wall partnered with a properly placed surround system can enhance any game title more than developers ever dreamed.
Building a video wall can be done by professionals or DIY. Mounting several video screens and configuring it is a daunting task. On the bright side, if you incorrectly configured a video wall there’s very little chance of breaking anything. But making a mistake during mounting could be very costly.
Here are a few basic steps on how to build a video wall.
Plan your video wall.
There is a construction saying; “measure twice, cut once.” It applies to video wall construction as well. Plan where you wish to install your video wall. Measure the exact size of the available space for your video wall.
Screen sizes have minute differences in dimensions. It will give you an idea of the possible layouts of your video wall. It will allow you to calculate your desired resolution and the actual space you have to fit the necessary number of video screens.
Larger screens are more expensive but are better for video walls. The lower number of screens you use, there will be less bezel interruption in your video wall. Since it will require more small screens to achieve your desired resolution, It is a matter of planning, budget, and calculation.
Buy the necessary hardware
Once you have decided on the number of screens and the layout that you want. It is time to buy the hardware. Gaming hardware is different. Ordinary LCD screens will not do. You should have a high refresh rate (120mhz at least) and a 1ms response time.
Gaming monitors will also require high-end video cards. It is a requirement to run the monitor at its maximum potential. For video walls, the very high resolution will definitely need several cards.
You can also use a video wall controller. It will help make building video walls easier.
Mount the TV screens
Make sure that the screens are properly mounted on the wall. Different monitor models have different types of mounting apparatus together with the package. A lot of the wall mounts are designed for single use and not suited for a video wall. You may need to build your own mount.
If you decide to build your own mount. Make sure you align the screw holes exactly where it should be. A few millimeter deviation will misalign the entire wall.
Once you have attached all the necessary wiring, make sure you have the same type of cable (HDMI, DVI, etc) to use for all monitors. You can use a controller, daisy chain, or multiple video cards to connect to your gaming rig.
Set up video wall configuration
If the screens and hardware are installed correctly. Software like Mosaic and Eyefinity will help configure the video screen. There are also third-party software available specifically for video walls.
Assign screen numbers and set up the layout. Test your video wall with 3D live wallpapers. For the next and final step is battery testing.