What Is GPU Scaling And Why Do You Need It If You're A Retro Gaming Fan?

Using a NVIDIA or AMD graphics card, you might have noticed a little feature called GPU scaling. This is a handy feature to enable on your graphics card if you play video games at an aspect ratio other than 16:9, the native aspect ratio found on the coolest PC monitors you can buy today. With GPU scaling, your display will keep a game's original aspect ratio rather than stretching it to fit the display, letting you enjoy your games as they were intended to be played.

Those with an AMD card will be able to choose between "Preserve aspect ratio," ""Full panel," and "Center." Preserving the aspect ratio is best for games that aren't 16:9 natively, expanding the game to fit the monitor but maintaining its original aspect ratio. Full panel, on the other hand, will stretch out the image to fill the entire screen. This isn't going to give the best results for older games. Choosing "Center" turns off scaling. NVIDIA users will see similar options labeled as "Aspect ratio," "Full-screen," and "No scaling." Retro game enthusiasts will want to enable GPU scaling every time they play one their favorite childhood games.

Whether you were playing video games at an arcade or in the comfort of your own home on a TV, the dawn of the video game age was played on either on 4:3 or 5:4 aspect ratio. The screens were essentially squares. Games made for 4:3, however, start to look a little funny on newer widescreen displays. Just about everything from home TVs to computer monitors use 16:9 aspect ratio, which stretches those games not made for widescreens. If you remember playing "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" or "Goldeneye" on your old TV, and have tried on modern screens, you know it just doesn't look right. Old CRT TVs might be making a comeback, but you don't need one to play your favorite childhood video games.

GPU scaling lets you enjoy those old school games at 4:3 without an old CRT monitor or TV. You can play on your widescreen monitor and as long as you have GPU scaling enabled, your game will launch in its originally intended aspect ratio. While this is a helpful feature for old games, it's not the best idea to have it enabled while playing newer games because it will create input lag. Especially if you like to play competitive games like "Rainbow Six: Siege," "Valorant," or "Call of Duty," GPU scaling will sour your gameplay.