ZDNET Shows How to Turn a TV Into a PC Monitor in 3 Steps

Q: What hidden setting on your smart TV makes it a faster gaming display than expensive dedicated monitors?

The hidden setting is usually **PC Mode** — and if your TV does not offer that, **Game Mode** is the key fallback. Those modes matter because they strip out much of the TV’s extra image processing, which is what adds input lag. The news story specifically notes that TVs with a dedicated PC mode are ideal because they reduce lag, while Game Mode is the next best option. Supporting guidance from TV makers and gaming setup guides says Game Mode can sharply cut delay between a controller or mouse input and what appears on screen. In practice, PC Mode often gives the cleanest signal path for a computer, improving text clarity and responsiveness. Game Mode is designed for consoles and interactive use, and on many TVs it is the low-latency setting users should enable manually or through Auto Low Latency Mode, if supported. To make a TV feel faster than its default behavior, users should also disable extra picture processing such as motion smoothing, noise reduction, and artificial sharpening. Those features can make the image look more “processed” while adding delay. A TV will not usually beat the best high-end gaming monitors on raw latency or refresh rate. But with **PC Mode or Game Mode enabled**, and unnecessary processing turned off, a modern TV can become surprisingly responsive and far better for gaming than many people expect.

3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Aug 20

Three setup steps anchor ZDNET’s guide: connect the TV, adjust display settings, and match the picture output for use as a main or secondary PC screen.
HDMI is the simplest no-cost route, while USB-C-to-HDMI or DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapters typically cost about $10-$15 for computers without a standard HDMI port.
Wireless casting via AirPlay or Google Cast also works on most newer smart TVs, but ZDNET warns that compression can introduce input lag and resolution loss.
Picture quality depends on matching the computer’s output to the TV’s native resolution—often 1080p or 4K—and enabling PC mode or Game Mode to cut lag.
The guide frames TVs as a cheaper large-screen alternative to monitors, contrasting a roughly $750 34-inch gaming display with a $110 32-inch Hisense TV that tops out at 60Hz.