If you're a passionate gamer and creator, you're probably longing to take advantage of the latest screen resolutions to bring your games to life and give your content a more visual kick. So when the buzz around 12K resolution started making headlines, many people were immediately interested. However, there are also some people who doubt whether it really exists or not.
12K resolution does technically exist
The short answer is yes, technically 12K resolution does exist… currently mainly in prototypes and high-end professional use cases rather than consumer displays.
Specifically, 12K refers to a huge size of 12,288 x 6,480 with a total of about 79 million pixels. To make it easier to imagine, 8K has 4X pixels and regular 4K only has 16X pixels! However, this resolution provides an almost excessive level of detail that is impractical for many applications.
But what does it take to actually run games or video content at this advanced resolution? The current RTX 3090 is barely able to achieve playable frame rates at 4K in many AAA titles, so it's understandable why 12K remains a pipe dream.
Based on years of experience building high-end gaming rigs, running graphics-intensive games at 12K with decent frame rates will require massive GPU power equivalent to 4 or more top-of-the-line GPUs Currently. And even the highest-end current GPUs can hardly deliver 60 FPS consistently at 4K resolution!
Add in the cost of other advanced components needed like CPUs and storage to handle the extreme bandwidth demands of 12K footage, and you quickly get to a theoretical PC build approaching $10,000. just to run 12K screens smoothly for modern games.
The harsh truth of 12K displays and content
The story around actually recording or purchasing 12K content isn't much prettier. While some prototypes like the Dell UltraSharp 32 8K display prove that a display with this incredible resolution is at least possible even if it costs astronomical amounts, the broader ecosystem doesn't yet exist to 12K support from start to finish.
As a content creator, recording only readable 12K footage is nearly impossible these days. Even many professional cameras do not support recording more than 6-8K quality. And cameras that support this often cost more than $10,000, not to mention the TBytes of super-fast storage you'd need just to store 12K footage.
Costs associated with the 12K video production process
- 12K reference monitor: $20,000 and up
- 12K camera: 10,000 USD or more
- GPU for post-production: $3,000 and up
- NLE 12K software: $1,000 or more
- Storage of 1 hour of 12K footage: $5,000 or more
Total: 40,000 USD or more
Good luck trying to edit and render 12K video projects using standard consumer software and hardware! As the cost table above shows, a full high-end 12K production would cost at least $40,000 and require extremely specialized equipment designed specifically for ultra-high-definition video. Out of reach for most regular consumers!
When will 12K become viable for gamers and creators?
Apparently the current reality is that while 12K resolution displays technically exist, the cost and complexity of actually controlling them makes them unfeasible for most usage scenarios. in the real world. Outside of advanced visual use cases in product design, architecture, medicine, etc., they remain just curiosities and not tools for enjoying and creating spoken content. shared.
However, as a gamer and creator, it is possible to be optimistic about the 5-10 year horizon as technology matures. The rapid pace of advances in gaming GPUs like Nvidia's new RTX 4090 gives us confidence that the processing power to drive smooth 12K displays will arrive sooner than expected.
And with the market growing around the need for high resolution for VR/AR content and even glasses-free 3D displays, hopefully we will see rapid investment in delivering these technologies. 12K capable instruments are more accessible to the professional consumer group. While widespread adoption may not happen due to diminishing returns, semi-pro creators love any breath of fresh air!
For now, stay tuned to upcoming gaming tech events for the latest announcements on any 8K and 12K display prototypes. Are there any more promising developments that are more realistic than 12K for gamers and creators? This may be coming sooner than we think, as pixel counts beyond our wildest dreams become an available option for everyone.
