Virtual Pinball Playfield Guide 2023: Choose your Playfield
Whether you are planning your first build, or upgrading an existing one – this guide is meant to help you choose the right virtual pinball playfield for you. I explored my options obsessively and even had two of the leading playfields installed in my cabinet. Below I will share my experience and recommendations.
This brief guide is focused on the virtual pinball playfield (main screen). If you're seeking a more comprehensive guide detailing how to build a 4k 120hz pinball machine on a budget, refer to our in-depth guide. It's packed with insights on hardware, software, and purchase options, along with informative videos and useful links.
A virtual pinball playfield dictates your overall gaming experience, with the computer power being a critical factor in ensuring smooth gameplay. Early 4k playfield adopters often experienced disruptive stuttering, which impacts immersion. Therefore, to maximize your playfield's potential, a robust computing setup is paramount.
Consider investing in a GPU with "70" or greater (1070, 2070, 3070) or an equivalent AMD model. For example, an RX 6700XT works seamlessly in our setup, though Future Pinball struggles at times. The CPU also plays a vital role. As of now, virtual pinball heavily relies on a single core, so opt for a newer CPU model to avoid bottlenecks. Several tools are available to optimize your CPU usage.
Our Top Pick: LG C2 OLED 42″
The LG C2 in all of its colorful Godzilla lovin' glory. Colors pop and do not distort when viewing at an angle.
The LG C2 stands out as our top choice for a playfield. It offers excellent value for money and meets our essential criteria for a superior virtual pinball experience. Colors pop and do not distort when viewing at an angle.
Key Features:
- Refresh Rate: 120hz for smooth gameplay
- Input Lag: Very low input lag for immediate response
- Viewing Angles: Excellent - colors remain vivid from any angle
- Colors: 1,400 Nits for vibrant, beautiful tables
- Dimensions: 42″ perfect for widebody cabinets
Current Price: Around $796 on sale (prices fluctuate)
LG C2 42" OLED TV Viewing Angles
Alternative Playfield Options
Sony X85J 43″
Key Features:
- Good viewing angles
- Vibrant colors (though not as crisp as OLED)
- More budget-friendly option
I like the X85J a lot. I was able to grab mine used for $400. Anything more than that and you are swimming in OLED price territory (on sale of course). If the price difference is $200 or less then suck it up and get the OLED if you can. If you can score a great deal ($400 or less) on the X85J then it is an appealing choice. The X85J has impressive response times and good color. In comparison to the LG OLED C2 they fall short on viewing angles and color depth.
Price Range: Try to find for around $400 used
Sony X85K 43″
Key Features:
- Newer model than X85J
- Similar specs and performance
The review of the X85K is virtually the same as the X85J. The only thing that may be better about the K is that it is a newer model. At this point, finding a used K model is likely newer with less wear than the older J model.
Price Range: Variable based on condition
Affiliate Links and Trusting Online Reviews
It's important to be cautious when reading online reviews, as many of them contain affiliate links that may influence the reviewer's opinions. Often, reviewers can earn a commission for each product purchased through their links, which may lead to biased reviews or recommendations. In fact, tens of thousands of reviews on amazon are paid for. Sellers provide customers with reimbursements through paypal in order to avoid amazon detecting the fraud.
We know all about this. Once upon a time this CraftyCat was in the top 10 of all amazon reviewers globally, I did this by abiding a code of ethics and writing fair and critical reviews of everything that I purchased. Once Amazon changed the rules and paypal payments became popular I decided to exit the hobby. Never once accepting a paypal payment for a "unbiased review".
Be an educated consumer and realize that virtually everything on the internet is for profit in one way or another. If nothing else then to support the content that is being created. That's what affiliate links like the above do for this website. Our primary goal is to offer valuable, trustworthy information to our readers. Our commitment to quality ensures that you receive unbiased, well-researched insights to help you make informed decisions about the products you choose. Remember, we paid for the C2 and the X85J with our own money, this post was not influenced by anyone in any way.
Final Thoughts
I think that many people are tempted to cut costs on the playfield. Virtual pinball is a tinkerers hobby that will inevitably take up (wonderful) hours of your life. I didn't fully appreciate this until after I built my cabinet. With this much time and investment it simply doesn't make sense to cut corners on your playfield. While you don't need to spend a fortune right away, it's wise to look out for deals on high-quality hardware like TVs and PCs. Patience and diligence should yield good prices on expensive hardware like TVs and PCs. It is my strong suggestion that you do this.
Thanks for reading and happy pinballing!
Pinbuilders Pride LED Sign
Dear Virtual Pinball Community: I decided to make a custom acrylic light up sign that embodies the community mentality – that our pinball machines are never actually done. The paddles and ball are designed to look like circuitry. Further, I sourced unique untreated beechwood frames and hand stained and sealed each one myself.
These frames have a rechargeable battery (I hate wires) and the acrylic can be swapped out for any of my other designs (like my Mrs Pacman design). If you are a member of the community just email me thecraftycatsman@gmail.com and I will hook you up with a free custom Pacman sign acrylic.
- Unique untreated beechwood frames
- Hand stained and sealed by TheCraftyCatsman
- Rechargeable battery (no wires)
- Swappable acrylic designs
- Optional Pacman design available
Recommended Settings
I received several requests for my TV specific settings. To make things easier for you, I am going to list out my settings here. If you would like screenshots of the actual settings then feel free to send me an email (thecraftycatsman@gmail.com)
TV Settings
Picture
- HDR Select Mode – Game Optimizer
- Aspect Ratio – 16:9
Brightness settings
- OLED Pixel Brightness – 100
- Adjust Contrast – 100
- Black Level – 50
- Auto Dynamic Contrast – Off
- Dynamic Tone Mapping – On
- Peak Brightness – High
Color
- Color Depth – 55
- Tint – 0
- Color Gamut – Auto Detect
Clarity
- Adjust Sharpness – 10
- Super Resolution (and everything below it) – Off
Computer Settings
- Resolution: 3840×2160 120hz
- Bit Depth – 12-bit
- Color Format – YCbCr444
- Color Space – High Dynamic Range
- Peak Brightness – 1,499
NOTE: If you are not able to save 12-bit (or it reverts back) then you likely have a HDMI cord that does not support 4k 120hz.
I use this HDMI cord and it works great: Check it out
VPX Settings
- Use always FS Backdrop settings
- Post Processed AA – Quality FXAA
- Sharpen – Bilateral CAS
- Stretch Ball with table
- Reflect Ball on Playfield
- Ambient Occlusion – Enabled, Update in-game
- FPS LImiter/VSync – 200
- Maximum pre-rendered Frames – 0
- Force Anisotropic Texture Filtering
- Alternative Depth Buffer Processing
- Max texture Dimension – Unlimited
AMD GPU Settings
- AMD FreeSync – off
- GPU Scaling – Enabled
- Color Depth – 12 bpc
- Frame Rate Target Control – Enabled
- Max FPS – 832 (yeah, I know that doesn't really make sense but it works)
- Anti-Alaising – Enhance application settings
- Method: Multisampling
- Morphological Anti-Aliasing – Enabled
- Anisotropic Filtering – Enabled
- Level – 16x
- Texture Filtering Quality – Standard
- Surface Format Optimization – Enabled
- OpenGL Triple Buffering – Enabled
After everything is set, open the quick settings menu with the C2 remote and make sure that the FPS reads 120 or above.
Virtual Pinball Playfield FAQ
1. What is refresh rate on a TV?
A TV's refresh rate, quantified in hertz (Hz), defines the frequency at which the on-screen image is refreshed every second. In other words, the refresh rate of a display is the count of how often the image on the screen is updated or 'refreshed' every second. This concept applies not only to TVs but also to computer monitors.
2. Why is refresh rate important?
The importance of a monitor's refresh rate is tied to its ability to support higher Frames Per Second (FPS) provided by your computer's CPU and GPU. In essence, the higher the refresh rate, the more FPS it can display, and hence the smoother and more fluid the on-screen motion will be. However, the impact on CPU and GPU load can vary based on different game requirements.
3. What is FPS in games?
FPS, standing for Frames Per Second, is often also known as the "update rate." It signifies the number of images or frames that are displayed on the screen every second. As an example, achieving 30 FPS in a game means that 30 distinct images are projected onto the screen each second.
4. What is the difference between refresh rate and FPS?
The refresh rate is a measure of how frequently your monitor updates or 'refreshes' the image on the screen, while FPS, or Frames Per Second, represents the number of frames your computer's GPU can render each second. These two metrics are interconnected as they collaborate to produce the visual output on your screen.
5. What is a good input lag for gaming?
For those deeply invested in competitive gaming, maintaining input lag below 15 milliseconds is often the target. However, for casual gamers and hobbyists, an input latency less than 40 milliseconds usually provides a satisfactory gaming experience. For Virtual Pinball, input lag is critical. The LG C2 has the best (lowest) input lag in the TV market. With 4k resolution the input lag is below 10 milliseconds.
6. Can a monitor affect FPS?
A monitor's refresh rate can limit the maximum FPS that can be visibly perceived, but it doesn't influence the actual FPS. For instance, on a 60Hz monitor, no visible difference will be perceived between 60 FPS and 300 FPS. Similarly, with a 120Hz monitor, there will be no discernible difference between 120 FPS and 500 FPS.
7. What is VSync?
VSync, short for vertical synchronization, is a technology in the realm of graphics that aligns the frame rate of a game with the refresh rate of a gaming monitor, creating a smoother visual experience.
8. Is it better to have VSync on or off?
VSync and GSync has caused issues for some Virtual Pinball builders. Test your tables with it on and off to see if it benefits you. If you are going to have problems with them it usually presents itself quickly (tearing/flashing).
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2 Comments
Hi, great website!
I've also tried 4 different playfield on my 4 year old vpin journey. Now I've ended up with the LG c2 4k 120Hz monitor.
Can you share some pictures on your graphics settings to me in an email, please?
VPX graphics settings, the colour settings in your LG monitor menu and most importent some pics of the settings in your Nvidia Control panel.
Sure thing!
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