What Does 120Hz Mean? | Smoother Screens Explained

A 120Hz display refreshes its image 120 times per second, making on-screen motion significantly smoother and more fluid than a standard 60Hz screen.

You’ve heard the spec thrown around—120Hz, high refresh rate, ProMotion—but what actually changes when you turn it on? The difference between 60Hz and 120Hz is visible the moment you scroll a webpage or swipe through apps. For phones, monitors, and TVs, this spec means the difference between a display that feels crisp and one that feels slightly behind your finger. Here is exactly what 120Hz means, how it works, and whether you need it.

What A 120Hz Display Actually Does

A refresh rate of 120Hz means the screen redraws the entire image 120 times every second. Each frame lasts about 8.3 milliseconds. On a standard 60Hz display, each frame lasts 16.6 milliseconds—double the interval. That extra time between frames is what causes motion blur during fast movement. A 120Hz display cuts that gap in half, so moving objects, scrolling text, and camera pans all look sharper and smoother. The effect is most noticeable at the edge of moving content, where 60Hz displays create a visible smear.

120Hz Vs. 60Hz: The Real-World Difference

The jump from 60Hz to 120Hz is the most noticeable step-up in refresh rate. Going from 120Hz to 240Hz is a smaller gain.

Which Devices Have 120Hz Displays?

Apple’s iPhone Pro models have used 120Hz ProMotion since the iPhone 13 Pro, and all newer Pro models (14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16 Pro) include it. Samsung’s Galaxy S23, S24, and S25 series, along with the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip lines, run at 120Hz. Google’s Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL also hit that mark. On the monitor side, most dedicated gaming monitors start at 120Hz and go up to 240Hz or higher—the Intel guide on gaming refresh rates notes that competitive play benefits from every extra frame. High-end OLED TVs like the LG C-series and Sony A-series support 120Hz over HDMI 2.1, which is required for 4K 120Hz gaming on PS5 and Xbox Series X. If you’re shopping for a phone with this feature, our tested roundup of the best 120Hz phones breaks down which models deliver the smoothest experience for the price.

Does 120Hz Drain Your Battery Faster?

Yes, if the display runs at 120Hz constantly. Every extra frame requires the GPU to work harder and the display driver to draw more power. That is why most flagship phones use adaptive technology—Apple calls it ProMotion, others call it adaptive sync. These systems drop the refresh rate to as low as 10Hz when you are reading static text, then ramp it back up to 120Hz the instant you start scrolling. On a modern flagship phone, the net battery impact is modest because the display spends most of its time at low refresh rates during typical use. The T-Mobile explainer on Hz notes that adaptive refresh is the key to making 120Hz viable on a portable device.

Common Misconceptions About 120Hz

Does 120Hz make content scroll faster?

No. Scroll speed is determined by how fast your finger moves. A 120Hz screen makes the scrolling look faster and smoother because it updates the position more often, but the actual velocity of the content is unchanged. The T-Mobile article on Hz spell out this distinction clearly: what you perceive as faster motion is actually just reduced blur between frames.

Is refresh rate the same as frame rate?

No. Refresh rate (Hz) is how often the display updates. Frame rate (FPS) is how many frames the GPU or console produces. A 120Hz monitor only shows 120 distinct images per second if the source outputs 120 FPS. If a game runs at 60 FPS on a 120Hz monitor, each frame is shown twice, and you get no smoothness gain over a 60Hz screen. The ASUS ROG guide on refresh rate emphasizes that matching FPS to refresh rate is the real requirement for a smooth experience.

Does 120Hz improve response time?

No. Response time is how fast a pixel changes color, measured separately in milliseconds. High refresh rates reduce motion blur but do not change the underlying pixel transition speed. They are two different specs that both affect motion clarity.

How To Enable 120Hz On Your Device

On most Android phones, open Settings > Display > Motion Smoothness or Refresh Rate and select High (120Hz) or Auto. On an iPhone 13 Pro or newer, the phone handles it automatically—there is no toggle to force 120Hz because ProMotion adjusts dynamically based on what you are doing.

On a Windows PC, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display Settings, then pick 120Hz from the refresh rate dropdown. On a PS5 or Xbox Series X, go to Settings > Screen and Video and enable 120Hz Output—the TV must support HDMI 2.1, as the RTINGS.com guide on refresh rates notes that earlier HDMI versions cap at 60Hz for 4K.

When the hardware can’t keep up—like an older GPU running a modern game at 40 FPS—the 120Hz display simply repeats frames, and you won’t see the benefit. The WIRED explainer on high refresh rates puts it bluntly: a 120Hz screen is only as good as the source feeding it.

Final Verdict: Who Should Get 120Hz?

If you scroll social media, read articles, or play casual games on your phone, 120Hz is a clear quality-of-life upgrade—once you use it, 60Hz feels laggy. Competitive gamers benefit the most from high refresh rate monitors because lower frame intervals translate directly to faster reaction windows. For TV and movie viewing, the benefit is smaller because most video content is shot at 24 or 30 FPS, and a 120Hz TV handles that with 5:5 pulldown rather than delivering 120 unique frames per second. The bottom line: 120Hz is worth it for phones and gaming monitors, nice-to-have for TVs.