When Was 1080P Introduced On The PC ?

Some time around 1998 I think 16:9 aspect ratios started appearing as an option in games but even before that resolutions upto 2048x were supported.
 
Really can't remember when games started explicitly supporting 1920x1080 but I guess it would be within the year after the release of monitors using that as the native resolution.
 
First consumer-grade LCD computer monitors were released around 1997, but they were mostly 5:4 and 4:3, and still very rare. It wasn't until 2004 that 16:10 came along, with 1280x800, 1680x1050 and 1920x1200. 1920x1080 came a year or two AFTER that. First time LCD monitors outsold CRT was in 2007. 2008 was when 1920x1080 began to reach mainstream TVs and monitors.

More of a side note:
All in all, I think most people are grossly overestimating the ubiquitousness of 1920x1080; in reality, it hasn't even reached its peak, yet. It's still less than 10% of users. Anybody can think what they want, but 1920x1080 probably ain't disappearing anywhere for at least 10 more years... What we're seeing here in a hobbyist forum is far from what the actual situation is. Here's a quote from one of the sources I used: "1980×1080 exceeded 9% in May 2014 and may become the most popular screen resolution in the next years!" ... Yes, that ubiquitous. My guess is that it will peak in about 6 years, after which it will slowly decline. Also, don't mix up RELEASED new monitors, SOLD monitors and USED monitors.

I bought my last CRT (22", 4:3, 800€) in 2002, because the LCD tech was still so poor, at the time. That CRT in particular COULD display 2048x1536, but I used 1024x768 and 1280x960 for higher refresh rate (and fps). IIRC, it could do 1024x768@160Hz and 1280x960@120Hz.

Actually, even my earlier 19" 4:3 CRT (which was bought in 1998, not sure when it was released) could indeed display 1920x1080@60Hz (not sure if it was possible with the drivers or OS of that time, but it worked with the generic Plug-and-Play drivers from 2013, at least).

Here are few sites I used as source (if you don't feel like checking more than one, then I would recommend the last one):
http://www.pcworld.com/article/209224/historic_monitors_slideshow.html
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/computer/video-resolution.htm
http://www.ehow.com/about_5459113_history-computer-monitors.html
http://www.teoalida.com/miscellaneous/monitor-sizes-screen-resolutions/

Ps. As for games, I don't know. But didn't some games after-2000 simply list the resolutions that the DirectX gave them as possible resolutions? So, if you managed to get DirectX to accept 1920x1080, then those games would allow it?
 
aatu said:
Ps. As for games, I don't know. But didn't some games after-2000 simply list the resolutions that the DirectX gave them as possible resolutions? So, if you managed to get DirectX to accept 1920x1080, then those games would allow it?
Click to expand...

Most games simply enumerated the modes exposed by the API, many games also support custom resolutions via config editing, command line or console, aspect ratios really only started to become a common feature of ingame options around the time of the LCDs but 16:9 support crept in a little earlier due to some developers using monitors like the InterView 28hd96.

Earlier versions of most APIs had a max frame buffer resolution of 2048x2048 even if the monitor could do higher.
 
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