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Looking for the best ultrawide gaming monitor can be a little overwhelming with a whole host of features you’ll need to factor in.
It’s no surprise then that the popularity of ultrawide gaming monitors has skyrocketed over the past couple of years, making them more affordable than when they first hit the markets. Indeed, you’ll find plenty of the best budget 4K monitors that are also ultrawide. Now you can expect more games than ever before to support ultrawide resolutions, with the newest and most graphic-intensive games supporting ultrawide natively.
We’ve cherry-picked the best ultrawide gaming monitors out there including some that are also amongst the best 240Hz gaming monitors and 360Hz, like the Samsung Neo G9. We’ll also evaluate the monitor’s overall gaming performance, keeping an eye on displays that are good value for money like the AOC CU34G2X/BK.
Once you’ve made your choice make sure you also get the best ultrawide gaming monitor arm to keep your new screen sturdy and adjustable.
Best ultrawide gaming monitor
Best super ultrawide gaming monitor – Samsung Neo G9 G95NA
Panel type: VA Check Price: Samsung Neo G9 G95NA
If you’re after the ultimate whopper of a widescreen, then the Neo G9 G95NA might be the monitor for you. As one of the best gaming monitors out there, it trumps most other monitors of the same size with the choice to mount the display, raising or lowering it by 120mm and swivelling it 15 degrees left and right, this monitor is highly adjustable.
The Neo G9 G95NA serves up an incredible HDR panel trumping most other monitors on the market in terms of display. With a whopping 99.6% of the sRGB color gamut, this monitor scores the highest of the bunch for display visuals – we even named it one of our favourite mini-LED monitors. One of its unique features worthy of a mention here is its Mini LED technology which makes the NEO G9’s monitor something special, producing magnificently rich effects in both light and dark corners.
If your PC is up to scratch to handle such a hefty monitor, and your wallet can take the hit, then there really is no better option out there if you’re after a stunning gaming experience. You can make this monitor last too by caring for it. We’ve got guides on how to clean your monitor, so you can make sure your display stays tip-top.
Best budget ultrawide gaming monitor – AOC CU34G2X/BK
Check Price: AOC CU34G2X/BK
We’ve chosen the stylish AOC CU34G2X/BK for its all-round gaming performance. You can expect running costs of this monitor to be relatively low compared with most other ultrawide gaming monitors, consuming only 67W when in use. It also comes with Adaptive Sync support, so whilst it does not officially support VRR, FreeSync and G-Sync both still work.
Its wide range of ports makes it a versatile monitor, a great choice for gamers after 1440p resolution as well as console players. For its full capability of 144Hz, you’ll need to use DisplayPort 1.4, though most PC gamers are well prepared for this.
The CU34G2X’s VA panel creates a stark contrast between the darkest and brightest tones, helping to create an immersive viewing experience that particularly thrives when gaming in darkness, ideal for those nighttime gaming sessions. Whilst IPS might have given you the most accurate color representation, the CU34G2X/BK does very well in its rich color contrasts.
If you’d like to take a peep at some more of the best curved gaming monitors, you’ll probably find something you like.
Best mid-range ultrawide gaming monitor – Gigabyte M34WQ
Check Price: Gigabyte M34WQ
Gigabyte monitors generally promise an upscaled gaming performance without going all out on extravagant specs. Indeed, it certainly deserves a spot amongst the best 1440p gaming monitors and the best 34 inch gaming monitors.
This monitor does a brilliant job ensuring you get a smooth gaming experience partnered with a rapid response time of just 1ms. It’s generally a pleasure to play with due to its 8-bit color, boasting 91% DCI-P3 super wide-gamut color, meaning you’ll get a vibrant and saturated images when you’re playing games like Modern Warfare 2.
Read more: Best OLED gaming monitor
If you are planning to game for extended periods of time, why not take advantage of the low blue light feature which reduces the strain on your eyes and helps to protect them. After all, who wouldn’t want to game for hours with a monitor boasting such a fast refresh rate and very low input lag.
Best 4K ultrawide gaming monitor – Acer Predator X38 S
Check Price: Acer Predator X38 S
This is our pick for the best ultrawide 4K gaming monitor you can buy this year. With a superior build quality and targeted gamer’s design – this monitor sits perfectly as the center piece to your gaming set-up.
This monitor is perfect for competitive gamers who want to enjoy their matches without screen-tearing or any unwanted visual artefacts. Our tech specialist thoroughly enjoyed playing immersive open world games on this monitor – and was particularly impressed by the realism afforded to it by HDR.
The monitor’s price tag is the only downside, though if it’s not a problem you should definitely think about grabbing the X38 S – of which you can check the price here.
Best G-SYNC ultrawide monitor – Alienware AW3821DW
Check Price: Alienware AW3821DW
The Alienware AW3821DW delivers an impeccable gaming experience free from tearing, input lag and stuttering all thanks to G-SYNC. A popular choice for serious gamers, this ultrawide curved gaming monitor is sure to keep you on the top of your game.
Boasting a whopping 37.5” paired with a Nano IPS display, expect an impressive and immersive gaming experience. We’ve chosen this monitor for its stunning HDR display and absolutely minimum motion blur.
It’s worth noting that for gamers after the full G-SYNC experience, they need to ensure the Alienware monitor is directly connected to the HDMI or DisplayPort on their PC.
Though the Alienware AW3821DW provides a nice range of ports, Be aware that this monitor does not come with a HDMI 2.1 port. This means that you’ll be limited to 4K at 60Hz. As a result, this is not the best monitor for PS5 or the best monitor for Xbox Series X. If you’re after Next Gen gaming at 120Hz you’ll need to find the best HDMI 2.1 monitor.
Features to look out for in ultrawide gaming monitors
Screen Resolution
You’re likely to be playing graphic heavy games which perform at their best when your monitor has a high resolution. As an easy rule, the image quality of a higher resolution monitor will be superior to that of a lower resolution monitor, meaning your ultrawide gaming monitor will display more information on the screen with crisper images overall.
Ultrawide gaming monitors vary from 2560 x 1080, 3440 x 1440, 3840 x 1600, and 5120 x 2160 (known as 4K), and now 7680 x 4320 which is 8K. It’s worth knowing what your PC’s GPU can handle, since higher resolutions like 4K and 8K will be much more taxing. Checking what resolution matches your PC’s performance is a sure-fire way of saving yourself hundreds of dollars whilst optimizing your PC’s gaming performance.
Refresh Rates
Any experienced gamer knows that refresh rates are fundamental to a smooth gaming experience. If you want a simple definition, a refresh rate is a measurement of how many times your screen refreshes its image per second and is measured in hertz (Hz). You’ll find most current modern monitors hitting the benchmark value of 144Hz.
Panel Type
Don’t let their technical reputation put you off. It’s important to consider which panel you’re getting with your ultrawide gaming monitor since it contributes to your response time, viewing angles and colors. It’s also worth paying attention to due to its dramatic impact on the price you pay for your monitor.
We recommend opting for IPS (in-plane switching panels) for their quality image reproduction and color. They may not reach the high response times of TN (twisted nematic panels) but are sure to deliver stunning visuals which ultrawide gaming monitors display so well.
How we choose our ultrawide gaming monitors
We’ve considered a number of factors before selecting these ultrawide monitors. Each has been selected based on their general gaming performance whilst factoring in their price tag, and their overall design.
Why buy an ultrawide gaming monitor?
Some people wonder whether investing in an ultrawide gaming monitor is worth it. The number one benefit is the increased field of vision (FOV) when playing which is an obvious benefit for strategic or immersive-based titles. In essence, an ultrawide monitor can buy you precious seconds that you would have spent adjusting your view; precious seconds that could win you a game rather than suffer a loss.
We’re now anticipating your next question: do I really need that extra space and is it worth it? It’s a fair concern since some ultrawide monitors like the Samsung Neo G9 G95NA stretch to monstrous sizes of 49”. Chances are though if you’re looking at ultrawide gaming monitors then you’re probably spending an extended period of time staring at a screen.
A curved game monitor is the ultimate solution to the problems we’ve mentioned. Without the concern of eye strain and a small FoV, games can immerse themselves into a game with little else to worry about.
Who makes the best ultrawide gaming monitors?
It was LG back in 2012 who dropped the first ultrawide gaming monitor. Since then, their monitors have always been popular, but brands like Samsung and Alienware are certainly challenging LG’s OG status. Samsung currently makes great monitors for games like Microsoft Flight Simulator or Forza Horizon 5 whilst Alienware monitors are sure to deliver on those snappy response times serious gamers are after.
Our final word on ultrawide gaming monitors
So, if you’ve been thinking about getting an ultrawide gaming monitor for a while now, maybe this is your sign to go all out. There’s no shortage of new releases like that will be flooding with competitive gamers all trying to the edge on their opponents.
FAQs
There’s plenty more to find out about ultrawide gaming monitors so we’ve done our best to answer your queries below.
Why are ultrawide gaming monitors good?
Ultrawide gaming monitors are excellent for gamers serious about one upping their opponents with an increased FoV afforded to them by up to 33% extra space.
What’s the average cost of an ultrawide gaming monitor?
Ultrawide gaming monitors are known for their expensive price tag. You can spend anything from $250 dollars to a couple of grand. A good ballpark number to look for if you’re wanting quality without breaking the bank will be around $800-900 dollars. Check out the LG 34WN80C-B 34” monitor to see what we mean.
Will ultrawide gaming monitors always be expensive?
No. There are already some good budget ultrawide monitors on the market, and with Black Friday around the corner, you can expect to bag yourself one for a specially reduced price. Ultrawide gaming monitors came out in 2012 and have been a popular choice since their launch. As a general rule then, there will always be more affordable ultrawide monitors available, even if they’re not the latest models.
Do ultrawide monitors give an advantage in gaming?
In modern FPS games, ultrawide monitors will give you those extra wide viewing angles which might give you extra space to see your enemies and react faster.
Are there any 4K ultrawide gaming monitors?
There are 4K resolution ultrawide gaming monitors, though they tend to have a wider resolution than regular UHD.
Is it worth getting an ultrawide gaming monitor?
If you’re a fan of immersing yourself in the game, then an ultrawide gaming monitor’s 21:9 aspect ratio is ideal.
Which is the best ultrawide gaming monitor?
The best ultrawide gaming monitor has to be the Samsung Neo G9 G95NA thanks to its impressive size and impressive colour gamut.
