Want to recreation on an enormous, immersive monitor? An ultrawide monitor needs to be your subsequent show. Ultrawide gives a bigger viewing space than a widescreen various and a broader perspective that actually shows extra in-game content material. Today’s greatest ultrawide gaming displays additionally ship top-tier movement efficiency and assist for the newest adaptive sync requirements.
These are the perfect ultrawide gaming displays proper now.
For suggestions on quite a lot of monitor sizes at a spread of costs, see our roundup of the best gaming monitors.
1. Alienware AW3423DWF – Best ultrawide gaming monitor
Pros
- Excellent distinction ratio
- Top-notch coloration gamut and accuracy
- Great movement readability
- Respectable HDR efficiency
- Extremely aggressive worth
Cons
- Stand is a bit too giant
- No USB-C
- Maximum HDR brightness is lackluster
The Alienware AW3423DWF is an superior gaming monitor, bringing the unimaginable distinction and realism of OLED in a 34-inch widescreen panel. Though priced at $1,099—not cheap for most individuals—it’s a greater worth than most high-end gaming displays.
The monitor’s wonderful picture high quality offers a vivid, immersive, wealthy expertise with deep black ranges and shiny highlights. Games appear to leap out of the show, as in case you’re wanting by a window moderately than watching your pc display screen. Gamers who like darkish, moody genres, reminiscent of horror video games, will recognize the monitor’s skill to succeed in deep black ranges with minimal lack of element.
This monitor gives an enhanced refresh price of as much as 165Hz and helps AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for clean body pacing in video games. It additionally has better-than-average movement efficiency at decrease refresh charges, a advantage of the OLED panel’s quick pixel response occasions.
The monitor isn’t shiny and has a shiny show coat that may mirror mild, so it’s greatest in a darkish room. We additionally seen the OLED panel has bother rendering small fonts easily. These are minor points and have much less impression on video games than different situations.
Connectivity is suitable, with two DisplayPort inputs and one HDMI, and a USB-A hub with 4 ports. There’s a wholesome vary of menu choices that assist players change the picture high quality to their desire.
Read our full
Review Alienware AW3423DWF
2. LG Ultragear 34GN850-B – Best ultrawide gaming monitor underneath $1,000
Pros
- 21:9 panel with a 34-inch display screen
- Curved monitor
- Impressive gaming efficiency
- Ergonomic adjustment choices
Cons
- Only common energy consumption
- Expensive
Released in 2020, the LG Ultragear 34GN850-B, was the perfect ultrawide gaming monitor to debut that 12 months, and solely just lately defeated by the Alienware AW3423DWF. In response, LG slashed the previous champion’s worth from an MSRP of $999.99 to $699.99 at most retailers (and it has sometimes offered for as little as $599.99).
Though not on the high of its class, LG’s Ultragear 34GN850-B is a gorgeous monitor with wonderful coloration efficiency, a excessive most brightness, and good movement efficiency from its quick “Nano IPS” panel. It seems barely sharper than the Alienware, regardless of the actual fact they each have the identical native decision. The LG is arguably higher than the Alienware for combined productiveness and gaming use, as show glare shouldn’t be a problem and small textual content doesn’t seem pixelated.
The LG Ultragear 34GN850-B gives an enhanced refresh price of as much as 144Hz (with a 160Hz overclocked mode) and is formally appropriate with each AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. Its total movement efficiency is not so good as the Alienware, however it’s shut, and higher than funds alternate options just like the AOC CU34G2X.
What’s the catch? Contrast. The monitor’s IPS panel has the bottom distinction ratio of the three displays we suggest right here and may look hazy in darkish scenes. It seems greatest in a reasonably to brightly lit room, as this makes the dearth of distinction much less noticeable.
The monitor’s connectivity and options are according to high-end displays: two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and a two-port USB hub. A couple of extra USB ports could be appreciated however, at this worth, the out there choices are acceptable.
Read our full
Review LG Ultragear 34GN850
3. AOC CU34G2X – Best ultrawide gaming monitor underneath $500
Pros
- Gaming monitor in ultrawide 21:9 format
- Impressive gaming efficiency
- Large 34-inch curved panel
- Ergonomic adjustment choices
The AOC CU34G2X is a uncommon budget-friendly ultrawide monitor, retailing at or beneath $349.99. It does make a couple of compromises to succeed in that worth level—however picture high quality isn’t amongst them.
The 34-inch ultrawide monitor has a VA panel that gives good distinction and vibrant coloration efficiency. Its most brightness is a bit low, however just like the Alienware AW3423DWF in SDR content material (the CU34G2X doesn’t assist HDR). The AOC monitor gives 3440×1440 decision, the identical as the opposite displays on this checklist, so it seems simply as sharp. Gamers who aren’t specific about picture high quality will discover it tough to inform the distinction between this monitor and the costlier LG Ultragear 34GN850-B.
The AOC CU34G2X is an ultrawide gaming monitor with a refresh price as much as 144Hz, and it delivers strong movement efficiency. However, it doesn’t formally assist both AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync. Both requirements ought to work unofficially however, as a result of the show shouldn’t be licensed, homeowners could expertise flickering when recreation body charges dip too low. Gamers could must depend on utilizing V-Sync in some titles.
Though the monitor’s picture high quality is spectacular for the value, its aggressive red-and-black design is much more in-your-face than LG’s Ultragear and may flip off some players. Material high quality is mediocre, as nicely, so the monitor doesn’t look as premium because the LG or Alienware alternate options.
Connectivity, then again, is great, with two HDMI and two DisplayPort and a four-port USB-A hub. That’s the perfect of any monitor on this checklist—not one thing we’d count on from a funds show. The monitor additionally features a height-adjustable stand, a perk that funds ultrawide displays usually ditch.
Read our full
Review AOC CU34G2X
What to search for in an ultrawide gaming monitor
Ultrawide gaming displays are an superior selection for PC gaming, but stay a tiny area of interest in comparison with much more well-liked 27-inch and 32-inch widescreen gaming displays. According to the newest Steam Hardware Survey outcomes, lower than 2 p.c of all PC players on Steam have an ultrawide monitor.
That’s a disgrace, and limits selection when shopping for an ultrawide monitor. Still, players ought to key an eye fixed on these options when making a purchase order.
Panel kind is a giant deal
Ultrawide displays supply IPS, VA, and OLED panels. Each has benefits and downsides.
IPS panels are the most typical, and for good purpose. They show a variety of coloration, have nice coloration accuracy, can attain excessive ranges of brightness, and look sharp at any given decision. However, their low distinction ratio generally is a drawback for darker video games, which might seem hazy and lack element. IPS panels are greatest for combined use in brightly lit rooms.
VA panels are sometimes present in funds ultrawide displays, although some firms (most notably Samsung) additionally use them in high-end shows. They have higher distinction than IPS panels and ship comparable coloration efficiency. VA panels can wrestle with movement efficiency and funds VA panels are inclined to fall behind IPS in brightness.
OLED is the chief in total picture high quality. It offers the perfect leads to coloration gamut, coloration accuracy, distinction, and movement efficiency. Sharpness is commonly lowered in comparison with IPS and VA, however most individuals will discover it a minor downgrade. OLED tends to steer in HDR as nicely: Mini-LED can exceed it in some circumstances, however few ultrawide displays use Mini-LED expertise.
In common, OLED is best than IPS, and IPS is best than VA. Some players may choose VA over IPS, nonetheless, particularly when gaming in a darkish room.
Refresh price and pixel response occasions
All the ultrawide gaming displays we suggest share an identical refresh price (between 144Hz and 165Hz). That implies they’ve comparable movement efficiency, however there’s extra to it.
OLED displays, such because the Alienware W3423DW, have the perfect movement efficiency total. They supply not solely a excessive refresh price however the lowest pixel response occasions (usually quoted at .03 to .05 milliseconds), which suggests pixels transition between colours rapidly. This reduces movement blur at each excessive and low refresh charges, giving OLED an edge.
IPS displays are inclined to have the second-best pixel response occasions, with fashions just like the LG Ultragear 34GN850-B quoting response occasions of 1 millisecond. VA panels may obtain one millisecond response occasions, although some panels could lag this commonplace.
In abstract: take a look at refresh price first, then take a look at pixel response time to match displays with the identical refresh price.
Be cautious of huge ultrawide shows
The solely ultrawide gaming displays we at present suggest are 34-inch ultrawide gaming displays with 3440×1440 decision.
A wide range of bigger ultrawide gaming displays can be found. This contains 45-inch ultrawide displays just like the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 and LG Ultragear 45GR95QE, as well as super-ultrawide monitors like the Samsung Odyssey G9 series.
However, these bigger displays carry excessive worth tags and have a tendency to have points in total usability. The bigger 45-inch ultrawide choices don’t improve decision in comparison with 34-inch fashions, to allow them to seem a bit tender and pixelated. The 49-inch super-ultrawide fashions generally is a match for hardcore simulation players however aren’t extensively supported in additional mainstream recreation genres.
Extremely giant and super-ultrawide gaming displays are a distinct segment inside a distinct segment. They could be a go-to choose sooner or later, however for now it’s greatest to stay with extra extensively supported 34-inch, 3440×1440 displays.
Don’t purchase an ultrawide for console gaming
Looking to purchase a monitor for console gaming? Don’t purchase an ultrawide monitor.
None of the present recreation consoles assist ultrawide resolutions. This is true even in video games which have a PC launch with ultrawide assist.
A recreation console related to an ultrawide monitor will nonetheless show a picture, however it will likely be restricted to the same old widescreen show area, leaving black bars on both aspect of the display screen.
How we check displays
PC World’s employees and freelance reviewers spend tons of of hours conducting in-depth testing that compares displays throughout a broad vary of worth factors and capabilities, from $100 funds displays to legendary top-tier shows priced past $3,000. We personally check dozens of displays yearly to search out the perfect choose for each class and worth level.
We use a SpyderXElite coloration calibration software. It delivers goal measurements for a spread of metrics together with brightness, distinction, coloration gamut, coloration accuracy, coloration temperature, and gamma. These outcomes are logged, which makes it straightforward for PC World reviewers to match completely different displays. It additionally eliminates subjective bias—an necessary level, as variations in room lighting, time of day, and the kind of content material seen can simply change a reviewer’s expertise.