Most of these monitors are curved, giving you a more immersive viewing experience for such wide panels, and they use varying technologies ranging from VA to QLED to OLED. You’ll find many monitors in the 34-inch size class, although some behemoths can measure up to 49 inches across for those with a lot of desk real estate.
Below is a list of the best ultrawide gaming monitors currently available based on our in-depth testing and reviews. If you’re looking for a more traditional aspect ratio, check out our lists of the best gaming monitors and best 4K gaming monitors.
Acronym | Resolution | Aspect Ratio |
---|---|---|
UWQHD | 3440 x 1440 | 21:9 |
UWQHD+ | 3840 x 1600 | 21:9 |
DQHD | 5120 x 1440 | 32:9 |
WUHD | 5120 x 2160 | 21:9 |
Row 4 – Cell 0 | Row 4 – Cell 1 | Row 4 – Cell 2 |
Quick ListBest Overall
Best Overall Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
This ultrawide does almost everything well and has the added bonus of a vibrant QD-OLED panel with a large color gamut. With a UWQHD resolution, 165 Hz refresh rate and excellent build quality, it is an excellent companion for productivity and gaming tasks.
Read more belowBest Ultrawide
2. Samsung Odyssey Neo 57 G9
Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
The Samsung Odyssey Neo 57 G9 seemingly does it all, providing a vast 57-inch 240Hz panel with a mind-boggling resolution of 7680 x 2160. You’ll find a 1000R to keep its vast visual footprint in check (and wrapped around your field of view), along with premium build quality and excellent color performance.
Read more belowBest 200Hz
Best 200Hz Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
The LG UltraGear 45GR75DC is a 45-inch class ultrawide monitor with a DQHD resolution, VA panel, and a 200Hz refresh rate. The gaming monitor impresses with its bright panel and accurate colors and is a top pick for enthusiasts looking for an immersive gaming experience.
Read more belowBest Budget
4. ViewSonic Elite XG350R-C
Best Budget Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
Ultrawides don’t always have to break the bank, and that’s where the ViewSonic Elite XG350R-C comes into the picture. It offers a UWQHD resolution, 100 Hz refresh rate, and offers 35 inches of screen real estate. While its specs won’t wow hardcore enthusiasts, it’s perfectly suited for entry-level gamers.
Read more belowBest Bendable
5. Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240
Best Bendable Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
The Corsair Xeneon Flex takes a different approach to gaming monitors by giving users the ability to adjust the curve to suit their needs. If you want a flatter shape for productivity work or a curved panel for immersive gaming, this monitor can accommodate both styles.
Read more belowBest Mini LED
6. ViewSonic Elite XG341C-2K Gaming Monitor
Best Ultrawide Mini LED Gaming Monitor
The ViewSonic Elite XG341C-2K combines a VA panel and a Mini-LED backlight with 1,152 dimming zones. The use of VA technology gives it a 3,000:1 native contrast ratio before even taking into account the local dimming. You can also crank the refresh rate to 200 Hz (when overclocked) and can hit a maximum of 1,400 nits brightness in HDR mode.
Read more belowBest Under $500
Best Budget Ultrawide Gaming Monitor Under $500
This monitor offers a lot of bang for the buck, including best-in-class HDR image quality, low input lag and integrated Wi-Fi. It also offers UWQHD resolution at 34 inches with support for up to 165 Hz with AMD FreeSync/Nvidia G-Sync support.
Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitors in 2024
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Best Overall Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
The AW3423DFW is a 34-inch ultra-wide monitor with a 3440 x 1440 resolution and an 1800R curvature. But the spec that is most likely to garner the most attention (and praise) is the Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) panel. As a result, you can expect ink blacks and rich colors across the board.
The build quality is excellent– an Alienware hallmark – as is the video processing, which is sure to be a big hit with gamers.
The AW3423DFW doesn’t come cheap with a street price of over $1,000, but if you own a GeForce RTX 4090 or RTX 4080, you owe it to yourself to try matching it with a widescreen display of this caliber.
Read: Alienware AW3423DW Gaming Monitor Review
Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
Sometimes, bigger is better. That’s definitely the case with the Samsung Odyssey Neo 57 G9, which measures an incredible 57 inches across with a 32:9 aspect ratio. The DUHD (7680 x 2160) resolution is mesmerizing for gaming, and the sheer amount of potential workspace for productivity tasks. It’s like having two 4K monitors glued together side-by-side.
Samsung employs a VA panel with Mini LED backlighting to ensure excellent contrast, and the panel runs at up to 240Hz, with support for Adaptive-Sync and Nvidia G-Sync technologies. As you might expect from a premium Samsung monitor, the build quality is excellent throughout, and the gaming experience is top-notch.
However, to get the most out of this monitor – especially for gaming – you’ll need a stout graphics card capable of handling the native resolution at 240Hz. It’s also a bit disappointing that despite the size and the inclination of some to want to use this massive monitor as a TV, there’s no remote included or integrated speakers. In addition, the $2,000 street price puts this into an exclusive category for gaming monitors.
However, if you have the means to purchase the Samsung Odyssey Neo 57 G9 and have the hardware to sustain it, this gaming monitor could be a splurge gaming purchase that will last you for many years down the road.
Read: Samsung Odyssey Neo 57 G9 Gaming Monitor Review
Best 200Hz Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
The UltraGear 45GR75DC stands out from the pack thanks to its Double QHD or DQHD resolution, fast refresh rate (200Hz), excellent contrast via its VA panel, and brightness levels top the competition. In addition, the LG has infused the monitor with excellent build quality that we expect in this class.
The UtraGear 45GR75DC is definitely not aimed at budget gamers thanks to its street price of around $900. But you’re still getting a lot of bang for the buck with this 45-inch behemoth. Just make sure that you have the desktop real estate to handle it.
Best Budget Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
Currently going for $660, the ViewSonic Elite XG350R-C is cheaper than many other 35-inch ultrawides and those with fewer features (there’s even RGB lighting on the back of the XG350R-C). But what you’ll really love about the XG350R-C is its vivid and accurate color that makes textures pop, skin tones look natural, and everything looks more realistic.
If you want life-changing HDR or to use HDR with Adaptive-Sync, look elsewhere. But in addition to a 21:9 aspect ratio, the Elite XG350R-C employs an 1800mm curve radius that engulfed us with solid image quality, making for an immersive ultrawide experience.
Best Bendable Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
Corsair’s 45-inch Xeneon Flex is a premium monitor at a premium price. But its price tag is justified by its unique, bendable OLED panel that allows you to choose between a flat panel or an 800R (maximum) curve. You manually bend the screen using two handles extending from the chassis sides.
The Xeneon Flex exhibits good contrast and color accuracy. You also get a fast, 240 Hz refresh rate and low input lag. Adaptive Sync is standard, with support for AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync. The wide-screen format with a 3440 x 1440 resolution should appeal to gamers and productivity workers alike.
There’s no such thing as a perfect product, and the Xeneon Flex has a couple of dings due to its relatively low pixel density courtesy of the 45-inch panel and slight misses with
HDR color. However, the $1,999 MSRP will likely be the biggest hurdle for many gamers (although we’ve seen its street price dip below $1,700 recently).
Read: Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 Bendable OLED Review
Best Ultrawide Mini LED Gaming Monitor
The ViewSonic Elite XG341C-2K ticks a lot of the right boxes when it comes to gaming monitors. Not only does it have a 3440 x 1440 resolution with a native 165 Hz refresh rate, but it can also be overclocked to 200 Hz. It is both AMD FreeSync (to 165 Hz) and Nvidia G-Sync compliant and has good build quality.
However, the Elite XG341C-2K stands out with its VA panel with Mini LED backlighting. This gives the monitor rich colors out of the box, incredible contrast (which we would expect from a VA panel), and an eye-searing maximum HDR brightness of 1,400 nits. And thanks to Mini LED backlighting, the Elite XG341C-2K has 1,152 dimming zones versus the fewer than 400 that we typically see with a FALD panel.
There are a couple of gotchas, though, regarding the Elite XG341C-2K. For example, brightness controls are locked on when using Active-Sync, and Active-Sync can’t be enabled at all when taking advantage of the overclocked 200 Hz refresh rate. However, if those are manageable for your gaming priorities, the Acer Elite XG341C-2K is an excellent choice for ultrawide gaming monitors in the under $1,500 price segment.
Read: ViewSonic Elite XG341C-2K Review
Best Budget Ultrawide Gaming Monitor Under $500
The ASRock PG34WQ15R2B is an ultrawide gaming monitor with excellent fundamentals and a price tag that won’t break the bank. Its specs are about what you’d expect for this class, with a 3440 x 1440 resolution, 165 Hz native refresh rate, DisplayHDR 400 support, and a 1500R curve. As expected, you’ll find a VA panel that’s good for a contrast ratio of 3,000:1.
Regarding color, accuracy is top-notch, and it offers best-in-class HDR image quality. There’s also low input lag along with an easy-to-use OSD and control scheme. The monitor even includes a built-in Wi-Fi antenna to extend the range of a PCIe wireless networking card (if your desktop PC is so-equipped).
However, with a street price under $350, ASRock had to make some compromises. For example, there’s only one setting for overdrive in the OSD, which didn’t result in a difference in the on-screen action. There’s also a hint of gamma issues (value of 2.00), resulting in a somewhat hazy image.
But overall, the ASRock PG34WQ15R2B offers a solid package and deserves a spot on our list.
Shopping Tips for Gaming Monitors
When trying to buy the best gaming monitor for your PC, consider the following:
- G-Sync or FreeSync? G-Sync only works with PCs with Nvidia graphics cards, while FreeSync only works with systems using AMD ones. You can technically run G-Sync on a FreeSync-only monitor, but performance isn’t guaranteed. Even though not every gaming monitor is officially G-Sync certified by Nvidia, most of the units that we’ve tested support it just fine. For a detailed comparison of the two technologies’ performance, see our Nvidia G-Sync vs. AMD FreeSync comparison article.
- Which resolutions? Some popular resolutions include UWQHD (3440 x 1440), DQHD (5120 x 1440), 5K Ultrawide (5120 x 2160), and Super Ultrawide (3840 x 1200). Whereas a traditional 4K (3840 x 2160) monitor would allow you to fit two documents side by side comfortably, a 5120 x 1440 monitor would up that count to three.
- What panel tech? For image quality, IPS < VA < OLED. IPS displays have slightly slower response times but better color than VA monitors. The best gaming monitors for contrast are VA, but VA also has slower response times. Displays with OLED panels are expensive but are much more colorful.
- Refresh rate? Higher numbers mean smoother images and the ability to see fast-moving targets better in games. Gamers should look for 100 Hz at the bare minimum, along with the lowest available response time. However, some monitors on our list offer even higher refresh rates at up to 240 Hz.