Whether you're a serious PC gamer or a casual after-hours warrior, your display hardware is the pivot point between victory and defeat. To get the most from the latest first-person shooter (FPS), sports, racing, and other fast-action games, you'll not only need a gaming PC with a powerful graphics card, but also a monitor that can render the action without subjecting you to blurred images, flicker, tearing, and other motion artifacts.
In this guide, we'll help you choose a display that gives you an edge over your opponents while delivering a smooth, immersive gaming experience. We'll start with a rundown of our current favorites from our extensive hands-on and formal testing. Following that is our gaming-monitor buying guide, covering all the factors to consider when choosing a display. We conclude the article with a side-by-side spec breakout of our top picks.
Buying Guide: The Best Gaming Monitors for 2023 in the UAE and Saudi Arabia
Whether you're a serious PC gamer or a casual after-hours warrior, your display hardware is the pivot point between victory and defeat. To get the most from the latest first-person shooter (FPS), sports, racing, and other fast-action games, you'll not only need a gaming PC with a powerful graphics card, but also a monitor that can render the action without subjecting you to blurred images, flicker, tearing, and other motion artifacts.
In this guide, we'll help you choose a display that gives you an edge over your opponents while delivering a smooth, immersive gaming experience. We'll start with a rundown of our current favorites from our extensive hands-on and formal testing. Following that is our gaming-monitor buying guide, covering all the factors to consider when choosing a display. We conclude the article with a side-by-side spec breakout of our top picks.
MSI Oculux NXG253R
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Rich colors in game and content testing | - Low Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color gamut coverage |
| + Very low input lag | - Huge Nvidia sticker on the back |
| + Full array of additional features | |
| + Nvidia Latency Analyzer support |
MSI Oculux NXG253R
Why We Picked It
When ultra-fast 360Hz-refresh-rate gaming monitors first hit the scene early last year, they cost around $700. Today, as demand has soared and choices have expanded, new models like the MSI Oculux NXG253R are taking advantage of Fast IPS technology and cutting the price in the process—in the MSI's case, to $599.99. Though the giant Nvidia G-Sync ad that covers half of the back of the display is tacky, MSI should be proud of the performance it's achieved with Big Green's help. The Oculux's built-in input latency analyzer is a must-have tool for hardcore esports competitors, and although the 24.5-inch 1080p format might be a bit limited for content lovers, larger Fast IPS options like Gigabyte's 32-inch Aorus FI32Q fill that role just fine. The MSI NXG253R is for esports gamers, and though it may not be the fastest screen you can buy (that honor currently belongs to the 390Hz Acer Nitro XV252Q-F), its added features and strong performance add up to a well-balanced entry that earns an Editors' Choice award for its combination of speed and color quality.
ViewSonic Elite XG270QG
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Exceptional visual results | - A smidge pricey |
| + 1ms response time from an IPS panel | Housing could use a little more flair |
| + Fast refresh rate | |
| + Low input lag | |
| + Highly flexible stand | |
| + Subtle use of RGB |
ViewSonic Elite XG270QG
Why We Picked It
Oftentimes in the world of gaming monitors, prospective buyers have to make a choice: speed and performance for multiplayer games like Apex Legends or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or visual quality for content like movies and TV shows. But in ViewSonic's exceptionally good Elite XG270QG ($675.99), the best of both worlds is available in a single display. This 27-inch 1440p monitor, packing a max 165Hz refresh rate, doesn't do a ton on the aesthetic side to differentiate itself from the crowd, but what it lacks in design flair, it more than makes up for with fast response times and low input lag on a beautiful, color-accurate panel that you'll be happy to binge-watch your favorite shows on. As a perfect all-around choice for high-speed gamers and cinephiles alike, the Elite XG270QG earns our Editors' Choice as the best gaming monitor you can buy in 2020.
Sony Inzone M9
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Eye-catching design | - Expensive |
| + Exclusive features for PS5 | - Sound quality is unremarkable |
| + Very low input lag | |
| + HDMI 2.1 and USBC ports |
Sony Inzone M9
Why We Picked It
With the advent of next-generation consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, console gamers are now able to experience what PC gamers have enjoyed for many years: playing games at high frame rates at high resolutions. Of course, caveats abound, but that hasn’t stopped classic monitor manufacturers from putting the needs of consoles first, and the latest to do so is the PlayStation manufacturer itself. Sony's Inzone is a new division focused on developing gaming gear, and one of the first products to hit shelves is the $899 Sony Inzone M9, a 27-inch 144Hz 4K gaming monitor looking to find its footing in the under-$1,000 4K-elite gaming category.
For the most part, it impresses, with Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) panel technology for better depth perception, highlights, and deeper blacks. It also supports DisplayHDR, and packs plenty of custom features exclusive to the PlayStation 5. It does trip up on a few of the basics, but it mostly offers a quality gaming experience, and one tailored for those who jump often between their PC and their console on the same panel.
Dell 27 Curved Gaming Monitor (S2721HGF)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Inexpensive for a 27" high-refresh gaming panel | - Mediocre contrast |
| + Very low input lag | |
| + Excellent Nvidia G-Sync performance |
Dell 27 Curved Gaming Monitor (S2721HGF)
Why We Picked It
Gaming monitors don't need to be flashy or expensive, or excel in every single screen-quality aspect, to be good players. The Dell 27 Curved Gaming Monitor (S2721HGF) shows that you can get stellar gaming performance for a very reasonable price. The $299.99 display (on sale for $229.99 at this writing) features a 27-inch 1080p (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) panel with a peak 144Hz refresh rate. It doesn't break any records for contrast or color, but between its very low measured input lag and Nvidia G-Sync/AMD FreeSync smoothness, it is sure to satisfy PC gamers looking for a solid midsize screen on a tight budget. For that, it earns an Editors' Choice award as our favorite budget gaming panel so far in 2021.
LG C2 48-Inch Evo OLED TV (OLED48C2PUA)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Most accurate digital cinema color we've seen on a TV | - Remote control and webOS are a bit clunky |
| + 120Hz panel with incredibly low input lag | - No hands-free Google Assistant |
| + G-Sync Compatible and supports AMD FreeSync Premium | |
| + WebOS offers Apple AirPlay, multiple voice assistants, and a web browser |
LG C2 48-Inch Evo OLED TV (OLED48C2PUA)
Why We Picked It
LG’s C2 Evo OLED TV is an impressive follow-up to the company’s class-leading C1 that we reviewed in 2021. Simply put, the LG C2 offers the best color accuracy we’ve ever seen out of the box with no calibration. It also boasts the lowest input lag we’ve measured on a TV, and it has useful features like Apple AirPlay and hands-free access to some voice assistants. LG’s WebOS platform remains a bit awkward to navigate, but that’s our only complaint about an otherwise stellar performer. The 65-inch model we tested is quite expensive at $2,499.99, but the LG C2 Evo still easily earns our Editors’ Choice award for OLED TVs.
ViewSonic Gaming Elite XG321UG
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Mini LED implementation is impressive | - Expensive |
| + Excellent HDR performance | - Settings require some tweaking to optimize |
| + Deep contrast ratio | - No HDMI 2.1 or USBC ports |
| + Nvidia Reflex and GSync Ultimate support |
ViewSonic Gaming Elite XG321UG
Why We Picked It
OLED panels and 4K resolutions may reign supreme when it comes to top-shelf gaming displays, but one of the most exciting emerging technologies is actually mini LED. While most monitors consist of LCD backlights, mini LEDs boost peak output, improving both SDR and HDR content with broader contrast ratios and richer colors. ViewSonic’s latest 32-inch monitor, the Gaming Elite XG321UG, delivers on all fronts with an expansive contrast ratio, low input lag, and a solid coverage range of color gamuts right out of the box. Bleeding-edge tech often comes with a price to match, and you’ll have to settle the $2,499 bill before getting your hands on ViewSonic’s mini LEDs, but this panel is more than an eyeful and a new Editors' Choice winner for high-end 4K gaming displays.
Asus ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Tip-top 360Hz refresh rate | - Pricey for a 24.5" panel |
| + Fast IPS (FIPS) panel | - So-so Adobe RGB results |
| + Stellar color accuracy and DCI-P3 results | |
| + Solid ergonomics | |
| + Full-featured OSD | |
| + Aura Sync RGB LEDs on the back |
Asus ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN
Why We Picked It
How much hertz is enough? "It's never enough!" says Asus with its new $699 ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN. It's the world's first 360Hz gaming monitor, and it asks every esports champion in the world to step up their game even more. The monitor's sleek design, gamer-friendly ergonomics, record-setting input-lag results, and exceptional color accuracy place it head and shoulders above not just most gaming monitors, but most monitors, period. While its contrast ratio is a little low and the price a little high, for a panel as cutting-edge as this, we're willing to forgive a few small missteps and give the Swift 360Hz an Editors' Choice award as one of fastest monitors we've ever tested.
Gigabyte M27Q X
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Low input lag | - Low brightness and contrast ratio at default screen setting |
| + KVM functionality | - Stand is noisy |
| + Lightweight build | |
| + Affordable price | |
| + Good color-gamut results |
Gigabyte M27Q X
Why We Picked It
Gigabyte has proven a reliable gaming monitor manufacturer, delivering high-refresh-rate QHD monitors at accessible prices. The company delivers again with the Gigabyte M27Q X ($529.99), a 1440p monitor that, like the Gigabyte Aorus FI32Q before it, comes equipped with just about everything you want and need from a gaming monitor. It may not be a 4K panel, but it more than makes up for its lower resolution in performance, bringing a whopping 240Hz refresh rate and a host of unusual features, including an onboard KVM and plenty of ports. It's a great performer, though low brightness levels and a so-so contrast ratio keep it short of top marks.
Samsung Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Huge, luxurious wide-screen panel | - Expensive |
| + Very bright | - Input lag could be lower |
| + Strong color performance |
Samsung Odyssey G9 Gaming Monitor
Why We Picked It
Samsung’s Odyssey G9 is the company’s top-of-the-line gaming monitor, and a massive one at that. This 49-inch, 1440p curved screen can wrap around your sight lines and then some, with a bright, colorful picture that will satisfy most gamers. It’s pricey at $1,429.99, but its size and gaming-specific performance help justify that price for serious players of flight sims and racers who prefer one gigantic, enveloping widescreen panel to a bank of several with seams between.
Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW3423DWF)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Familiar, gorgeous design | - Alienvision image presets have limited usefulness |
| + Excellent picture quality in SDR and HDR | - No HDMI 2.1 port |
| + Superb color coverage results | |
| + Low input lag |
The Bottom Line:
With a slight price drop and a switch from Nvidia G-Sync to AMD FreeSync, Alienware's latest 34-inch QD-OLED is still one of the best curved gaming monitors on the market.
Why We Picked It
The age of the 1440p OLED gaming monitor is upon us. Last year, we saw one of the first OLED panels with Quantum Dot technology, the Alienware 34 QD-OLED (AW3423DW). It was one of our favorite monitors of the year, complete with an excellent refresh rate, a wide color gamut, and Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate. The latest refresh is not much different, swapping G-Sync for AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro along with a slight reduction in refresh rate, and a slight drop in price (down to $1,099). Aside from these changes, it’s much the same monitor as its still-available predecessor, but that remains a very good thing almost a year later. It garners an Editors' Choice pick, as did its predecessor, plus a higher Editors' Rating for its cheaper price. (Plus, we've even seen it for sale as low as $999.)
Asus ROG Strix XG16AHPE
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + High refresh rate and low input lag | - Expensive for a 15.6" portable monitor |
| + Built-in battery and speakers | |
| + Bright (272 nits) and colorful (97.7% of sRGB) | |
| + Kickstand works in both landscape and portrait mode | |
| + Includes soft carrying sleeve |
Asus ROG Strix XG16AHPE
Why We Picked It
Incorporating strengths from previous Asus portable monitors including the Editors' Choice award-winning ZenScreen Touch (MB16AMT), while adding gaming-centric features like a high refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, the Asus ROG Strix XG16AHPE ($399) is a formidable, well-rounded portable display for gamers and multimedia buffs. Although it has a premium price for a 15.6-inch mobile monitor, it's crammed with features such as a built-in battery, speakers, and kickstand, as well as an included soft carrying sleeve. It did well in our brightness and contrast testing, and its excellent sRGB color coverage makes it a good choice for viewing photos and video. The ROG Strix earns an Editors' Choice nod as an excellent portable monitor if you're looking for one on the larger side.
Samsung Odyssey Ark
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Immersive panel curve | - Too expensive for most gamers |
| + Wide color coverage | - Color accuracy needs adjustment |
| + Fantastic sound quality | - Ark Dial remote is a bit clunky |
| + Extensive port selection | - Very heavy |
| + Packed with cloud gaming options |
Samsung Odyssey Ark
Why We Picked It
Herculean in size and scope, the Odyssey Ark is Samsung's latest big-screen gaming monitor, and boy, is it big. At 55 inches, the massive 4K curved display is a sight to behold, in both horizontal and vertical modes. We've been eager to spend some time with it since we got a taste during our preview back in August. Now, after finishing testing it, we can say that the Odyssey Ark packs enough gaming-specific performance to separate it from your typical Samsung TV. But while multitaskers, flight-sim fanatics, and other big-screen enjoyers might find use in one giant screen rather than multiple monitors, they may find that the whopping price of $3,500 is just too great to parse, putting the Odyssey Ark squarely in the realm of well-heeled enthusiasts only.
Cooler Master GM34-CWQ ARGB
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Attractive design | - RGB lights must be plugged in to work |
| + Great color results out of the box | - Limited height adjustment |
| + Solid contrast ratio | - Sensitive OSD joystick |
| + Affordable price |
Cooler Master GM34-CWQ ARGB
Why We Picked It
Curved displays have become increasingly popular lately, taking a sizable slice of the gaming monitor market. And for good reason—gamers seem to appreciate the wide field of view and improved color ratios that add to an immersive experience. Cooler Master is likely far from the first brand you think of when it comes to monitors (the company recently entered the market), but its new 34-inch curved panel, the $649.99 GM34-CWQ ARGB, aims to deliver a captivating curve at a digestible price point and largely sticks the landing, offering an impressive color range and feature set right out of the box. Pretty good for a first-timer.
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When it comes to deciding which gaming monitor to buy, screen size is a good place to start. Bigger is almost always better, but in some cases you'll want to keep the size of your screen to no more than 27 inches measured diagonally. If you've watched any esports tournaments lately, you've likely noticed that all the players are focused on screens smaller than that size. (A 24- or 25-inch panel seems to be the sweet spot, especially for esports-focused displays.)
Why? Well, if you're playing a highly competitive title such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive or League of Legends, having a smaller screen means you can keep the monitor closer to your eyes while also keeping more of the frame in view. Being able to see every element on screen at once is a vital advantage in a competitive multiplayer environment. The larger your screen, the more difficult it is to keep every enemy combatant in your peripheral vision.
If you have the room and don't care so much about ultra-competitive gaming, however, a larger monitor provides plenty of space for your avatars and characters to roam and offers the opportunity to go beyond full high definition (known as full HD or 1080p and measuring 1,920 by 1,080 pixels). Many newer models are Wide Quad High-Definition (WQHD) monitors with 2,560-by-1,440-pixel resolution (also dubbed 1440p).
The higher pixel count provides sharper imagery than full HD, but you'll need a reasonably powerful graphics processor to play the latest games at the higher resolution, especially if you have all the visual effects and eye candy enabled. This goes double for 4K or ultra high definition (UHD) screens with a resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels.
If desk space is tight, there are plenty of 24-inch monitors available, but with most of them you'll be limited to 1080p resolution. If you have lots of room and money is no object, jumbo monitors are tempting. A 30-inch 4K display will deliver a stunning picture with amazing resolution; you can go all out with a 34-inch ultrawide monitor with either a flat or curved panel; or you can splurge on something larger still. (We've tested displays up to 65 inches.)
Ultrawide monitors typically have a 21:9 aspect ratio (as opposed to the 16:9 ratio of 1080p, 1440p, and 4K) and offer a much wider field of view than a standard monitor, but they take up a lot of room. A curved widescreen monitor enhances the immersive aspect by making you feel a bit closer to the action, and in some games the wraparound view will also give you a competitive edge.
Battle-royale titles like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Apex Legends both support 21:9 resolution. Rather than simply squashing and stretching the image as some games do, these games (and others with native 21:9 support) will actually show more of the battlefield on either side than you'd see on a 16:9 panel. Battle-royale players in particular will benefit from this increased real estate. A player on a 16:9 panel may not see an enemy standing on a hill far off in the periphery, but a 21:9 player might be able to spot the threat without having to turn their character.
Panel Technology
You'll see several main panel technologies used in different gaming monitors, and each has its pluses and minuses.
Twisted nematic (TN) panels are the most affordable and are popular among gamers because they offer fast pixel response times and refresh rates. Their biggest drawback? They're prone to color shifting when viewed from an angle.
Vertical alignment (VA) screens are known for their high native contrast ratios, robust colors, and ability to display deep blacks, but they're also known to produce noticeable ghosting effects or blur fast-moving images, which can hurt gaming performance. It depends on the model, which is where reading PCMag's and other reviews comes in.
In-plane switching (IPS) panels provide superb all-around color quality, strong grayscale performance, and wide viewing angles, but they can't match the fast pixel response of TN panels and are subject to motion artifacts. They're the best general-use monitor type, but discriminating gamers or competitive esports types may want to avoid IPS. This changed in 2019, however, when LG developed a new variation (dubbed Fast IPS, Rapid IPS, and Nano IPS by various manufacturers) that claims 1-millisecond gray-to-gray response time with overdrive turned on. These panels use a thin layer of nanoparticles applied to the backlight that enables wider color-gamut coverage and reduces response time, a combo that now makes Fast IPS the dominant choice for almost every midrange and premium gaming monitor. If you have room in your budget, Fast IPS monitors currently offer the best balance of gaming performance and image quality.
Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) panels are the latest to arrive to the gaming display party, and also one of the most anticipated. OLED tech has been a staple in HDTV sets since 2018 or so, but it wasn't until 2021 that the first OLED TV/monitor hybrids in LG's C series gained traction. The same design also made it into the Alienware 55 OLED, a monitor we marked down for its minimal brightness and overall HDR performance. Most recently, though, Samsung has spiced up the competition with Dell's help, launching the Editors' Choice award-winning Alienware 34 QD-OLED. This ultrawide, curved QD-OLED panel is both less expensive and faster than the Alienware 55 and brings QD-OLED into the gaming-panel conversation right out of the gate.
Because TN, VA, IPS, and OLED each have their pros and cons, we recommend looking at samples of each at your local electronics mega-mart if possible. That way, you can get an idea of their "feel" (visually speaking) and learn which compromises matter the least to you. Also bear in mind that not all panels of a given type are created equal, so seeing the actual monitor you're considering in person is always desirable.
Pixel Response, Input Lag, and Refresh Rate
Gaming monitors should have a fast pixel response time and a high refresh rate, the latter commensurate with the frame rates your PC can push. (More on that in a moment.)
The most commonly used pixel response spec is gray-to-gray, which is measured in milliseconds (ms) and signifies the time it takes a pixel to transition from one shade of gray to another. (A few companies still use the older black-to-white measurement.) A fast pixel response will help eliminate smearing of moving images and provide a smoother overall picture. A gray-to-gray response of 2ms or less is ideal, but even a 4ms gray-to-gray response is usually adequate for single-player gaming.
Input lag is another important factor to consider when buying your next gaming monitor, especially for competitive players. Input lag refers to the amount of time it takes for an action (such as keypress or mouse click) to be reflected onscreen. Since the middle of 2019, we've been testing all gaming monitors using the HDFury 4K Diva and consider any screens that score below 5ms to be a good fit for players who rely on lightning-quick reflexes to best their opponents.
Then there's refresh rate. A monitor's refresh rate refers to the number of times per second it can redraw the entire screen, measured in hertz (Hz). Most standard LCD monitors (including older gaming panels) have a peak refresh rate of 60Hz, which means the screen is refreshed or redrawn 60 times per second. Fast-moving images may appear blurry at this rate, or the panel may suffer from screen tearing, an artifact that occurs when the monitor displays misaligned pieces of two or more screen draws at once. (This can be alleviated by a synchronization technique called variable refresh rate, more about which in a moment.)
The trend in gaming panels over the last couple of years is toward refresh rates substantially higher than 60Hz. The most common increments we see today in so-called high-refresh-rate gaming displays are 75Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz, with panels up to 240Hz and even 360Hz and 390Hz now available.
Most of the 240Hz panels we've seen peak at 1080p resolution, with 1440p and 4K panels topping out at 165Hz and 144Hz respectively. This is due to the throughput limitations of the two most popular cable technologies, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4b. This should start to change as the faster HDMI 2.1 spec becomes more widespread, but that could take a while since we only saw the first instance of HDMI 2.1 in a gaming graphics card with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3080 and subsequent RTX 30 series cards.
Games that run at frame rates higher than 60 frames per second (fps) can benefit from one of these monitors. The higher refresh rate can show motion more fluidly when in sync. Esports players who specialize in games that aren't especially demanding in terms of 3D rendering (and therefore run at very high frame rates) will especially want to take note.
Just because you have a high refresh rate, however, doesn't guarantee your gaming graphics will be free of tearing and artifacts. That leads us to the other big PC-centric trends in late-model gaming monitors: Nvidia's G-Sync and AMD's FreeSync.
G-Sync and FreeSync: Technologies in Flux
The newest gaming monitors use synchronization technology to help reduce tearing and other motion artifacts while lowering input lag. Displays equipped with Nvidia's G-Sync or AMD's FreeSync technology hand off control of the display's refresh rate to the graphics card or graphics processing unit (instead of the monitor), which lets the display operate at a variable refresh rate (VRR) matching what the card is capable of pushing at any given moment. The result is a smooth gaming experience with decreased input lag and no tearing. Note, however, that G-Sync and FreeSync monitors require a compatible graphics card with a DisplayPort 1.2 or HDMI 2.0/2.1 output (an Nvidia card for G-Sync or AMD card for FreeSync).
In 2017, AMD announced an enhanced technology called FreeSync 2, which higher-end monitors have been transitioning to since 2018. FreeSync 2 has the same basic aim as FreeSync—synchronizing the frame rate of the signal from a compatible AMD graphics card with the refresh rate of the monitor—but adds HDR support, low input lag (i.e., latency), and support for low-frame-rate compensation. The last is the ability to sync the frame rate of a GPU with that of a monitor even when the GPU falls below the display's minimum frame rate.
Meanwhile, the shape of VRR on the Nvidia side of things took a turn in early 2019. That's when Nvidia released a new version of its GeForce driver that let users of FreeSync monitors turn on G-Sync in the driver software. The results may vary, but in essence, owners of FreeSync panels can now try out VRR with an Nvidia rather than AMD graphics card. Nvidia has also extended a sort of G-Sync certification to a select group of FreeSync monitors. At last check, roughly 270 monitors fall under the company's G-Sync standard. That should mean less or no screen tearing, ghosting, and other artifacts during variable-refresh-rate gameplay, as well as support for a wide range of refresh rates (for example, 60Hz to 144Hz) according to the monitor's specifications. Certain models at the link above are labeled as G-Sync Compatible. Where supported, you can try to switch G-Sync on from the Nvidia software control panel and see if, and how well, its adaptive sync works.
G-Sync has gotten more complicated in another way, too. The addition of the G-Sync Compatible category brings Nvidia's number of monitor compatibility levels to three. G-Sync Compatible is the lowest tier. Next are monitors that meet Nvidia's traditional G-Sync standards, containing specialized circuitry to support the standard; they've passed some 300 image-quality tests and are capable of operating over the full VRR range.
The top tier is G-Sync Ultimate (formerly known as G-Sync HDR), which bolsters the G-Sync standards with high-end features such as extreme luminance (1,000 nits) and a refresh rate of at least 144Hz. One of the first panels to qualify for G-Sync Ultimate branding was the Acer Predator X27, but more have appeared since.
HDR: Brightness Deluxe
High dynamic range (HDR) technology isn't just for making movies and TV shows look good. It can also turn a dimly lit, washed-out game into something vibrant and full of contrast, with sharply defined edges around every part of the environment. You can find four levels of HDR in gaming monitors right now: DisplayHDR 400, DisplayHDR 600, DisplayHDR 1000, and DisplayHDR 1600. The figure refers to the number of nits or the brightness level at which the display should be capable of maxing out.
But while there are plenty of HDR 4K monitors to choose from these days, Windows' implementation of HDR is still, well, lacking. If it ever works the way it's supposed to, apps that are compatible with Windows (those from the Windows App Store seem to offer better HDR compatibility than those found outside that ecosystem) will get the HDR treatment, as will the operating system itself.
While consoles like the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5 deliver flawless HDR in almost all their games, the PC still lags behind in terms of the number of game titles and monitors that support HDR. How well the tech is implemented varies on a case-by-case basis. That said, when done well (especially in titles developed since the tech took off in gaming monitors around the end of 2017), HDR adds a striking aspect to gameplay.
In testing at PC Labs, we've found DisplayHDR 400 is generally sufficient to get a nice visual effect, but the DisplayHDR 1000 and 1600 specs take the technology to an entirely new level.
Is a Gaming Monitor Also Good for Content Creation? How to Know
When we test monitors for their gaming capabilities, we also look at what they can do in general-use cases like watching movies or browsing the web, as well as how accurately they can reproduce color in a number of chromaticity tests.
The sRGB color gamut or palette acts like a baseline for how content on the internet will appear, while DCI-P3 is a measure of how well a monitor does at reproducing the color spectrum most often used for movies and TV shows. For still rather than motion images, there's also the Adobe RGB gamut, which measures how well a monitor does at reproducing accurate color in professional content editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.
Color accuracy is also measured via a figure known as Delta E, which expresses the distance between, say, the theoretical most accurate orange and the orange that you see on screen. If you want to watch (or produce) a lot of movies on your gaming monitor, its percentage of DCI-P3 coverage should be your top concern; the Delta E and Adobe RGB numbers are the priority for creators who work in photography, 3D design, game production, modeling, or other creative fields where color accuracy is paramount.
Video Inputs and Other Features
A gaming monitor should be equipped with a variety of video inputs, so you can connect it to a variety of PCs and gaming consoles. Dual HDMI ports are ideal, since the major game consoles use HDMI, while most high-end graphics cards released in recent years offer DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1 connectivity. The older DVI connector has all but died out, though you may still see it in budget hardware.
USB ports on a monitor are also a nice feature, as they make it easy to connect gaming controllers, mice, flash drives, and other external peripherals. You can often charge handheld devices by plugging them into a USB port. Side-mounted USB ports make it easier to plug and unplug peripherals than ones located on the back of the display.
A powerful speaker system with a built-in subwoofer will enhance your gaming experience and save desktop space, and a stand with height, tilt, and swivel adjustments offers ergonomic comfort for all-night frag-a-thons. That said, if you tend to game with a gaming headset, a conveniently situated USB port might be more useful than middling built-in speakers.
Finally, there's RGB lighting. While some shoppers can't stand the stuff (to this writer's eyes, it washes out the game visuals on screen), plenty of gamers like to sync their gaming monitor with other RGB-illuminated components such as their PC case, graphics card, or memory modules. (Heck, you can even find RGB solid-state drives these days.)
Some of the software utilities that can sync your monitor to the rest of your RGB setup include Asus Aura Sync, Acer DisplayWidget, and MSI Mystic Light, as well as Alienware's Command Center. More advanced options like SteelSeries' GameSense work in tandem with monitors like the MSI Optix MPG27CQ to display in-game information like your ammo and health levels via RGB LED strips on the monitor. The number of GameSense-compatible games and apps is limited, but it's a neat look into a possible future of functional, not just decorative, RGB bling.
So, Which Gaming Monitor Should I Buy?
Screen size, panel technology, and features will determine how much you'll pay for a gaming monitor. You can snag a 24-inch model with TN technology and a fast gray-to-gray pixel response time for under $200, but you won't get much in the way of features or brilliant image quality. Expect to pay more than $200 if you want a higher-than-60Hz refresh rate and some subset of perks, such as an adjustable stand, a USB hub, multiple digital video inputs, and either G-Sync Compatible or FreeSync support.
A full-blown 27-inch gaming monitor with all the bells and whistles, including G-Sync or FreeSync and a Nano IPS display, can cost north of $500, while a 34-inch UHD monitor will run you more than $700. If you're looking for a big-screen, ultrawide monitor with a curved panel, plan on spending even more.
For more of our monitor picks, check out our top monitors overall. Players can also check out our favorites among other peripherals such as gaming keyboards and gaming mice to finish outfitting their game dens.