The most effective ultrawide gaming screens: Immerse your self

Need to sport on an enormous, immersive monitor? An ultrawide monitor ought to be your subsequent show. Ultrawide presents a bigger viewing space than a widescreen different and a broader perspective that actually shows extra in-game content material. Right now’s finest ultrawide gaming screens additionally ship top-tier movement efficiency and help for the most recent adaptive sync requirements.

These are the most effective ultrawide gaming screens proper now.

For suggestions on quite a lot of monitor sizes at a spread of costs, see our roundup of the finest gaming screens.

Table of Contents

1. Alienware AW3423DWF – Finest ultrawide gaming monitor

Execs

• Wonderful distinction ratio 
• Prime-notch shade gamut and accuracy
• Nice movement readability 
• Respectable HDR efficiency
• Extraordinarily aggressive value

Cons

• Stand is a bit too massive
• No USB-C
• Most HDR brightness is lackluster

The Alienware AW3423DWF is an superior gaming monitor, bringing the unbelievable distinction and realism of OLED in a 34-inch widescreen panel. Although priced at $1,099—not cheap for most individuals—it’s a greater worth than most high-end gaming screens.

The monitor’s wonderful picture high quality offers a vivid, immersive, wealthy expertise with deep black ranges and shiny highlights. Video games appear to leap out of the show, as in the event you’re trying by means of a window fairly than gazing your pc display. Players who like darkish, moody genres, reminiscent of horror video games, will admire the monitor’s means to succeed in deep black ranges with minimal lack of element.

This monitor presents an enhanced refresh fee of as much as 165Hz and helps AMD FreeSync Premium Professional for easy body pacing in video games. It additionally has better-than-average movement efficiency at decrease refresh charges, a good thing about the OLED panel’s quick pixel response instances.

The monitor isn’t shiny and has a shiny show coat that may replicate gentle, so it’s finest in a darkish room. We additionally observed 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.

Learn our full
Evaluation Alienware AW3423DWF

2. LG Ultragear 34GN850-B – Finest ultrawide gaming monitor underneath $1,000

Execs

• 21:9 panel with a 34-inch display
• Curved monitor
• Spectacular gaming efficiency
• Ergonomic adjustment choices

Cons

• Solely common energy consumption
• Costly

Launched in 2020, the LG Ultragear 34GN850-B, was the most effective ultrawide gaming monitor to debut that 12 months, and solely lately defeated by the Alienware AW3423DWF. In response, LG slashed the previous champion’s value from an MSRP of $999.99 to $699.99 at most retailers (and it has sometimes bought for as little as $599.99).

Although now not on the high of its class, LG’s Ultragear 34GN850-B is a beautiful monitor with wonderful shade efficiency, a excessive most brightness, and good movement efficiency from its quick “Nano IPS” panel. It appears barely sharper than the Alienware, regardless of the very 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 isn’t a problem and small textual content doesn’t seem pixelated.

The LG Ultragear 34GN850-B presents an enhanced refresh fee of as much as 144Hz (with a 160Hz overclocked mode) and is formally appropriate with each AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. Its general movement efficiency is not so good as the Alienware, however it’s shut, and higher than price range options just like the AOC CU34G2X.

What’s the catch? Distinction. The monitor’s IPS panel has the bottom distinction ratio of the three screens we advocate right here and might look hazy in darkish scenes. It appears finest in a reasonably to brightly lit room, as this makes the shortage of distinction much less noticeable.

The monitor’s connectivity and options are per high-end screens: two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and a two-port USB hub. A number of extra USB ports could be appreciated however, at this value, the out there choices are acceptable.

Learn our full
Evaluation LG Ultragear 34GN850

3. AOC CU34G2X – Finest ultrawide gaming monitor underneath $500

Execs

• Gaming monitor in ultrawide 21:9 format
• Spectacular gaming efficiency
• Massive 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 just a few compromises to succeed in that value level—however picture high quality isn’t amongst them.

The 34-inch ultrawide monitor has a VA panel that gives good distinction and vibrant shade efficiency. Its most brightness is a bit low, however just like the Alienware AW3423DWF in SDR content material (the CU34G2X doesn’t help HDR). The AOC monitor presents 3440×1440 decision, the identical as the opposite screens on this checklist, so it appears simply as sharp. Players who aren’t explicit about picture high quality will discover it tough to inform the distinction between this monitor and the dearer LG Ultragear 34GN850-B.

The AOC CU34G2X is an ultrawide gaming monitor with a refresh fee as much as 144Hz, and it delivers stable movement efficiency. Nonetheless, it doesn’t formally help both AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync. Each requirements ought to work unofficially however, as a result of the show isn’t licensed, house owners could expertise flickering when sport body charges dip too low. Players could must depend on utilizing V-Sync in some titles.

Although 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. Materials high quality is mediocre, as properly, so the monitor doesn’t look as premium because the LG or Alienware options.

Connectivity, alternatively, is superb, with two HDMI and two DisplayPort and a four-port USB-A hub. That’s the most effective of any monitor on this checklist—not one thing we’d anticipate from a price range show. The monitor additionally features a height-adjustable stand, a perk that price range ultrawide screens usually ditch.

Learn our full
Evaluation AOC CU34G2X

What to search for in an ultrawide gaming monitor

Ultrawide gaming screens are an superior alternative for PC gaming, but stay a tiny area of interest in comparison with much more well-liked 27-inch and 32-inch widescreen gaming screens. In line with the most recent Steam {Hardware} Survey outcomes, lower than 2 % of all PC players on Steam have an ultrawide monitor.

That’s a disgrace, and limits alternative when shopping for an ultrawide monitor. Nonetheless, players ought to key a watch on these options when making a purchase order.

Panel kind is a giant deal

Ultrawide screens supply IPS, VA, and OLED panels. Every has benefits and downsides.

IPS panels are the most typical, and for good motive. They show a variety of shade, have nice shade accuracy, can attain excessive ranges of brightness, and look sharp at any given decision. Nonetheless, their low distinction ratio generally is a drawback for darker video games, which may seem hazy and lack element. IPS panels are finest for combined use in brightly lit rooms.

VA panels are sometimes present in price range ultrawide screens, although some corporations (most notably Samsung) additionally use them in high-end shows. They’ve higher distinction than IPS panels and ship related shade efficiency. VA panels can battle with movement efficiency and price range VA panels are likely to fall behind IPS in brightness.

OLED is the chief in general picture high quality. It offers the most effective leads to shade gamut, shade accuracy, distinction, and movement efficiency. Sharpness is usually lowered in comparison with IPS and VA, however most individuals will discover it a minor downgrade. OLED tends to guide in HDR as properly: Mini-LED can exceed it in some circumstances, however few ultrawide screens use Mini-LED expertise.

Basically, OLED is best than IPS, and IPS is best than VA. Some players may want VA over IPS, nonetheless, particularly when gaming in a darkish room.

Refresh fee and pixel response instances

All of the ultrawide gaming screens we advocate share an analogous refresh fee (between 144Hz and 165Hz). That means they’ve related movement efficiency, however there’s extra to it.

OLED screens, such because the Alienware W3423DW, have the most effective movement efficiency general. They provide not solely a excessive refresh fee however the lowest pixel response instances (usually quoted at .03 to .05 milliseconds), which suggests pixels transition between colours shortly. This reduces movement blur at each excessive and low refresh charges, giving OLED an edge.

IPS screens are likely to have the second-best pixel response instances, with fashions just like the LG Ultragear 34GN850-B quoting response instances of 1 millisecond. VA panels may obtain one millisecond response instances, although some panels could lag this customary.

In abstract: have a look at refresh fee first, then have a look at pixel response time to match screens with the identical refresh fee.

Be cautious of enormous ultrawide shows

The one ultrawide gaming screens we at present advocate are 34-inch ultrawide gaming screens with 3440×1440 decision.

Quite a lot of bigger ultrawide gaming screens can be found. This consists of 45-inch ultrawide screens just like the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 and LG Ultragear 45GR95QE, in addition to super-ultrawide screens just like the Samsung Odyssey G9 sequence.

Nonetheless, these bigger screens carry excessive value tags and have a tendency to have points in general usability. The bigger 45-inch ultrawide choices don’t enhance 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 sport genres.

Extraordinarily massive and super-ultrawide gaming screens are a distinct segment inside a distinct segment. They could be a go-to choose sooner or later, however for now it’s finest to stay with extra extensively supported 34-inch, 3440×1440 screens.

Don’t purchase an ultrawide for console gaming

Trying to purchase a monitor for console gaming? Don’t purchase an ultrawide monitor.

None of the present sport consoles help ultrawide resolutions. That is true even in video games which have a PC launch with ultrawide help.  

A sport console related to an ultrawide monitor will nonetheless show a picture, however it will likely be restricted to the standard widescreen show house, leaving black bars on both facet of the display.

How we take a look at screens

PC World’s workers and freelance reviewers spend lots of of hours conducting in-depth testing that compares screens throughout a broad vary of value factors and capabilities, from $100 price range screens to legendary top-tier shows priced past $3,000. We personally take a look at dozens of screens yearly to seek out the most effective choose for each class and value level.

We use a SpyderXElite shade calibration instrument. It delivers goal measurements for a spread of metrics together with brightness, distinction, shade gamut, shade accuracy, shade temperature, and gamma. These outcomes are logged, which makes it simple for PC World reviewers to match totally different screens. 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.