Also, ultrawide monitors generally just look really nice. Plus they tend to be a little bigger which means more screen space for other stuff. Ultrawide monitors are perfect for work for example. You get more screen real estate to fit different windows on screen at once, and without having to make the windows super small. So everything is still legible. All of these reasons are part of why ultrawide monitors have become so popular in recent years. But with all the choices out there, you might be wondering which ones to buy. This guide is here to help you narrow down choices.
What to look for in the best ultrawide monitors
While this might vary from person to person, there are some general traits you definitely want in an ultrawide monitor. A brighter monitor is good if you want to counteract glare. And you want something with a good refresh rate for your games that will support it. And many do support faster refresh rates these days. You don’t have to have something that’s got a 240Hz refresh rate, but it doesn’t hurt. That being said, a lot of the best ultrawide monitors will come with 144Hz and even 165Hz refresh rates. Which are more than fine for a lot of games. If you play really competitively, then you may want to consider something with the highest refresh rate possible. As it will help you react faster. However, higher refresh rate monitors that are ultrawide usually aren’t cheap. So that’s worth keeping in mind. Not all ultrawide monitors are curved either. And you may want a curved one if you’re limited on desk space. While an ultrawide monitor will take up more of your desk’s surface area regardless, one with a curve could lessen that a bit. And the curve will help you from having to turn your neck as much. That’s going to be useful if you’re on the monitor a lot throughout the day.
The best ultrawide monitors to buy
Below you’ll find a summary table of the best ultrawide monitors to buy. All the necessary information is there, including names, prices, and links with where to buy each monitor. Below the summary table, you’ll find a short description about each monitor in addition to the prices as well as the buy links.
Samsung Odyssey Neo G9
If you’ve got the money to spend and a PC powerful enough to support this beast, then there’s few gaming monitors that could overshadow the Odyssey Neo G9 from Samsung. It’s a Mini LED panel with a 4K UHD resolution and a 49-inch screen size. You’ll need a large desk space for it to fit, though. The desk itself doesn’t need to be that large, it only needs to be slightly wider than the monitor. But given the monitor’s width, you’ll need a pretty long desk if you plan to fit your PC case on it too. In terms of specs, the Odyssey Neo G9 supports both G-Sync and FreeSync, with a 1ms response time, and a 240Hz refresh rate. The monitor is extremely pricey, but definitely worth it for gaming and it doesn’t get much more ultrawide than this.
Alienware 34-inch Curved Gaming Monitor
If you don’t need something as big as the Odyssey Neo G9, you should absolutely not overlook Alienware’s 34-inch curved gaming monitor. This isn’t the QD-OLED the company announced in January at CES. Rather its curved gaming monitor that was released in 2021. Aside from having a 120Hz refresh rate, it also has the cool Alienware gamer aesthetic which might be great for your overall design. As far as display specs and features go, it comes with an anti-glare display to help prevent glare from lights and sunlight. The only downside we found with this monitor is that it doesn’t get as bright as some others. Like the next monitor on this list. Officially the monitor can go up to 306 cd/m2 if you boost the brightness to 100%. That’s not terrible by any means, but quite a few monitors on here definitely get brighter and that can only improve the anti-glare. But, brightness aside, everything else is in tip-top shape. It’s also a lot less expensive than the Odyssey Neo G9.
Acer Predator X34
This has been one of our favorite monitors recently. The display puts out a luminance that’s bright enough for just about any situation which we absolutely loved. It’s also highly responsive and has a high refresh rate which is great to have for fast-paced games. For refresh rate, you’re looking at 100Hz which is lower than some of the others. That being said, 100Hz isn’t bad at all. Although, you will probably want something much higher if you play competitively. Out of all the monitors on this list, we also like the stand on this one more than most. It’s a well-designed stand made of solid metal, and you can raise/lower the monitor as well as swivel it to adjust the angle. It also supports VESA display mounting and has a hefty amount of cable ports with support for both HDMI and DisplayPort. Price-wise, you’re probably better off with the Alienware, but this is still a great option.
LG 29WP60G-B
There’s a lot to love about this one, but mainly the price. For under $250 you can’t go wrong when you get a decent monitor from LG. This monitor offers a 1ms response time and it has HDR10 support. The resolution is Full HD, so you should easily hit your higher frame rate caps. Which won’t be too hard to do since this only goes up to 75Hz. And if you were wondering why the monitor was so inexpensive compared to the other options so far, that’s why. But don’t let that deter you. This is still a great ultrawide monitor for gaming. And more money saved on this means more money you can spend on games, better PC components, or on really anything else.
Samsung Odyssey G5 (34-inch)
If the Odyssey Neo G9 is a little out of your price range, consider the 34-inch G5. It features the same 1000R curve as the Neo G9 but it comes in a smaller panel and has a lower refresh rate. So ultimately that brings the cost way down. Normally it goes for $549.99, which is the price it’s currently sitting at. Sometimes though you can find it as low as $449.99. And this is the price I found it at and immediately picked it up, It’s now the main monitor I use. It comes with a 165Hz refresh rate with an Ultra-WQHD resolution, a 1ms response time, FreeSync Premium support, and pretty good color. The only complaints are with the brightness and the stand. This monitor has a 250 cd/m2 which is almost half of the last monitor I was using, the Predator X34 GS. As for the stand, it’s unfortunately not great. As the monitor will wobble some when using the stand it came with. This is because the monitor is quite heavy and the stand is made of a cheap plastic. So if you go for this (it’s a great monitor), make sure to mount it to the wall or a desk mount.
ASUS ROG Swift PG35VQ
This is another really good option if you’re looking for something premium. To start, the stand is made of metal so it’s a lot more sturdy. It also has some cool gaming design features like the RGB logo on the back and the projected ROG logo on the desk from the bottom side of the monitor stand. It’s got a 2ms response time and supports DisplayHDR 1000 as well as NVIDIA G-Sync Ultimate. In fact if you’re looking for ultrawide G-Sync monitors, this is the best one you’ll find. It also has a 200Hz refresh rate and a 500K:1 contrast ratio.
BenQ EX3203R
BenQ has made some pretty good gaming monitors in the past and this one is no different. In fact for a good few years I was using one of BenQ’s 35-inch curved gaming monitors with good results. This is a bit nicer than that one thanks to the higher refresh rate of 144Hz. It’s also a tad smaller than some of the others here at 32-inches. It supports FreeSync Premium Pro too, and it comes in at under $350. This is a decent pickup if you’re not looking to spend a lot.
ViewSonic Omni VX3418-2KPC
This is another decent budget option for those who don’t or can’t spend a ton of money but still want something nice for their gaming setup. A 1ms response time and the 144Hz refresh rate are the star features, but they’re not the only good traits. This is also a 34-inch curved panel so it’s nice and big, and there’s support for both HDMI and DisplayPort. One other notable feature is the built-in blue light filter you can toggle on if you want it. Other than that there’s not a ton else to write home about but this is still a good pick for budget shoppers who want a higher refresh rate.
LG 34GP950G-B
Rounding out this list as one of our last options is the 34GP950G-B from LG. What do we love about it? For starters it has a native 144Hz refresh rate that you can boost to 180Hz if you overclock it. It also supports G-Sync Ultimate, comes with SoundSync and VideoSync modes, and it has some RGB lighting on the back. Best of all, it’s got a rapid response time. This is another pricey option however. But the price tag is worth it.
AOC CU34G2X
Lastly, if you’re looking for another good less expensive ultrawide monitor for gaming, one of the best ones is the CU34G2X from AOC. At around $460 you’re getting a pretty good value with features like a 1ms response time, 144H refresh rate, and low input lag. It also comes with some pretty slim bezels which makes it nicer to look at. The stand is height adjustable too if you decide not to wall mount it. Overall, a great pick for under $500.
