Game your heart out with the best quality screens!
The home gaming industry has certainly come a very, very long way indeed from its humble beginnings in the 1970s, that’s for sure. The sophistication of the games, the incredible leaps in graphics, the advance from playing on the old cathode-ray tube televisions to the specialist gaming monitors of today equipped with 4K resolution and looking more like a cinema screen than a mere television set.
Monitoring The Gaming Landscape
The momentum in quality and convenience has been relentless and inevitable. And today, not only do you have an array of consoles, gaming chairs, and other accessories to name but two, but you also have, as mentioned above, specialist gaming monitors to play ‘til your heart’s content in absolutely stunning resolution and clarity.
This article will examine what we believe to be the top 5 gaming monitors available in the current marketplace in 2023.
But before we do that, let’s examine for a second what exactly is a gaming monitor?
A Brief Intro To Gaming Monitors
A gaming monitor is a screen designed with the specific requirement of playing video games on. They differ from a standard television screen and/or PC monitor in that their operating system is built specifically to project the output of your computer or console’s graphics card, image processing, and rendering onto the screen in the highest possible quality according to the specifications of the monitor in question.
Gaming monitors come in a quite literally dizzying array of sizes, shapes, resolution, aspect ratios, and image representation. For some wishing to purchase a gaming monitor for the first time, the sheer vastness of choice could leave you somewhat bewildered and unsure of where to even start!
What Gaming Monitor Is Right For Me?
In this article, we’ve consulted some top names in the gaming world about their opinions on the best gaming monitors available in 2023, and to that effect, we will list what they believe to be the cream of the crop in that regard.
Get comfy, log in, boot up, and away we go…
1. Alienware 34 QD-OLED
Simply put, this bad boy is as good as it gets in the current gaming monitor marketplace. Far and away the choice of professional gamers, this monitor takes OLED technology to a whole new level and surpasses it.
Boasting a 34-inch, ultrawide, curved screen, this will redefine the term immersive when gaming. The screen is nicely glossy in aesthetic with an effective anti-glare finish. It has a suitably sharp 3440x1440p resolution and an effective refresh rate of 165Hz that may be a full 10Hz less than its predecessor but you’ll fail to notice any difference.
If there’s any downside it’s that pixel density could be improved somewhat and depending on where you purchase it, it remains a pricey big-ticket item. But one that comes with the highest possible recommendation.
2. LG 27GN950-B
If 4K gaming is your thing, this baby is the one to beat. With higher resolution comes a greater need for rendering capacity to fully realize the frame-rate potential. A 27-inch flat screen design in a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a refresh rate of 144Hz certainly puts it in the premier league of gaming monitors.
Aside from the pin-sharp 4K display, one of the main selling points for the LG is its incredible 1 millisecond response time, meaning this baby handles smoothly like a dream.
3. Dell S2422HG
For those who want to balance cost-effective budgets with overall gaming quality, this trooper will suit all your needs and for a solid price too. Small in stature but big in delivery, don’t let size fool you, this baby has it where it counts.
A 23.6-inch curved screen in 16:9 aspect ratio, a pleasing 1080p HD resolution, and an impressive 165Hz refresh rate put this contender ahead of the pack in budget gaming monitors. Colors are bright, saturated, and sharp, with superb contrast to boot. If there’s any checks against it, it’s the lack of sRGB mode and speakers or USB port.
4. Samsung Odyssey G9
This baby puts the wide in ultrawide to whole new dimensions! A monster of a 49-inch curved screen with an astounding 1000R width that just screams “hold my beer!” to all other ultrawides out there. You’ll need a full 4 feet of desk space and some 17 inches of depth to accommodate this Godzilla of a monitor!
A 32:9 aspect ratio, a 5120×1440 resolution, an unsurpassed 240Hz refresh rate, and a 1 millisecond response time make this creature the undisputed king of the jungle in ultrawide gaming monitors.
5. GigaByte M27U
If you’re looking for a no-frills gaming monitor that’s not a budget nor high-end model, and you just want a solid, reliable but high-quality medium-priced gaming monitor, then it’s your lucky day ‘cause this little guy more than holds its own in the marketplace.
A 27-inch flat screen monitor with an impressive 4K 3840×2160 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, a very decent 160 Hz refresh rate, and a smooth response time all add up to a nifty little unit all told. Any downsides? Well, a disappointingly low native contrast and an unfortunate tendency for natural dimming work against it. But on aggregate, this monitor pouches above its weight and does everything you need of it should no-frills gaming be what you seek.
Hopefully, this article has helped point you in the right direction for your choice of gaming monitor. Go gamer!