Any monitor can be used for PC gaming, but a display built for productivity will likely leave you underwhelmed. Limited contrast, blurry motion, and slow refresh rates still hold basic productivity monitors back. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of excellent gaming monitors available at a wide range of price points—and the best of them embrace cutting-edge technology unavailable in any other PC display.
Here are the best gaming monitors of 2022 so far. (If you aren’t sold on a gaming monitor, check out our recommendations for the best monitors overall and the best 4K monitors.)
Updated 02/07/2023: To include the Acer Predator XB27U F gaming monitor as our pick for best 360Hz gaming monitor. It has the best motion performance of any monitor around and also packs solid image quality on top. Be sure to read our review below for more info.
1. Alienware AW3423DW – Best gaming monitor overall
Pros
- Excellent contrast ratio
- Top-notch color gamut and accuracy
- Great motion clarity
- Respectable HDR performance
- Extremely competitive price
Cons
- Stand is a bit too large
- No USB-C
- Maximum HDR brightness is lackluster
Alienware’s AW3423DWF is an outstanding PC gaming monitor.
This monitor has a QD-OLED panel which is like that used in top-tier OLED televisions. OLED provides a nearly infinite contrast ratio, excellent color performance, and respectable brightness. The result is a punchy, vibrant image with an unparalleled sense of dimensionality. The monitor’s ultrawide aspect ratio only heightens the sense of immersion.
Motion clarity is superb. The monitor has a refresh up to 165Hz and supports both AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and VESA Adaptive Sync. The OLED panel technology it uses has lower pixel response times than competitors, too, so there’s minimal added blur and ghosting in motion. Motion is as crisp as you’ll find below 240Hz.
The Alienware AW3423DWF is an alternative to the AW3423DW, a slightly older and nearly identical monitor. The AW3423DW has a higher fresh rate of 175Hz and supports Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate. It’s also $100 to $200 more expensive. Though we recommend the AW3423DWF for most people, the AW3423DW is better for owners of high-end Nvidia graphics cards.
The AW3423DWF is expensive at $1,099.99, but its performance justifies the price. Competing 34-inch and 38-inch ultrawides without QD-OLED technology are often just as expensive but have less impressive image quality.
2. Acer Nitro XV272 – Best budget gaming monitor
Pros
- Very accurate color
- Great out-of-box image quality
- Good range of image adjustments
- Smooth, clear motion performance
Cons
- Expensive for a 1080p monitor
- Bland, basic design
- Modest SDR brightness
Gaming monitors are often expensive, but they don’t have to be. The Acer Nitro XV272 has everything a PC gamer needs for under $250.
The Nitro XV272 is a 27-inch, 1080p monitor with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. It’s G-Sync Compatible and supports AMD FreeSync Premium. This feature set makes it well-suited to handle competitive games. The monitor’s IPS panel shows some motion blur, but clarity is as good as you’ll find for under $250.
Image quality is excellent. The Nitro XV272’s contrast and color performance is in league with some gaming monitors sold for twice as much. It does fall behind in brightness and isn’t a good choice for HDR games—but this is true of all budget gaming monitors.
This monitor throws in a stand with significant ergonomic adjustment and a variety of image-quality controls that help you tweak the picture to your liking. These perks push the XV272 ahead of the competition.
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3. Acer Predator CG48 – Best big screen gaming monitor </h3>
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Excellent SDR, strong HDR image </li>
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Great motion clarity </li>
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Superior contrast and wide color gamut </li>
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Multiple PC-friendly connections including USB-C hub </li>
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Useful bundled remote </li>
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Only one HDMI 2.1 input </li>
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Sharpness is just ok </li>
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Stand offers no adjustment, no VESA mount </li>
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