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What’s the best gaming monitor in 2021?

It’s all well and good having a high-end console or gaming PC, but if you don’t have a decent screen to go with it, you simply won’t be getting a true ‘next-gen’ experience. There’s no need to fret though, as we’ve assembled a list of the very best gaming monitor options currently available to you.

We’ve included monitors of all shapes and sizes, including ultra-wide displays and a behemoth panel that wouldn’t look out of place in your living room. We’ve also made sure to feature Full HD, Quad HD and 4K options, catering to large range of budgets.

Check out our current top picks below, and keep this page bookmarked for future updates:

1. Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ

Best overall gaming monitor

Pros: 

• Incredible, smooth gaming with 200Hz G-Sync and HDR
• Fantastic image quality
• Bold design with RGB LEDs
• Huge, curved screen with high resolution

Cons:

• Not the best port selection
• Outrageously expensive
• Occasional blurring and haloing

The Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ is our absolute favourite gaming monitor right now. It has everything you’ll want in a gaming panel, including 3440 x 1440 resolution, DisplayHDR 1000 compatibility, Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate and a 200Hz overclocked refresh rate.

That 35-inch curved screen is also an ideal size for a desktop, while the twisted stand design adds some snazzy flair to set it apart from bland office gear.

Costing around £2500, this is a very expensive option. But with only niggling issues, such as a stingy port offering and a lack of integrated speakers, the Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ is the closest you’re going to get to gaming monitor perfection.

• Read our full Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ review

2. Razer Raptor

Best mid-range gaming monitor

Pros: 

• Gorgeous Quad HD display
• 100% sRGB colour coverage
• Fantastic gaming performance
• Slick design and dazzling RGB lighting

Cons:

• Pretty expensive
• Lacks integrated speakers

The Razer Raptor hits the sweet spot between price and performance, offering superb specs without seeing the price spiral into the thousands. You might not get 4K here, but the Quad HD IPS panel looks gorgeous with vivid colours and sharp detail.

It’s also loaded with gaming features, with a 144Hz refresh rate and support for both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. The only let down in this department is the 7ms response time, although you can push that all the way down to 1ms thanks to Razer’s clever software.

The Razer Raptor might not be the most extravagant gaming monitor then, but it has a really impressive spec sheet considering it only costs £699. It’s even more tempting to buy if you already own some Razer peripherals, so you can sync them all up for a mesmerising RGB light show.

• Read our full Razer Raptor review

3. Samsung Odyssey G9

Best widescreen gaming monitor

Pros: 

• Fantastic widescreen design
• Superb 240Hz AMD FreeSync
• Great image quality in SDR and HDR modes

Cons:

• Super-wide design won’t suit everyone
• Needs some more ports
• Underwhelming lighting

The Samsung Odyssey G9 is the absolute best widescreen gaming monitor you can buy right now. With a 49-inch diagonal, 5120 x 1440 display you’re getting a highly detailed picture, while the high 240Hz refresh rate also ensures slick motion for fast-paced action blockbusters.

At £1280, it’s also got a very reasonable price considering the specs. The biggest issue is finding where to put it, as its super-long length makes impractical for many gamers.

It’s worth pointing out that the 32:9 form factor won’t suit every game, including first-person shooters where vertical space is important. Watching movies will also see huge black bars appear on the sides. But for grand strategy games and productivity tasks, the Samsung Odyssey G9 is a top-notch gaming monitor option.

• Read our full Samsung Odyssey G9 review

4. Acer Predator XB273UGS

The best value 27-inch display we’ve tested

Pros:

• Great colour depth
• Fast refresh panel
• Good motion quality, for IPS

Cons:

• Contrast not as rich as a VA gaming monitor
• Anti-reflective layer leaves a slightly granular character

The Acer Predator XXB273UGS is arguably the best gaming monitor on this list for the majority of gamers. Its 27-inch screen size is small enough to easily fit on you desk, and the £499.99 price is very affordable when compared to some of its rivals.

A 1440p resolution also gives you a bump on Full HD, making it very good option for the incoming Xbox Series S. A 165Hz refresh rate also ensures a snappy performance, which is very important for competitive shooters and the like.

There are a couple of issues here, such as mediocre contrast and an underwhelming performance when you’re sat in the dark, but this is otherwise as superb Quad HD gaming monitor that’s well worth considering.

• Read our full Acer Predator XB273UGS review

5. Samsung Odyssey G7

Excellent Quad HD gaming monitor

Pros:

• Immersive curved design
• Great 240Hz AMD FreeSync
• Impressive image quality
• Loads of adjustment options

Cons:

• Could do with some more ports
• Not the best HDR options
• Not cheap

If you want the best possible Quad HD gaming monitor – whether that’s for a gaming PC or the Xbox Series S – then the Samsung Odyssey G7 is our top recommendation. It’s significantly more expensive than the Acer Predator monitor above, but you get a lot of improved features in return.

Firstly, the G7 boasts an incredibly high 240Hz, which will give you a higher performance ceiling for eSports titles such as Apex Legends and Fortnite. The curved design also helps to make it look pretty suave and helps to make the large 32-inch panel more accommodating.

It’s not perfect, with the odd omission of USB-C and the lack of speakers forcing you to buy your own audio setup, but these are issues worth compromising on considering the quality of the display.

• Read our full Samsung Odyssey G7 review

6. ViewSonic XG2401

Best budget Full HD 144Hz gaming monitor

Pros:

• Good gaming performance
•  Decent overall image quality
•  Plenty of features for the price

Cons:

• Lacklustre design
• A touch expensive

The ViewSonic XG2401 is the cheapest gaming monitor on this list, despite completing a virtual checklist of all the essential features. Not only do you get a super-fast 144Hz panel with 1ms response times, you don’t have to compromise on practicality thanks to the fully adjustable stand. AMD’s FreeSync is also built in, so if you have an AMD graphics card you can enjoy tear-free gaming at super-smooth frame rates.

There are compromises; the monitor uses TN panel to get those super-fast refresh rates, so viewing angles and colours don’t quite match the best screens on this list. And we weren’t huge fans of the red highlights ViewSonic’s added as a form of go-faster stripe.

Still, for the money, it’s a great Full HD option if you’re not comfortable spending lots of cash.

• Read our full ViewSonic XG2401 review 

7. Alienware 55 OLED Gaming Monitor

Best TV-sized gaming monitor

Pros:

• Incredible picture quality
• High 120Hz refresh rate
• Stylish sci-fi design
• Low input latency and fast response time

Cons:

• Incredibly expensive
• Lacks HDR

The Alienware 55 OLED Gaming Monitor may look like a television, but features such as a 120Hz refresh rate, 0.5m response time and AMD FreeSync technology leave no room for questions over its gaming credentials.

Thanks to that 4K OLED panel, you’re arguably getting the best picture quality on this list, while the 55-inch size makes this an ideal monitor for living room gaming. It’s got all the credentials to make it an excellent option for the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

But with prices hovering around an intimidating £3000 price, this gaming monitor is incredibly expensive, especially when you factor in the lack of HDR support. For that reason, we only recommend the buy if you want to play games on a blockbuster screen without comprising on the ultra-speedy performance. We also suggest checking out our Best Gaming TV list if you’re keen on this form factor.

• Read our full Alienware 55 OLED Gaming Monitor review

8. MSI Optix MAG272CQR

Best value gaming monitor for Xbox Series S

Pros:

• Impressive core image quality
• Smooth 165Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync 2
• Immersive, curved design
• Includes USB-C

Cons:

• Poor gaming modes
• Minor, high-end ghosting issues

The MSI Optix MAG272CQR feels like the perfect gaming monitor for the Xbox Series S. It has a Quad HD resolution, a high 165Hz refresh rate to make the most of the console’s 120fps performance and is available at a relatively affordable £400.

There are of course better specced Quad HD monitors out there, but paying for a monitor with a higher refresh rate is a needless expense for the Series S. You could also make an argument that non-competitive PC gamers don’t really need a higher refresh rate.

We did notice some slight ghosting issues when testing the monitor, but it’s hard to find another flaw. It’s even got a USB-C port, making it easier to hook up your gaming laptop.

• Read our full MSI Optix MAG272CQR review

9. Asus ROG Strix XG438Q

Best 43-inch gaming monitor

Pros:

• Huge, immersive 43in 4K screen
• Great core image quality
• Punchy, powerful speakers
• Good set of features

Cons:

• Looks a little dated
• Size could not suit some situations
• Not big enough for some living rooms
• Middling HDR option

The Asus ROG Strix XG438Q looks ideal when judged by its specs sheet, with a 4K resolution, 120Hz  refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR 600 support and AMD FreeSync 2.

The problem? That 43-inch screen size will be awkward for most, proving too big for a desk, but also too small for the living room when compared to most modern day televisions.

If you’ve a small living room or a massive desk though, and a 43-inch display is exactly what you want, then the Asus ROG Strix XG438Q gets our top recommendation. And not only will it be great for PC gaming, but a worthwhile option for the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

• Read our full Asus ROG Strix XG438Q review

10. AOC AGON AG322QC4

Best value HDR

Pros:

• Great contrast levels
• Solid colour accuracy
• Sturdy, feature-filled design

Cons:

• HDR has limited impact
• Remote control is awful

The AOC AGON AG322QC4 is arguably ahead of its time, offering HDR support on an affordable mid-range gaming monitor.

You typically only see such a feature on high-end gaming monitors, but with AGON AG322QC4 only offering up entry-level HDR standard its picture isn’t going to look as good as those more expensive rivals.

If you’re really keen for HDR at an affordable price, this is still a good option, especially with awesome features such as a 2560 x 1440 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync and an all-round terrific picture quality.

• Read our full AOC AGON AG322QC4 review

Those are our top picks of the best gaming monitors. If you want to know more about gaming monitors FreeSync and G-Sync technology read on.

What about FreeSync and G-Sync?

You can read more about how the technologies work in our FreeSync review – but, essentially, they ensure the monitor keeps in sync with the speed at which the graphics card outputs each new frame. This eliminates tearing and stuttering, making games look better and run more smoothly.

As such, for those who are simply after a gaming monitor for pure competitive advantage neither is essential. But if you’re also concerned with having a more immersive, visually pleasing gaming experience, then either tech is well worth investing in.

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