Ultrawide monitors are useful for immersive gaming, as you can see more of your surroundings in games than on standard 16:9 monitors. Most ultrawide gaming monitors have a 21:9 aspect ratio with a 34-inch screen, but some have larger 49-inch super ultrawide displays with a 32:9 aspect ratio, and you can even find others with a 38- or 45-inch screen size. While the market for ultrawide gaming monitors isn't as diversified as the market for smaller displays, you can still find some great ultrawide gaming monitors.
It's important to consider your budget when looking for a monitor, as there are options at a wide range of prices. We perform nearly 400 tests on each ultrawide monitor that we review to help you consider its performance before buying one. For gaming, its response time is important for motion handling, and using VRR also helps reduce screen tearing, with most monitors supporting both FreeSync and G-SYNC. You can also consider the monitor's input lag, but most have low enough input lag anyway. Game consoles don't support ultrawide aspect ratios, so these monitors aren't the best choice for consoles.
We've bought and tested over 340 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best ultrawide gaming monitors to buy. See our recommendations for the best curved gaming monitors, the best monitor sizes for gaming, and the best 34-49 inch monitors.
The best ultrawide gaming monitor we've tested is the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED. It has fantastic picture quality and high-end performance. It has a 34-inch screen with an 1800R curve that helps bring the edges closer to your field of vision, especially if you sit close to the monitor. This monitor has a near-instantaneous response time for incredible motion handling, so there's virtually no visible blur behind fast-moving objects. It also has a 240Hz refresh rate for a smooth and responsive feel. On top of that, it supports native FreeSync VRR to reduce screen tearing and is G-SYNC compatible.
This monitor uses a QD-OLED panel, providing exceptional picture quality. It displays deep blacks next to bright highlights in dark rooms, with vivid and life-like colors. This makes it an ideal choice for playing HDR games, as highlights also pop. However, deep blacks appear slightly purple if there's a lot of ambient light, so it's not ideal for gaming in brighter rooms.
If you find the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED too expensive, check out the LG 34GS95QE-B, which you can sometimes find for less. Like the MSI, it has a 34-inch screen. However, it has a more aggressive 800R curve, so the edges are really brought closer to your field of vision. It has the same 240Hz refresh rate and near-instantaneous response time as the MSI, so it's as fantastic for competitive gaming. Additionally, it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of HDMI 2.1 graphics cards.
However, a difference with the MSI is that its colors aren't as vivid because it doesn't have a QD-OLED panel. However, unlike the MSI, the LG's WOLED panel doesn't appear slightly purple in brighter rooms, so it's a better choice if you have a lot of ambient light. Besides that, it has two USB-A ports to which you can connect your devices, but if you want something with a USB-C port, you can also look into the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDM. It has a very similar performance to the LG, but it also costs more.
If you don't need the best performance or picture quality possible, other low-cost options exist without an OLED panel, like the LG 34GP83A-B. It has the same 34-inch screen size and 3440x1440 resolution as the more expensive LG 34GS95QE-B, and despite having a lower 160Hz refresh rate, it's still good enough for most gamers. Fast-moving objects look fairly crisp, though not nearly as crisp as on the 34GS95QE-B.
Its picture quality isn't as good as the 34GS95QE-B either because it has an LED-backlit IPS panel. As a result, it can't display deep blacks next to bright highlights, but that's the trade-off you need to make for getting a cheaper display. It still displays a wide range of colors in HDR, though they don't look as vivid as on higher-end displays. However, it does have sharper text than an OLED, and you may prefer it if you play a lot of text-heavy games.
While budget ultrawide monitors often cost quite a bit, especially compared to other budget displays, there are some models you can find for less. The Dell S3422DWG is a great gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 34-inch screen, similar to the LG 34GP83A-B, but you do lose a bit on performance. For example, it has more smearing with fast-moving objects, but its overall response time is still good, and it has a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur.
One advantage of the Dell over the LG is that it delivers better picture quality, particularly for HDR gaming. It has a higher native contrast ratio and deep blacks look good next to bright highlights. While it's bright enough in HDR to fight glare, small highlights still don't pop against the rest of the image. While it has worse viewing angles than the LG, it also has an 1800R curve, so the edges are brought closer to you. This means colors don't look too washed out if you're sitting directly in front of the display.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9/G95SC S49CG95 is a super ultrawide QD-OLED monitor with the same 240Hz refresh rate as the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED, which is great for competitive gaming. However, it costs more and has a much bigger screen than the MSI, so only consider it if you want such a big display.
See our reviewThe LG 34GP950G-B has similar specs to the LG 34GP83A-B, like the size and refresh rate. It has native G-SYNC VRR support, which is great if you want to take full advantage of your NVIDIA graphics card, but it costs more than the 34GP83A-B. It can also be harder to find as it's an older monitor.
See our reviewThe Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is a high-end QD-OLED with similar picture quality to the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED. It costs less, which is good if you find the MSI too expensive, but it also has a lower 165Hz refresh rate.
See our reviewFeb 19, 2025: We removed the Gigabyte M34WQ from the Notable Mentions as it's hard to find. We introduced a new format to the article and updated the text to reflect these changes.
Dec 09, 2024: Replaced the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF with the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED, as the MSI has a higher refresh rate. Replaced the Dell Alienware AW3423DW with the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF as a Notable Mention.
Oct 22, 2024: Verified our picks for accuracy and consistency and added the Dell Alienware AW3423DW as a Notable Mention.
Aug 01, 2024: Added the LG 34GS95QE-B as 'Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor' to give another option after the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF. Replaced the Dell Alienware AW3423DW and the Corsair XENEON FLEX 45WQHD240 with the LG 34GP950G-B and the Gigabyte M34WQ in the Notable Mentions to reflect the current ultrawide gaming monitor market.
May 09, 2024: Replaced the Dell AW3423DW with the Dell AW3423DWF as the 'Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor,' as it has similar performance and costs less, and moved the AW3423DW to the Notable Mentions. Removed the 'Best Upper Mid-Range' category as the Dell AW3423DWF is close in price to the MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED, and the MSI is harder to find. Removed the LG 38WN95C-W as a Notable Mention, as it's now mentioned in the 'Best Mid-Range' section.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best ultrawide gaming monitors you can get for gaming. They are adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our ultrawide monitor reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. Most monitors are good enough to please most people, and the things we fault monitors on are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
What do you think of our picks? Let us know below.
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Update: Verified accuracy of picks. No change in recommendations.
What do you think of these changes? Let us know