The 4 best gaming monitors of 2025 | Mashable tested

Usually, the bigger displays are on the more expensive side. However, bigger isn't always better — if you get a monitor that's too cumbersome, you'll regret it.

The higher the resolution, the higher pixel count, which creates better visual detail and clarity. You'll want something that is at least 1080p full HD, but ideally 2160p 4K and above.

This measures the number of times your monitor can refresh an image per second. As long as you have a good GPU in your computer, you should be able to handle a smooth frame rate — 144Hz and up.

Response time is a measurement of how much time a pixel needs to go from black to white. When it comes to gaming, this will mostly affect camera movement — the lower the response time, the less motion blur you'll experience.

If you're looking to get into curved gaming monitors, the Acer Predator X34 is the cream of the crop. It has incredible visuals with vibrant colors, as well as a fantastic refresh rate and response time that make playing any game feel smooth and enjoyable. It doesn't have a crazy curve compared to other monitors, so if you aren't sure that the curve is for you, this is a great middle ground to start with.

If you're not fully sold on the concept of a curved gaming monitor, the Acer Predator X34 may just change things for you. This 34-inch OLED monitor is easily the best of the monitors we tested, boasting incredible visuals and speed that make for a deeply immersive gaming experience.

OLED monitors are all the rage these days, and this monitor is a perfect example of why that is. The X34 features a 3440 x 1440 pixel resolution with a vibrant color gamut that looks incredible no matter what you're playing, from Cyberpunk 2077 to The Sims. Competitive gamers will also find a lot to love here, thanks to its fast refresh rate and response time — the 240Hz, 0.01 millisecond display keeps gameplay feeling smooth, even during hectic Warzone shootouts and close races in Forza Horizon 5. We noticed nearly zero motion blur during our testing, which was super impressive.

For those worried about the curved design of this monitor, it's way less severe than you'd think. Those with less experience may find it a little jarring at first, but once you get used to it, the 800R curve really enhances the immersion of whatever you're playing. So, if being totally in the moment with your games is important to you, you'll probably dig it. Other highlights of this monitor include its great variety of ports — two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, and a USB-C port — and the fact that it has already gone on sale. At the time of this writing, the monitor is currently listed at just $899.99 on Amazon.

As for the negatives, there aren't many, and they all have to do with the X34's stand. For one, the base is just too wide. It takes up way more space than it should, and some people may have issues finding the perfect monitor stand for it. Also, we noticed some slight wobbling during gameplay, mostly while typing. These didn't ruin the experience by any means, but it's something to take note of.

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The MSI MPG 272URX is a great, non-curved alternative to the Acer Predator X34. It's an OLED monitor as well, has the same refresh rate at 240HZ, and features an only slightly lower response time at 0.03 milliseconds. If you want a gaming monitor that's a bit more traditional but has all the perks of a speedy OLED display, you won't regret picking one up.

For those who aren't so interested in getting a curved gaming monitor, the MSI MPG 272URX is a great alternative to the Acer Predator X34. It has many of the same perks, but in a more traditional design that most people will be used to already.

Like the X34, this gaming monitor is an OLED display with a high resolution, refresh rate, and response time. It actually has a better resolution than the X34 at 3840 x 2160 pixels, the same refresh rate at 240Hz, and a slightly slower response time at 0.03 milliseconds (which honestly feels negligible in practice). Also like the X34, we loved our time with this monitor — the visuals are fantastic, and paired with the deep color gamut, every detail during gameplay looked super sharp. The monitor is fast, too, and we didn't notice much motion blur or screen tearing while playing more competitive games.

The monitor has a lot of connectivity options, which make it just as useful for productivity tasks as it is for gaming. You'll find two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 2.1a, USB-C, two USB-A ports, a USB-B port, and a 3.5mm audio out. The chassis and included stand are very sturdy and feel high-quality, which is a nice touch.

We had two gripes with this gaming monitor though, one being the display's overall brightness. It's a bit dim, which makes it tough to see things when playing in direct sunlight — at night, we found no issues. The second issue is that the monitor is priced just a bit too high for a 27-inch screen. It's subjective, but we think this monitor would be better priced just below the $1,000 mark.

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If you want some of the best visuals that money can buy in a gaming monitor, you'll want to seriously consider getting an Alienware AW3225QF. This 4K OLED monitor has the best visuals of every gaming monitor we tested, and has the speed to match. Also, it looks pretty sick.

The Alienware AW3225QF is the best-looking gaming monitor we tested, both in terms of visuals and its overall aesthetic. Even though it isn't our top pick (more on that later), we can easily recommend it to anyone who has a sizeable budget and is willing to pay a premium for the best possible experience.

This 4K monitor features one of the best OLED panels we've seen. It has a spectacular 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, with a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03 millisecond response time that'll have your games looking detailed and buttery smooth. It has an extremely vibrant color gamut that outclassed all the other monitors on this list, and the amount of brightness we were able to get was really helpful during daytime play. We didn't experience any noticeable input lag or screen tearing during gameplay, so you can rest assured that this monitor is fast. The display also offers Dolby Vision HDR support, which is meant to improve brightness, contrast, and color. This looks great in practice, but the multiple HDR modes within the monitor may be confusing to some — it took us some time to get the hang of it.

You'll also notice that this monitor has a slight curve — the less pronounced nature of it helps with immersion without being too overwhelming, which is a nice compromise for those who aren't sold on the curve just yet. The overall aesthetic of the monitor is a high point, featuring a stark white body that doesn't delve too deeply into the "gamer look," but still is unique and full of character. This display has a good amount of ports, too, including two HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, a USB-B upstream port, a DisplayPort, and two more USB-A and USB-C connectors on the underside of the screen.

Besides the semi-confusing HDR settings, the only other thing keeping this monitor from being our top pick is the hefty price tag. At $1,199.99, it's going to cost you a pretty penny, and the similarly great Acer Predator X34 is a much better deal at $899.99 (it goes on sale pretty often). If you can afford it, we say go for it anyway.

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If you're looking for the most immersive experience you can get, the Samsung Odyssey G95C will certainly get you there. This super ultrawide display features a 1000R curve that feels as if it's full wrapping around you, which really keeps your head in the game (almost literally).

You might've looked at our picture of this monitor and giggled to yourself over the sheer size of it, but trust us when we say that this super ultrawide monitor is no gimmick. The Samsung Odyssey G95C is a 49-inch monitor that features a 1000R curve, which basically feels as if the screen is wrapping around your heard. That may sound scary, but it has a purpose: To fully immerse you in whatever you're playing. It certainly does that — anytime we used this monitor, it had our full attention, making us feel like we were transported into a different world. Isn't that what gaming is all about?

While the curve of this monitor is the main attraction, it's not the only highlight. The visuals are actually pretty good, but not the best we've seen. There's a bit of a trade-off when you get a monitor this wide, but the 5,120 x 1,440 pixel display still looks lovely in most games, and the 240Hz refresh rate is a welcome bonus. The slower, one-millisecond response time was a bit disappointing to us, but understandable and not a huge issue. We got a bit more motion blur than usual, but not enough to make gaming on this monitor unenjoyable. You'll get HDR 1000 support, though, which helps with the brightness and contrast of colors.

We also loved the fact that you can use this monitor as a two-in-one display. You can either split the screen in half for picture-by-picture, or use picture-in-picture mode, which is really unique and fun to use once you set it up. There's even an Eye Saver mode that reduces screen flickering, which comes in handy during longer sessions and remedies eye strain. Finally, the build quality is great. The body and base are very sturdy, and thank goodness for that, because if this monitor ever toppled, it'd be game over.

Other than the response time, our only other criticism of the Samsung Odyssey G95C is that it's just not going to be manageable for the majority of desk spaces. You need a lot of room to fit this monitor and then some if you don't want to risk shoulder-checking it by accident when you get up. For some, this monitor may be too much, but if you want immersion over anything else, we think it's worth checking out.

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