Best Gaming Monitor 2020: The top displays for PC, PS4 and Xbox One

What’s the best gaming monitor?

Looking for the best gaming monitor for your setup? You’re in the right place.

We’ve assembled a list of gaming monitors catering too all sorts of gamers, whether you want an ultra-wide display, a television-sized panel or a high-performance screen to give you the edge in competitive play. We’ve even included options for console gamers, just in case you’re preparing for the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

We’ve ranked our top ten picks below, although you can see our quick summary just below to make it easier to find the perfect gaming monitor for you:

• Best overall gaming monitor: Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ
• Best value gaming monitor: Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ
• Best widescreen gaming monitor: Samsung CRG90 (C49RG90)
• Best 27-inch gaming monitor: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ
• Best Quad HD gaming monitor: ViewSonic Elite XG270QG
• Best budget gaming monitor: ViewSonic XG2401
• Best TV-sized gaming monitor: Alienware 55 OLED Gaming Monitor
• Best 43-inch gaming monitor: Asus ROG Strix XG438Q
• Best value HDR gaming monitor: AOC AGON AG322QC4
• Best console gaming monitor: Asus CG32UQ

Related: Best Graphics Card 2020

 

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.

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. Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ

Best value gaming monitor

Pros: 

• Stellar high refresh-rate performance
• Adds motion blur reduction for gaming
• Great colour quality
• Cheaper than many rivals

Cons:

• Middling contrast levels
• No RGB LEDs, USB ports or remote controls
• Poor speakers

If you’re looking for one of the best gaming monitors available without the price ballooning into the thousands, we recommend the Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ.

It may look like your standard gaming monitor, but with a Quad HD IPS panel, 165Hz refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync technology, you’re getting both a rapid performance and a gorgeous picture.

Available for under £500, it’s not the cheapest gaming monitor available, but still represents fantastic value for what you’re getting. Although we do suggest donning some gaming headphones, as the integrated speakers aren’t the best.

• Read our full Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ review

3. Samsung CRG90 (C49RG90)

Best widescreen gaming monitor

Pros: 

• Stunning screen quality
• Excellent HDR performance
• Solid physical design
• Huge resolution
• Fast, attractive OSD

Cons:

• 32:9 won’t suit everyone
• Many graphics cards will struggle
• No speakers included
• Middling refresh rate
• 4ms response time

The Samsung CRG90 is the best widescreen monitor we’ve tested to date. If you’re buying a monitor for gaming you will appreciate not only the generous real-estate here, which makes racing, but also the excellent image quality with a 5120 x 1440 resolution, and VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification.

Excellent contrast and sRGB colour space coverage mean that games simply look fantastic, rich, and colourful, without feeling too saturated or overblown.

On the downside, the Samsung CRG90 is huge, expensive and limited to a 120Hz refresh rate. But, for the great majority of gamers with ample desk space and a credit limit to match, the Samsung CRG90 is a solid purchase.

• Read our full Samsung CRG90 review

4. Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ

The best 27-inch display we’ve tested

Pros:

• Fantastic image quality
• Superb gaming performance
• Stunning HDR
• Incredible 4K detail

Cons:

• Mind-bogglingly expensive
• Still only a 27-inch display

The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ is essentially the little brother of our number one gaming monitor (Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ), offering the holy trinity – 4K resolution, HDR support and 144Hz refresh rate – but with a smaller screen size. 

That’s both a blessing and a curse, as the 27-inch screen size may fit better on most desks, but the approximately £1700 price is insanely expensive for a gaming monitor of this size.

If you want the absolute best 27-inch gaming monitor, regardless of the price, then we believe this is your best bet, although you can certainly get cheaper alternatives.

• Read our full Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ review

5. ViewSonic Elite XG270QG

The best Quad HD gaming monitor

Pros:

• Loads of high-end gaming features
• Accurate, consistent colours
• Plenty of adjustment options
• Smart, sleek physical design

Cons:

• Contrast could be better
• Pricier than a lot of rivals
• No USB Type-C

The ViewSonic Elite XG270QG is a superb all-rounder gaming monitor and our top pick for those with a Quad HD resoltion.

Features include a 1440p resolution, 165Hz refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync. Even more impressive is the fact this gaming monitor is among the first to combine an IPS panel with 1ms response time, so you’re getting a quality picture quality without sacrificing on performance.

The biggest downside is the underwhelming 806:1 contrast ratio, but it’s a small issue considering how great the ViewSonic Elite XG270QG is for both eSport players and picture snobs.

• Read our full ViewSonic Elite XG270QG review

6. ViewSonic XG2401

Best value 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 a virtual checklist of all the essential features for an eSports gamer. 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 ticks the essential boxes for competitive gamers who don’t want to spend a fortune.

• 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.

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 PC games on a blockbuster screen without comprising on the ultra-speedy performance. If you’re a console gamer, you’re probably better off with a standard TV.

• Read our full Alienware 55 OLED Gaming Monitor review

8. 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 close to perfection 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

 

 

9. 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

10. Asus CG32UQ

A gaming monitor designed for consoles

Pros:

• Great core image quality, with huge contrast
• Decent mid-range HDR options
• Smart, feature-packed physical design
• RGB LEDs add ambient lighting

Cons:

• Too small for the living room
• Expensive when compared to alternatives
• Disappointing 60Hz AMD FreeSync

The Asus CG32UQ is pitched as a gaming monitor, supposedly better suited for the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X than your gaming PC.

We can see the logic there, with the 60Hz refresh rate putting off PC gamers, and the 3840 x 2160 resolution, VESA DisplayHDR 600 and excellent integrated speakers pulling in the console crowd.

The 31.5in screen size will admittedly put off those who want to game in the living room, but the Asus CG32UQ is still a great option for those who plan on gaming with a console at a desk.

• Read our full Asus CG32UQ 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?

 FreeSync and G-Sync are two technologies that aim to address the issues of tearing and stuttering. Both occur as a result of the fact that monitors normally run at a fixed refresh rate while graphics cards simply churn out frames as fast as they can.

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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