HDR is a display signal format that uses a wider range of colors and higher, more dynamic brightness levels compared to SDR formats. While most monitors support HDR, this doesn't guarantee good performance. You need it to display deep blacks, get bright enough to make highlights pop, and make colors look vivid. Although most monitors are behind TVs when it comes to HDR, and only some support advanced formats like Dolby Vision or HDR10+, they're catching up with more OLED and Mini LED models coming out. The advantage of choosing a monitor over a TV is that they're smaller and more versatile for gaming or productivity.
In general, QD-OLEDs offer the best HDR picture quality, with more vivid colors than WOLEDs, but there are newer WOLED RGB Tandem panels coming out that get brighter. However, these OLED monitors tend to cost a lot, so you have to be prepared to pay a lot for the best HDR experience. While many budget monitors are limited in HDR, there are some that are still good enough for an impactful HDR experience.
We've bought and tested more than 380 monitors, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best monitors for HDR, including the best 4k HDR monitors. Check out our recommendations for the best HDR gaming monitors, the best Mini LED monitors, and the best multimedia monitors. However, if you don't think a monitor is right for you, check out the best TVs for movies instead.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
-
Best HDR Monitor
HDR Picture9.4HDR Color Volume8.8HDR Color Gamut9.6HDR Brightness6.8Contrast10Editing9.3PC Gaming9.1Size27"Panel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate240 HzNative Resolution3840 x 2160See all our test resultsDolby VisionYesThe best HDR monitor we've tested is the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM. It's a premium 27-inch, 4k, QD-OLED monitor that delivers superb picture quality. This is because it displays deep, inky blacks next to bright highlights in dark rooms, and there's no haloing around objects against dark backgrounds. Additionally, it produces bright enough highlights to make small details stand out, is accurate in HDR, and features vivid colors for a life-like image.
Although other high-end models use the same panel, this monitor is better suited for HDR than the competition because it supports Dolby Vision. It enables full utilization of sources that support Dolby Vision, such as an Xbox Series X|S or a Blu-ray player. It even has more picture modes and customizable settings in HDR than competing models. However, it performs best in a dark room because the black levels rise and dark colors desaturate in bright rooms, negatively impacting the picture quality. If you're looking for a display for a bright room, the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG is an alternative that features exceptionally low black levels in well-lit spaces. It's another 4k OLED with many of the same benefits, but colors aren't as vivid.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range HDR Monitor
HDR Picture9.5HDR Color Volume8.9HDR Color Gamut9.6HDR Brightness6.8Contrast10Editing8.9PC Gaming9.2Size27"Panel TypeQD-OLEDMax Refresh Rate360 HzNative Resolution2560 x 1440See all our test resultsDolby VisionNoIf you find that the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM is too expensive for your budget, you can save money by getting the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG. It differs from the PG27UCDM in that it has a lower 1440p resolution, which means it doesn't deliver the same detailed and sharp images. It doesn't support Dolby Vision either, which is a trade-off for getting something cheaper.
That said, it's still fantastic for HDR as it's another QD-OLED with all the benefits of that panel technology. This includes deep blacks in dark rooms, a wide range of vivid colors, and it gets as bright as the higher-end monitor with real content in HDR. However, if you prefer a brighter option, you can also consider the LG 27GX700A-B. It utilizes the new RGB Tandem OLED panel, which is brighter than the XG27ACDNG. However, it's less accurate in HDR, colors aren't as vivid, and it has a lower refresh rate, which is something to consider if you want to use it for gaming.
-
Best Mid-Range HDR Monitor
HDR Picture9.0HDR Color Volume8.0HDR Color Gamut9.0HDR Brightness7.3Contrast10Editing8.6PC Gaming9.0Size27"Panel TypeOLEDMax Refresh Rate240 HzNative Resolution2560 x 1440See all our test resultsDolby VisionNoIf you still find the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG too expensive, a mid-range option like the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG is a good, cheaper alternative. Like the XG27ACDNG, it features a 1440p OLED panel that enables it to display deep, inky blacks in dark rooms without haloing, but it differs in a few ways. Since the panel type is WOLED, colors are less vivid than those of the QD-OLED in the XG27ACDNG. While it doesn't deliver the absolute best HDR performance, it's still fantastic, especially at this price point. It also displays better black levels in bright rooms than the QD-OLEDs, making it a suitable choice for use in well-lit environments.
This monitor is better suited for HDR than other competing monitors because it achieves very high brightness thanks to its MLA+ technology, allowing highlights to really pop. Additionally, it features fantastic PQ EOTF tracking, ensuring that most content is displayed at the intended brightness. It also has a glossy screen coating, which isn't commonly found in other WOLED monitors at this price range, making images appear clearer than those on a monitor with a matte coating.
-
Best Lower Mid-Range HDR Monitor
HDR Picture6.8HDR Color Volume8.5HDR Color Gamut8.9HDR Brightness9.0Contrast6.2Editing7.9PC Gaming7.7Size27"Panel TypeIPSMax Refresh Rate320 HzNative Resolution3840 x 2160See all our test resultsDolby VisionNoIf you don't have the budget for an OLED, the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx offers great value at a lower cost. It's different from the higher-end models because it doesn't have an OLED panel with the same deep blacks in dark rooms. It also has more haloing around bright objects than the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG, which is a trade-off for getting this cheaper alternative. It instead uses Mini LED backlighting with a passable local dimming feature that you can use in HDR. This local dimming helps improve black levels, with some haloing around bright objects. An advantage of this monitor is how bright it gets, which helps it fight glare well and makes highlights pop in HDR.
Besides that, it displays a wide range of colors in HDR and even makes them look more vivid than on the ASUS. Plus, it maintains low black levels in bright rooms, making it a good choice even for well-lit environments. Images are also more detailed on this monitor thanks to its high 4k resolution.
-
Best Budget HDR Monitor
HDR Picture8.0HDR Color Volume8.3HDR Color Gamut8.3HDR Brightness8.7Contrast8.8Editing7.9PC Gaming8.2Size27"Panel TypeVAMax Refresh Rate180 HzNative Resolution2560 x 1440See all our test resultsDolby VisionNoWhile most budget monitors have limited HDR performance, there are a few with good HDR picture quality, like the AOC Q27G3XMN. It's similar to the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx because it also uses Mini LED backlighting. You may actually prefer its overall HDR performance, as it offers an improved local dimming feature and a higher native contrast ratio, resulting in deeper blacks. It also has less haloing around bright objects. If you want something with better local dimming, you can also check out the similar AOC Q27G40XMN, which is available in the U.S. and sometimes costs less. However, it can be harder to find depending on your region.
The downside of getting the Q27G3XMN over the Acer is that it has a lower 1440p resolution. This means images aren't as detailed, but this is what you have to expect in the budget category. Another negative is that this monitor has more smearing with fast-moving objects than the Acer, which is something to consider if you watch fast-paced content.
Notable Mentions
-
ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM:
The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is a larger alternative to the ASUS ROG Swift OLED P27UCDM. It performs similarly for the most part, but it tends to cost more.
See our review -
Gigabyte MO27Q28G:
The Gigabyte MO27Q28G is an upper mid-range OLED that's brighter than the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG. It's something to consider if you want a display for a well-lit room. However, colors are more vivid on the ASUS.
See our review -
Dell S3225QC:
The Dell S3225QC is a mid-range model that uses a QD-OLED panel with more vivid colors than the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG. The Dell also has more detailed images thanks to its higher resolution. However, it's less accurate in HDR than the ASUS.
See our review
Recent Updates
Feb 20, 2026:
We added the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx as the 'Best Lower Mid-Range HDR Monitor' to give another option. We also replaced the BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX and the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 with the Gigabyte MO27Q28G and the Dell S3225QC in the Notable Mentions.
Dec 05, 2025:
We've moved the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM to the Notable Mentions section and renamed the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM as the 'Best HDR Monitor' for consistency with other recommendations. In the Notable Mentions, we also removed the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED, the Xiaomi G Pro 27i, and the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, and added the BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX and the Acer Nitro XV275K P5biipruzx.
Jul 10, 2025:
We replaced the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED with the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27ACDNG, as the MSI is hard to find.
Apr 16, 2025:
We added the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM as the 'Best 27-Inch Monitor' to give another option. We also replaced the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 with the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED because the Gigabyte can be harder to find. We removed the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx because it's hard to find, too. Lastly, we added the Xiaomi G Pro 27i and the FO27Q3 to the Notable Mentions.
Feb 19, 2025:
We removed the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx and renamed the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG as the 'Best Mid-Range Monitor' because it has better picture quality. We also added the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3 as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor' and the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx as the 'Best Cheap' for consistency with other articles. We replaced the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80, Dell Alienware AW2725DF, and the MSI MPG 341CQPX QD-OLED with the Acer XV275K, MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED, and MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED in the Notable Mentions to reflect changes and the current market. Lastly, we introduced a new format to the article.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best HDR monitors available, including the best 4k HDR monitors. They're adapted to be valid for most people. The rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you would prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all the reviews of monitors that support HDR. 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.