The 5 Best HDR Gaming Monitors - Fall 2024

The best gaming monitor for HDR that we've tested is the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80. It offers both high-end gaming performance and premium picture quality. It's a 32-inch, 4k monitor with a QD-OLED panel that's fantastic for HDR because it has a near-infinite contrast ratio that displays perfect blacks next to bright highlights that pop. It even displays an incredibly wide color gamut with a remarkable color volume, so your favorite games look stunningly vivid and life-like, and the high resolution makes content appear full of detail.

Another advantage of this monitor is its near-instantaneous response time, which results in crystal-clear motion in games with no distracting blur trail. The monitor's 240Hz refresh rate benefits most gamers, and its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth can take full advantage of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. One of the downsides when it comes to HDR content is that the matte screen coating introduces haziness. If that bothers you, the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED is another QD-OLED with a glossy coating for a clearer image, but it's sometimes harder to find.

If you don't need a high-end 4k monitor like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80, then check out the lower-end Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3. It has a QD-OLED panel like the Samsung, so the picture quality is nearly the same in HDR with deep blacks and vivid colors, but there are a few trade-offs for getting the cheaper Gigabyte. It has a lower resolution than the Samsung, so images aren't as detailed, and it has a smaller screen, but size is a personal preference anyway.

Besides that, it's still fantastic for gaming as it has the same near-instantaneous response time as the Samsung, so fast-moving objects are sharp, and it even has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of modern graphics cards and gaming consoles. This includes supporting any signal from consoles like downscaled 4k @ 120Hz, which is useful because the Xbox Series X|S only supports HDR with 4k signals.

If you don't need high-end QD-OLEDs like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G80SD S32DG80 and the Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3, you can still find the best HDR monitor for gaming in the mid-range price category, like with the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG. It's an OLED monitor, but unlike the higher-end monitors, it has a WOLED panel and not QD-OLED, so colors aren't as vivid. That said, it still offers incredible picture quality in HDR with deep blacks, and it also gets bright enough to make small highlights pop.

Aside from those small differences, it provides everything you'd expect from a gaming monitor, like a near-instantaneous response time and support for all common VRR formats. It has a lower 240Hz refresh rate than the Gigabyte, but it's still high enough for most gamers. Unfortunately, it doesn't support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it can't take full advantage of HDMI 2.1 sources. If that's important to you, the LG 27GS95QE-B is a similar monitor that supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, but it doesn't get as bright as the ASUS.

OLEDs like the ones mentioned above are most beneficial for gaming in dark rooms, but you can also consider lower-end monitors that don't have OLED panels if you want something for gaming in a bright room. The Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx is a great gaming monitor with Mini LED backlighting that has decent picture quality in HDR, and it often goes on sale for a lower price. It doesn't display the same deep and inky blacks as the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG, but instead, the Mini LED backlighting helps the Acer get much brighter, which is ideal if you want to use it in a well-lit environment. The decent local dimming feature also helps it display deep enough blacks next to bright highlights, but there's more blooming than on an OLED.

In terms of gaming, it has a 160Hz refresh rate with a good response time across its VRR range, leading to sharp motion. It also supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. One downside is that it has increased input lag with 60Hz signals, but that only makes a difference if you play games at 60Hz instead of using VRR to go down to 60Hz.

There aren't as many monitors with good HDR performance in the budget category, but some are still useful, like the AOC Q27G3XMN. It's a step down from the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx as it has a lower resolution, so images aren't as detailed, but unlike most low-cost displays, it's great for HDR because it also uses Mini LED backlighting. It has a higher native contrast ratio than the Acer, so it displays even deeper blacks, which is ideal for HDR gaming in dark rooms, and it makes highlights really pop.

There are a few trade-offs for getting the AOC over the Acer, but they're what you have to expect for a low-cost model. The AOC lacks HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and it has more smearing with fast-moving objects, but it still has a fast response time. Regardless, it has useful gaming features, like a max 180Hz refresh rate and low input lag at any refresh rate. One thing to know is that it sometimes goes out of stock, so if you can't find it, the Acer Nitro XV275U P3biipx is a good alternative that also uses Mini LED backlighting, but it has worse motion handling.