The 5 Best Curved Gaming Monitors - Spring 2023 Reviews

The best curved gaming monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It uses a QD-OLED panel that delivers perfect black levels in dark rooms and offers a wide range of colors thanks to its quantum dot technology. This means the picture quality is outstanding as highlights pop and colors look vivid. The 21:9 aspect ratio and 1800R curve also deliver an immersive gaming experience as you can see more of your game at once.

On top of its fantastic picture quality, it's excellent for gaming as it has a 175Hz refresh rate and a near-instantaneous response time, meaning there's no blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It also has native G-SYNC variable refresh rate (VRR) support, which is great if you want to take full advantage of your NVIDIA graphics card. You can even find the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF available for cheaper, and because it has native FreeSync VRR support instead, it's a good alternative if you don't have an NVIDIA graphics card.

It's important to remember that OLEDs like the AW3423DW and AW3423DWF are prone to burn-in with constant exposure to the same static elements over time. While it isn't a problem for most gamers, if it concerns you or you don't like the ultrawide aspect ratio, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 are both excellent 4k monitors with curved 32-inch screens. They have Mini LED backlighting to get brighter than the Dell monitors, but they don't deliver the same perfect blacks. However, the Samsungs are better for console gaming thanks to their HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so choosing which monitor you want depends on what type of games you play.

If you want to spend a bit less while maintaining great gaming performance, something in the upper mid-range category, like the LG 34GP950G-B, is an excellent choice. You lose out on the fantastic picture quality of the Dell Alienware AW3423DW as blacks look gray in the dark, but that's the trade-off of getting a cheaper display. Gaming is still great as it has the same native G-SYNC support and 21:9 aspect ratio, with a slightly more subtle 1900R curve. Images also look sharp thanks to the 3440x1440 resolution, resulting in good image clarity.

It's great for gaming as it has a 144Hz native refresh rate that you can overclock to 180Hz. It has a very quick response time at any refresh rate you're gaming at for minimal motion blur, and it has low input lag for a responsive feel. While it doesn't deliver the same remarkable HDR gaming experience as the Dell, it still displays a wide range of colors in HDR and gets bright enough to make some highlights stand out for a decent enough HDR experience.

If you find the LG 34GP950G-B too big or want something in the mid-range category, check out a 16:9 curved monitor like the Gigabyte M32UC. While it has worse motion handling than the LG and more smearing with fast-moving objects, it still offers an excellent gaming experience and is versatile for different types of gamers. With HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on both its HDMI ports, you can take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and its 4k resolution also helps deliver sharp images. Even if you want to use it for PC gaming, it has a max refresh rate of 160Hz.

Its overall picture quality isn't special, but it still delivers deep blacks in dark rooms. However, it lacks a local dimming feature to further improve the picture quality in dark scenes. Also, it has decent HDR peak brightness if you want some highlights to pop in some HDR games. It even gets bright in SDR, easily enough to fight glare, and has good reflection handling if you want to use it in a well-lit room.

If you don't want to spend lots of money but don't necessarily need a budget monitor, a lower mid-range option like the Dell S3422DWG is a good alternative. It's different from the Gigabyte M32UC because it has an ultrawide format with a 34-inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution, and it doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of current-gen gaming consoles. This also means that images aren't as sharp, and because of its ultrawide format, it's more of a cheaper alternative to the LG 34GP950G-B. Still, for a lower-cost monitor, it offers great gaming performance, and the ultrawide screen provides an immersive experience.

It features a native 144Hz refresh rate with FreeSync VRR support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It also has low input lag for a responsive feel, and while it has visible smearing with fast-moving objects, the overall response time is still good. It also has a backlight strobing feature to reduce persistence blur, but like most monitors, it doesn't work simultaneously with VRR and is only available in a limited range.

If you're looking for a curved gaming monitor on a budget, some low-cost 27-inch curved monitors are still good for gaming, like the Dell S2722DGM. It has a 1440p resolution like the Dell S3422DWG, but with a 16:9 aspect ratio, so you don't get the same immersive gaming experience as there's less horizontal screen space. Luckily, it has a slightly higher 165Hz max refresh rate and has the same native FreeSync VRR support with G-SYNC compatibility, reducing screen tearing no matter which graphics card you have.

Its main downside is that its response time is just okay across its entire refresh rate range, so there's visible blur with fast-moving objects. However, this is what you can expect for lower-cost displays, and at least it has low input lag for a responsive feel. Its VA panel has a somewhat aggressive 1500R curve to help bring the edges within your field of vision, which is helpful because it has narrow viewing angles. It also displays deep blacks for a good dark room gaming experience, and its black uniformity isn't bad.