The 5 Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitors - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best ultrawide gaming monitor we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It's an excellent gaming monitor with high-end performance and fantastic picture quality. It has a 34-inch screen with an 1800R curve that helps bring the edges more within your field of vision, especially if you sit close to the monitor. The main advantage of this monitor is that it has a near-instantaneous response time for incredible motion handling, so there isn't any visible blur behind fast-moving objects. It also has a 175Hz refresh rate with native G-SYNC variable refresh rate (VRR) support, which is useful if you have an NVIDIA graphics card.

This monitor uses a QD-OLED panel, providing excellent performance with a near-infinite contrast ratio in dark rooms and vivid colors. The Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is another option with a QD-OLED panel that performs similarly, and instead of having native G-SYNC support, it's G-SYNC compatible. This means it's worth saving money if you have an AMD graphics card, but the AW3423DW remains the best option if you have an NVIDIA graphics card.

Other ultrawide monitors with OLED panels are available, even with bigger screens. The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9/G95SC S49CG95 is a super ultrawide QD-OLED monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate, which is great for competitive gaming. However, it costs more and has a much bigger screen than the Dell. You can even consider the LG 45GR95QE-B if you want a 45-inch screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio, but because it has a standard OLED panel and not QD-OLED, it doesn't display the same vivid colors.

Although the Dell Alienware AW3423DW provides excellent gaming performance and is the best choice for most gamers, especially if you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you can save money by getting a cheaper QD-OLED, like the MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED. It uses the same panel as the Dell, so there are few differences in picture quality and performance besides how the Dell gets brighter, so highlights don't stand out as much on the MSI. Besides that, the differences come down to features, as the Dell has native G-SYNC support, which is beneficial if you have an NVIDIA graphics card and want to take full advantage of it. Even though NVIDIA doesn't actually certify the MSI to be G-SYNC compatible, it still works with it, so you get screen tearing on both monitors regardless.

The MSI still has a few added benefits, like a KVM switch that makes it easy to control two devices with the same keyboard and mouse. It also supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which is ideal if you have a modern graphics card that supports HDMI 2.1; this is something the Dell monitor doesn't have. While there are a few trade-offs with the MSI, it's still fantastic for gaming.

If you don't need the best performance possible, there are other low-cost options without a QD-OLED panel, like the Dell Alienware AW3423DW or the MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED, and if that's what you're interested in, check out the LG 34GP83A-B. It's different from the other premium monitors because it has an LED-backlit LCD panel, meaning the picture quality is worse as it can't display perfect blacks and the same vivid colors, but that's the trade-off you need to make for getting a cheaper display. However, it has the same 34-inch screen size and 3440x1440 resolution, and it's excellent for gaming.

This monitor has a native 144Hz refresh rate that you can overclock to 160Hz, and its fantastic motion handling makes it excellent for gaming. There's minimal motion blur, even at lower refresh rates. It also has FreeSync VRR support to reduce screen tearing and is G-SYNC compatible. However, if you have an NVIDIA graphics card and want something with native G-SYNC support, the LG 34GP950G-B is another great option, but it costs more.

If the LG 34GP83A-B is just a bit out of your price range, the Gigabyte M34WQ is a good choice in the lower mid-range price category. It has similar features to the LG, but you can't overclock its 144Hz native refresh rate up to 160Hz, and motion looks worse on it. This is because it has a slower response time, leading to more smearing, especially when gaming at low refresh rates. Despite that, it still has a fast response time at high refresh rates and delivers a great gaming experience.

It's a good choice for co-op gaming as it offers swivel adjustment, which the LG doesn't have, and it has wide viewing angles, so the image looks consistent from the sides. It has FreeSync VRR support to reduce screen tearing, and even though it isn't certified by NVIDIA, G-SYNC compatibility works with NVIDIA graphics cards. It also has a few extra gaming perks, like virtual crosshairs and an 'Eagle Eye' feature that zooms into part of the screen while gaming, making it easier to see opponents.

While budget ultrawide monitors often still cost a bit, there are some models you can find for less than others. The Dell S3422DWG is a great gaming monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 34-inch screen like the Gigabyte M34WQ, but you do lose a bit on performance. For example, it has more smearing with fast-moving objects, but its overall response time is still good, and it has a backlight strobing feature to try to reduce persistence blur. It also has worse viewing angles than the Gigabyte, but with an 1800R curve, the edges are brought closer to you, so they don't look too washed out.

It has FreeSync VRR support and is also G-SYNC compatible, but there are some flicker issues at low refresh rates with G-SYNC enabled. One advantage of the Dell over the Gigabyte is that it delivers better picture quality, particularly for HDR gaming. It has a higher native contrast ratio that makes blacks look deeper in dark rooms, and it also has good HDR brightness so that highlights pop against the rest of the image.