Ultrawide monitors are popular amongst gamers who want an immersive gaming experience. You can see more of your surroundings in games simultaneously as they offer more horizontal screen space than standard 16:9 monitors. Most ultrawide gaming monitors have a 21:9 aspect ratio with a 34-inch screen, but some have larger 38-inch and 45-inch screens; you can even find 49-inch super ultrawide displays with a 32:9 aspect ratio. While the market for ultrawide gaming monitors isn't as diversified as the market for smaller displays, some ultrawide gaming monitors are good enough for most gamers.
It's important to consider your budget when looking for a monitor, as there are options at a wide range of prices. When considering the monitor's gaming performance, its response time is important for motion handling, and it's important to know the VRR formats it supports to ensure it works with your PC. You can also consider the monitor's input lag, but most have low enough input lag.
We've bought and tested over 295 monitors, and below are our recommendations for the best ultrawide gaming monitors to buy. See our recommendations for the best curved gaming monitors, the best ultrawide monitors, and the best 34-49-inch monitors.
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.
Nov 14, 2023: Removed the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9/G95SC S49CG95 because it isn't what people are expecting when looking for ultrawide monitors; added the MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range Monitor'; updated Notable Mentions based on changes.
Sep 20, 2023: Replaced the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 with the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9/G95SC S49CG95 for consistency with other articles; added the Corsair XENEON FLEX 45WQHD240 and the LG 49GR85DC-B to Notable Mentions.
Jul 25, 2023: Added the Dell S3422DWG as 'Best Budget Monitor' because its price went down and renamed the Gigabyte M34WQ to 'Best Lower Mid-Range Monitor'; added the AOC CU34G2X to Notable Mentions.
May 29, 2023: Removed the AOC CU34G2X because it went up in price and renamed the Gigabyte M34WQ as the 'Best Budget Ultrawide Gaming Monitor'; added the LG 45GR95QE-B to Notable Mentions.
Mar 30, 2023: Replaced the LG 34GP950G-B with the LG 34GP83A-B because it's cheaper and easier to find; added the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8/G85SB S34BG85 to Notable Mentions.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are the best ultrawide monitors that you can get for gaming currently available. They are adapted to be valid for most people in each price range. Rating is based on our review, factoring in price and feedback from our visitors.
If you would prefer to make your own decision, here is the list of all of our ultrawide monitor reviews. 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.