The 5 Best Monitors For Xbox Series S - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best monitor for Xbox Series S we've tested is the LG 27GR95QE-B. It's a high-end gaming monitor with excellent picture quality and fantastic gaming performance. It has superb compatibility with the Xbox Series S and can downscale a 4k @ 120Hz signal to its 1440p display because it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. While this monitor is designed for PC gaming due to its 240Hz refresh rate, it still has a fast response time with 120Hz and 60Hz signals, but there's some overshoot at lower refresh rates that results in inverse ghosting. You can also consider the Corsair XENEON 27QHD240 if you want something with less overshoot at 60Hz, but it has higher input lag instead.

Another advantage of the LG is that it displays perfect blacks in dark rooms. This means it's ideal for dark room gaming, and there isn't any blooming around bright objects. Its HDR performance is also amazing, so highlights in games pop and colors look vibrant. However, like many OLEDS, only some parts of the screen can get bright at the same time. If you're gaming in a bright environment with this monitor, you may have trouble with glare, so it's best to use it in a darker environment.

If you prefer saving money with a mid-range monitor, consider the LG 27GR83Q-B. The main downside of getting this monitor for a lower cost is that it has worse picture quality than the LG 27GR95QE-B, especially in dark rooms, due to its low contrast ratio. However, besides the differences in picture quality, it has many similar features, as it has a higher 240Hz refresh rate. While this isn't relevant for console gaming, you can at least take advantage of it if you want to connect your gaming PC.

It supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it's capable of downscaling a 4k @ 120Hz signal, enabling you to experience HDR at 120Hz with the Series S. This is also useful if you ever plan to upgrade to the Series X, as it can downscale the more detailed image the Series X is capable of providing. It has excellent motion handling with both 120Hz and 60Hz signals, and there's less overshoot than on the 27GR95QE-B. Its VRR support also works well with the Xbox to reduce screen tearing.

If you don't need anything fancy and want to save money, check out the LG 27GP850-B, which is also available as the 27GP83B-B at different retailers, and both offer the same excellent gaming performance for the Series S. It has a lower refresh rate than the LG 27GR83Q-B, but considering the console can't take advantage of either monitor's max refresh rate, this doesn't make a difference. It doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth either, so it can't display HDR at 120Hz. However, it works well with the console, with HDR working at 60Hz and 1440p working up to 120Hz without HDR. It also has VRR support to reduce screen tearing, and motion looks smooth thanks to its fast response time at 120Hz and 60Hz.

The 27GP850-B variant has a backlight strobing feature to further improve the appearance of motion by reducing persistence blur, but it only works with 120Hz signals and not 60Hz. While the 27-inch screen size is good to use with a 1440p resolution as it has good pixel density and image sharpness, if you want a bigger monitor, consider the LG 32GP850-B. However, it costs more for a minimal difference in performance.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly monitor for your Xbox Series S, check out the Dell G2724D. It has fantastic compatibility with the Xbox Series S. However, it's not capable of displaying 4k @ 120Hz signals because it doesn't have HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it can't display HDR at 120Hz with the Series S. It performs similarly to the LG 27GP850-B, though it lacks some of that monitor's extra features. Most importantly, the Dell doesn't have an audio output, so if you want to connect speakers to your console, you'll need to use an HDMI audio extractor. However, you can still use the headphone output on the Xbox controller to connect standard headphones if you're not using speakers.

However, it's still a great choice for the Xbox Series S. Fast-moving objects look sharp thanks to its fast response time, and it has very low input lag for a responsive feel. It also gets bright enough to easily overcome glare if you're gaming in a brighter environment. However, because of its fair contrast, deep blacks look gray if you're in a darker room. Additionally, it has considerably worse HDR performance than the LG, so highlights in games won't pop as much, and HDR colors look less vivid.

If you want something cheap and reliable for gaming, look into the Gigabyte GS27QC. It has much worse picture quality than the Dell G2724D, but that's expected for most cheap displays. It also has worse motion handling, particularly at 60Hz, but its response time at 120Hz is still good enough for gaming. It works well with the console as you can play 1080p or 1440p games up to 120Hz. However, it can't downscale a 4k @ 120Hz image, so it can't display HDR at 120Hz with the Series S. Its VRR support also works with the console.

It features a curved screen with narrow viewing angles and terrible ergonomics, which means it's a bad choice for co-op gaming as the image appears washed out from the sides. That said, it has a high native contrast ratio, so while its picture quality isn't as good as the Dell, it still displays deep blacks in dark rooms. However, it doesn't get bright enough to fight glare if you want to use it in a bright room.