Looking at the contenders for the best curved gaming monitor is always good fun. Curved monitors for gaming always feel like they're drawing you into the action, and they can really heighten immersion as a result. The technology that goes into these futuristic displays is so clever, and they've come a long way since first arriving on the scene as a bit of a fad. Nowadays, they're a popular choice for working from home too, as they're known to increase focus.
If you're looking for your first curved gaming monitor, we can offer one piece of advice straight from the off. You're going to need more desk real estate than you would with regular gaming monitors. That's not just because of the panel itself projecting outward either - often the best curved gaming monitors have larger, beefier stands that you need to take into account. Your setup might take some adapting, but you'll be left with one of the best gaming monitors as a result.
You can treat your search for the best curved gaming monitor much like your search for the best PS5 monitor or the best G-Sync monitor, or any other screen really; think about size, resolution, HDR, panel type, and the speeds you want from a refresh rate and response time. This also goes hand in hand with what games you play: are you mainly a player of fast shooters online? Or do you prefer single-player games and for them to look as beautiful and crisp as they can?
Naturally, you can get curved gaming monitors in all shapes and sizes and you'll see this guide grow and change over time as new entries come to the market (or if we revisit established models that are still worthy of your attention). From ultrawide monsters to perfectly curved 1080p panels, this is a great place to start your search for the best curved gaming monitor for you.
The best curved gaming monitor 2023
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The Samsung Odyssey G7 C27G7 has local dimming, adaptive sync, high refresh, HDR, quantum dot technology, and more, and that makes it our favourite curved gaming monitor of the moment.
It's a 27-inch (though a 32-inch model is also available) screen with 1440p resolution and 240Hz refresh for what many would agree absolutely nails the sweet spot in terms of balancing detail with speed and response. While the VA panel technology used here might raise eyebrows due to its traditionally slow pixel response and slightly laggy performance, those concerns are not valid here. Samsung claims 1ms response times and this monitor feels and looks that quick. Elsewhere it also matches IPS panels for colours and adds excellent contrast into the mix for an incredibly compelling package.
As for negatives, they’re limited to a relatively high price tag, and slightly disappointing HDR implementation given the DisplayHDR 600 certification, but all in this is an excellent curved gaming monitor and our favourite right now, as it offers a bit of everything for everyone.
Read more: Samsung Odyssey G7 review
If you want to reap the benefits of an ultrawide display but you don't want to fork out the big bucks, look no further than the AOC CU34G2X. This 34" beast may not look particularly noteworthy, but inside it's rocking specs to make your mouth water, especially if you're a competitive gamer. What's even more impressive is that it costs less than £/$500, so it's a brilliant entry point into ultrawide gaming for anyone upgrading from a 1080p or 1440p screen.
The CU34G2X offers both a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time – two of the most important specs when it comes to gaming monitors – so any game that supports ultrawide displays will be a delight to play. Which at this point is most of them, except for Valorant and Overwatch. Whether you want the advantage of a wider peripheral vision in shooters like Call of Duty or you want to have the full view of the dashboard in a driving game, the CU34G2X is one of the best on the market. Also, give Elite Dangerous a go; the thrill of zooming through space on an ultrawide is phenomenal. Unfortunately, the AOC CU34G2X does lack a little when it comes to color vibrancy and HDR performance, but it isn't such a big deal that it hinders our recommendation, because its primary purpose is gaming and for that, it is outstanding. Just don't try and do too much color-sensitive work in Photoshop or anything, you know?
It’s been an awfully long time coming. But with the new Alienware 34 AW3423DW, OLED technology has finally come to the best curved gaming monitor. And, boy, does it deliver. This screen has better contrast and a faster response than any LCD panel we’ve ever seen. It looks richer, more convincing, and more immersive, it’s faster, it’s sharper, it’s clearer.
It’s not absolutely perfect. The supposedly brighter HDR 1000 mode actually results in a duller image most of the time than the more usable HDR 400 setting. You will rarely if ever see the full 1,000 nits. The low pixel density also means this isn’t a great choice for an all-purpose display. It’s likewise not a good fit for console gaming. And strictly speaking, higher refresh panels will offer better latency. But for most types of gaming, it’s an absolute revelation. Concerns involving OLED burn-in do linger, a little. If that proves unfounded, OLED could take off on the PC in a big way.
Read more: Alienware AW3423DW QD-OLED review
The Acer Predator X38 is a beast of a curved monitor if you're looking to take a 'go big or go home' approach - in all respects.
Our variant of the X38 - there are a couple floating about so make sure to interrogate the specs list to make sure you get the one you're after - is the X38 Pbmiphzx model and features a whole bunch of gaming-focused specs that produce a glorious ultrawide playing experience. The screen is a 38-inch Agile-splendor IPS panel, and there's a 1ms GtG response time, and a 175Hz refresh rate which is plenty fast enough for such a sizeable ultrawide monitor. Throw in G-Sync functionality too and you are flying with the smoothest images. The image quality is beautiful, crisp, and vibrant (despite a 'just OK' HDR performance), and the amount of game, landscape, or spreadsheet you can take in is spectacular.
The gentle curve of 2300R is nowhere near as harsh or aggressive as those going for the 1000R measure, but the immersion doesn't really get impacted by this - there's just so much screen to take in, your eyes are really blessed.
I really value the extra inches of screen compared to the 34- or 35-inch ultrawide monitors that colleagues have, and the extra height, as well as width, makes it a great monitor for work as well ensuring there's plenty of space no matter the task. It also means it still allows for desk space for the gea when compared to those 49-inch beasts too.
It's even comfortably light enough to be mounted on a monitor arm despite its size. It has gaming at its forefront, but the Acer Predator X38 is easily one of the best ultrawide monitors whatever you'll use one for. At the time of writing I am tesing and using this screen, so look out for our full review in the near future.
Read more: Acer Predator X38 review
With the best curved gaming monitors often demanding high-ish price tags, the BenQ EX3203R is a great, more affordable option. We can't classify it as a truly budget screen but it's reasonably priced and worth the investment.
The BenQ EX3203R sports a VA panel that provides good contrast levels, and a high refresh rate. Although it sacrifices slightly in the viewing angle and color production departments, it's a curved screen so it has great viewing direction by default. One of the first monitors I reviewed for GamesRadar, this is a great panel that doesn't ruin the bank balance in one fell swoop.
At 32-inches it does offer more of a one-panel solution to your curved gaming monitor needs, but is certainly one that you should consider whenever it's discounted or in sales. Even though it's a couple of tech rotations old now, it still offers great game visuals, experiences, and performance.
Read more: BenQ EX3203R monitor review
49 inches, 240Hz, seven million pixels, crazy 1000R curvature, and 1,000 nits not enough? Then how about the new Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. It ups the original G9’s 1000 nit ante to a slightly silly 2000 nits and also ups the price point to even loftier levels. Arguably more important isn’t the peak brightness but the fact that the old 10-zone edge-lit backlight has been ditched in favour of a cutting-edge 2,048 zone mini-LED backlight.
In theory, that’s a huge upgrade. In practice, it’s a bit more complicated. This is a big screen, and so even with that many zones, the granularity of the backlight control is actually quite crude. But when it's performing at its best, the Neo G9 puts on a spectacular HDR show that few if any monitors can match.
It might be one to skip for console play for now - the likes of LG’s 120Hz C1 and CX OLED TVs are better matched for that from a big-screen perspective - but for pure PC gaming, the Neo G9’s wrap-around immersion is awfully hard to beat.
Read more: Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 review
Go big or go home. That’s the Samsung CRG9’s philosophy. At 49 inches - count them! - it’s positively huge. It’s also immensely bright at 1,000nits, albeit that only applies to local hotspots, rather than panel wide. To that, you can add excellent claimed colour fidelity with 95 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut, 3,000:1 static contrast from the VA panel, 120Hz refresh, and a gentle 1800R. Oh, and megabucks styling in typical Samsung fashion. Quite a package, isn’t it?
As for things the CRG9 lacks, well, you don’t get true HDR capability despite the claims, thanks to the very limited number of local dimming zones and there’s no USB-C connectivity. The CRG9 also lacks the very last word in pixel response. It’s reasonably quick, but it’s not lightning fast.
But most gamers won’t care. Instead, they’ll be blown away by the ridiculous scale of this monitor and the mind-blowing, immersive experience. The extreme 21:9 aspect certainly doesn’t work well in all games. It’s compromised back on the Windows desktop. While the 5,120 by 1,440 native resolution adds up to a lot of pixels, such as the epic panel size the pixel density is actually pretty poor. But when this thing really clicks, it’s an all-consuming experience like little other and earns its place in the best curved gaming monitor conversation.
Read more: Samsung CRG9 review
If you're after Samsung's quality and screen-making pedigree in your search for the best curved gaming monitor, but can't quite splash out on those newer models, then this C27 is a really fine candidate.
Being G-Sync compatible - and not fully G-Sync - means you can still get the benefits of Nvidia's screen-smoothing tech but without the bump in the price - a strong start.
But it's also a great looking monitor, and if you're in the market for any form of quality curved screen (or two!) then you can have no concerns about how this one would look on your desk or in your setup. Its speeds are very high-performing too: the C27RG5 offers a terrific 240Hz refresh rate along with a 4ms response time. These speeds on a fine, 1080p curved monitor for gaming, made by Samsung, make for an excellent recipe; it really has all the makings of a great Samsung gaming monitor for anyone (almost).
Extending their expertise in TVs to gaming monitors, Samsung have created a glorious gaming monitor that will enhance your immersion in games very nicely indeed.
What’s the ideal all-round curved gaming monitor? Maybe a 34-inch ultrawide model with a quality IPS panel and 3,440 by 1,440 pixels for a perfect compromise between detail and GPU load? Add in 144Hz refresh, 1ms response, and HDR response for good measure? Make it curved for that immersive wrap-around experience?
We’ve just described the new BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R, which, while expensive, does offer an excellent feature set. For sure, this monitor ticks all the important boxes. You also get really nice build quality and a fully adjustable stand. The slight snag is subdued image quality in SDR mode. To get an experience that delivers on the 400 nits quoted panel performance, whatever the content, you have to run Windows in HDR mode and then tweak the brightness for SDR content. If you've been looking for an awesome ultrawide and don't mind investing considerably to get the right screen, then this could very much be the panel you've been looking for.
Read more: BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R review
If you need speed in your curved gaming monitor, then this 27-inch VA panel is a prime candidate. It sports a tight 1500R curve for that immersive, wrap-around feel and offers a great static contrast of 3,000:1, plus punchy colours and good viewing angles. On top of that, the VX2768-PC-MHD offers a speedy 1ms response time.
A big pull of this curved monitor though is that with an HD resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels - as opposed to 4K or even Quad HD resolutions - you can experience incredible fast refresh rates and frame rates. While it might not offer that ridiculously sharp image quality of a 4K-er, for anyone playing fast games, shooters or competitively online, the improved response and buttery smooth frame rates on offer here are undeniable and more important than the pixel count.
There isn't HDR here, but with this price point and a strong steer toward speedy, smooth gaming, this wasn't really on the cards. In short, this monitor represents an awful lot of high-refresh fun for the money and makes a neat, underrated curved gaming monitor contender.
Although any gaming monitor that comes draped in a race car-inspired aesthetic might raise eyebrows, the AOC Agon PD27 is a beauty. The crossover between AOC and Porsche Design is immediately evident when you take the monitor out of the box, and the screen is heavily imbued with a Porsche design approach, ethos, and aesthetic. It's a slick, sleek, chic, and really quite beautiful-looking thing. The rear is particularly Porsche-y and the whole stand and frame have been designed with a roll cage in mind - it's classy but also know that it takes up a lot of room and you then can't see much of it once you've placed the monitor on your desk.
Getting to the meat of the specs, this is a 27-inch 1440p VA panel that is crisp, vibrant, and can turn its hand to anything. I used this monitor for many months for both work and play and it is the real deal in offering top performance - and its 1000R curve only serves to heighten the immersion. Supplement these headlines with a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.5ms response rate, and you genuinely have a speedy monitor on your hands.
My only small gripes are its price - though this is the extra premium you pay for such a unique monitor - and its slightly disappointing HDR performance which was hard to nail down, and often gave pictures an overly light and pasty finish. DOn't get me wrong though, this didn't impact the performance, and if you're looking for one of the coolest curved gaming monitors going, that can still offer the top gaming chops, the PD27 is a cracker.
Read more: AOC Agon PD27 review
Best curved monitor: FAQs
What is the best curve for a gaming monitor?
This is a great question and one we generally answer with: a 'smaller' curve. Some models have a borderline-ridiculous 1000R curve - which means that the size of the circle that radius would create would only be 1m across in diameter. This is incredible wrap-around tech, and features on some of the more modern Samsung panels. However, you'll often find greater comfort, and a good balance between immersion and desk-space-required by something at the 1500R or 1800R level.
Is a curved monitor good for FPS gaming?
yes! Curved monitors are great for first person gaming, and, well, any other gaming. Their ability to 'pull' you in to games and envelope you really is something that can't be overstated. If you have the desk space, then a curved gaming monitor will be a great pick for FPS gaming - single-player casual, or competitive multiplayer.
Is a curved monitor better for gaming?
Well, it is subjective - everyone has their preferences personally - but the best curved gaming monitors are certainly great for gaming. Whether they are better will be subject to taste, but what curved panels can offer that flat monitors can't is that feeling of immersion and being 'drawn in toward' the games on your screen. That's hard to beat, and as curved monitors increasingly have the top specs that we all look for in any screen type, they don't lag behind as much as you might think too.
If you're after something that's TV-shaped then head over to our best gaming TV guide as well as our best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X, best OLED TV, and best 120Hz 4K TV guides which will all see you right.
