Best curved gaming monitors 2024

Probably the best-known name in gaming circles, the Dell subsidiary has been delighting gamers with its Alienware wares since 1996 and its latest 34-inch monitor is a masterpiece of curve. A QD-OLED (quantum dot) affair that packs in the most cutting-edge tech, here your eyes will be elated by a resolution of 3440 x 1440-pixels, a very gentle curve of 1800R, 1000 nits peak brightness, infinite contrast ratio, and VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 certification.

All this, combined with a remarkable refresh rate of 165Hz and an all-competition-beating response time of 0.1ms, adds up to the most amazing graphics and gameplay you’re likely to witness this side of ‘the future’. Port-wise there’s plenty to play with too, including an HDMI, 2x DisplayPort, and ample USB connectors, plus audio out, all capable of being neatly funneled through the built-in cable management system.

And keeping you firmly in the hot seat, ‘ComfortView Plus’ keeps blue light low to protect your eyes and Alienware’s advanced ventilation system stops the whole sexy shebang from ever overheating. Pricey? Yes, but also magnificent and a must for anyone with the means who wants to up their gaming experience ante way above the average.

It’s a looker, of that there’s no doubt. It also delivers an epic Ultra WQHD resolution for incredibly sharp images, a rapid 1ms response time, and a 165Hz refresh rate for video and gameplay smoother than an otter’s velvet smoking jacket, and that all-eye-encompassing 1000R curvature to truly suck you into whatever game you’re playing and keep you there, fully ensconced in its utter immersiveness.

At 34 inches, it’s a good size too – though you’re going to make sure you have plenty of space on your gaming desk, plus room to the sides to make sure you can accommodate it, so don’t forget to measure up before ordering!

Connecting via DisplayPort or HDMI, your main options for console or PC are covered, while a headphone socket takes care of all audio needs (it doesn’t have speakers).

Performance-wise, buckle in because the Odyssey G5 delivers visuals at a tremendously rapid rate, all free from discernible lag, while the inclusion of HDR10 means the brights are bright and darks darker than the heart of Elon Musk, but also detailed enough to let you see what lurks within.

A work of curvaceous art that enhances next-gen gaming to glorious new visual levels, the G5 is picture-perfect.

Two things immediately stand out about this monitor: its fantastic resolution and refresh rate. For gaming, the difference between this and a lot of the basic monitors is profound – the smoothness and clarity lend themselves very well to FPS games or RTS games. It’s response times could be a little bit better, but they’re still far in advance of a lot of other cheaper options.

Speaking of price, this is one of the most affordable curved monitors on this list. Yes, we might lament its lack of HDR compatibility, but that’s not really something anyone should expect within this price range anyway. The only real way that it could be said to feel “cheap” is with its overall plastic construction – the stand, for example, feels a bit tacky, but really we’re nitpicking.

It might lack some of the especially fancy features for honing the picture quality or adjusting its position, but with a decent selection of ports, fantastic picture quality, brilliant refresh rates, and a low price tag, we’re pretty happy with it.

Because not everyone is made of money or needs a monitor that dominates the room, MSI gave the gaming world the G274CV back in August of 2022, a 27-inch option that may not have the top-end specs demanded by ardent next-gen gamers, but still has the chops to give you good, immersive gaming with a nice 1500R curve to suck you right into the action.

Offering Full HD with a 1920 x 1080-pixel count, the G274CV holds its own with a response time of 1ms, while the 75Hz refresh rate makes this monitor ideal for more casual gaming, but not the intense action doled out by many PS5 or Xbox Series X games, for which you’ll want that rate ramped up considerably.

Compatible with anything you want to throw at it, thanks to HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, the MSI also comes packing AMD FreeSync tech which lets the monitor lock to the refresh rate of your graphics card to help do away with tedious tearing and stutter.

Also armed with MSI Anti-Flicker and optimized to emit less blue light, eye fatigue is not so much of an issue, meaning more time gaming and less time complaining.

If money is no object, then this is the gaming monitor for you. Although it is not quite a 4k monitor, its performance is absolutely fantastic. With a 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, you’re not likely to find other monitors that offer such a clear, and smooth gaming experience.

One problem you may face is finding room for it. Even if you can afford the high price tag (and we know that a lot of readers won’t), if you don’t have space on your desk, then you’ll end up having to redecorate your whole room, or at least buy a bigger one of the best gaming desks. It’s heavy too, so you’ll have to be careful if you’re got a desk made of weaker materials.

However, if you’ve got the real estate, you’ll love it. It’s especially handy when you play games with a massive UI, because with everything blown up across this huge monitor, it’s really easy to see all the important information at a glance. It makes the best MMOs even better, and will enhance pretty much anything you play on it (I guess, except from very old games with dated graphics that were never meant to be seen in such detail).

For some people, only the biggest gaming screen will do. If that’s you, then the AOC Agon AG493UCX2 offers a whopping 49 inches of 1800R curved beauty and an improved 165Hz refresh performance from its predecessor’s 120Hz.

On top of this comes a 1ms response time to eliminate stutter, plus excellent connectivity with three HDMI 2.0 ports and a DisplayPort 1.4. The AG493UCX2 curved gaming monitor has an aspect ratio of 32:9, but is it too big? For a gaming monitor of this size, you’ll need a giant gaming desk, as well as a gaming laptop with a power delivery of 65W.

This AOC monitor has 2x 5W speakers built-in, and during testing, we found this sufficient for everyday play but used computer speakers when we wanted the audio to keep up with the immersive visuals.

Read our AOC Agon AG493UCX2 review.

Just because you’re short on space doesn’t mean you have to miss out on monitors with all the bells and whistles. Take the M32UC from Gigabyte for excellent example, a 32-inch option with a fine 1500R curve that comes packing the pixels to give you a full-on 4K picture married to a next-gen gaming-perfection refresh rate of 144Hz and response time of 1ms.

Featuring AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, the bar is well and truly raised as is the user experience to ‘exceptional’. Yep, graphics are richly detailed, colors are stunningly accurate, darks are deep and detailed and the whole thing flows effortlessly thanks to the Gigabyte’s SuperSpeed VA panel. On the sound side, there are also 2x 3W speakers, but I’ll say no more about those and simply refer you to the ‘Cons’.

With a wealth of connection possibilities available too, the M32UC can hook up next to anything you want it to, plus the spec and the 2x HDMI 2.1 ports means it plays perfectly with the PS5 and the Xbox Series X, making for a dream gaming set-up whatever your weapon of choice.

Completing the convenience, the Gigabyte also comes equipped with KVM so you can flip between your input sources free from faff, jumping from console to PC in the blink of an eye. Very reasonably priced too, the Gigabyte M32UC could well be the best upgrade you make all year.

It might come as a surprise to some readers, but you can actually get gaming monitors that can be bent between a flat configuration and a curved configuration. It’s not cheap, but it’s very much a best-of-both-worlds choice because as much as we love a curved monitor, we can appreciate that they can be a bit annoying if you want to use them for things besides entertainment. Who wants a curved Excel spreadsheet?

Of course, while it is well-suited for other activities, it also loses nothing that qualifies it for gaming use. It’s got an input response time of just 0.3ms and a 240Hz refresh rate. There are multiple pre-set image configurations available in the settings too, ensuring that you can have it look just right for whatever you’re playing without having to spend ages tweaking things.

Being able to bend it to the exact position that you want means that it can offer higher levels of immersion than other options. Having said that, there’s that risk of struggling to get it right when you’re making the adjustments yourself, and then getting frustrated that it isn’t quite perfect (not to imply that’s a huge, widespread problem).

About the only thing we could criticize it for is its HDR color. It didn’t quite have the depth that we’d have liked to have seen. Other than that though, it really is a spectacular choice.