ultra wide lcd display brands

The best ultrawide monitors boast the extra-screen real estate that you need to get the job done. That"s whether you"re gaming, content creation, or multitasking. Ultrawide monitors offer more than just a bigger image, many are also great for ergonomic reasons.

Time and again, top ultrawide, 21:9 displays have proven to be the best monitors for a lot of users. That"s whether need one for your home setup, the best business monitor for work, or one of the best gaming monitors to help improve your performance.

If you opt for one of the curved monitors, it should help to reduce eye and neck strain – ideal if you’re going to spend a lot of time in front of your new display. What’s more ultrawide monitors aren’t as unaffordable as they have been in the past. While there are still some uber-luxurious options out there you can also find much more budget-friendly 1080p and 1440p models.

We’ve tested some fantastic monitors with various form factors over the years and pulled from our many years of experience to help you find the best ultrawide monitor to suit your needs and budget by collecting a list of our favorites below. These below are our picks of the best ultrawide monitors for 2023.

You’ll also find our answers to some of the most commonly asked ultrawide monitor questions, if you don"t know what to pick. We also included the best prices available so you can score a great monitor deal.

If you’re looking for the ultimate gaming monitor the LG UltraGear 38GN950 is certainly the one to beat. With a 144Hz refresh rate that can be easily overclocked to 160Hz, 1ms response time, spectacular image quality, and many other gaming features like G-Sync, an ultra-wide aspect ratio, and DisplayHDR 600 this is a truly remarkable monitor.

During testing, the 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio certainly delivered the ‘wow’ factor –games feel much more cinematic on this display, offering not just a super-immersive experience, but also a tactical advantage. In particular, Microsoft Flight Simulator greatly benefited from the ultrawide design as it allowed us to keep an eye on landmarks and runways without pressing a button to switch views.

The BenQ EX3410R is an excellent ultrawide gaming monitor with lots of features, a stylish design, and great 144Hz performance. Its 1ms pixel response makes it a fantastic option for esports players who need to better see the battlefield and react quickly.

It’s more than just the size it also packs the most impressive tech we’ve seen and used in a gaming display; the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 takes everything offered by its predecessor (the Odyssey G9) and turns it up to 11. It now comes with Samsung"s new Quantum Mini LED tech that allows this panel 2,048 local dimming zones for the most impressive and stunning HDR we’ve ever seen.

Showing up the best 4K monitor is by no means an easy feat, but this monitor does so with the huge 5K2K native resolution (and 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio) of its luscious 34-inch IPS screen.

The Alienware AW3418DW has been one of the best ultrawide monitors for years now. With an incredibly reliable, color-accurate display and a high refresh rate, this Alienware gaming monitor has definitely earned its gaming classic label.

The BenQ EW3880R is just as great for work as it is for media consumption, touting a subtle curvature that increases immersion, that ultra HD resolution in 21:9, and eye-comfort features that boosts productivity.

Its ability to display four, full-sized A4 documents, huge spreadsheets, and large graphical working areas makes it a productivity dream. Plus, during testing, its Ultra HD 3,840 x 1,600 resolution kept everything crisp and in sharp relief while its evenly lit panel married with the matte screen kept us from feeling fatigued even after prolonged periods of work.

As for media consumption, the built-in 2.1 sound system is seriously impressive – not to mention, space-saving since you won’t be needing a pair of external speakers. It’s expensive and not quite gaming-friendly. However, if you have the money to spend on a premium display for work and entertainment, it’s definitely a winner.

How to choose the best ultrawide monitor for youHow to choose the best ultrawide monitor for youUltrawide monitors are a fairly niche item right now, but they are growing in popularity very quickly. Still, this does mean that many shoppers are likely new to the ultrawide monitor market and might not be as familiar with what they need to know to make the right choice for their needs and budget. Fortunately, we"ve pulled together some frequently asked questions to help set you on the right path to finding a great ultrawide display.What’s the difference between ultrawide monitors and standard monitors?The difference between ultrawide monitors and regular monitors mainly lies in their aspect ratios. Standard monitors have an aspect ratio of 16:9, whereas ultrawide monitors have an aspect ratio of 21:9 making them, as their name states, much longer horizontally. The extra length is great if you need to keep a lot of things onscreen or just like watching or creating 4K videos.

It’s important to note that as impressive as ultrawide displays are, their resolutions aren’t always supported by modern tech. If you’re looking for a monitor to connect to your PS5 or Xbox Series X, you’re probably better off with a standard monitor because the traditional resolutions are supported on those consoles.Is an ultrawide monitor good for gaming?This very much depends on whether the game you want to play in 21:9 supports that resolution, and not every game does. A game like Elden Ring did not support ultrawide resolutions at launch, and so those with ultrawide monitors had to either deal with letterboxing along the sides of the display to frame a 16:9 aspect, or the game would stretch a 16:9 frame into 21:9, noticeably distorting the visuals.

Some games like Final Fantasy XIV do support 21:9 aspect, however, and when this is the case a game world can feel even more expansive and immersive as a result.Is an ultrawide monitor worth it?Obviously, the biggest advantage of an ultrawide monitor is the larger screen real estate. If you"re constantly finding your display cramped with windows and you"re losing track of – or need to constantly switch between – different apps and workspaces, then an ultrawide monitor can definitely help give you more room to work.

A lot of games are introducing support for ultrawide resolutions, too, so you can definitely improve your gameplay experience with an ultrawide in some cases. Not all games support ultrawide yet though, so you"re likely better off with one of the best gaming monitors using the standard 16:9 screen ratio if you"re more interested in your monitor"s gaming performance.

Testing monitors in general is more involved than you"d think. It isn"t as simple and straightforward as setting it up, using it for a day, and taking down notes. A monitor is an investment, whether you"re looking to get the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio or need the screen real estate an ultrawide monitor can offer, so we take great pains to ensure that anything we recommend is worth your hard-earned money.

The best monitor we"ve tested with an ultrawide screen is the Dell Alienware AW3423DW. It"s a 34-inch, 3440x1440 monitor that"s great for a variety of uses, whether you need it for watching movies, gaming, or browsing the web. Its picture quality is remarkable because it has a QD-OLED panel, which results in perfect black levels without any blooming. It means that it looks amazing in dark rooms, but it doesn"t deliver the same perfect black levels in bright rooms because ambient light causes the black levels to raise, meaning they look purple. Still, it reduces glare very well and has okay peak brightness if you want to use it in a room with a few lights around.

Thanks to its OLED display, it has a near-instantaneous response time that makes motion look extremely smooth. Not only is this good for gaming, but also for scrolling through the web, as you won"t notice any distracting blur. Unfortunately, there are a few drawbacks to this monitor as it has some text clarity issues and color fringing, which isn"t ideal for office use, but there are workarounds to it. There"s also a cheaper version available, the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF, that offers nearly the same performance but doesn"t get as bright in HDR.

The best ultrawide monitors have a few advantages that can make them an interesting option for creatives, gamers and anyone who works across lots of windows. They can be great for productivity since more screen space means you can have multiple panels visible at once, speeding up your workflow and reducing the need to switch between windows.

This can be useful for anyone who makes regular Zoom calls or uses collaborative workspaces, since you can view or chat display alongside your work, notes or spreadsheets. Meanwhile, for gaming and media, the best widescreen monitors – particularly curved ultrawide monitors that surround more of your field of vision – can make you feel more immersed in the experience.

Some will prefer a multi-monitor setup so you can place the screens at different angles, but for that you need space, not to mention a budget for more than one screen and it can be fiddly. Opting for one of the best ultrawide monitors may be an easier and more economic option, with no need to worry about adapters or daisy chaining.

Below, we"ve made our own pick of the best ultrawide monitors below is based on our reviews and recommendations from our regulator contributors. We"ve compared the advantages and disadvantages of each, analysing specs such as resolution, brightness, response time and colour accuracy. We"ve aimed to choose the best ultrawide monitors at different sizes, from 34in right up to 49in, and we"ve considered different needs and budgets, picking out options for creative work such as graphic design, photo and video editing as well as gaming and general productivity.

For tips on how to choose the best ultrawide monitor for you, see the questions section at the bottom. If you decide that an ultrawide monitor isn"t for you, take a look at our guides to the best 4K monitors, or if you do a lot of Zoom calls, you might want one of the best monitors with webcam. Remember that whatever screen you go for, if you"re using it for visual design, you"ll want one of the best monitor calibrator tools (unless the display comes with one included).

The LG UltraGear 38GN950 is a 38in ultrawide monitor with a QHD+ (3840 x 1600) resolution Nano IPS panel that offers vibrant colours. We found the HDR image quality to be very impressive, and it boasts a quick response time and a very decent 144Hz refresh rate, which, together with G-Sync support, make it a great ultrawide monitor for gaming. The 3840 x 1600 resolution isn"t quite 4K (3840 x 2160), but it’s not far away, and we find that actually has the benefit of allowing better gaming performance with lower-end cards.

There"s ultrawide, and then there are monitors like the Samsung G9 (and the Dell U4919DW and Philips 499P9H further down on our list) with whopping 49in screens. A standard monitor has an aspect ratio of 16:9, and most of the monitors in our pick of the best ultrawides are 21:9. But this trio of stunning screens are all 32:9, effectively giving you the space of two 16:9 monitors side by side, but with less of a footprint on your desk.

Samsung may have started the trend for 32:9 monitors, but this curved ultrawide gaming monitor from AOC is a very solid contender. The superb display panel offers vibrant, accurate colours and rich detail for gaming and desktop applications alike. It doesn"t support HDR as well as some more expensive ultrawide monitors, but the AOC Agon AG493UCX has everything else you"d want for a fantastic ultrawide gaming experience.

Like many of the best ultrawide monitors, the Dell U4919DW allows you to connect two different inputs to the screen, so you could also use all that space to view the screens of two different devices, which can be handy if you work across say a computer and a tablet. There"s a KVM switch, too, so you can use one keyboard and mouse across the two devices.

We recently reviewed the Philips 34E1C5600HE and found it to be a well-built ultrawide curved monitor for a very reasonable mid-range price. It falls short in a few areas, such as the webcam and speaker quality, and connectivity is fiddly – there"s a fine array of ports, but they"re hidden around the back.

Aside from that, though. We actually found it pleasant to use. The anti-glare coating was effective in reducing unwanted reflection and the matte frame looks nice. Gaming performance was surprisingly considering it"s not pitched as a gaming product. For an ultrawide monitor for general work, programming and perhaps entry-level video-editing or photo-editing, it"s not bad at all. It seems that there"s no availability in the US at the moment, so this is only an option for those in Europe.

See our full Philips 34E1C5600HE review for more details.Is an ultrawide monitor better than separate monitors?The answer to this depends on what you want to use the monitors for, your style of working and also the physical setup of your workspace. Multi-monitor setups are popular and have the advantage that you can place the two (or more) screens where you want them, whether that"s side by side, at an angle to each other, or even on separate desks or on each part of an L-shaped desk.

However, the best ultrawide monitors have the advantage of being a neater solution with fewer cables, and they can be used for watching media and or for gaming on one large immersive screen, without any division. Also, most people also find that dragging windows around one large screen feels smoother and more intuitive than working across one or more smaller screens.How wide is an ultrawide monitor?The definition of ultrawide is fairly broad, ranging from 34in to around 49in. Most ultrawide monitors sit at 34in, which is big enough for most uses, but an even wider screen can allow you to effectively replicate a dual monitor setup with a single screen.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, if you need a screen that can travel, see our choices for the best portable monitors. We also have a guide to the best monitors for Mac mini.How close should I sit to an ultrawide monitor?If you sit too close to a large screen, it"ll be uncomfortable to use, as you"ll be turning your head to view certain parts of the screen. Often the edges will be slightly outside your peripheral vision when sitting at a normal working distance so that"s something you need to bear in mind. To solve the effect of this, most ultrawide monitors are just slightly curved at the edges.What resolution should I look for in an ultrawide monitor?In terms of resolution, look for at least WQHD (Wide Quad High Definition) – which gives you a pixel count of 2560x1440 – and a wide aspect ratio of 21:9. Usually the bigger the screen, the higher the resolution.

There are some ultrawide monitors that offer 2560×1080 resolutions. While this still gives you more workspace compared to a regular 1080p widescreen monitor, we feel it"s still a little too low to get the full benefit of the ultrawide aspect ratio. They are quite a bit more affordable than ultrawide monitors with higher resolutions, so if you"re on a budget, these could be a good choice. However, in our guide to the best ultrawide monitors above, we"ve restricted our choices to at least WQHD since we find this offers the best ultrawide experience.Can I divide the screen on an ultrawide monitor?Yes, most of the best ultrawide monitors offer features that allow you to divide the screen so you can connect two sources (like two computers, or a computer and tablet) to the same display. This feature is called picture-in-picture, or PBP, and can usually be turned on in the display settings.

A monitor that has PBP mode activated will display the screen from two inputs at the same time, side-by-side. you will be able to select the input you want to see and swap them left to right. A KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) switch will allow you to use one keyboard and mouse to control both devices, saving clutter on your desk. There is also software such as DisplayFusion that can help you set up and manage the inputs on an ultrawide screen.What else should I look for to choose the best ultrawide monitor?Ultrawide monitors also vary based on panel technology and features. Ultrawide screens generally look just fine with vertical alignment (VA) panels, but the sharper, brighter and considerably more expensive in-plane switching (IPS) panel technology will offer better image quality. While 21:9 is the most common ultrawide aspect ratio, there are even wider monitors with 32:9 aspect ratios. These offer even more workspace, but they are also more expensive, and they take up more room.

Sometimes you need a little extra screen real-estate, and the typical 16:9 monitor won’t do. Whether you’re a creative professional who needs a massive curved display, or a gamer looking for the most immersive experience you can possibly get outside of VR, there’s probably an ultrawide monitor for you. Be careful though, ultrawides are dangerous -- once you try one, you’ll be spoiled for all other monitors. Even the sharpest, clearest 16:9 monitor will seem insubstantial and inadequate by comparison. We’ve gathered the best of the best in the ultrawide monitor market and run them through a barrage of tests to determine their fitness to display your games, your movies, or even your workspace.

Samsung"s CJ791 offers stunning picture quality, with rich inky blacks and vivid, lifelike colors saturating your vision from all angles. Video content is rich and fluid, thanks to the monitor"s 100Hz refresh rate and AMD"s FreeSync. It supports a variety of uses, providing one DisplayPort, an HDMI port, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and two USB-A ports.

Overall, this level of quality on a standard 16:9 display would be outstanding. The fact that it’s on a massive 21:9 display with a deep curve makes it truly a sight to behold. The Samsung CJ791 simply doesn’t need a flashy exterior design. Its size, clarity, and resolution make it a showstopper all on its own.

Dell"s 34-inch Alienware ultrawide monitor is an excellent gaming monitor as it has everything a gamer might want to handle. It packs a 3440 x 1440 resolution complemented by a curved IPS panel (1900R), producing rich colors and wide viewing angles. Complementing this panel is a 350-nit brightness maximum and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio. This makes your images look great.

The AW3420DW includes six physical menu buttons for toggling preset modes, automatic overclocking, dark stabilization, and controlling brightness and contrast. Tucked away below the display"s bottom edge, you"ll find a line-out jack, a headphone jack, five USB ports, DisplayPort 1.2 input, and HDMI 1.4 input.

If you need an ultrawide panel without sacrificing a high resolution, this LG model offers both — that is, if you can afford it. A Nano IPS panel backs this display"s hefty 5120 x 2160 resolution with HDR. It"s also entirely flat, making it a wide choice when considering your work area"s physical space (or lack thereof).

You won"t need to worry about connections, however. There are plenty on LG"s display, including a Thunderbolt 3 port, a USB-C port, two HDMI, a DisplayPort, a USB-A upstream, and two USB-A downstream connections.

Our tests show that, in addition to the high resolution, the LG 34WK95U-W supports 90% of the AdobeRGB color gamut. It also has a color error of only 1.1 and a gamma curve of 2.2 — all better than many of the top monitors we have reviewed. However, it"s important to note that the standard refresh rate is 60Hz, which isn"t the greatest option for some types of gaming. This display does not offer FreeSync or G-Sync technology.

This Predator monitor is an excellent mid-range option for a curved ultrawide designed for gaming, great for gamers that don"t want to spend anything over $1,000 but still want a 34-inch monitor that can handle anything they want to throw at it. It comes with a QHD 3440 x 1440 resolution, G-Sync support, and up to a 180Hz refresh rate. Color is also a standout with 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 cinematic gamut.

Thanks to its IPS panel, Acer"s display enjoys fantastic viewing angles for collaborative work and play. There"s also DisplayHDR 400 support, and eight different gaming modes you can experiment with to find the right options. Ports include a wealth of options like DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, USB-C, and USB-A 3.0. I

BenQ’s monitors typically perform very well in our color tests, and this extra-large 38-inch ultrawide won’t disappoint creative professionals who need lots of screen space. This model covers 95% of the DCI-P3 space, plus BenQ’s latest HDRi optimization, a proprietary form of HDR designed to improve images from all kinds of sources while tracking ambient light in the room. It also supports more traditional formats like HDR10, and that light sensor can automatically adjust brightness as well as color temperature for the best combined results.

This monitor is also ready for newer accessories including USB-C with PD as well as HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB 3.0. For those who do a lot of comparisons, the picture-by-picture and similar modes will also be of great help. Oh, and if you want to show off a particular clip with sound, the built-in 3W speakers and 8W subwoofer will help you save on speaker space; you"ll need a lot of it for a monitor this size.

If you"re interested in some of the benefits of an ultrawide, like extra screen space for multitasking, but you prefer saving money compared to more expensive models, this AOC monitor clocks in at a more affordable price. The 34-inch curved QHD display is still an excellent choice, and you still get gaming-friendly specs including a 144Hz refresh rate that supports Adaptive-Sync and a 1ms response time.

The AOC CU34G2X also has a strong color range, spanning 98% of the AdobeRGB gamut, so it"s a potential model for creators and editors as well. Ports are numerous, including two DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1, and four USB 3.2 connections. There are also a few handy native modes here like reducing flicker and blue light to help with eye strain. Overall, it"s a good pick for saving money without giving up too many benefits of an ultrawide.

If you prefer a lot of "ultra" in your ultrawide, Samsung"s impressive Odyssey model offers an immense 49 inches of screen real estate, enough for anyone"s plans. It"s a monitor made for niche setups that have plenty of desk space and need a particularly huge display, such as a full racing station setup or some seriously in-depth video editing, etc.

This Alienware monitor claims to be the first consumer QD-OLED model, and it"s certainly the best place to go for incredibly vivid color and contrast. The 34-inch display offers a UHD 3440 x 1400 resolution, 175Hz refresh rate, and compatibility with G-Sync Ultimate, making it suitable for all kinds of entertainment options. It also covers 99.3% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, respectable numbers for those who want a cinematic movie experience on their ultrawide.

The model also supports VESA Display HDR True Black 400 for enhanced visuals (helped by a 1000-nit peak brightness), and sports an impressive 0.1ms response time. Ports include HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB 5-compatible USB ports.

Many ultrawides excel at wrap-around immersion, but far fewer can easily double as TVs: This 48-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LG UltraGear is the best option if you want an outsized monitor that’s also a perfect fit for sports, console gaming, movie nights, and similar situations. It even comes with a gaming remote control to complete the TV experience.

The specs will also impress PC gamers. Along with the beautiful 4K OLED panel, it has an anti-glare coating, a 120Hz refresh rate, and compatibility with both G-Sync and FreeSync technology. It also supports HDR10, and thanks to that OLED display it can cover 99% of the DCI-P3 color space, so your movies are sure to look stunning.

Ports include HDMI 2.1 with VRR to improve stability, as well as DisplayPort, plus an updated headphone connection. There’s also a built-in 20W speaker, although for a great TV experience you’ll probably want to add some external speakers to the mix.

Ultrawide displays are an alternative to multiple-monitor setups. They eliminate the ugly bezel dividing two or more displays, creating a cleaner, unified experience.

With an ultrawide, everything must reside in one display, or you need to make some sacrifices. That’s especially impactful in gaming, where an ultrawide’s large resolution can tax even high-end graphics cards.

You should also factor in the physical footprint of large ultrawide displays. They can be huge, so make sure your desk and room have enough space to accommodate the size.

Also consider media playback, such as TV and movies. On an ultrawide, you may have to tolerate black bars running along the screen’s edges, as few productions shoot media that’s compatible with ultrawide aspect ratios.

It can be. Although not all ultrawide displays are designed with gaming in mind, the ones that are can offer some of the most immersive gaming experiences outside of virtual reality. Curved, large-screen, ultrawide monitors can wrap around your peripheral vision in a way that’s far more encompassing than traditionally-sized monitors.

There’s no right answer to this question. No single monitor size is “one size fits all.” It’s a subjective decision that varies from one person, and work area, to the next. To decide what will be best for you and your personal situation, you’ll need to consider your particular application, in addition to the space you have to use. If you’re wondering, the largest ultrawide monitors are 49-inch screens, like Samsung’s CHG90 or Dell’s 49-inch Ultrasharp display.

The 34-inch options with a 21:9 aspect ratio are a good starting place. You’ll enjoy the full ultrawide experience and it won’t be so whopping huge that you no longer have any desk space left to work.

You can with the right connections. We have a guide here on how to set up multiple monitors for gaming. If you have enough room, you can set two ultrawides side by side or mount one on top of the other (please check weight limits on any mounts you use).

One of the more common issues with setting up multiple monitors is is issues with different aspect ratios and resizing issues. Those problems can be worsened by the large size of ultrawides: You can consult our guide to multi-monitor problems for ideas about how to fix these issues.

The Dell P3421W is a great ultrawide monitor for browsing the web, coding, and doing general office work. It has useful features such as a USB hub, a sturdy stand with some cable management, and a USB-C port that can charge a laptop with up to 65 W of power. The display has good contrast and is reasonably color-accurate, but professionals who need precise color reproduction would need to calibrate the monitor or consider the more-accurate Asus ROG Strix XG349C. The P3421W was also the least fussy to set up among the ultrawides in our testing. The on-screen menu is easy to navigate, and it’s the only ultrawide monitor we recommend that allows you to easily swap your keyboard, mouse, and video between two computers with a built-in KVM switch.

The P3421W has a 34-inch display with a slight curve and a sharp 3440×1440 resolution, so its images look noticeably more detailed than those of standard high-definition 1080p displays. It’s wide enough to fit three documents, spreadsheets, or code-editor windows side by side, and the display’s unobtrusive curve isn’t distracting. The curve—described as 3800R if you’re comparing specifications—is one of the most shallow curves on the monitors we tested, so at first glance you might think the display is flat. But the subtle curve slightly angles the display’s corners toward you, making them seem less distant than on flat ultrawides like the Sceptre E345B-QUT168.

You can connect the P3421W to computers in a few different ways since it has so many kinds of ports. The simplest connection for laptops uses a single USB-C cable, which charges the laptop and sends its video to the monitor. You can also plug your keyboard and mouse directly into any of the monitor’s four USB-A ports, and those signals move through USB-C to the laptop. If your computer lacks a USB-C port, you have the option of HDMI or DisplayPort for video, and you’ll need an additional USB cable to connect the four USB-A ports to the computer.

If you connect both a laptop and a desktop at the same time, you can plug your keyboard and mouse into the monitor, and it will automatically connect them to the computer you’re currently displaying on the screen. This built-in KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch is a nice feature that’s uncommon in monitors of this price.

The monitor’s USB-C port supports 65 W of power, which is enough to charge most Mac and Windows laptops. We found that our top MacBook pick, the MacBook Air, charged at top speed from this monitor; our top Windows ultrabook, the Dell XPS 13, would do so, as well. In our experience, higher-powered laptops like the MacBook Pro and the Dell XPS 15 charged via the 65 W port but slower than normally.

Many of the ultrawide monitors we tested had wobbly stands, but the Dell P3421W was one of the sturdiest. Its heavy metal base and rigid stand solidly anchor the display on a desk. The stand allows you to raise and lower the monitor, tilt it up and down, and rotate it slightly left or right. There’s also a hole in the stand for cable management, so you can neatly route the wires that hang down from the back of the display behind your desk. If you don’t want to use the included stand, the display itself uses the VESA mounting standard, and you can attach it to any monitor arm capable of supporting its 15-pound weight.

Generally we don’t recommend ultrawides for photo or video work since the display’s curve distorts straight lines. But if you need a color-accurate display, and if you choose the P3421W, you would want to calibrate it before using it for any crucial color work. In our color-accuracy tests, the monitor produced DeltaE 2000 scores from 2.4 to 3.5, meaning color inaccuracies would be visible if you were to compare its colors with a reference image. For daily usage, however, most people would never be able to tell the difference.

Dell’s display warranty ranks among the best in the industry. The P3421W comes with a three-year warranty and the promise that if you find any defects that cause a pixel to stay bright, Dell will replace the display. This guarantee also covers six or more dark pixels.

If you use your display in direct sunlight, this monitor might not be bright enough for you. We measured the peak brightness of the Dell P3421W at 284 nits, a bit lower than we’d like. Other displays measured at more than 300 nits, and the Asus XG349C (our also-great pick) measured at more than 400. However, during our testing indoors with indirect sunlight, we never thought this monitor was lacking in brightness.

The best ultrawide monitors are no longer just accessible to those with incredibly deep wallets, and incredibly big setups. These screens are now more affordable than ever and have an increasingly appropriate use and deployment in home, work, and play (or all three) setups.

But how do you choose the best ultrawide monitor for you? Well, we"re here to help you separate some wheat from some chaff, ranking all our favourite ultrawide panels right here - some are so good that you"ll also find them in our best gaming monitor list such is their quality.

These days bigger doesn"t mean better - there"s an increasing number of "smaller" ultrawide monitors inhabiting the 34- and 35-inch spaces which make for perfect entry points into the best ultrawide gaming monitor market. They also tend to demand lower price tags too. However, immersion does increase as you go upwards in sizes through the 38-inch panels and all the way to the monstrous 49-inch screens from the likes of Samsung.

Having recently switched from two screens to one ultrawide I can personally tell you that it is a journey worth taking. You still get plenty of screen real estate for productivity and multiple windows, while also welcoming that incredible resolution for gaming - all while tidying up the setup a bit, and removing cables from your desk. Along with our thorough testing and reviewing, we"re putting all our experience on paper, to guide you on your way to your pick for the best ultrawide monitor whatever budget you"re working with.

The new Alienware 34 AW3423DW QD-OLED monitor has rocketed up the internet"s gaming monitor guides and rightfully sits atop our best ultrawide monitor pile. The new QD-OLED technology has finally come to gaming screens, and it delivers absolutely.

This screen has better contrast and a faster response than any LCD panel we’ve ever seen. In our testing, everything just looked richer, more convincing, and more immersive - and faster, sharper, and even clearer.

Only a couple of things are present that really raise the eyebrow - and even then it"s not by much. The supposedly brighter HDR 1000 mode actually results in a picture a little duller than the more usable HDR 400 setting. The slightly low pixel density also means this isn’t absolutely perfect as an all-purpose display, and, if we"re nit-picking, which we are, higher refresh panels will offer better latency.

But for most types of gaming and productivity, and all-around use, this monitor is an absolute revelation. Easily the best ultrawide monitor you can buy right now and one of only a few panels to receive a perfect score from us.

No one would blame you for thinking, at least initially, that the best ultrawide monitors will cost you an arm and a leg - and that is true to an extent, But the AOC CU34G2X is here to firmly buck that trend. Simply put, if you want to reap the benefits of an ultrawide display but you don"t want to fork out the big bucks, then this is the screen you"ve been looking for.

It"s not got any flashy, attention-grabbing design quirks, but upon closer inspection, it has specs inside that will get you excited - even if you"re a twitchy or competitive gamer. The CU34G2X offers both a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time – two of the most important specs for speedy gaming, which means that - as well as the gorgeous ultrawide resolution and picture - you can be sure you"re playing at high speeds too.

Unfortunately, the AOC CU34G2X does lack a little when it comes to color vibrancy and HDR performance, but that"s a compromise we"re willing to make in order to get the rest of the specs, and that tremendous ultra-widescreen in a monitor that falls under the $500/£500 mark. A brilliant entry point into the best ultrawide monitor market, and the perfect place to start for anyone considering upgrading from, or making a change from, a 1080p or 1440p screen.

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 (excelling in HDR and SDR on the whole), and the amount of game, landscape, or spreadsheet you can take in is spectacular.

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"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.

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 ultrawide monitor has been with us for a little while now, but it"s still just as impressive: 49 inches, 240Hz, seven million pixels, a crazy-immersive 1000R curvature, and a slightly silly 2000 nits is a hell of a recipe.

Arguably more important isn’t the peak brightness but the fact that a 10-zone edge-lit backlight has been ditched in favour of a cutting-edge 2,048 zone mini-LED backlight. On paper, that’s a huge upgrade. In practice, it’s a bit more complicated. This is a big screen, and even with that many zones, the granularity of the backlight control is a little crude. However, when it"s performing at its best, the Neo G9 puts on a spectacular HDR show that few ultrawide monitors can match.

The BenQ Mobiuz EX3415R monitor is the best ultrawide monitor for all-around use - whatever you want to use an ultrawide screen for, this can do it. It"s got a quality 34-inch IPS panel, 3,440 by 1,440 pixels for a perfect compromise between detail and fidelity, and also boasts a 144Hz refresh rate, a 1ms response, and HDR response! Throw in a delightful curve for immersion and it really is an attractive proposition - despite its relatively high price of admission.

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 monitor and don"t mind investing considerably to get the right screen, then this could very much be the panel you"ve been looking for.

At 49 inches - count them! - Samsung CRG9 is positively huge. It’s also immensely bright at 1,000nits - though that only applies to local hotspots, rather than panel wide. Finishing up the specs behind that you have excellent claimed colour fidelity with 95 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut, a 3,000:1 static contrast from the VA panel, a 120Hz refresh, and a gentle 1800R. All in Samsung styling - it really is, still, a great shout for the best ultrawide monitor you can get in 2022.

Now, the 21:9 aspect certainly doesn’t work well in allgames, and it"s a bit compromised back on the Windows desktop, and the massive resolution does end up lacking in some pixel density, but when this thing really clicks, it’s an all-consuming experience like little other and earns its place in the best ultrawide monitor conversation.

If you"re looking to reign in the budget a little when shopping in the best ultrawide monitor market, then the Acer Nitro XV340CKP is a decent screen to consider.

This ultrawide sheds a lot of the more premium gaming specs and screen techs to offer a more stripped-back and restrained wide boy that won"t damage the wallet too much. More "flashy" things like G-Sync or FreeSync Premium, super-high refresh rates, or bombastic HDR claims are dropped here, and instead, the XV340CKP offers something more straightforward: there"s a 34-inch IPS panel, a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time, no curve to the screen, and a brightness level of only 250 nits or so. However, don"t let any of that put you off: we"re swimming in more budget waters here after all so the value is still strong if you haven"t got a mega-budget.

I will say that its lack of immersion compared to a curved screen is noticeable and to its detriment. Admittedly I noticed this more as I came from a curved one to the Nitro, but in practice the flat screen does reflect more, impairing viewing angles (particularly in well-lit rooms), and it can feel like one really has to focus on things at ether edge. Small gripes and the value on offer with this ultrawide is still great.

It"s got all the gaming chops one could need when looking for the best ultrawide monitor for gaming: a 144Hz refresh rate that can be overclocked to 160Hz, a 1ms response time, immense and brilliant image quality, G-Sync compatibility (AMD FreeSync Premium Pro is also present), DisplayHDR 600, and that glorious 21:9 ultrawide resolution draped beautifully over a 38-inch Nano IPS display.

As a result, it can deliver the best kind of immersion and gaming experience that"s arguably possible on any gaming monitor, let alone just the ultrawide type. The extra screen space, resolution, and LG"s screen pedigree really help to ensure you not only have more game to look at but more crisp, spectacular game images to soak up too.

But LG"s screen pedigree shines through in other ways, and the DCI-P3 98% color gamut support ensures it can be deployed as a great screen for designers, work, home working, productivity, and the like.Which is the best ultrawide monitor?The best ultrawide monitor for you will be one that hits a few key criteria that are specific to you - and will hopefully be on this list of our picks for the best ultrawide monitor!

In reality though, chances are if you"re thinking about one of the best ultrawide monitors then you may have an idea about some of the specifications you want, need, and can house. It"s probably wise to think about size first as this basically governs everything else, and certainly price, so once you"ve narrowed that down, you can focus on getting the right specs, curvature, make, and model for you.What is the best size for an ultrawide monitor?As well as knowing your work and play-space limitations in a literal, size-based way, the best ultrawide monitor as far as size goes is going to be intrinsically linked to the budget - the connection between larger curved screens and larger price tags still tracks here.

Those 49-inchers are colossal though so if you want a bit of desk space then these might be too large. I really value the extra size a 38-inch gives over a 34-inch even though it isn"t too much in reality - the ultrawide resolution usually does the business and the talking in either, or any, size.Is it worth buying an ultrawide monitor?One of the best ultrawide monitors is a different experience for sure, from the traditional screens - but our money is on you not looking back once you"ve done it. The extra screen real-estate, the wider resolution, and the fact that you can absorb more, all while being immersed even more in games and movies - and productivity - means that it is absolutely worth buying an ultrawide monitor.

It"s true that away from gaming, the best ultrawide monitors can be brilliant for work - from everyday office-based work tasks to professional content creation and design. One ultrawide can often do the job of two separate monitors too, which makes them appealing from a tidiness perspective, then throw in the enormous screen real estate you can get, genuinely good screen specifications, and you"re away.

In terms of particular sizes, there"s no question that the massive 49-inch models can be great for productivity as well as gaming, but the price tags are often prohibitive. We really like the 38-inch size of ultrawide monitors as they are incredibly capacious but without dominating the desk - but this size still does represent a point at which the prices jump. Therefore, with value factored in, we think that those ultrawide monitors in the 34/35 inch size range are the perfect ones for work as well as play. Sure, if you have the budget to go bigger, we would generally say it"ll be worth it (no one has ever complained of their TV or monitor being too big, right?), but for most folks, the bang for buck value at the 34/35 inch range is excellent.

Between our on-team staff and our roster of expert freelance writers, every ultrawide monitor is treated just like every other monitor that comes our way: it"s subject to the same kind of deep scrutiny to get to the bottom of its good bits, and not-so-good bits.

LG UltraWide® monitors feature a stunning 21:9 aspect ratio – for a bigger view of all that you do. Created for truly immersive viewing, our widescreen monitors boast crystal-clear HD displays and a wide range of available features:

• Screen Splitter: The best monitor for your home office is one that simplifies multitasking. When you choose an UltraWide monitor with our screen splitter feature, you can divide the screen into as many as four customizable segments with just one click.

LG UltraWide monitors are not only some of the best monitors for work and productivity, but with HDR10 technology, Thunderbolt 3 connections, and wide 21:9 aspect ratios, they can improve all that you do. Explore all of our innovative monitors including, 4K, IPS, gaming, LED and more, and find the right solution for your space.