Best Gaming Monitor 2023: Top screens for PC, PS5 and Xbox

The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 is an excellent all-round gaming monitor, mainly thanks to it being the world’s first 4K panel with a 240Hz refresh rate.

We found it to offer smooth motion with that 240Hz refresh rate with only minor bouts of ghosting. In addition, the 1000R curve provided us with an immersive gaming experience, as well as one that’ll be familiar to anyone who currently owns a Samsung Odyssey-line monitor, as it’s the same curvature.

Its Mini LED backlight also provided incredibly high brightness, which we measured to be 1411 nits, which is bright enough for an outstanding HDR performance and great contrast. In turn, this also meant there were some excellent colours on offer, with both the G8’s support for 10-bit colour, and the vast colour space coverage we measured: 99% sRGB and 92% DCI-P3 to be exact.

The G8 also looks fantastic with a sandblasted and sturdy metal base alongside a glossy white plastic finish that replicates the larger Odyssey G9, which we consider one of the best ultrawide gaming monitors, and certainly puts the G8’s design in good stead.

The G8 is quite the expensive monitor though, with all of these fantastic features coming at a premium price. Alternative 4K Mini LED monitors such as the Acer Predator X32 FP are available at a slightly more affordable price if you’re worried about the cost. But if you’re craving a high gaming performance, including that 240Hz refresh rate, then the Odyssey Neo G8 remains the best gaming monitor money can buy today.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 review

The LG UltraGear 27GR95QE-B may not be the cheapest monitor on the market, but it’s a tremendously good gaming choice. It comes with an impressive Quad HD (1440p) resolution alongside OLED technology. OLED can produce absolute blacks and an infinitely high contrast ratio, ideal for gamers that want an immersive experience. It also makes both SDR and HDR content look stunning.

We found that motion handling was superb, in no small thanks to the 0.03ms GtG response and 240Hz refresh rate. No ghosting was seen in any test scenario and the official support for both Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s FreeSync Premium meant there was no screen tearing. 

On the rear, there are two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.4, a USB-B upstream and two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 downstream data ports for connecting peripherals. There are no built-in speakers on this monitor, but it does come with a 3.5mm audio jack and optical digital audio output. The audio jack supports DTS: HeadphoneX virtual 3D audio passthrough, allowing those with premium headsets to make the most out of their cans. 

There is also a single bright LED below the centre of the display. It’s not as clever as Philip’s Ambiglow system – which can be set to light up alongside media – but it can display static colours or cycle through a selection, providing more personality to your setup. 

Our reviewer claims that other than the high price, there is nothing to dislike about the LG UltraGear 27GR95QE. It looks great when playing AAA games but can be used for a variety of purposes. If you want something truly premium that will take your gaming to the next level, this is the monitor for you.  

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full Review: LG UltraGear 27GR95QE-B

Gaming monitors come in all shapes and sizes, but if you’re after something the size of a TV, then the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 (2023) is your best bet. It comes in at a massive 43 inches, with our reviewer needing to dismantle the top section of their desk to accommodate it. If possible, we would recommend placing it at a reasonable distance from where you are going to sit, as the screen is too large to view in full when placed directly in front of you on a desk. It could even be used in your lounge or mounted in a bedroom, with the large display creating an absorbing picture that made games like Horizon Zero Dawn look even more picturesque.

The Neo G7 packs a 4K resolution and Mini LED technology. We found that it produced pin-sharp imagery in both video and gaming content and was massively more premium than the standard Full HD experience. Samsung opted to include ‘Quantum Mini LED’ technology which ensured better light control and stopped colours leaking into other parts of the imagery on screen; dark scenes in games looked deep and inky and there was plenty of detail in every frame. 

Unlike a lot of other gaming monitors, the Neo G7 can connect to the internet and run steaming applications without needing to be connected to external devices. This opens the door to running apps like Netflix or Xbox Game Pass without needing to hook up a console or PC. Navigating the system is easy thanks to the bundled remote and furthers the Neo G7 as a replacement TV, rather than just a monitor. 

The combined picture quality and streamlined design of the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 make it a fantastic choice for anyone who’s looking to enjoy their games on the big screen. With a $799.99/£899 launch price, this is an absolute bargain for anyone who’s more bothered about size rather than speed. 

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full Review: Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 (2023) Review

The Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED (2023) is an all-purpose OLED monitor and comes with a 32:9 ultrawide curved 49-inch display. We thought that it added a massive amount of immersion to all supported games. Cyberpunk 2077 looked incredible; the seedy urban landscape was brought to life, with NPCs moving around in the background making the world look a lot more lived in. It gives Forza Horizon 5 a wider view of the buildings and Mexican scenery, adding a lot of weight to the speed of your car as you whizz past. 

The combination of a Quad HD (1440p) resolution and a high 240Hz refresh rate made games look smooth and crisp. The Odyssey G9 OLED has support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which helps align a game’s frame rate and display to ensure that there is no screen tearing or motion blur. The inclusion of OLED allowed for inky, dark blacks and crisp whites, with our tests delivering a perfect black level of zero. 

Since this monitor has such a huge screen, you will need to ensure that you have a large enough desk to accommodate it. The setup was relatively simple, though, thanks to the bespoke clip-in mechanism that locks the screen into the base without the need for a screwdriver. 

The back of the monitor houses two 5W stereo speakers. We thought that they kicked out decent audio – although it couldn’t compare to dedicated speakers – with support for Bluetooth if you do want to hook up your favourite audio accessories. 

All in all, if you own a capable PC setup and want to expand your horizons, this is the perfect monitor. If you’re after a large gaming monitor then the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 (2023) is also a great pick, but if you’re after a 32:9 or 21:9 aspect ratio, there is no better pick than the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED. 

Reviewer: Chris Smith
Full Review: Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED (2023)

A lot of the gaming monitors on this list cost a fortune, so we’ve made sure to include the budget-friendly AOC Gaming 25G3ZM/BK, which offers top specs and performance despite being available for less than $200/£200.

This 23.8-inch monitor has a standard 1080p VA panel rather than the more luxurious Mini LED and OLED options, but our testing showed it to still offer an outstanding picture quality with a high 4,000:1 contrast and superb colour coverage. It has a great performance too, with a 165Hz refresh rate ensuring butter smooth motion, which is especially useful for multiplayer shooters.

The appearance is fairly basic, but offers great adjustability options as a 90-degree left pivot, 130mm of height adjustment and -5/23-degree of tilt. There’s no RGB lighting or USB connectivity, but it still packs all of the necessary ports for gaming.

The AOC Gaming 25G3ZM/BK is limited to a 1080p resolution and lacks fancy features such as HDR, but at this low price, this monitor is an absolute steal for gamers. This is the best gaming monitor option you’re going to find without spending considerably more.

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full Review: AOC Gaming 25G3ZM/BK review

The Asus ROG PG35VQ is a proper premium gaming monitor option and we think is an outstanding choice for anyone after more of a widescreen option.

It comes with a 35-inch panel which we found offered exceptional image quality with a measured brightness of 353 nits, which is perfectly fine for most games. And with HDR enabled content became incredibly vibrant, especially thanks to the measured 1000 nits or so of brightness.

The widescreen form factor with a 3440×1440 resolution means this is quite a good monitor for more immersive titles, as is also exemplified by its gentle 1800R curve. The pixel density figure of 107ppi means games also look excellent with a sharp level of detail, too.

A measured 4.9ms response time means the PG35VQ is also a great monitor for eSports and competitive gaming, alongside the 200Hz refresh rate offers some immensely smooth gameplay. Support for Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate is also particularly welcome, which helps to make this screen an incredibly responsive one, and the fact it supports DisplayHDR1000 is a massive bonus.

This is an expensive monitor that’s really designed for those wanting a truly endgame panel to go with their already tricked out PC and wider setup, but if that’s you and you need an incredible centrepiece, this is a prime choice.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ review

The MSI MPG Artymis 273CQRX-QD is one the best gaming monitor options for those who crave superb picture quality and a high refresh rate without spending an astronomical fee.

Thanks to the Quantum Dot LEDs, the MSI monitor achieved a mighty contrast ratio of 3100:1 during our tests. This means your monitor is capable of producing a vibrant picture and incredible depth. We were also really impressed with the 240Hz refresh rate which is usually reserved for pro-grade monitors, although we did notice significant ghosting which may put off the eSports crowd.

We also found the HDR performance to be lacklustre, so you can certainly get a superior performance by spending more. Nevertheless, we still think the performance of the MSI MPG Artymis 273CQRX-QD is brilliant for the price.

Other great mid-range gaming monitors include the Samsung Odyssey G7 and Alienware AW2721D, but the MSI just about edges it out in our books due to the more affordable price.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full Review: MSI MPG Artymis 273CQRX-QD review

The ASUS ROG Swift PG259QNR is an incredible option for those eSports players or competitive gamers who need absolutely blistering performance.

With a 360Hz refresh rate, we found it to offer top-level performance that worked brilliantly in fast paced titles such as FPS games including Fortnite and CS:GO. While there isn’t much of a jump between 240Hz and 360Hz for most mere mortals, if you are a pro-grade player, then you’ll want to take advantage of the higher refresh rate.

Its 24.5-inch panel is a little bit on the smaller side, but this actually works in favour of those wanting to use it for high-intensity gaming as you won’t have to waste time with neck movements to look in every corner of the screen. We found the actual image quality on offer here to be pretty good with some decent brightness too – we measured it to be 413 nits which offered solid depth and vibrancy for an IPS panel. 

In addition, its colours are consistent with 99.3% sRGB coverage meaning it performs well in mainstream environments within games, although with only 73% DCI-P3 coverage, this isn’t a monitor to be used in more colour-sensitive tasks.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full Review: Asus ROG Swift PG259QNR review

The Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 features a glorious 42-inch panel featuring 4K resolution and an OLED panel.

The imagery was perfectly crisp and sharp with the OLED panel allowing for 100% coverage of the sRGB gamut. Blacks were inky and dark and the contrast was very high, allowing for immersive gameplay. It comes with a handy feature, Dynamic DarkBoost. This raises the brightness in dark areas in games, allowing you to see everything on screen without washing out other colours or bringing a grey tinge to everything.

The main elephant in the room here is the 138Hz refresh rate. It’s not terribly high for a gaming monitor and we wouldn’t recommend it for any eSports fans. Some PC gamers may find that this refresh rate isn’t high enough, but it won’t be an issue for those looking to hook up their PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. 

There is a large selection of ports on the Philips Evnia, including two HDMI 2.1 inputs, a DisplayPort 1.4, four USB-A ports, a USB-B port as well as a 3.5mm audio jack. We found it to be a very well-connected monitor, although the port placement does make it awkward to remove and add more cables. 

Inside the monitor, there are two 10W loudspeakers that produce more than enough volume to fill up a bedroom. They come with DTX Sound audio processing and we found that at 80% volume or less, there was enough bass, treble and composure to make for a very pleasant listening experience. 

Overall, if you can get past the low refresh rate, this is a fantastic 4K gaming monitor. Our reviewer notes that when paired with a PS5 and placed at a comfortable viewing distance, the sumptuous OLED panel looks very impressive. This is well complemented by the integrated speakers, meaning that you don’t even need to splurge on more hardware to experience a truly premium gaming setup.

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full Review: Philips Evnia 42M2N8900