The best gaming monitor 2025: Digital Foundry's picks for PC, PS5 and Series X
From budget LCDs to ultra-premium QD-OLED models.
Getting the best gaming monitor can be pretty difficult. This isn't just because there's a lot to consider in terms of the right panel type, resolution and refresh rate for you, but also because some choices are objectively better than others. What's more, a good gaming monitor is a purchase that'll be the centrepiece of your setup for years, so choosing the right one is key - especially if you'll be using it for gaming, work, content consumption and more.
The good news is that 2025 is a particularly good year to upgrade, with impressive QD-OLED and W-OLED models offering the best image quality becoming more affordable, while more traditional LCD-based monitors are getting fancy Mini LED backlights, higher refresh rates and better features at surprisingly low prices.
We've streamlined our recommendations for 2025, with the best monitors on the market to start and more affordable options as we go on. If you're not sure which is right for you, check out our monitor buyer's guide or just start with the best budget option.
- Best gaming monitor: Alienware AW3225QF QD-OLED
- Runner-up best gaming monitor: Dough Spectrum Black 32
- Best mid-range gaming monitor: AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD
- Best cheap gaming monitor: AOC Q27G4XD (UK), Asus VG27AQ3A (US)
- How to choose the best gaming monitor
Best gaming monitor: Alienware AW3225QF QD-OLED
The Dell Alienware AW3225QF is one of the best monitors we've ever tested, thanks to its third-generation 32-inch Samsung QD-OLED panel - and it's also the cheapest monitor to use this panel by some margin in the UK, earning it our top recommendation overall.
This monitor is hugely impressive in person, delivering impactful HDR with bright 1000 nit highlights, gorgeous colour reproduction, wide viewing angles, perfect blacks and Dolby Vision support for games and video. It's not a one-trick pony either, with even fast-paced esports games like Counter-Strike 2 and F1 24 benefitting from the high 240Hz refresh rate and extremely fast pixel response times inherent to OLED panels. There's also HDMI 2.1 support for playing PlayStation or Xbox consoles at up to 4K 120Hz in HDR, so you really can do it all.
The third-gen QD-OLED panel also shores up the category's traditional weaknesses with more robust burn-in protection (including an improved heatsink, more burn-in countermeasures and a three-year warranty that covers burn-in) and an improved subpixel arrangement that leads to sharper text with less colour fringing than on earlier generations. That makes the AW3225QF a much better choice for general computer use, such as content creation or web browsing.
One thing to keep in mind is that QD-OLED monitors like these don't get quite as bright as similarly high-end LCD-based monitors, and blacks can look a bit purple or grey in extremely bright environments. This wasn't an issue for me even on the brightest days in the UK, but it's something to consider if you're unable to moderate your room's light intensity.
The AW3225QF is a decidedly premium proposition, but its QD-OLED panel is also a significant step forward over any other we've tested, with unmatched image quality and performance. For the lucky few that can justify the expense, this is an incredible monitor that we can't recommend highly enough.
Buy the Alienware AW3225QF:
Runner-up best gaming monitor: Dough Spectrum Black 32
The best alternative to Samsung's QD-OLED panels are LG's W-OLED panels, which offer many of the same advantages, some small differences and one major feature: "dual-mode" functionality. That's what sets apart the Dough Spectrum Black 32, which can transform from its default 4K 240Hz to a 1080p 480Hz mode better suited for esports - a great idea that genuinely came in useful for our testing in Counter-Strike 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
After a beta firmware update to 1.07, the monitor looks good in SDR and HDR - though the calibration is still a ways off rivals LG and Samsung. To make up for this, the OSD is chock full of features, despite looking more basic than more established names in the industry. There's common stuff like a black equaliser, crosshairs and genre-based modes, but also perfect pixel upscaling, black frame insertion and extremely granular OLED panel care features.
Dough's design skills remain top-notch, with the same elegant look as their Spectrum 27-inch 4K monitor we reviewed a few years back. The Black 32 is also available with a glossy Gorilla Glass panel, providing a beautifully lush and contrast-y look. All ports are found on the back of the metal chassis, facing away from the screen, making it easier to plug in your HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort cable and route it neatly too - though using an external power supply is a bit annoying. You have to pay extra for a stand too, though for a high-end unit we'd recommend a monitor arm anyway. The model I'm testing also doesn't include a USB hub, only a single 100W USB-C input, which feels like a backward step.
Dough also still suffers from a poor reputation for fulfillment and customer service, so we recommend you buy from a third-party retailer like Amazon. Alternatively, the LG UltraGear 32GS95UV (UK/US) is based on the same panel and ought to deliver similar performance with a slightly different design and better customer support - though its design and feature list isn't as impressive as Dough's.
Buy the Dough Spectrum Black 32:
Best mid-range gaming monitor: AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD
The AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD is our favourite mid-range panel, hitting the sweet spot for price to performance thanks to a 27-inch screen size and 1440p resolution, plus the added pizzazz and power of a W-OLED panel and a 240Hz refresh rate - for the sub £500/$500 asking price, that seems like a steal.
This panel is certainly impressive, with its LG-made W-OLED panel providing the requisite inky blacks and immense contrast which means it presents some fantastic images across its 27-inch size. Colour accuracy is also excellent, with this panel well-suited for both productivity and potentially even more colour-sensitive workloads. If you're worried about any burn-in, this AOC option benefits from lots of built-in features such as pixel washing and shift settings and is also covered by a three-year warranty that includes burn-in protection.
Its 240Hz refresh rate makes motion buttery-smooth, with the likes of Counter-Strike 2 and Dirt Rally 2 in my testing benefitting from the AG276QZD's sublime responsiveness in PC testing. On consoles, you are limited to 120Hz, though. It also gets decently bright, with a recorded level of just under 400 nits in SDR mode, and upwards of 800 nits in a small screen area with HDR. That gives displayed images some real punch and great dynamic range. HDR support is limited to HDR10, in spite of this, with no Dolby Vision or DisplayHDR True Black standards present.
The 27-inch and 1440p combo works well here too, giving you solid detail on a mid-range screen size that's easier to drive against the 4K choices that can require a lot of oomph. It also looks fantastic with an almost space-age and quite angular frame, while the stand offers lots of adjustment with pivot, tilt, height adjustment and portrait orientation. The port selection here is okay for the price, with a pair of HDMI 2.0 and DP 1.4 options, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack and three USB ports. You don't get more advanced features such as a KVM or USB-C connectivity, though, which is left to its more premium rivals.
Overall then the AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD impresses for a QD-OLED option that's feature-rich for its price tag while retaining key features such as a highly adjustable stand, gorgeous and responsive images and good looks to boot.
AOC has also released the AG276QZD2, which retains most of the same feature set as this model, although it swaps the W-OLED panel out for a glossy 3rd-gen Samsung QD-OLED one instead. It also comes with HDMI 2.1 ports, and DisplayHDR True Black 400 against the model we've tested. In the UK, it's around £50-£100 extra, while is roughly in line in the USA with the W-OLED model.Buy the AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD:
Best cheap gaming monitor: AOC Q27G4XD (UK), Asus VG27AQ3A (US)
The sub-£150/$200 market is extremely competitive these days, with 1440p 180Hz Fast IPS options standing out as some of the best "cheap" models available. We like the AOC Q27G4XD in the UK, while the Asus VG27AQ3A fits the bill in the US.
Both models offer strong performance, with a clear size and resolution advantage over the 24-inch 1080p 144Hz models we previously recommended in this category. Having a Fast IPS display is also key, as it guarantees wide viewing angles, great colour accuracy and fast pixel response times - a good all-around choice that comes in much cheaper than OLED alternatives.
These designs are reasonably modern too, with height-adjustable stands, thin bezels and FreeSync/G-Sync Compatibility. Overall, they're great monitors for the money and a superb entry point for PC or even console gaming.
Buy:
How to choose the best gaming monitor
Choosing the best gaming monitor is a simple process that starts with working out what sorts of games or other applications you plan to run.
Generally, fast-paced and competitive games like shooters, real-time strategy or racing games will benefit from higher refresh rate monitors, while slower-paced games like role-playing games and turn-based strategy games are best played on a higher-resolution monitor.
Resolution is normally given as the number of horizontal pixels (eg 1080p, 1440p), while refresh rates are given in Hz and correspond to how many times per second the screen is redrawn (eg 60Hz, 144Hz). For example, the standard specification for entry-level monitors is 1080p 60Hz (a 1920 pixel wide and 1080 pixel tall screen that updates 60 times per second). Meanwhile, the current gaming monitor sweet spot between price and performance is 1440p 144Hz (a 2560x1440 screen that updates 144 times a second). To learn more, read our guide to essential monitor terms here.
In broad strokes, a modern entry-level gaming PC will be able to use a 1080p or 1440p gaming monitor at 144Hz or higher, with mid-range gaming PCs pairing well with 4K monitors as long as games offer DLSS, XeSS or FSR upscaling. Finally, high-end PCs are able to max out a 4K 144Hz monitor - or even higher - with frame generation tech on the latest graphics cards.
Bear in mind that the real situation is more complicated than this, as some games are more demanding to run than others and there's always a balance between graphical fidelity and frame-rate.
The current sweet spot between price and performance are monitors with a 1440p resolution and 144Hz+ refresh rate. In slower-paced games and content creation, you'll appreciate the extra visual fidelity and screen real estate, while in faster esports titles the higher refresh rate will make hitting flicks or skill shots easier. That's why we've selected a monitor that fits this specification as the best cheap gaming monitor . Of course, there are plenty of alternatives too!
For consoles, things are a little simpler. HDMI 2.1 monitors support 4K resolution up to 120Hz, matching the highest possible output of the Xbox Series X and PS5.
Arms are the ultimate gaming monitor upgrade
Many gaming monitors don't come with brilliant stands - they might lack height adjustment, they might be a little unstable, or they're simply ugly. My preferred method of dealing with this is to use a monitor arm whenever possible, which allows me to position the monitor much more easily and also ensures that my entire desk space can be dedicated to mouse, keyboard and cups of tea. This prevents me from running my mouse into the base of the monitor stand accidentally, and means I can adopt a much more natural and comfortable posture with the mouse and keyboard in line with my arms rather than being stretched to either side.
There are plenty of nice monitor stands out there, but here at Digital Foundry we tend to use Ergotron monitor arms. My colleague John Linneman uses an Ergotron HX arm for his ultra-wide, while I use a similarly robust Ergotron LX arm for two of my three 16:9 monitors (the other is held by the nice but overpriced Herman Miller Ollin monitor arm). If your budget can't quite stretch to Ergotron, then Amazon Basics models are a reasonable replacement at a lower price.
Essential terms for monitor buyers
Picking up your first monitor? Here are some common specs and what they actually mean.
Resolution: How many pixels are on screen, given as horizontal x vertical. 1920x1080 (1080p) and 3840x2160 (4K) are the most common resolutions for both TVs and monitors. The higher the resolution, the crisper and more detailed a game tends to look.
Refresh rate: How many times the screen updates per second, given in Hz. Standard monitors and TVs refresh at 60Hz, while gaming models may refresh anywhere from 100 to 240Hz, with 144Hz being the most common choice for a high refresh rate monitor. The higher the refresh rate, the more fluid a game will feel.
Response time: This stat typically measures how fast a pixel can turn from grey to white and then back to grey again. Most gaming monitors sport response time figures of less than 5ms, with TN panels being the fastest and IPS or VA screens being a little slower. Low response times help to eliminate distracting smears in fast-paced scenes. Note that response time is distinct from input lag, which refers to the delay between an input (like pressing a button) and seeing the effect of the input on-screen.
Contrast ratio: Simply the ratio between the brightness of a display when it is displaying perfect black versus perfect white. Around 1000:1 is typical for an IPS display, a VA display can hit 3000:1 or higher and an OLED has technically infinite contrast, as its organic LEDs can switch off entirely to create a completely dark image. High contrast ratio screens look particularly good in dark rooms, as blacks will appear properly black rather than dark grey. When a high contrast display also has high peak brightness levels (eg 600 nits and up), HDR content will look punchier too.
G-Sync/FreeSync: These are both terms that refer to adaptive sync technology, designed to eliminate ugly screen-tearing while adding less input lag than traditional v-sync. G-Sync is Nvidia's implementation, which technically requires a physical G-Sync module inside the monitor that can drive up prices. FreeSync is the AMD alternative, which doesn't require a special module and therefore doesn't add much to a monitor's price. However, nowadays few monitors bother with a physical module, and we often see displays that are technically 'G-Sync Compatible' being just listed as 'G-Sync'. In general, you don't need to worry so much these days about finding a monitor that suits your graphics card; basically any monitor that supports VRR will work on any modern GPU from AMD, Intel or Nvidia.
HDR: High Dynamic Range allows for greater contrast between the lightest and darkest parts of an image, as well as a wider colour gamut. While a growing number of monitors are technically HDR-capable, most can't hit the high peak brightness figures that actually make the feature worthwhile. We recommend sticking with monitors that hit stringent standards, like DisplayHDR 600 or DisplayHDR True Black 400, if playing games or watching films in HDR is important to you.
IPS: This sort of monitors tend to be expensive to produce, but provide better viewing angles and improved colour accuracy compared to monitors using VA or TN panels. However, some IPS panels, particularly older ones, can suffer from slower response times, making them worse for fast-paced games. Another potential issue is 'IPS glow', where the monitor's backlight is visible in dark scenes. Fast IPS monitors tend to offer the best of both worlds, with TN-like motion handling and IPS-like viewing angles, colours and contrast.
TN: The most mature display technology, TN panels are cheap to produce and offer some of the fastest response times. However, colour accuracy and viewing angles tend to be poor, sometimes resulting in a washed out look - particularly if you're not viewing the monitor head-on. However, modern TN panels do well to minimise these drawbacks.
VA: A type of monitor panel which tends to occupy a middle-ground between IPS and TN in many respects. These panels generally offer the best contrast, backed with good response times and colour reproduction.
OLED: Available in both QD-OLED and W-OLED varieties, OLED screens are a premium option with huge advantages as well as some pitfalls. The advantages are numerous and impactful, including gorgeous colour reproduction, wide viewing angles and near-instant pixel response times. Perhaps most importantly, having self-emissive pixels rather than relying on a backlight means that pixels can turn off completely for perfect blacks and don't exhibit the haloing seen on LCD-based screens. However, OLED screens are at greater risk of permanent image retention (aka burn-in) and require countermeasures to prevent this, such as dimming static content like logos or the Windows taskbar. OLED screens also don't get as bright as many LCD alternatives, making them less suitable for extremely bright environments. Still, on the whole this is a fantastic panel choice if your budget allows.
QD-OLED vs W-OLED: QD-OLED screens are typically made by Samsung and come with a Quantum Dot layer that results in better and more vibrant colour reproduction than rival W-OLED screens made by LG, particularly for green and red tones. However, W-OLED screens tend to offer a slightly better subpixel arrangement for fine elements like small text and boast brighter whites, making them brighter in a typical desktop environment. Both are strong options, no doubt, but based on our testing thus far QD-OLED is the more exciting option for PC gamers.