Are curved monitors good for gaming?

The Definitive Guide to Curved Monitors

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Curved gaming monitors have been floating around the industry for a good while now, providing a more immersive experience to those that have the cash to splash out on such luxuries. Whilst yesteryear’s curved monitors weren’t exactly groundbreaking when it came to gaming, the same most certainly can’t be said for today’s offerings. The latest arrivals to today’s marketplace offer up a whole plethora of high-performance specifications and benefits that actually make them the perfect choice for a lot of modern-day gamers.

In today’s article, we’ll be taking a closer look at the main benefits that come equipped with buying a curved monitor for gaming. We’ll see how they compare to flat monitors in price, performance, and overall value for money, alongside individuals tests and whether or not a curved monitor is right for your specific needs.

So, with all that in mind, let’s waste no further time and dive straight into it!

Monitors Specifications And What They Mean

If you’re new to the PC game, or monitors in general, the following section is going to help you understand the specifications a monitor comes equipped with. Whilst explaining (in brief) what each does, we’ll also be explaining which is most important when looking to purchase a monitor for gaming.

So, that being said, let’s get into it.

Refresh Rate

The monitor’s refresh rate is one of, if not the most important specification it comes equipped with when referencing gaming. The refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz) and tells us how many times the monitor refreshes the picture it’s displaying, in seconds. So, a monitor that has a 144Hz refresh rate, refreshes it’s image 144 times per second.

The quicker the monitor can refresh the image it’s displaying, the smoother the picture will be, naturally. Gamers should concern themselves with this specification as it has a direct impact on the overall gameplay – with lower refresh rates falling victim to screen artifacts such as screen tear and jitter. Two things no gamer should encounter.

Response Time

Response time is the 2nd “R” in the triad that makes up a great gaming monitor. The response time is in reference to how quickly the pixels can change color, usually using the GTG (Gray-to-gray) color transition. Gamers should definitely make themselves aware of what this specification does, as slow pixel response time can lead to ghosting – a visual artifact that washes out colors and leaves a ghostly trail behind fast-moving images.

As a general rule, gamers should be looking for a response time of under 2ms for the absolute best results. As we’ll see later, however, that isn’t always possible with curved gaming monitors.

Resolution

Resolution refers to the physical number of pixels your monitor can display at any one time. Resolution is the final piece of the gaming puzzle when it comes to a monitor’s specifications. Finding the right resolution for your specific needs is a careful balance between computational demand and required image clarity.

A monitor that displays a max resolution of 1920×1080 will display 1920 pixels horizontally by 1080 pixels vertically. Use the same ideology with a 4K monitor (3840×2160) and it’s easy to understand why 4K offers far better picture clarity.

That being said, higher resolutions put a lot more stress and demand on your system and graphics card. The bottom line is: ensure your computer can handle the performance demands of the resolution you plan to play on before splashing out on a fancy high-end monitor.

Panel Technology

There are three main panel technologies used in today’s monitors (IPS, TN, VA), all of which come equipped with their own unique set of pros and cons – tailoring them for specific usage scenarios. Choosing which panel technology is right for you comes down to your specific needs. See the table below for a better understanding of the main panel technologies:

Color

The color of your monitor isn’t going to affect gaming performance massively, but it will affect the immersive experience it gives you as a user.

Most of today’s monitors display their color accuracy via a percentage of a color gamut. A color gamut is a spectrum of color, with some offering a wider range of colors than others. sRGB, for example, doesn’t cover nearly as much color variation as Adobe RGB does.

When comparing the color accuracy of individual monitors, look for high percentage coverage of a wide gamut, such as Adobe RGB or DCI-P3. This will give you great levels of immersion and a more realistic image.

Variable Refresh Technology

Variable refresh technology is fairly new in the larger scale of things, bringing impressive levels of smoothness to gamers who desire it.

Better known as G-Sync and FreeSync, variable refresh technology is used within today’s monitors to help synchronize the PC’s frame rate output with the monitors refresh rate. This, in turn, removes visual artifacts like screen tear from occurring and provides an extremely smooth picture image.

If you’re looking at a gaming monitor, be sure to choose a monitor that has the specific refresh technology to match your GPU. Remember, G-sync is Nvidia, and FreeSync is AMD.

Curved Monitor Vs. Flat Monitor

So, now you’ve had a closer look at some of the specifications that go into making a monitor, it’s probably a good time to compare the two screen types to see which comes out of on top.

First, let’s start with the pros and cons of curved monitors:

Pros

• Immersion – Curved monitors have a lot going for them, but maybe the best of the bunch, is the levels of immersion they create when used for gaming. Thanks to a number of different factors (many of which will be in the pros), the curved monitor is not only more exciting, but it captivates you for longer – allowing you to concentrate and enjoy your virtual environment.
• Less distortion – Thanks to the curvature of the curved monitor, the picture you’re seeing isn’t being distorted in any way. Where a curved monitor points the picture at you directly, a flat monitor is projecting the image in a straight line – some of which is past your field of view. Even though it might not be apparent, distortion occurs in this type of scenario. Another plus to the curved monitor.
• More comfortable on your eyes – A curved monitor almost copies the curvature of your eye, allowing for a more natural viewing experience. Unlike a flat monitor, the curved monitor is less stressful on our eye, meaning you can game harder, for longer.
•  Aesthetics – Aesthetically speaking, nine times out of ten, the curved monitor outshines its flat counterpart. It isn’t going to please everyone’s needs, but there’s something oddly beautiful about a widescreen curve.

Cons

• Expensive – Whilst the above is all true, so are the cost issues that come with getting curved. Now, that’s not to say you can’t purchase a curved gaming monitor on the cheap, because you can. However, if you compare two monitors (curved and flat) with similar specs, more often than not, the curved will be more expensive.
• Price to performance – If you’re already well versed in curved monitors, you’ll understand the difficulty in finding one that offers good gaming specifications at a decent price. Refresh rate and response time, as we said earlier, are very important when it comes to gaming. Realistically, you want to be aiming for 144Hz refresh and 1ms response for the best gaming experience. Finding a curved monitor with those specifications cheaper than a flat alternative is hard to come by.

Now let’s take a look at the flat monitor in comparison:

Pros

• Better aspect ratio for competitive gaming – Most modern games work perfectly well on widescreen/ultrawide curved monitors. However, there are still plenty of titles that work better under 4:3 aspect ratios – mainly highly-competitive FPS titles. Keep this in mind if you do plan to play at a competitive level.
• Better value for money – It’s safe to say that, almost always, the flat monitor showcases better value for money. You can pick up a relatively good gaming monitor for around $250-$300.  I’m not so sure the same can be said for a curved alternative.
• More functional stand – It’s safe to say that, more often than not, the stand that comes with a flat monitor is more versatile than its curved counterpart. Swivel, tilt, height, and rotational adjustment are fairly common in flat offerings. Versatility is not always as easy to find in curved options.

Cons

• Can be basic in design – Unlike curved monitors which scream luxury and style, the same can’t always be said for the flat monitors out there. Some offer very basic designs that look, well, pretty cheap and tacky.

So, as you can see, both flat and curved monitors have plenty of pros and cons to their names. Many of you may be surprised by the number of pros the curved monitor comes equipped with – but you shouldn’t be. We’ve seen a large increase in curved monitor sales over the past five to ten years, with the above pros being the main reason.

We still haven’t really answered the big question though, are curved monitors good for gaming? Well, let’s take a look.

Are Curved Monitors Good For Gaming?

The fast answer is yes. Modern-day curved monitors come with all the bells and whistles that we see on the best flat monitors – instantly making them great for gaming. Gone are the days when you’d struggle to find a curved monitor that has a good refresh rate, low response time, and offers a playable resolution. Today, monitor manufacturers are well ahead of the curve (mind the pun), providing high-performance options in most price ranges.

That being said, below is a quick comparison between one of my favorite curved monitors vs. one of my favorite flat monitors:

As you can see from the image above, there are clear differences between the two monitors – most glaringly being the price. Whilst the Alienware has lower refresh rates and slower response times, they aren’t terrible when you consider this is a 34″ beast of a monitor. Both monitors have IPS panels, both have very similar color accuracy and brightness, and both offer 1440p picture quality with around 300 nits of brightness. However, the curved panel is still over a third more expensive.

But, that isn’t answering our question, are curved monitors good for gaming,? The answer is yes – just be ready to fork out for one.

Related Pages

Below are some pages we feel you may be interested in:

• Best 27″ monitors
• Best PC monitors
• Best monitor size for gaming
• TV vs Monitor for gaming
• Best 4K 144Hz gaming monitors
• What to look for in a gaming monitor

Conclusion

So, there you have it, our complete rundown of whether or not curved monitors are good for gaming. We came to the simple conclusion that, yes they are, but you’ll have to fork out the right cash for a good one.

With that in mind, below are some of the best curved monitors for gaming:

Hopefully, this article has made choosing your next curved gaming monitor that much easier. Feel free to leave us a comment below if you have any questions regarding curved monitors and the technologies they come equipped with. Better still, you can always head on over to our Community Hub and discuss everything monitor related with like-minded individuals!