Whether you’re a PC gamer, or a console owner with a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, if you want to enjoy your games played out in the most crisp, stunning detail, then you should consider grabbing one of the best 4K monitors for gaming.
4K monitors were once rarer beasts, but are now much more mainstream, and definitely far cheaper then they used to be. Don’t get us wrong; there are excellent 1080p and 1440p displays that will still deliver an immersive gaming experience while keeping the price low. However, 4K displays are more affordable than ever, with some of them even sitting at the same price points as their lower-resolution counterparts.
So, there’s no excuse for you not to upgrade, and if you’re thinking of doing just that, then we’ve listed all the best 4K gaming monitors below.
4K monitors aren’t known to be cheap, but you will find some excellent affordable options – and the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q stands out in this department. While this screen has been seen under the $500 / £500 mark consistently in the past, it’s now even cheaper, and you can pick this monitor up for half of this (or not much more than that), meaning it’s an storming bargain, frankly.
Okay, so there are compromises here, but with a lower-priced 4K screen, you’ve got to expect that. The refresh rate is only 60Hz and the VG289Q’s response time could be better. However, there’s plenty to love here as well, including that 3,840 x 2,160 resolution (of course), stunning colors, and great ergonomics so you can game comfortably. The size is decent too - ideal if you have a smaller desk. And this monitor’s portrait mode ensures that you’ve got something for productivity as well.
Read our Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q review
If you’re after a 4K monitor that’s Nvidia G-Sync compatible to guard against screen tearing and related nastiness messing with your smooth gameplay, look no further than the Dell G3223Q.
It’s not just smooth, but the image quality of this Dell monitor gives you rich colors so games look fantastic – particularly those in HDR – and of course super-sharp with that 4K resolution. The G3223Q also does very well with its selection of ports.
Downsides? Well, it’s an IPS panel, so where you’ve got a lot of black on-screen – like the background in a space sim for example – it’s not such a great performer, and blacks look a bit washed out. If you can live with that compromise – which isn’t unique to the Dell G3223Q, but all IPS monitors – then this is a great choice.
While the Dell G3223Q could also give you pause for thought with its price a couple of years back, the good news is that these days, it’s generally a lot more affordable. The cost was one of the sticking points when we reviewed this screen, so it’s good that concerns around this have eased. A definite one to put on your 4K monitor shortlist if you consider G-Sync a must-have feature.
Read our Dell G3223Q review
You don’t need to own a cutting-edge console to take full advantage of the Gigabyte Aorus FV43U – although, to be fair, it comes with all the good stuff you need for PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming. That includes its 4K resolution, high refresh rate, and HDMI 2.1 ports (two of them, to be exact). Oh, and did we mention it boasts VESA Certified DisplayHDR 1000 and excellent color coverage as well?
This is a massive monitor at 43-inches, which means that it’s only ideal for PC gaming if you’ve got the room for it in your setup. Otherwise, you’ll be blasting your eyeballs and putting undue pressure on your neck. If you do have the space, know that you’re getting more than what you’re paying for, which is a good thing because the FV43U does cost a lot.
Read our Gigabyte AORUS FV43U review
If you want a top-notch 4K gaming display and are prepared to suffer the damage to your wallet that a premium model will inevitably exact, then let us introduce you to Samsung’s Odyssey Neo G8.
This is a 4K VA panel with a more pronounced curve (1000R) that makes use of Mini-LED tech and offers a mind-boggling 2,000 nits of brightness in HDR. The sum of all this is a simply stunning level of image quality. On top of that, you’ve got a 1ms response time and 240Hz refresh rate, which is very high for a 4K panel – so your shooters can be super-smooth on this screen. (Providing you’ve got the GPU to drive those frame rates, of course – or you’re willing to lower graphics details).
The icing on the cake is that the Odyssey Neo G8 is now a fair bit cheaper than when the monitor first emerged, having dropped around 15% in pricing (when we checked at the time of writing). We’ve also been seeing some amazing deals in big-name sales events, too, so bide your time and you could get this premium 4K screen for a relative steal. It’s well worth the outlay even at the normal MSRP, make no mistake.
OLED monitors deliver rich and vibrant colors, deep blacks and impressive contrast for a jaw-dropping gaming experience, and Gigabyte’s Aorus FO48U is our pick if you want to go 4K OLED.
This massive gaming monitor delivers up to 900 nits of peak brightness and a whopping 135,000:1 contrast ratio – not to mention excellent color gamuts, which will come in handy for any content creation you do on the side. And, the Aorus FO48U comes with all the trimmings you need for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S gaming, including a 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1, alongside AMD FreeSync Premium, spatial audio, and KVM functionality.
It’s also not as pricey as you would think considering its size and OLED panel.
- These are the best gaming monitors
