You might think that buying a curved gaming monitor is a costly gimmick compared to flat gaming monitors, but these days they’re usually no more expensive than their flat counterparts (and in some cases they’re actually a bit cheaper). Curved gaming monitors also come with some key advantages, such as better viewing angles and higher contrast. This is because their curved edges allow you to look at more of the screen face-on rather than at an angle, which is particularly important when you get into the realms of ultrawide gaming monitors. They can also feel more immersive a lot of the time, too, as their curved displays wrap around the edges of your peripheral vision to really suck you into your favourite games.
Best curved gaming monitors
AOC C24G2U AOC C27G2ZU MSI Optix MAG272CQR Acer Predator Z35p AOC Agon AG493UCX
AOC C24G2U
AOC have an excellent track record with curved gaming monitors (as you’ll soon see from the rest of this list), and their new AOC C24G2U is no exception. The successor to the fantastic C24G1, this latest model adds several key upgrades, including a higher 165Hz refresh rate, a USB 3.2 hub and built-in speakers, making it even better value for money than before. The C24G2U’s curved VA panel is outstanding, too, covering a near perfect 99% of the sRGB colour gamut straight out of the box. It has deep, inky black levels and an excellent contrast ratio of around 3700:1, too, ensuring you don’t miss any of that fine shadow detail in games and photos. Even better, all of its various game-themed colour profiles look great as well, giving you plenty of choice when it comes to getting the best picture. Sure, its small, 24in screen size means its 1500R curvature radius isn’t that pronounced compared to some of the other curved monitors on this list, but if you’re looking to keep costs down below £200 / $200, the AOC C24G2U is the curved gaming monitor to beat. What we like: ✔️ A great set of features at an affordable price ✔️ Perfect picture quality out of the box ✔️ Elegant, compact design
AOC C27G2ZU
240Hz gaming monitors often come with a huge premium attached, but the outstanding AOC C27G2ZU is the rare exception. Coming in at under £300 / $300, this curved gaming monitor is great value for money compared to its more expensive competitors, offering rich, vibrant colours and a super smooth gaming experience without breaking the bank. Its 1920x1080 resolution isn’t best suited to lots of heavy desktop work on a screen of this size, as its lower pixel density can make text appear a little fuzzy round the edges. However, if you’re buying something that’s going to be purely for games, it simply doesn’t get much better than this. Its 240Hz refresh rate is a perfect fit for competitive online shooters and (if you’ve got a powerful enough graphics card) big blockbuster games alike, and its curved VA panel is pretty much perfect straight out of the box. Plus, if you want to cut costs even further, it’s also available in an even cheaper model, the C27G2ZE, which ditches the ZU’s USB3 hub and swaps its height-adjustable stand for a fixed one. Personally, I think the height-adjustable stand alone is worth the extra cash over the C27G2ZE if you’re going to be putting it on a desk, but if you prefer to mount your monitor on a VESA stand or an adjustable arm, then there’s no reason not to go for the cheaper ZE. Either way, this is a fantastic 240Hz gaming screen, and one of the best curved gaming monitors you can buy for under £300 / $300 right now. What we like: ✔️ High 240Hz refresh rate at an affordable price ✔️ Brilliant colour accuracy out of the box ✔️ Sleek design and super slim bezels Read more in our AOC C27G2ZU review
MSI Optix MAG272CQR
The MSI Optix MAG272CQR is one of the best specced gaming monitors I’ve tested in recent years. It has everything you could possibly want from a 27in curved gaming screen - a 2560x1440 resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate and superb colour accuracy straight out of the box. More importantly, it doesn’t cost the earth, either. Indeed, with so many 27in gaming monitors lumping you with 1920x1080 resolutions these days, the Optix MAG272CQR is a big step up. Games and desktop applications look much sharper at this resolution on a 27in display, making it a great monitor for work and play alike. The MAG272CQR’s smart and sleek design means it also wouldn’t look out of place in a home office, either, unlike some of the other gaming monitors on this list. Its curved VA panel is top notch, too, producing rich, vibrant colours straight out of the box. It’s not one of Nvidia’s officially certified G-Sync Compatible monitors just yet, but I found that its AMD FreeSync tech worked beautifully with Nvidia and AMD graphics cards alike during my testing, so there’s no need to discount it if you’ve got an Nvidia graphics card inside your PC. Ultimately, it’s one of the most well-rounded gaming monitors you can buy under £400 / $400 right now, and 1440p curved monitor hunters should definitely have it at the top of their consideration list. What we like: ✔️ A great set of specs for the money ✔️ Super colour accuracy and contrast levels ✔️ Wide range of display inputs and USB ports Read more in our MSI Optix MAG272CQR review
Acer Predator Z35p
The Acer Predator Z35p is getting on a bit now, but for us it’s still one of the best curved ultrawide gaming monitors around - especially now its price has dropped since we first reviewed it back in 2018.
It’s a full-fat Nvidia G-Sync screen, for starters, offering a super smooth, tear-free gaming experience no matter what frame rate you’re playing at, and its accurate VA panel makes games look absolutely superb on its 21:9 display. It’s also got great contrast and an ultra low black level to help give games and images a sense of depth and detail.
It does have a couple of limitations - due to its age, its HDMI 1.4 input means its refresh rate is capped at just 50Hz at 3440x1440, so you’ll want to make sure you connect it up using its much more flexible DisplayPort input instead. This can go all the way up to 100Hz, or even 120Hz if you enable the Z35p’s overclocking function, allowing for smoother, high refresh rate gaming. We’re currently in the process of getting more 21:9 screens in to find something a bit more up to date to recommend instead, but in the mean time, the Predator Z35p is still a great ultrawide gaming screen in its own right.
What we like:
✔️ Great value for money
✔️ Full Nvidia G-Sync support
✔️ Outstanding out of the box colour accuracy
Read more in our Acer Predator Z35p review
AOC Agon AG493UCX
If it’s a super ultrawide curved gaming screen you’re after, then look no further than the AOC Agon AG493UCX. This 49in monster screen has a huge 5120x1440 resolution and 32:9 aspect ratio, giving you as much screen real estate as two 27in, 2560x1440 monitors in one. It’s massive, but its light curve and ultrawide display make games feel super immersive. The screen is so wide that it’s almost like they’ve been wrapped around your entire peripheral vision. Not all games support a 32:9 aspect ratio, I should point out, but those that do look absolutely stunning on the AG493UCX thanks to its VA panel’s superb colour accuracy, high contrast and low black levels. We also rate the equally large Samsung CRG9, which is very similar to the AG493UCX but has better HDR - meeting VESA’s DisplayHDR 1000 standard rather than its entry-level DisplayHDR 400 spec. However, the reason why we’ve gone with the AOC here is because the Samsung CRG9 has now been replaced by the less good (and more expensive) Odyssey G9, and is becoming increasingly hard to get hold of. The CRG9 is worth considering if you can find it for a decent price, but we also think you’ll be pleased as punch with the AOC Agon AG493UCX, too. If you don’t want to break into four figures for your super ultrawide curved gaming monitor, this is the one to beat. What we like: ✔️ Great colour accuracy out of the box ✔️ Brilliant contrast ✔️ Better value for money than many of its 49in competitors Read more in our AOC Agon AG493UCX review
Frequently asked questions
Are curved monitors worth it? Curved monitors are some of the best gaming displays around, but whether they’re ‘worth it’ over regular flat screen gaming monitors really comes down to a matter of personal preference. Often, curved gaming screens are no more expensive than their flat counterparts, and several monitor manufacturers will create flat and curved models around similar price points with similar specs to give people more choice. Personally, I’m a big fan of curved screens, particularly when I’ve got an ultrawide monitor in for testing. The extra curve makes it easier to get a clear look at the very edges of the screen, and they do feel more immersive when playing games. On regular 16:9 screens, though? I’m not so fussed, as curves are often so light that you barely notice them. If you like the look of them, go for it. If not, that’s fine, too. What is a good size for a curved monitor? The bigger, the better. That’s not to say 24in curved gaming monitors aren’t worth considering, but you’ll notice the effect much more on larger screens. Even 27in screens don’t have a particularly pronounced curvature radius a lot of the time, although this can vary between monitors. If you truly want to see and ‘feel’ the curve, so to speak, you should probably consider a screen that’s at least 32in or above. Can you put 2 curved monitors together? Yes. It’s perfectly possible to put two curved monitors together on your desk, much like you can with two flat monitors. Heck, you can even put three of them together if you want to. Just make sure to check you’ve got enough space to fit them all on your desk before you start buying multiple screens.
