A gaming monitor is a computer monitor designed to provide an optimal video-gaming experience. It features a higher refresh rate, lower input lag, and game-genre presets that adjust brightness, contrast, response time, and other settings to best suit different styles of play. A well-optimized gaming monitor can make the difference between victory and defeat on the virtual battlefields of Apex Legends or the virtual pitch of FIFA 23.
Gamers are drawn to high-resolution, high-refresh rate monitors because they offer a more responsive and fluid display. However, there are many other features that make a great gaming monitor, including its color and contrast performance, the number of available ports, the size, and whether it has an ergonomic stand.
Choosing the right monitor for your gaming needs depends on how much you are willing to spend and what types of games you want to play. Most gamers should stick with flat panel monitors in the 1080p to 1440p resolution range and avoid curved or ultra-wide displays.
Most gaming monitors use an IPS panel. Some IPS panels feature an issue known as “IPS glow” where dark parts of the screen appear to glow, but this can be avoided by finding a monitor with an anti-glow coating. A VA (vertical alignment) panel is another good option because it can offer superior contrast and better blacks than an IPS panel.
A gaming monitor should have a minimum of one HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 port. These ports are compatible with FHD, QHD, and UHD resolutions as well as HDR. Gamers also should look for a monitor that supports NVIDIA G-Sync or AMD FreeSync, if applicable to their graphics cards. gaming monitor