If 2022 was the year OLED finally hit the desktop was 2023 the year OLED went mainstream on the PC? Arguably not, what with pricing that still starts around $700. But we did get a lot more choice when it comes to proper OLED monitors. Several manufacturers joined Alienware in the 34-inch ultrawide OLED segment, while a slew of 27-inch 1440p OLED panels arrived and then Samsung trumped them all with a 49-inch uberwide option.
We also saw prices of perhaps our favourite current form factor, the high-refresh 34-inch ultrawide, tumble. During the recent Black Friday deals chaos, several models dipped well below $300. Likewise, plain old 27-inch 1440p panels got even cheaper than ever, meaning that you can now have a decent high-res and high-refresh gaming panel for under $200. That’s very nice to know.
For speed freaks, the first 500Hz panels appeared. Remember when anything beyond 144Hz seemed like overkill? Well, 240Hz is rapidly becoming something of a base level for serious gaming, which is pretty remarkable.
If there is a disappointment, it’s that mini-LED tech is proving something of a disappointment. For starters, it’s still super expensive given that it’s just a fancy backlight tech. And the dimming zone counts having been increasing as much as we’d like, the consequence of which is mini-LED monitors still get nowhere near the lighting precision of OLED. With all that in mind, here are our very favourite gaming monitors of 2023.
Best gaming monitor 2023: the nominees
Alienware 34 AW3423DWF
Alienware beat the rest of the world to market last year with the first OLED gaming panel. This slightly cheaper follow up is actually better thanks to a glossy coating over the top of the same Samusng QD-OLED tech, which really lets the panel sing.
Read our Alienware 34 AW3423DWF review.
LG UltraGear 27GR93U
The LG UltraGear 27GR93U doesn’t do anything radical. It’s very well specced, what with its 4K 144Hz IPS panel measuring 27 inches. But there’s no ground breaking innovation. It’s just a super nice panel with fabulous image quality and plenty of speed.
Read our LG UltraGear 27GR93U review.
ASRock Phantom PG34WQ15R2B
If 34-inch ultrawide is our favourite panel form factor, the this ASRock shows you can have the best for sensible money. It’s a VA panel, so the response is merely okay rather than amazing. But it’s punchy, bright, contrasty and colorful and run s at 165Hz for nice, low latency. We love it.
Read our ASRock Phantom PG34WQ15R2B review.
The winner of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the best gaming monitor will be announced on New Year’s Eve. It’s all to play for, and any one of these three is completely deserving of the crown.
