When it comes to high end gaming monitors, there are so many options to choose from. But one thing is certain, you can’t go wrong with OLED. OLED panels blow away any IPS, VA, TN monitor in terms of raw image quality. OLEDs have the best contrast ratio and dynamic range thanks to its near infinite black levels and the ability to switch on and off individual LEDs. They also have near instantaneous response times so ghosting is a thing of the past. Until recently, the biggest disadvantage of OLED monitors and TVs have been their premium price and their limited selection. This year, however, prices have dropped significantly enough that they compete with other high end non-OLED models. LG isn’t the only OLED player anymore, either. Sony, Samsung, and Alienware have come out with their own gaming worthy monitors as well. We’ve listed the most popular models at their current best prices.
New 42″ LG Evo C2 4K OLED Gaming TV
The 42″ replaces LG’s 48″ as its smallest 4K OLED TV on the market. It performs just as well as its larger sized siblings as a gaming TV, but where it really shines is as a gaming monitor for your PC. The 42″ size fits gaming desks better than the 48″, which admittedly is still a bit too large, especially since most of us sit only a few feet away from our monitors. It has HDMI 2.1 ports and supports 4K @ 120Hz and VRR when paired with an RTX 30 series video card. It also boasts 4:4:4 chroma sampling for clear, sharp text as well as sub-1ms response times and native G-SYNC compatibility for zero tearing and ghosting. The new C2 model also introduces native GeForce Now and Stadia streaming support.
The new 2022 C2 model has an improved “Evo” OLED panel over the C1. Previously reserved only for the LG G-series OLED TVs, the Evo panel offers higher brightness levels, one of the few areas that traditional LED LCD TVs have OLEDs beat.
65″ LG Evo C2 4K OLED Gaming TV Finally Under $2K
For the first time, the LG EVO C2 65″ model has dropped to under $2K. That brings it closer to the price of the previous generation C1 while offering a noticeable improvement in one of the few areas that the OLED loses to traditional LED LCD TVs on: peak brightness.
New Release: 48″ LG UltraGear 48GP900-B 4K HDR OLED Gaming Monitor
New Release
LG UltraGear 48GP900 48″ 4K (3840×2160) OLED Gaming monitor
For those of you who love LG OLED TVs (for good reason) but don’t like the idea of using a TV for a computer monitor, there’s now an answer. LG has released its first UltraGear OLED gaming monitor. At first glance, the 48GP900 with its 48″ LG WOLED 10-bit color HDR display seems very similar to the 48″ LG C1 OLED TV. The panel is very similar, but there are some key differences. Instead of the semi glossy coating found on the OLED TV, the 48GP900 features an anti-glare low reflective coating that is undoubtedly a better fit for close up monitor usage. It also has DisplayPort connectivity and lacks the built-in Smart TV interface. It does carry over the HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K @ 120Hz compatiblity for PS5 and Xbox Series X owners, as well as VRR and G-SYNC support, but the 120Hz refresh rate can be overclocked to 138Hz when used as a PC monitor. Last and certainly least important of all, there is subtle RGB backlighting on the rear of the monitor that isn’t present on the OLED TVs. This is one of the best gaming monitors you’ll find on the market right now.
48″ LG C1 4K OLED Smart Gaming TV for $897
The 2021 48″ LG C1 OLED TV has dropped back down in price to $896.99. That’s $600 off MSRP and only $100 more than the best deal we saw on Amazon Prime Day. The C1 is classified as a TV, and it is, but it can still double up as one of the best gaming monitors on the market. The primary difference between the C1 and newer C2 model is that the C1 does not have the new “Evo” panel with the higher peak brightness specification. The difference, though, it is probably not worth the extra $500 markup.
Sony’s New A90K 48″ and 42″ 4K OLED TVs Specifically for PS5 and PC Gaming
48″ Sony A90K Bravia XR 4K OLED Google TV for PS5 Gaming
42″ Sony A90K Bravia XR 4K OLED Google TV for PS5 Gaming
Sony recently released its 2022 A90K OLED TV, catering specifically to PC and PS5 gamers. Today, Amazon has dropped the price enough to make it competitive with comparably sized LG C2 OLED models. The A90K is only available in 42″ and 48″ sizes; they’re meant for closer range viewing, like at your gaming desk or in a smaller space. Unlike most other TVs, the included stand is adjustable: it can be mounted nearly flush with the table surface, or it can be raised to perfectly fit a soundbar underneath.
The A80J has a host of gaming-centric features like HDMI 2.1 for 4K @ 120Hz passthrough for PS5 and Xbox Series X gamers as well as 4:4:4 chroma subsampling for PC use, variable refresh rate (VRR), and ALLM. There are also some PS5 exclusive features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping (similar to HGiG) and Auto Genre Picture Switch. The A90K uses LG’s WOLED panel, so image quality should be similar to the LG OLED TVs.
Alienware AW3423DW 34″ QD-OLED Gaming Monitor
New Release
Alienware AW3423DW 34″ 3440×1400 Curved 0.1ms 175Hz G-SYNC Ultimate QD-OLED Gaming monitor
The AW2323DW is a 34″ monitor with a 3440×1400 curved wide-format resolution. That’s more than enough pixel density for a 34″ monitor (4K is, in my opinion, overkill for a monitor under 40″) and the resolution is still forgiving enough that you don’t need a monstrously expensive video card to drive it. The AW3423DW uses a Samsung Quantum Dot OLED (QD OLED) panel that boasts a 99.3% DCI-P3 color range and is factory calibrated with a Delta E less than 2. It is HDR True Black 400 certified with trademark OLED near-infinite contrast levels and an outstanding 1000nits of peak brightness. Gamers will definitely appreciate the blisteringly fast 0.1ms response time, 175Hz refresh rate, and the coveted G-SYNC “Ultimate” certification. In terms of connectivity options, there are DisplayPort and HDMI ports as well as dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports.
For those of you who are worried about burn-in, don’t worry. Dell includes a 3-year service warranty that includes OLED burn-in protection. You won’t find that included sans a surcharge for any other OLED monitor or TV so it definitely offers peace of mind. The warranty also includes a “Premium Panel Guarantee” which means that Dell will replace your monitor free of charge during the warranty period if even only one bright pixel is found.
Samsung S95B 55″ and 65″ 4K Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) TVs
Samsung S95B 55″ 4K Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) Tizen TV
Samsung S95B 65″ 4K Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) Tizen TV
After so many years, Samsung has finally thrown its OLED card out on the table with the new 2022 Samsung S95B 4K QD-OLED TV. This is Samsung’s first ever OLED TV, and the technology is a bit different from the OLED panel we see from LG. QD-OLED technology was a big hit at this year’s CES and Samsung earned the “Best of Innovation 2022” award for it. Whereas traditional OLED TVs use white OLED panels, QD OLED TVs use blue OLED panels with quantum dot color filters. This supposedly allows QD OLED TVs to more efficiently produce higher peak brightness levels compared to traditional OLED TVs without losing the color accuracy and range and wide viewing angles that OLEDs are known for. In real world practice, Samsung’s S95B QD OLED TV should be brighter than even the new LG C2 OLED TV. The Samsung S95B OLED TV also makes for an ideal current-gen gaming TV since it supports 4K @ 120Hz over HDMI 2.1 on all ports.