What's the Best Monitor Size for Gaming? (2024)

Monitors, particularly the "gaming" ones, have soared in popularity drastically in the past few years. Not only do we have a wide range of different-sized displays, but we also have various gaming tech-infused into those to provide a better gaming experience. This has led to significant price cuts on displays that users can now buy at more affordable prices than ever.

Even though the search for a monitor based on screen size has expanded to various other properties, it still remains a crucial aspect that, for many, is their first priority. From small 13" CRT monitors to now over 40" of high-end LED displays, choosing a gaming monitor can be a tiresome chore, especially when you are not familiar with how each one feels. In this post, Game Rant will help you decide the correct monitor size.

Gaming Monitors and Their Size

The size for most modern gaming monitors starts from 21.5 inches all the way up to 57 inches, the latter being rare and ridiculously expensive. Gaming monitors are available in different sizes due to two factors:

1. Resolution change: Smaller monitors generally come with a lower resolution and vice versa for higher resolutions. This is because as we go bigger in the screen size, each pixel starts to get bigger, making it more obvious, which isn't pleasant for a detailed picture representation.

Bigger monitors typically boast a higher resolution for the same reason, so that users can have sharper and more detailed picture quality. Gaming monitors with smaller screen sizes generally don't boast very high resolution as the depth of the details isn't as clear as on a bigger monitor.

2. Distance and View: While smaller monitors are perfect for a compact or standard gaming setup with a desk measuring around 2 feet in width giving users a good view of all the details, bigger gaming monitors are ideal for a desk with a width of over 2 feet.

Many users find gaming monitors with sizes ranging from 21.5" to 24.5" ideal on a desk 2 feet in depth, but any bigger than that may cause discomfort in having a good view of everything at once. This is why gaming monitors that are bigger than 24.5" and up to 34" are best on a desk that is at least 2.5 feet deeper, giving enough distance between the display and the user's eyes.

This is not universal and every user has his preference regarding how big their monitor should be according to their desk size. However, this is what we find ideal for an enjoyable gaming session. That said, let's dive into this topic in detail so that you can find the best size for your gaming monitors.

For 1080p Gaming Monitors

1920x1080p is the most popular resolution on desktop monitors and even on laptops. According to Statcounter, the 1080p resolution is the most widely used resolution across all devices, with a share of 10.27%. Narrowing that down to more specific numbers, according to Steam, around 60% of users use a 1080p display for gaming.

Even though that doesn't account for all the gamers across the globe, it sums up the popularity of 1080p resolution pretty well. This is the reason why the market is flooded with countless full HD gaming monitors at affordable prices.

We recommend getting at least a 22-inch gaming display with 1080p resolution, but the 24-inch screen size is ideal. Some users may also opt for a 27-inch size for more immersion, but that might feel a little bit stretched out. However, this may seem completely fine to those who have never used a 27" 2K gaming monitor.

Best 1080p Gaming Monitor

Asus ROG Strix XG259QN

Asus ROG Strix XG259QN is an insanely fluid monitor boasting a 380Hz refresh rate for enthusiast gamers. The Fast IPS panel provides a quick response time of 0.3ms and has good color reproduction. Compatible with ELMB Sync, it eliminates ghosting and provides clarity for users who are serious about winning.

Screen Size

24.5"

Display Technology

Fast IPS

Resolution

1920x1080

Refresh Rate

380Hz

Response Time

0.3ms

Pros

• Extremely responsive with 0.3ms response time
• Incredibly high refresh rate for smooth and fluid gameplay
• Ergonomic stand for various kinds of adjustments

Cons

• Pretty expensive compared to other 1080p gaming monitors
• Lackluster HDR

$430 at Newegg$430 at Walmart

For 1440p Gaming Monitors

The 2560x1440p resolution is probably the runner-up when it comes to gaming on a desktop. It provides around 77% more pixels than the full HD resolution and this is why, even though the 1440p resolution doesn't sound too big of an upgrade compared to 1080p resolution, it is way higher than the latter.

Therefore, it is recommended to go with at least a 27-inch screen size if buying a 1440p gaming monitor. It will still be pretty decent with up to 32-inch of screen size, which is generally acceptable for a 1440p gaming monitor. The one with a 27" screen size is going to be sharper with a high PPI (Pixels per Inch) but the 32" one will be somewhat equivalent to looking at a 1080p resolution on a 24" monitor.

Hence, anything that falls between 27 and 32 inches is acceptable for a 1440p gaming monitor.

Best 1440p Gaming Monitor

ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQMR

$532 $600 Save $68

ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQMR brings a super high refresh rate of 300Hz on the desk that provides ultimate fluid gaming experience. With an adequate 27" fast IPS display, it provides high-quality visuals at different viewing angles. Compatible with both G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro, it is the ultimate 2K gaming monitor

Screen Size

27"

Resolution

2560x1440

Max. Refresh Rate

300Hz

Brand

Asus

Response Time

1ms

Pros

• Excellent display quality with fast IPS panel
• Insanely high refresh rate of 300Hz
• FreeSync Premium and G-Sync for tear free gaming
• DisplayHDR600 support

Cons

• High cost at $500

See at Amazon$588 at Newegg$532 at Walmart

For 4K Gaming Monitors

4K monitors boast a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels. It may sound like it provides twice the pixels compared to the 2K resolution, but in reality, it is 2.25X bigger than the latter. It is also 4 times bigger than the standard full HD resolution, which creates super high PPI on standard-sized displays.

This is why it is advised to opt for a 32-inch screen size for 4K resolution. The second most popular screen size is 27 inches, which might feel too sharp, but this is perhaps one of the reasons why many gamers go below 32" instead of going up. Still, anything up to 34" should be fine for 4K resolution.

See Also

NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super review: A 1440p powerhouse for $599

Best 4K Gaming Monitor

SAMSUNG 32 Odyssey Neo G8

$900 $1300 Save $400

Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 brings a fantastic 32-inch high-refresh-rate panel with a color space of 95% DCI-P3 to provide a wide range of colors. On top of that, the HDR2000 support takes the details to a realistic level. Everything from refresh rate to visual quality is uncompromised, giving users the best possible immersive experience.

Screen Size

32"

Resolution

3840x2160

Max. Refresh Rate

240Hz

Brand

Samsung

Response Time

1ms

Pros

• High quality matte display with HDR2000 support
• 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time
• 1000R curvature for more gaming immersion

Cons

• Pretty expensive

See at Amazon$900 at Samsung$900 at Best Buy

For Ultrawide Gaming Monitors

Ultrawide gaming monitors have a bigger width than normal monitors and hence, they boast more pixels. Compared to the regular 16:9 ratio, ultrawide monitors boast a ratio of 21:9. The three most popular resolutions on ultrawide monitors are:

• 2560x1080
• 3440x1440
• 3840x1600

The best screen size for an ultrawide full HD monitor is 25 to 30 inches, with 25-inch displays being sharper. While 25-inch monitors are excellent, many prefer to go for a bigger screen size for more immersion.

For the 3440x1440 or UWQHD resolution, the best screen size is 34-inch. The visuals will feel quite detailed and sharp. It's to be noted that an ultrawide monitor is for a more immersive experience and therefore, having the same PPI density as on the standard gaming monitors is not necessary.

As for the 3840x1600 resolution, the most common monitor size is 38-inch. Being a rare resolution even in the ultrawide spectrum, there aren't many options gamers can choose from. Hence, a 38-inch screen size is the one users have to settle with.

Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor

LG UltraGear 34GP83A-B 34-Inch Gaming Monitor

The LG UltraGear 34GP83A-B has an eye-grabbing curved, extra-wide design. The 34-inch panel has a movie theater-like aspect ratio of21:9 and is curved for better viewing angles. The panel has been created with Nano IPS technology, which makes it both color-accurate and fast. The Gray-to-Gray response time is 1 millisecond, and it supports both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync for less stutter and tearing in games.

Screen Size

34"

Resolution

3440x1440

Max. Refresh Rate

160Hz

Brand

LG

Response Time

1ms

WEIGHT

16.8lbs

Pros

• Nano IPS display with a wide color gamut
• 144Hz refresh rate with 1ms GtG response time
• Nvidia G-Sync and FreeSync Premium support

Cons

• Needs careful handling due to the large size

See at Amazon$636 at Walmart

In Case You Want to Have a Curved Monitor

While regular gaming monitors are generally flat, curved monitors are also very popular these days as they provide a more immersive experience. That said, you will mostly find curved gaming monitors a little bigger than their counterparts with just flat screens. This is because a small curved screen won't be as immersive as a bigger one.

This leads to somewhat less PPI compared to flat gaming monitors. However, most curved gaming monitors have a specific recommended space you should maintain between yourself and the screen if you don't want to limit their immersive nature. This is generally determined by the amount of curvature the displays boast.

For instance, if you are going with a 34-inch curved gaming monitor that boasts an 1800R curvature, you will have to sit roughly 1.8m away from it to have the ideal immersive experience. However, if the curvature is 1000R, you should sit no farther than 1m. This way, you will be able to witness more details on the screen.

Similarly, you can find curved monitors with sizes as big as 49 inches with a significant curvature of 1000R. This may or may not be ideal for everybody as sitting close to a 49-inch display will force you to move your eyes frequently to capture the details on the extreme sides or corners. Therefore, if the monitor size is big, it's recommended to get a smaller curvature(1500R-2800R) if you are placing it inside a 10-15 square feet room, but if the monitor size is somewhat moderate (25-34 inches), you can go with a 1000R curvature.

A Quick Glance at the Best Monitor Sizes for Gaming