When it comes to finding the best monitor for competitive gaming, there are a ton of options to choose from and as always, putting some thought into your selection is well worth the time.
Generally speaking, gaming monitors play a significant role in FPS and players' ability to react quickly and keep track of what's going on in some of the more intense virtual life or death scenarios.
Refresh rate is very important and you'll find that some of the best 144hz monitors or 240hz gaming monitors are frequent additions to many Pro's arsenals.
Here you'll find what we think are some of the best monitors for competitive gaming, ranging from the brightness of a Mini LED panel with the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX to a brilliant budget monitor in the BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P.
There's also been a slew of new monitors announced and teased, including a world's first for 240Hz monitors from TCL and AOC's Argon Pro monitors also look rather good, too.
Let's get straight to it!
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Best Monitors for Competitive Gaming
- ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN
- HP 24x 144Hz Full HD Gaming Monitor
- ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX
- Alienware AW2521HF
- BenQ ZOWIE XL2411P
- AOC C32G2ZE
- Pixio PX5 Hayabusa 2
- HP OMEN X 25f
Best Monitor for Competitive Gaming 360hz - ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN
click to enlarge
+ 8If the most crucial thing in your gaming setup is to ensure the highest refresh rate, the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN may be worth checking out as it is the world's first 360 Hz 24.5" gaming monitor.
It also features HDR, Nvidia G-SYNC (a form of VRR, or variable refresh rate tech), and ULMB, which allows for the best viewing experience. It also features support to be VESA Wall-mounted which keeps your desk considerably cleaner!
It offers support for an HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB connection, which ensures that no matter the console or PC, this amazing gaming monitor can be utilized!
Best Monitor for Competitive Gaming Affordable - HP 24x 144hz Gaming Monitor
click to enlarge + 8If you're after a great go-to monitor for gaming that isn't going to break the bank, then this HP 24-inch monitor could be a great call.
It's NVIDIA G-Sync & AMD FreeSync compatible and has a 144hz refresh rate, alongside a super-fast 1ms response time. It's a TN panel display, so you won't get the wide viewing angles of an IPS, but that's not too big a deal when you're zoned in and focussed on winning.
Its 24-inch screen is ideally sized for competitive gaming, and when it comes to pure 'looks' this is certainly one of the best-looking monitors we've seen for the price.
Best Monitor for Competitive Gaming Mini LED - ASUS ROG SWIFT PG32UQX
click to enlarge + 8For those competitive gamers looking for oodles of brightness, then the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX looks to be an inspired choice.
What you're getting, in short, is a 4K IPS panel that features 1400 nits of brightness thanks to Mini LED backlighting with over 1100 independent zones of LEDs helping to make this possible.
A refresh rate of 144Hz and response time of 4ms also ensures this is up there with some of the best gaming monitors available, and you'll also find support for G-Sync Ultimate.
We think the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX is also a pretty damn good looking monitor too with its thin bezels and clever display built into the bottom bezel that can display system info or some custom images.
Best Monitor for Competitive Gaming 240hz - Alienware AW2521HF
click to enlarge + 8This Alienware gaming monitor is another excellent example of blending both high performance and amazing looks in one knockout package.
Even from the back, this monitor looks incredible and if you take a lot of pride in your competitive gaming setup, then having something like this on your desk takes things to the next level.
But what about performance? Well, 240hz, 1ms response time, 1080p and a 25 inch IPS display make this a real contender when it comes to competitive gaming, and it's also a key part of Nickmercs' setup, which we think is pretty cool.
Best Monitor for Competitive Gaming Under £200 - BenQ ZOWIE XL2411K
click to enlarge + 8BenQ is simply one of the most accessible brands for quality gaming monitors around and thanks to monitors like the BenQ Zowie XL2411K, a huge audience of gamers can get into the action without breaking the bank.
This monitor packs some impressive specs, especially for the price. You'll find 144Hz, which is still blisteringly fast, 1ms response time, and a suitably sized 24 Inch LCD screen.
All of this comes together well for esports and competitive gaming and we'd say the Zowie XL2411K is a great choice if you're looking to dip your toe into the competitive gaming scene.
Best Monitor for Competitive Gaming Large Screen - AOC C32G2ZE
click to enlarge + 8Now, while playing competitively on the big screen arguably has its disadvantages, you may just prefer to have a larger screen but not lose out on responsiveness and high framerates.
Enter the AOC C32G2ZE gaming monitor which comes in at a pretty massive 32 inches...well, for a gaming monitor that is.
1080p, 240hz, 1ms response time, and an impressive 300 cd/m² certainly tick a few boxes when it comes to competitive gaming, and thanks to its curved profile it should prove quite immersive when using it.
We think the AOC C32G2ZE is a good call if you don't fancy using a small screen or your setup allows you to sit back away from the monitor.
Best Monitor for Competitive Console Gaming - Pixio PX5 Hayabusa 2
click to enlarge + 8This Pixio PX5 Hayabusa 2 is one of the more expensive entries on the list, but it does pack some punchy specs and boasts some impressive compatibility.
If you're a console and PC player, then this monitor could be a good way to go thanks to its Display port and HDMI connectivity.
It has everything you'd expect from a quality gaming monitor - 240hz, 1ms response time, 1080p, MD Radeon FreeSync Certified, but it also has an impressive 400nit brightness too.
If you're playing in a well-lit room, then the Hayabusa 2's brightness could come in handy!
Best Monitor for Competitive Gaming TN Display - HP OMEN X 25f
click to enlarge + 8The HP OMEN X 25f has everything you'd expect from a quality gaming monitor, but with a unique lightweight looking design.
A staggering 240 Hz combined with a 1ms response time ensures lightning-fast gameplay and it also supports AMD FreeSync technology and is NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible.
The 24.5-inch display is designed for keeping everything in sight and thanks to its high level of adjustability, you'll be able to find the perfect angle for your gaming setup.
How To Pick The Best Competitive Gaming Monitor
There are a few things you'll want to lean towards when looking for the best monitor for playing competitively.
How big should my monitor be for competitive gaming?
The general consensus if you're going to be playing competitive titles is that a smaller panel is better. You'll want to look for something that's 27 inches or below for the best experience.
That's not to say you can't use something larger, though. You can of course - it's just traditionally been the case that using a larger monitor could work against you due to the fact that your opponents may be out of your main focus and therefore a little more difficult to track.
What panel type is best for gaming monitors?
Whilst we do have a separate guide on what panel type is best for gaming, we'll break a few things down here for you.
For competitive gaming, opting for a TN or IPS panel is likely to give you the best experience. TN panels offer up fast response times and some good contrast and are usually associated with cheaper monitors if you want to snag yourself a deal.
On the other side of this, IPS panels are not only the newest tech present, but also offer wide viewing angles alongside brilliant colours and quick response times. Think of it as a great all-round choice.
What refresh rate is best for a monitor for competitive gaming?
Having a high refresh rate monitor is a practical must within the competitive gaming sphere so you can get the most responsive experience possible to give you the best possible chance of winning.
Generally speaking, opting for something above 144Hz should put you in good stead, but there are monitors out there which offer 240Hz and even some that go as high as 360Hz when it comes to refresh rate.
For those higher rates though, you may have to trade in some screen resolution for that extra power. It's a sacrifice many gamers agree is worth making and when you see 1080p on a smaller screen, thanks to the laws of pixel density - it certainly doesn't look bad either.
Can I use competitive gaming monitors on console?
There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to any of these monitors on a console but just note their respective connectivity options.
For them to be properly compatible with next-gen, you'll want it to be an HDMI 2.1 monitor to offer 4K output at 120Hz.
However, you don't necessarily need a brilliant HDMI 2.1 monitor to experience 120Hz gameplay on next-gen if you're willing to sacrifice some visual fidelity. On select titles, you can just hook up the monitors we've listed above and play games at 120Hz at 1080p.
If you want some more information, feel free to check out our best PS5 monitors and best Xbox Series X monitors lists.
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