The difference between a widescreen and ultrawide monitor isn’t as stark as that between the old 4:3 screens and 16:9 wide panels. An ultrawide display is more like having two widescreen monitors pushed together, with no gap down the middle - and if you’re a multi-screen user you’ll already know the benefits extra desktop space brings.
Not only does it mean you can have more apps open and visible at the same time - Windows 11 and macOS’s ability to cleanly tile apps across the screen comes in handy here - but it removes the hierarchy of having primary and secondary monitors that, unless you’ve bought a matched pair, will be of different sizes, brightnesses and colour configurations.
You can have your most important app right in front of you, rather than off to the side to avoid the gap, and while you’ll probably still have to turn your head to see what’s around the edges, you’ll only have one monitor foot or arm to worry about, making your desk tidier.
Many ultrawide monitors are curved, folding slightly toward you at the edges so that they appear in your peripheral vision and you’ll catch notifications you might otherwise have missed. Ultrawides are great for working with video, as your movie file can take up most of the screen but leave space around the sides for toolbars and palettes, and gamers will appreciate the extra immersion they provide - as long as your game (or console) supports the resolutions they use.
Ultrawide monitors come in a range of aspect ratios, panel technologies, resolutions and refresh rates, but one of the most useful features to look out for is a USB-C connection with a USB hub attached. This can carry a video signal as well as talk to peripherals, and even supply power to charge your laptop, clearing another cable or two off your desk.
Here are some of the best ultrawide monitors available today.
Best ultrawide monitors at a glance:
- Best for a huge, fast OLED: Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED - £1,279, Amazon
- Best for spending less money: Mi Curved Gaming Monitor 34 - £449, Mi
- Best for a cheaper big option: Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ - £999, Amazon
- Best for a potential bargain: LG UltraGear 38GN950 - £931, Amazon
- Best for a gaming monitor: Alienware AW3423DW QD-OLED - £821, Amazon
- Best for big screen, big value: Lenovo Legion R45w-30 - £799.99, Lenovo
- Best for a premium option: Asus ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD - £1,499.99, Asus
- Best for flat or curved: Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 - £2,100, Corsair
Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED
Best for: a huge, fast OLED
Truly the best of all the worlds. This enormous 49-inch screen boasts a 5120x1440 resolution, 240Hz maximum refresh rate, and an 1800R curve (curved monitors are described using the radius of an imaginary circle, so 900R is a sharper curve than 1800R, and 2000R would be gentler).
This, combined with its QD-OLED panel, leads to a bright, sharp and smooth display that even has RGB lighting on its reverse side. Screens of this size may be too big for some people, however, and it’s certainly expensive, but if you’ve got the space and the wallet to cope with it, there are few that can challenge it.
Buy now £1599.00, Samsung
Mi Curved Gaming Monitor 34
Best for: spending less money
This 34-inch ultrawide from Xiaomi costs less than other screens on this list but is smaller, isn’t as wide (a 21:9 ratio instead of 32:9) and doesn’t have as many inputs or a USB hub, but it makes an excellent ultrawide for a home office or anywhere else you can’t quite fit two screens or a 49-incher.
At 3440 x 1440 with a 1500R curve, its resolution is decent, if not outstanding, and the maximum refresh rate of 144Hz will help keep things smooth if you’re using a gaming PC or console. As it utilises VA panel tech rather than IPS or OLED you’re not going to get superior brightness or colour saturation here, but this does help it keep the price down.
Buy now £449.00, Mi
Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ
Best for: a cheaper big option
Another vast 49-incher, this 32:9, 5120 x 1440 OLED from prolific gaming brand Gigabyte offers a 144Hz refresh rate and a small USB hub. While it may not have the advantages of Samsung’s QD-OLED panel, it’s no slouch in the colour department, and makes up for it with a lower price.
If you’re thinking of ordering one of these monitors, it’s worth knowing that the packaging they come in is enormous - the curved screen precludes the use of a flat box, and the amount of cardboard and polystyrene you’ll be left with after unpacking will take up a lot of space. It’s totally worth it though.
Buy now £999.00, Amazon
LG UltraGear 38GN950
Best for: a potential bargain
This is a 38-inch Nano IPS display with a slightly unusual resolution of 3840 x 1600 pixels and a 144Hz maximum refresh rate. It’s an excellent gaming monitor, with HDR, super-fast response times, and an RGB lighting ring on the back where the stand meets the casing. It’s also a few years old now, so it’s possible to pick it up for much less than its original RRP.
Buy now £931.00, Amazon
Alienware AW3423DW QD-OLED
Best for: a gaming monitor
QD-OLED combines two display technologies - Quantum Dots and OLED - to produce excellent images. The Quantum Dots are nano-scale semiconductors that can change blue light to red or green, creating the three hues that makeup colour images on our screens. OLED is a lighting technology that creates bright, high-contrast images.
Put them together and, as on this curved ultrawide Alienware screen, you get excellent HDR brightness and colour saturation. With a resolution of 3440x1440 pixels and a maximum refresh rate of 175Gz, this is a great choice for gaming, but the presence of a USB hub means it’s going to find uses in studios and home offices too.
Buy now £821.00, Amazon
Lenovo Legion R45w-30
Best for: big screen, big value
Lenovo’s 45-inch ultrawide uses a VA panel, an older display tech that produces a fast, smooth picture but can have problems with a narrow viewing angle. This is less of a problem for curved screens, as you almost always sit right in the centre, but also means you miss out on the vibrancy of the various OLEDs.
Still, what you get for your money is very impressive, as there's a USB hub, 170Hz maximum refresh rate, and with a resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels, this 32:9 screen can really deliver.
Buy now £799.99, Lenovo
Asus ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD
Best for: a premium option
Ultrawide OLEDs can be expensive and 49-inch models are some of the priciest. This model from Asus ticks all the boxes, however, offering a 5120x1440 resolution (at 32:9) and 144Hz maximum refresh rate alongside an 1800R curve. There's a USB hub (including 90W of charging for your laptop) and a stand that’s fully adjustable, which you don’t get on all models, plus gaming-specific features such as adaptive sync and a low-latency mode.
Non-gamers will appreciate its picture-in-picture capabilities, as well as the sheer size of the screen, but it’s those looking for immersive entertainment experiences who will benefit most from the Swift.
Buy now £1499.99, Asus
Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240
Best for: flat or curved
Ultrawides don’t have to be curved, but their sheer width means adding the bend makes them more usable. Corsair offers a choice with the Xeneon Flex, with a panel that can be snapped from flat to a tight 800R curve. Based around an OLED panel from LG, you get the benefits of the bright and colourful display tech but at a resolution (3,440 x 1,440) that may feel lacking in such a large screen, and the price is high.
There's a USB hub and a fast 240Hz maximum refresh rate to add more value, and if you’re looking for an adaptable screen this might be the one.
Buy now £2100.00, Corsair
Verdict
Ultrawide monitors may not be for everyone, but the benefits of having one screen that can replace two separate displays are huge. Our top picks, such as the Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED, combine their size with cutting-edge panel technology that brings bright, well-saturated, sharp images that can be displayed at high refresh rates - perfect for playing games, doing creative work, or just keeping a lot of applications visible at once. They may be expensive, but if you consider the cost of buying two ordinary widescreen monitors, then they start to look more reasonable.
