As a Mac user, I've never felt the pull of Apple's Studio Display or had the cash to splash on a Pro Display XDR. In fact, despite the fact it defies convention, I've always opted to use a gaming monitor as the external display for my Mac.
If you're anything like me, a Mac isn't the only piece of technology you own, and anyone serious about gaming will know the draw of a good gaming panel. With higher refresh rates, good resolution, and strong HDR performance, a good gaming monitor can in fact be the perfect partner for a Mac if you know where to look. What's more, with Apple silicon now offering hardware-accelerated ray-tracing and dynamic caching, gaming on a Mac is more serious than ever, so buying a gaming monitor to pair with your Mac is a better idea than it has ever been before.
Apple's Studio and Pro Display XDR monitors are quite niche in their appeal, and while there are some serious monitors for Mac on offer that don't offer good gaming performance, on balance I don't see why you wouldn't opt for a gaming monitor given how much bang for your buck you get on the spec sheet. With the right combination of ports and features, you can find a monitor that can be used seamlessly with your Mac day-to-day but also offers great performance when connected to an Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, or even a gaming PC.
The best gaming monitor for Mac
My absolute top pick for a gaming monitor that can be used with the Mac is the Philips Evnia OLED Gaming Monitor.
This smashed five stars in our full Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 review thanks to its incredible 4K display, a 138Hz refresh rate, and excellent built quality. While it is very expensive, it has a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio, HDR 10, and a plethora of ports. That includes USB-C which makes connecting a Mac incredibly easy. With a bit of tweaking you can get an excellent Mac monitor that will also excel when connected to any console or gaming PC.
As mentioned, the Evnia is pretty expensive retailing at around $1,500, but if the thought of using a gaming monitor for Mac has piqued your interest, there are some rather excellent Black Friday deals going around on some cheaper gaming monitors that will also expand your Mac screen real estate while also serving the purpose of gaming.
Where to find the best Black Friday Gaming Monitor deals
- Amazon – Up to 50% off Apple gaming monitors
- Best Buy – Save 100s on the best Apple gaming monitors
- B&H Photo – Big sales on Apple gaming monitors
Given not all Macs have HDMI ports, all of our choices have USB-C ports that are capable of displaying your Mac at a high quality. If your Mac has a HDMI port, these will still work so should function well for any setup.
