What an ultrawide gaming monitor has to be

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Thinking about going ultrawide? An ultrawide gaming monitor is a wider shape than 16:9. Listings call it 21:9. The usual gaming pair is 34 inches at 3440 × 1440. For full picks, see the best gaming monitors. This guide covers the wider screen itself. Ultrawide versus 16:9 is the question of whether a game you play actually draws the extra columns. More monitor guides.

I play on 16:9 monitors, a 1080p 240 Hz and a 1440p 155 Hz, driven by an RTX 5080 and an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2. 4K and ultrawide aren’t my play screens.

The specs below come from manufacturer pages, so check the current listing before you buy.

Ultrawides worth a look

• 21:9, 34” OLED 240 Hz: LG UltraGear 34GS95QE-B. Official: 33.9” OLED, 3440 × 1440, 21:9, 800R, 240 Hz, 0.03 ms (GtG), DisplayHDR True Black 400, G-SYNC Compatible, FreeSync Premium Pro. LG prints a 34 percent wider view than a standard 16:9 screen. Chassis without stand: 784.1 mm wide, about 30.9 inches. US list $1,299.99. Footnote: DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1 for 240 Hz. LG US. LG UK spec. Amazon search for 34GS95QE-B
• 21:9, 34” VA 165 Hz: Samsung Odyssey G5 G55T, SKU LC34G55TWWNXZA. Official PDF: 3440 × 1440, 1000R, VA, 165 Hz, 1 ms (MPRT). Active picture 797.22 × 333.72 mm (31.4 × 13.1 inches). Chassis 806.6 mm. Samsung US. Spec PDF. Amazon search for LC34G55TWWNXZA
• 32:9, 49” OLED: Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (G91SD), SKU LS49DG910SNXZA. Official: Dual QHD 5120 × 1440, 32:9, 144 Hz, 0.03 ms (GtG), 110 PPI, 1800R. Active picture 1,196.7 × 339.2 mm (47.1 × 13.4 inches). Chassis 1,194.7 mm (47.0 inches). Samsung US. Amazon search for Odyssey OLED G9 G91SD
• Budget 21:9 at 2560 × 1080: LG 29WP60G-B. Official: 29” IPS, 2560 × 1080, 21:9, 75 Hz. LG US. Still 21:9. Not 3440 × 1440, and not a 240 Hz gaming sheet. Amazon search for 29WP60G-B

The two screens I actually sit in front of stay 16:9: a 1080p 240 Hz and a 1440p 155 Hz.

The short version: **buy the wider panel when a game you play draws the sides, the PC can spend the extra third, and the desk holds the width.

How wide the glass is

The glass in front of the desk

34-inch, 3440 by 144034-inch, 2560 by 108049-inch, 5120 by 1440

A 34-inch 21:9 panel is about 31 inches wide and about 13 inches tall. 3440 by 1440 is about 110 PPI, in the same neighborhood as a 27-inch 1440p.

The diagonal on the box hides the width. A 16:9 picture at 27 inches is about 24 inches wide and about 13 inches tall. A 34-inch 21:9 picture is about 31 inches wide and about 13 inches tall. Samsung prints that 31.4 × 13.1 inch active area on the G55T. LG prints 784.1 mm of chassis on the 34GS95QE-B. The height matches a 27-inch 16:9 screen. The extra diagonal is width. A desk that holds a 27-inch screen can fail this one, because the mouse lane has to sit beside that longer sheet. Desk size is that measurement.

The pair to read

Read the pixel numbers on the listing. The slogan 21:9 is the category. 2560 × 1080 and 3440 × 1440 are both a little wider than a perfect 21 to 9. 3440 ÷ 1440 is about 2.39. 21 ÷ 9 is 2.33. The pair is the spec.

3440 × 1440 keeps 1440 lines of height and adds columns. That grid is 4,953,600 pixels. 2560 × 1440 is 3,686,400. The wide pair is about 34 percent more work. LG’s 34-inch page uses the same 34 percent for the wider view against a standard 16:9 screen. You did not buy a taller view. You bought a longer one, and the PC has to draw the extra third.

Pixels per inch is that diagonal of the grid divided by the diagonal of the glass. At about 110 PPI, ordinary text is the size you already know from a 27-inch 1440p screen. A 27-inch 1440p panel is about 109. Samsung prints 110 PPI on the 49-inch Dual QHD G9. A 27-inch 4K panel is the one that makes that text small. The ultrawide at 3440 × 1440 does not. The extra room is horizontal, so a window can sit beside the game, and the game itself is still only 1440 lines tall. 4K is a different pixel job.

2560 × 1080 is still sold as ultrawide. LG’s 29WP60G-B is an official 21:9 SKU at that pair, 29 inches, 75 Hz. On a 34-inch panel the same grid is about 82 PPI. It is easier for the PC than 3440 × 1440, and it is still only 1080 lines tall. It is not a hidden 1440p. ViewSonic’s ultrawide guide, treats 2560 × 1080 as easier to run and 3440 × 1440 as the pair most games actually offer. Do not buy “21:9” and assume 3440 × 1440.

32:9 is two 1440p widths

5120 × 1440 is exactly twice 2560 × 1440. Samsung’s G91SD page calls that Dual QHD. Official active picture: 47.1 × 13.4 inches. Chassis: 47.0 inches. The height still matches a 27-inch 16:9 screen. The pixel cost doubles.

Two 27-inch monitors are a different object: two cables, two rates, a bezel in the middle. A 49-inch 32:9 panel is one sheet. Samsung prints picture-by-picture on the G9, and LG prints 2 PBP on the 34GS95QE-B. That split is a desktop feature, not extra game columns. If the mouse lane disappears under 47 inches of glass, the shape does not fit.

The rate you will see

The refresh is not the aspect. Windows opens many screens at 60 until you pick the rate. A counter at 80 on a 144 Hz ultrawide is about 80 pictures a second. 3440 × 1440 at 144 Hz is a heavier job than 2560 × 1440 at 144 Hz.

The port has to carry that pair at that rate. LG’s 34GS95QE-B footnote asks for DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.1 to reach 240 Hz at Ultra-WQHD. Duplicate shares one rate with a second screen. Extend lets the wide glass keep its own. ViewSonic tells a buyer to aim for 144 Hz and a 1 ms line. The hertz you get is the rate you see while your FPS sits near it. Samsung’s G55T prints 1 ms MPRT, which is a different test from GtG. Response time is the shade change. 144 Hz is the refresh page.

The curve is a bend

A curve pulls the far edges toward a close seat. It does not add columns. LG’s 34GS95QE-B is 800R and 21:9. The G55T is 1000R. The G91SD is 1800R. A smaller R is a tighter bend. A flat ultrawide is still ultrawide. A curved 16:9 panel is still 16:9. Judge the bend after you know the game will use the width. The curve page is that decision.

What the sides have to show

Support means the game renders the extra columns. BenQ’s ultrawide page, treats that extra edge as scene a 16:9 frame would crop. ViewSonic puts the same extra width on open-world, racing, and simulation first.

A game that does not support the shape puts bars on the sides, stretches the 16:9 image, or crops the top and bottom. BenQ also flags titles that fill the match and letterbox the cutscene. In the display menu, pick 3440 × 1440, or the wide pair the monitor lists. Leave 2560 × 1440 and the wide glass shows bars. A borderless game uses the desktop resolution, so the desktop has to be the wide pair first.

Some competitive games cap how far to the side you can see. The monitor cannot lift that rule. I play Overwatch as Zarya on the 1080p 240 Hz 16:9 screen, FOV 103. The FOV converter shows what that 103 becomes on a wider screen. FPS monitor notes is the refresh page after the shape is settled.

Health, a minimap, and chat sit farther from the center on a 31-inch-wide picture than they did on a 24-inch-wide one. ViewSonic lists complex HUDs as a reason the extra width can help, and also says most tournament play still sits on 24- or 27-inch 16:9 glass. A wider view doesn’t mean a faster reaction. If the match caps the sides, the columns are unused glass.

A third more pixels is a third more drawing. Count the frames in a busy moment of the game you play before you pay for the columns. Raising FPS is a different job from adding a heavier shape.

Panel, desk, movies, consoles

OLED, IPS, and VA are how the pixel makes the picture. They are not 21:9. LG’s 34GS95QE-B is OLED. Samsung’s G55T is VA. A dark trail is a pixel that has not finished. It is not created by the aspect. See IPS vs VA and OLED for panel types.

A 34-inch 21:9 picture needs about 31 inches of width plus a mouse lane. A 49-inch 32:9 picture is about 47 inches wide. BenQ notes many movies finish near 2.35:1, so a 21:9 screen can fill a film that letterboxes on 16:9. A match that bars 21:9 still bars 21:9 after the credits. BenQ’s console note says PlayStation and Xbox do not offer native 21:9 or 32:9. The console sends 16:9.

Read 3440 × 1440, or 2560 × 1080, or 5120 × 1440, before you read 21:9. Measure the top against the official chassis: 784.1 mm on the LG 34GS95QE-B, 806.6 mm on the G55T, 1,194.7 mm on the G91SD. Then leave a mouse lane. Confirm one game you actually play draws that pair. Confirm the port on the listing carries that pair at the hertz you care about. A curve is optional. A 1 ms line is a shade change. The panel family comes after those.

A wider view doesn’t make you react faster. The decision that matters is the pair, the width, and the counter.

Stay with 16:9 when the games you play add bars or stretch, when a competitive mode caps the side view, when the desk is also a console, or when the frame rate is already tight at 1440p. I stay on 16:9 monitors, a 1080p 240 Hz and a 1440p 155 Hz for that reason. Buy the wider panel when a game you actually play draws the sides, the PC can spend the extra third, and the desk has the width. More monitor guides.

Common questions

What is an ultrawide gaming monitor?

It's a monitor wider than the usual 16:9, most often 21:9. The most common gaming size is 34 inches at 3440x1440, like the LG 34GS95QE-B. That's about 31 inches wide and 13 inches tall.

What resolution is best for an ultrawide?

3440x1440 is the sweet spot. It has about 34% more pixels than regular 1440p while keeping the same height. 2560x1080 is a cheaper, less sharp option, and 5120x1440 is for 49-inch super ultrawides.

Does an ultrawide monitor need to be curved?

No, though most are, because a curve helps you see the far edges. Curve, refresh rate and response time are all separate specs, so pick each one on its own.

Do all games support ultrawide?

No. Many games support 21:9, but some add black bars, stretch the image, or limit the view in competitive modes. Cutscenes are often still 16:9. Check your favorite games before buying.

What is the best ultrawide gaming monitor?

It changes as new models come out. Look for a resolution your PC can run, a size that fits your desk, and a refresh rate you'll actually reach. The LG 34GS95QE-B (21:9) and Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 G91SD (32:9) are strong options.

Does an ultrawide lower FPS?

Yes, a bit. 3440x1440 has about 34% more pixels than 2560x1440, and 5120x1440 has twice as many, so your GPU has more to render. Expect lower FPS than on a regular 1440p monitor.

What is the difference between 21:9 and 32:9?

21:9 is standard ultrawide, usually 34 inches at 3440x1440. 32:9 is super ultrawide, like two 1440p monitors side by side at 5120x1440, on a 49-inch screen about 47 inches wide.

Will a 34-inch ultrawide fit on my desk?

It needs about 31 inches of width plus room for your mouse. It's the same height as a 27-inch monitor but about 7 inches wider. Measure your desk before buying.

Is ultrawide good for competitive gaming?

It's great for immersion, but many competitive players stick with 16:9. Some esports games limit or don't support ultrawide, and turning your head to see the edges can slow you down. I play on 16:9 monitors, a 1080p 240 Hz and a 1440p 155 Hz.