Considering a curved monitor? Here are the pros and cons to consider

Curved monitors have come a long way since the first angled display launched in the form of the Samsung SE790C in 2015. Hell, we now live in a world where Dell is releasing 52-inch 6K ultrawide curved monitors. Not that you need to buy a giant screen to get the benefits of this curvature (although larger curved screens are definitely more immersive).

If you’re currently reading this on a flat screen but have always been intrigued by the curved alternative, we’re here to break down the occasional pros and cons of owning this type of monitor. Are curved monitors worth the price you often have to pay compared to their flat cousins? Do they really make PC games more immersive? And why are so many ultrawide monitors curved? We will approach all of this by weighing the pros and cons of adopting the shift.

As someone who has owned curved screens for years, I’m obviously going to be a little biased. For me, curved monitors are definitely worth it, although I would like to add a few caveats (which I’ll address shortly). The biggest advantage of using a curved monitor? This type of screen can provide addictive and immersive gaming experiences. If you’re a die-hard Steam gamer who spends dozens of hours a week playing the best PC games, a curved panel may be a great option.

I regularly play my favorite PC titles on my 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED. This is a spectacular display for gaming. Many larger curved monitors are either ultra-wide or super ultra-wide. When a PC port gets the attention it deserves, adding proper support for 21:9 and 32:9 aspect ratios can be a game-changer.

I played a lot of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Lately, and watching Hideo Kojima’s painstakingly crafted cutscenes in 32:9 feels incredibly cinematic. The flip side is that, unfortunately, many modern story-driven games still only support 16:9 cutscenes, resulting in huge black bars on curved ultrawide monitors. Still, if you have a large curved screen (probably a 21:9 aspect ratio), the increased field of view in racing games and first-person shooters can be transformative.

Curved monitors can also be great for productivity, especially when it comes to ultrawide models. My aforementioned 49-inch curved behemoth (that’s 5,120 x 1,440 pixels) gives me the same screen real estate as if I were working on two 27-inch 1,440p displays. On a curved ultra or super ultra-wide, it’s easier to multitask thanks to these wider dimensions, making it a breeze to accommodate multiple browser windows alongside, say, Photoshop. On larger monitors, the curvature of the screen also makes it more comfortable to view the edges. That’s because they’re physically closer to the center of the panel than they would be on a flat monitor, meaning you don’t need to turn your head as much.

There are certainly cases where choosing a curved monitor over a traditional flat panel doesn’t make much sense. Price is one of the most important factors. Since many curved screens are 34 inches or larger, they are naturally more expensive than many flat monitors (they are also trickier to make). When it comes to size, a curved monitor will often take up more desk space than the flat panel alternative.

There are other scenarios where the dimensions of a curved monitor can potentially make life difficult. Since the sides of a curved screen obviously protrude more than the center, these types of panels are not ideally suited for mounting because they don’t rest against a wall. They are also not suitable for a multi-monitor setup. Trying to line up a curved screen next to a flat screen simply won’t provide a smooth experience. Oh, and if you work in an office and regularly watch content with colleagues on the same monitor, this is going to be awkward, because curved monitors are designed to be viewed from center angles.

If you’re a professional art editor or graphic designer who regularly edits work in Photoshop, purchasing a curved monitor probably isn’t a wise investment either. Although curved screens can be great for gaming, editing images on such a screen is not always ideal, as the curvature can create distortion at the edges. Do you do precision work that requires perfectly straight lines/grids in Photoshop? You’d better have a flat screen.

While there are flat ultrawide displays, when you get into the 34-inch range and above, 21:9 displays are more typically curved. Why is this? This is partly because manufacturers want to give players more immersive experiences. Many curved ultrawide monitors come with gaming features, like Nvidia G-Sync and VRR, and there’s no denying that curvature can provide a sort of wraparound viewing effect when your face is pressed against a screen. Sitting close to a curved monitor is essential to feeling that true feeling of immersion. This is probably why curved TVs failed, but curved gaming monitors thrived.

There are slightly more annoying practical reasons why so many ultrawide monitors are curved. Working with a 21:9 aspect ratio will make your head spin more often than looking at a 16:9 screen. To reduce the amount of eye movement you have, an ultrawide with curved edges makes it slightly easier to see the entire screen.