The 4 Best HDR Gaming Monitors - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best HDR monitor for gaming we've tested is the Dell Alienware AW3225QF. It's a 32-inch 4k monitor that offers both high-end gaming performance and premium picture quality, and you can buy it directly from Dell's website. What makes it so fantastic for HDR is that it has a near-infinite contrast ratio that displays perfect blacks next to bright highlights, and those highlights pop without any blooming against dark backgrounds. It even displays an incredibly wide color gamut with a remarkable color volume, so your favorite games look stunningly vivid and life-like, and the high resolution makes content appear full of detail.

Another advantage of this monitor is its near-instantaneous response time, which results in crystal-clear motion in games with no distracting blur trail. Its 240Hz refresh rate benefits most gamers, and this monitor supports all common VRR formats to reduce screen tearing. It also supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you can reach its max 240Hz refresh rate over HDMI. Unlike many monitors, it even supports Dolby Vision, but you need to update its firmware for it to work properly.

If you don't need a high-end 4k monitor like the Dell Alienware AW3225QF, you can often find the Dell Alienware AW2725DF for a lower cost. It's a step down from the AW3225QF in terms of features, as it doesn't support Dolby Vision or HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you can only take full advantage of it with DisplayPort connections. That said, it still offers high-end gaming performance and premium picture quality as it also has a QD-OLED panel, meaning it displays bright and vivid colors next to deep and inky blacks, so your HDR games look life-like. However, images aren't as detailed because it has a lower 1440p resolution than the AW3225QF.

Besides that, it has an outstanding response time that leads to sharp motion and an incredibly high 360Hz refresh rate that's ideal for competitive gamers. Its 27-inch screen is also big enough for most gamers, but if you prefer an ultrawide gaming experience, the Dell Alienware AW3423DWF is another great option with a QD-OLED panel. However, it has a lower 165Hz refresh rate, so gaming doesn't feel as smooth as on the AW2725DF.

If you find QD-OLEDs like the Dell Alienware AW3225QF and the Dell Alienware AW2725DF too expensive, you can still find some of the best HDR gaming monitors in the mid-range price category, although there are trade-offs. The Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx is a good overall gaming display that also has decent picture quality in HDR, but it doesn't display the same deep and inky blacks as the Dell QD-OLED monitors. Instead, it has a decent Mini LED backlighting feature that improves the contrast ratio in dark rooms but doesn't eliminate all blooming. That said, it gets brighter than the Dell monitors, as highlights really pop in HDR.

Gaming also feels smooth, and while it has a 160Hz refresh rate, it's still good enough for most gamers. It has a good response time across its VRR range, leading to sharp motion, and unlike the AW2725DF, it supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. The biggest downside is that it has increased input lag at 60Hz, which is especially disappointing for console gaming. If that's important to you, the Sony INZONE M9 is a better choice, but it has a worse local dimming feature than the Acer.

Although most budget gaming monitors don't offer anything special for HDR, the AOC Q27G3XMN is better than most similarly-priced options when it comes to picture quality. This is because it uses Mini LED backlighting and it actually has a higher native contrast ratio than the Acer Nitro XV275K P3biipruzx, so it displays even deeper blacks next to bright highlights, ideal for HDR gaming in dark rooms, and colors are very vivid too. However, there are still a few trade-offs versus the Acer as it has a lower resolution, so images aren't as detailed.

The AOC also uses a different panel type than the Acer, which has more black smearing behind fast-moving objects, but there's still minimal blur trail as it has a fast response time. As the AOC is an entry-level monitor, it has limited extra features, which is expected for a low-cost display, but it still has essential gaming perks like crosshairs and a frame rate counter.