The Best Gaming Monitors for Competitive Shooters

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Refresh rate is the number everyone shops on and the least useful one past a point. What actually separates these panels is motion clarity and whether your machine can feed them.

How we tested

Input lag measured end to end with a photodiode. Motion clarity assessed with a moving test pattern at fixed speeds, then confirmed in game. We do not quote manufacturer response times, which are measured under conditions that do not occur in practice.

A competitive shooter scene used for motion testing — Motion clarity is judged on a moving target, never a still image. Screenshot: Counter-Strike 2 — via Steam

Where the returns stop

Going from 60Hz to 144Hz is transformative. 144Hz to 240Hz is clearly visible. 240Hz to 360Hz is real but small, and only if your frame rate actually reaches it — a 360Hz panel fed 180fps is a 180Hz panel.

Check what frame rate you actually hit in your main game before spending anything on refresh rate.

Resolution

For competitive shooters specifically, 1080p at 24.5in remains the standard for a reason: it is easy to drive and the whole screen sits inside your focus. For everything else, 1440p at 27in is the better desk.

A long sightline down a map corridor — At 24.5in the whole sightline sits inside your focus. That is the case for 1080p. Screenshot: Counter-Strike 2 — via Steam

Our pick

If this monitor is only ever for competitive shooters, buy the 360Hz IPS and spend the savings on the graphics card that will feed it. For a monitor that does everything well, the OLED is worth the money.