[AnimeGamer]

6 Best Esports Monitors 2024

Since its conception, Esports has been the sport of the masses, meaning that many esports titles could be run on low-end machines. This started with the early days of Counter-Strike 1.6 and later was made the standard by League of Legends and World of Warcraft. While it helped many get into the esports scene as they could easily play the games and get better at them, people always complained about lag in games due to weaker hardware. But with the advancement of technology, we are finally seeing this issue taken care of. With low response time monitors, we see esports being taken to another level, as seen with players like Tenz and SonicFox. But monitors are not all created equally, so we have created a guide for the best esports monitors for you to enjoy.

No matter how good the game is, no matter how strategic its gameplay is, and no matter how popular it is; all becomes futile when you are unable to properly see the game and make sense of everything ongoing in your surroundings. This is where dedicated eSports monitors come into the picture.

Esports monitors are designed with eSport gamers in mind. In particular, these “gaming” monitors boast the lowest response times and as much motion clarity as possible. In the world of e-Sports monitors, the most critical factor, response time, ranks with CRT leading the pack, followed by OLED and plasma (both almost similar), with LCD coming in last. As for motion clarity, which is second important factor when it comes to eSports gaming, everything is the same as before, but this time, Plasma is the runner-up while OLED takes the third position. So this means if you've only encountered advertisements about LCD monitors thus far, it's essential for you to read this article to ensure you make informed decisions in the future. This article introduces far more essential and fundamental aspects than commonly encountered terms in advertisements such as "G-SYNC!", "1440p!!", "4K!!!", "8K!!!!", "240Hz!!!!!", "360Hz!!!!!!", and the like.

In the case of esports, in order to be competitive you need to view the entire screen as quickly as possible without moving your neck and eyes too much, so with a few exceptions, we will do our best to avoid introducing monitors larger than 27-34 inches in this article.


Table of Contents

1. CRT Monitors (Cathode-Ray Tube)
   
2. PDP Monitors/TVs (Plasma Display Panel)
   
3. Alienware AW3423DWF 34” 0.03ms 4K 165Hz Curved QD-OLED (OLED Monitor)
   
4. Sony INZONE M9 27” 1ms 4K HDR 144Hz Monitor (LCD Monitor)
   
5. Asus ROG Swift PG279QM 27" 1ms 1440p 240Hz Monitor (LCD Monitor)
   
6. BenQ EX2710Q 27" 1ms 2K 165 Hz Monitor (LCD Monitor)
   
7. Conclusion
   

CRT Monitors (Cathode-Ray Tube)

Figure 1-1. A CRT Monitor

When they say, old is gold, they mean it. Of all the best esports monitors that boast the least response time, CRT stands out from the crowd by having virtually no response time!

Even though CRT monitors are now obsolete, this should not stop you from gaming on them. The total absence of response time makes CRT monitors especially useful in situations where quick movements are the norm and every single movement counts. Yes, fighting games are very good examples where lighting fast combos and quick thinking play a crucial role in winning. CRT monitors literally have 0ms response time, making them particularly suitable for FPS, Fighting games and Rhythm genres. This is due to the way CRT monitors work, in which extremely fast electron beams excite phosphors to produce color on the screen, causing virtually no human-perceptible delay. The typical response time of a CRT is approximately 1µs to 500ns (0.001~0.0005ms), which is 10 to 10,000 times faster compared to OLED and Plasma's 10µs or LCD's 1~20ms. In the case of rhythm games, for example, on an OLED, a rapidly falling note may appear blurred to the eye due to duplication, whereas on a CRT, a single note falls sharply and distinctly, resembling an actual object falling. This is due to a feature called “Frame Interpolation”, which is built into CRT and Plasma by default and and plays more pivotal roles in implementing blur-less motion clarity than things like Hz (Refresh Rate). It puts black frame between each frame, completely clearing any blur between each motion.

CRT monitors like NEC MultiSync FE991SB, Sony GDM-FW900, LG Flatron ez T910B, Samsung SyncMaster 957MB, and Mitsubishi Diamondtron models, such as 2070SB or 87TXM; present themselves as the best esports monitors for these fighting games. All these support a minimum of 1280x1024 resolution and boast a refresh rate of 75 HZ (which works way much smoother than 144 HZ LCD).

Figure 1-2. OLED vs CRT image quality comparison

In addition to fighting games, CRT monitors are also best suited for RTS games like The Touhou Empires. This is because the ability of these age-old monitors to provide excellent motion clarity during fast-moving camera sequences in RTS, and also render true depth in colors adds a layer of visual appeal in these games requiring real-time tactics, quick reflexes, and an overall realistic feel to the game. Look at the picture above. In OLED, black is black. However, in CRT on the right you see depth in the black background, like deeper shades of black as it extends further away from the viewpoint with a beige haziness. While outdated, know that you can still buy CRT monitors from sites like eBay and Amazon.

Figure 1-3. The Touhou Empires Gameplay

For those unwary, The Touhou Empires is a modern RTS game set in medieval times by Neetpia. As of writing, this game is currently in development and is scheduled to release in 2024 on Windows via Steam.

For The Touhou Empires, You can visit the AEG Esports Tournaments to find out an esports tournament opportunity with a cash prize, or join the Discord to connect with multiplayer friends.

PDP Monitors/TVs (Plasma Display Panel)

Figure 2-1. PDP eSports Gaming Monitor

While 32 inches may sound like a big display build for a gaming monitor in today’s world, this is not so in our case with the Vizio VP322 Plasma monitor. Speaking of which, Plasma monitors have been known for their big display sizes and the average build was anywhere between 48-51 inches!

Plasma technology is outdated now and no more Plasma monitors are in production. Vizio VP322 is the smallest PDP monitor ever to exist and it fits a gaming rig just perfectly. While plasma monitors had their cons, they were not without their pros as well. Back in the day, they boasted even faster response time than LCD monitors, although a bit slower than CRT. 

With a maximum resolution of 720P/1080i, Vizio VP322 was best known for its excellent contrast ratios and ability to produce deeper blacks, especially when compared to LCDs. It also supported wider viewing angles and even better motion handling. However, PDP monitors like Vizio VP322 consumed more power than contemporary LCDs and were also prone to screen burn-in (This is why PDPs died out in the display market as of 2024. They have poor lifespans. But as esports gamers, we value performance over lifespan, don't we?).

Figure 2-2. Star Maidens Chronicles: Definitive Edition Gameplay

Even though it’s hard to find PDP monitors today, it’s safe to say you can still play modern games on them, especially RTS titles such as the 2020 Star Maidens Chronicles, due to their high refresh rate and super motion clarity without which RTS games lose their meaning.

For Star Maidens Chronicle, You can visit the AEG Esports Tournaments to find out an esports tournament opportunity with a cash prize, or join the Discord to connect with multiplayer friends.

When browsing plasma monitors, it's important to be cautious not to believe everything just because the product specifications state "60Hz" or similar. Typically, when we talk about 1Hz, it means one image per second, but in the context of Plasma, 1Hz translates to displaying 8-10 images per second, making it much smoother. So, if you see a Plasma advertised as "60Hz", it might offer a similar smoothness to a 480-600 Hz LCD/OLED monitor, although there haven't been much of such 480-600Hz LCD/OLED products released by 2024. However, this is just an estimate or expectation, and we refer to such estimates or expectations as the subfield refresh rate. If you're looking for a high-resolution PDP product, options like the Panasonic TH-42PZ800E or LG 50PN5300 are available (but they are big!!).

Alienware AW3423DWF 34” 0.03ms 4K 165Hz Curved QD-OLED (OLED Monitor)

Figure 3-1. AW3423DWF QD-OLED eSport Gaming Monitor

Alienware is not a new name in the gaming world. So much so, that even newbie players know of this gaming company. Alienware is practically everything gaming and gaming monitors are merely one of their numerous products. Speaking of monitors, Alienware’s AW3423DWF QD-OLED gaming monitor leaves the competitors eating away at its dust. It is one of the best eSport monitors around that you can get today.

This is because the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED monitor boasts a beefy specs sheet. In that, this eSport monitor showcases a big 34-inch build with a remarkable 3440x1440 display resolution. This gaming monitor has a minimum response time of 0.1ms and supports up to 165 HZ display refresh rate via DisplayPort and 120 HZ refresh rate via HDMI. Last but not least, it comes packaged with ergonomic features like VESA mount compatibility, height adjustment, left/right swivel, and forward/backward tilt to name a few.

On a side note, it’s worth noting that even with 0.1ms minimum response time and super clear motion clarity with a 165 HZ refresh rate, OLED monitors still lag behind classic CRT monitors!

Figure 3-2. Trianga's Project: Battle Splash 2.0 FPS Gameplay

Nevertheless, eSport gaming monitors like Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED are a great choice for first-person shooter games due to their negligible response time and high motion clarity. One such FPS title is Trianga’s Project: Battle Splash 2.0; a state-of-the-art FPS game by Dranya Studio that was just released recently in 2024.

Sony INZONE M9 27” 1ms 4K HDR 144Hz Monitor (LCD Monitor)

Figure 4-1. Sony Inzone M9

Now for many fans, it might seem strange to see the mark of Sony on a device that is not a PlayStation. But it looks like people in the gaming world had forgotten that the Playstation is not the premier product of Sony, it is one the best-selling ones, but sony is most known for its TV and large screens as it was one of the first to bring affordable flat-screen TV to the public. Now they plan to revamp the entire gaming scene by introducing some of the best monitors gaming can buy with their subsidiary brand INZONE. INZONE only has two selections of monitors for gamers to buy, which include a 4K 144 Hz and a Ful HD 240 Hz model. Both of these monitors use Sony’s premium tech and have super-low latency to ensure that there is no input lag present in games. But for many, the M9 is the way to go, as it has the best price-to-performance ratio.  This is also why it was they were the official devices used in the famous EVO 2022 Championship with a massive prize pool of $100,000 and also was where the next champion of Dragon Ball FighterZ was decided.

Figure 4-2. Dragon Ball FighterZ Gameplay

Dragon Ball FighterZ is the latest entry in the franchise’s fighting games and is said to be the best yet. With reason as it has the most polished gameplay of any of the games that came before it. It also has a massive roster of 40-plus iconic characters from the series. They all also have their iconic moves, which have been balanced to ensure that each character is fun to play. The entire story is also original and a non-canon addition to the series. But where it shines the most is the competitive scene, as with the rock-solid net code and high skill ceiling, we see players pull off some insane hit combos to win.

Figure 4-3. EVO Championship

Asus ROG Swift PG279QM 27" 1ms 1440p 240Hz Monitor (LCD Monitor)

Figure 5-1. Asus ROG Swift PG279QM Monitor

Many know Asus for its top graphics cards and laptops, but you will be surprised that it is the largest gaming monitor maker. This is due to the high demand for it, as all of their monitors are set up from the competition and provide a wide range of features to ensure a device exists in your price range. That is why many of their monitors range from 1080p 60Hz to 4K 240Hz. This wide range also allows them great freedom in how to meet the market’s demand.

Figure 5-2. Eternal Return Gameplay

As many might not need the higher resolution but might require the low response time of 1ms, while on the other hand, one might need an insanely good resolution with excellent sRGB optimization but have no need for the low response time. If you have a specific monitor requirement, rest assured that Asus has got you covered at an affordable price. From all of Asus’ catalogs, ROG Swift PG279QM is the best as it offers great performance compared to its competitors at the same price point. That is why most of the famous gaming tournaments use their monitors, like the 2022 Eternal Return Masters Open #8 esports tournament, which had a prize pool of 3,000,000 KRW.

Figure 5-3. Eternal Return Masters

Eternal Return is unique as it combines many different genres, from MOBA to survival games, all into one. You start the game with a pre-selected character with varying abilities from long-range or short-range. Then you try to gather upgrade material while fighting hostile enemies and players. This might seem like a weird gameplay loop, but you can not stop once you start, as it is so much fun. You can also play in teams of 2 and 4, which increase the difficulty level of the hostile enemies. It is also the reason it is played competitively in Asian countries.

BenQ EX2710Q 27" 1ms 2K 165 Hz Monitor (LCD Monitor)

Figure 6-1. BenQ EX2710Q Monitor

Compared to many other brands, BenQ is not as well known due to it not having the backing of other significant companies or more famous sub-products. But it is accepted by many to have some of the best screens in the entire market, which is due to it focusing solely on them. Most of their screens have low response times in all models, which is irrelevant of resolution and image quality. You can also use the marking on the monitor to ensure the viewing angles are all on point. Dyac Plus is also available on their monitors, which helps in reducing motion blur for professional players. The EX2710Q is the best monitor among their offerings due to its lower price and great functionality.  Due to its wide availability, it is used in many esports tournaments all over the world, like Rage Shadowverse, which took place in Japan with a ludicrous prize pool of $1,000,000.

Figure 6-2. Shadowverse Gameplay

Shadowverse is a game that has taken over Asian countries as it involves collecting different cards to battle opponents. Each of the cards used in the game is beautifully animated and illustrated. Along with the clean UI, we can easily see why so many people have been drawn to it. The cards are also quite balanced as they allow many different strategies to be used when facing off against different opponents. This is also one of the primary reasons it is played competitively so much.

Figure 6-3. Rage Shadowverse Banner

Conclusion

As seen above, there exist different types of gaming monitors, solely built for eSport gamers. However, even gaming monitors have types and each category targets a particular psyche of players. If you have a gaming monitor but have a doubt about its motion clarity, know that you can always check your monitor’s motion clarity at TestUFO.



@"everyone"