Curved monitors deliver immersive gaming but carry trade-offs, Engadget says

The report traces the category back to Samsung's SE790C, described as the first slanted screen, which launched in 2015. Curved displays have since grown substantially in size, with Dell preparing to launch 52-inch 6K ultrawide curved monitors. Engadget notes that buyers do not need a giant screen to get the benefits of curvature, though larger curved panels are more immersive.

The assessment is written by a longtime curved-monitor owner who describes the displays as worth the cost, with qualifications. The writer plays regularly on a 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED and says larger curved monitors are usually ultrawide or super ultrawide. When a PC title properly supports 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratios, the report says, the wider field of view in racing games and first-person shooters can be transformative.

The writer cites Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, saying its cutscenes feel cinematic in 32:9. The same width creates a drawback: many modern story-driven games still support cutscenes only in 16:9, which produces large black bars on curved ultrawide screens.

Productivity is a second argument in favor, particularly for ultrawide models. The 49-inch screen used by the writer runs at 5120 x 1440 pixels and provides the same working area as two 27-inch 1440p monitors, which makes it easier to keep several browser windows open alongside an application such as Photoshop. On larger curved panels, the edges sit physically closer to the viewer's eye than they would on a flat screen, so less head movement is required to see them.

Engadget lists several situations in which a flat panel makes more sense. Price is the largest factor: because so many curved screens measure 34 inches or more, they cost more than many flat monitors and are more difficult to manufacture. They also take up more desk space.

Physical shape creates further limits. The sides of a curved display protrude farther than the center, so the panel will not sit flush against a wall when mounted. Curved screens also pair poorly with a second display, since aligning one next to a flat screen does not produce a seamless view, and they are awkward for groups of colleagues looking at the same monitor because they are designed for viewing from central angles.

The report also advises against curved monitors for professional art editors and graphic designers who work in Photoshop. Curvature can cause distortion around the edges, it says, making flat panels preferable for precision work that depends on straight lines and grids.

As for why ultrawide monitors are usually curved, Engadget points to the 34-inch-and-above range, where 21:9 displays are more commonly bent. Flat ultrawides exist, but the report attributes the trend partly to manufacturers seeking more immersive gaming experiences. Many curved ultrawide monitors include gaming features such as Nvidia G-Sync and variable refresh rate, and the report says curvature can produce a wrap-around effect when the viewer sits close to the screen.