Computer monitors also make for excellent displays for Xbox One consoles – whether you game on the original Xbox One, the updated Xbox One S, or the more powerful Xbox One X. They offer a lower input lag and are more suitable for those who don’t have enough space for a large TV. In addition, monitors are available in 1440p resolution and usually feature FreeSync technology, both of which are now accessible to Microsoft’s current-gen consoles.
The bad news is that there are hundreds of monitors out there, from budget 1080p monitors to high-end 4K monitors, which makes shopping for the best monitors for Xbox One a very difficult process. But the good news is that we already got you covered. In this guide, we have compiled the top 10 monitors for Xbox One gaming.
Dell P2419H
If you want a budget IPS monitor for your Xbox One console, there are dozens of options selling for less than $200, many of which are designed for office work and general use. Out of all of them, the Dell P2419H offers the best overall value. It’s a 24-inch monitor with a 1080p resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate, both of which are good enough for console gaming.
The P2419H has a professional design, featuring a minimalist chassis with thin bezels and a plain back panel with down-firing input ports. It has one HDMI 1.4 port for connectivity with gaming consoles, along with one VGA port and one DisplayPort for computers. The screen has an anti-glare coating, which reduces glare when using the monitor in a bright room. Unlike most budget gaming monitors, this Dell monitor has a fully adjustable stand.
Although it lacks notable gaming features, the P2419H is a good monitor for regular gaming. It has a good response time for a budget IPS monitor and a good input lag. It’s a solid monitor for slow-paced or story-driven games, but for fast-paced competitive games, it’s not a suitable monitor. The P2419H is also a great monitor for office work and general use, which makes it an all-around budget unit.
Samsung C27F398
Selling for less than $200, the Samsung C27F398 is another good budget monitor for Xbox One gaming, featuring a VA panel for better contrast and a 1080p resolution. It’s a 27-inch display with a standard 60 Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support over HDMI.
Of the monitors in this guide, this Samsung display is one of the two monitors that feature a curved screen. Sadly, the curved screen doesn’t really add much, considering the screen size and aspect ratio of the monitor. The monitor has a good build quality and includes one HDMI 1.4 port for connectivity with gaming consoles. There is a small joystick at the back for navigating the on-screen display (OSD), as well as a VESA mounting interface.
The C27F398 is a good monitor for regular gaming. It has good color reproduction and boasts a high contrast ratio for more vibrant images. The response time is good for a budget VA panel while the input lag is very low, which is great for gaming regardless of what games you play. If you love to play survival horror games and other games with many dark scenes, this Samsung curved monitor will make for a better display than the Dell P2419H.
ViewSonic XG2402
Often considered the best 1080p TN gaming monitor on the market, the ViewSonic XG2402 is a superb monitor for pure gaming. It has an extremely fast response time and features FreeSync over HDMI, which is great for Xbox One gaming. While it normally sells for around $200-250, you can get it for less than $200 during a sale.
Compared to the Dell monitor above, this 24-inch ViewSonic monitor has a more stylish chassis design and easily stands out as a gaming monitor. It has a fully adjustable stand with cable management and a headphones hook. Although it has a built-in sound system, the internal speakers are mediocre and are not suitable for gaming, especially if you love to play games with an excellent soundtrack. For Xbox One connectivity, the monitor has two HDMI 1.4 ports.
Featuring an extremely fast response time and a very low input lag, the XG2402 is a recommended monitor for fast-paced competitive games. And as mentioned earlier, it supports FreeSync over HDMI for screen-tear-free gaming. Regarding picture quality, this ViewSonic monitor is fairly decent for a TN monitor, but it’s not as good as IPS and VA monitors. If you like the screen size and resolution of the Dell P2419H but prefer a more gaming-focused unit, check out the XG2402 instead.
LG 27UD58-B
The LG 27UD58-B is one of the best budget 4K monitors on the market. You can get it for just around $250 during a sale, which happens quite regularly. It’s a 27-inch IPS monitor with a 60 Hz standard refresh rate, which is the refresh rate of most 4K monitors currently out. It has a 24-inch variant – the LG 24UD58-B – which is cheaper, but we don’t really recommend that one unless you want a display with a smaller footprint.
Like many other LG monitors, the 27UD58-B has a minimalist design. While not exactly what you’d describe as “ultra-thin,” the bezels look good. There is a small joystick under the bottom bezel for OSD control – a common feature among LG monitors. The monitor has a pair of HDMI 2.0, which allows for full compatibility with an Xbox One X console.
Featuring good color accuracy out of the box, this LG monitor is suitable for single-player games with pretty visuals, with its 4K resolution translating to more detailed images. It has a decent response time for an IPS panel and boasts a very low input lag. On the flip side, its FreeSync feature is not supported over HDMI, which means you can’t use variable refresh rates on Xbox One X. If you want to use FreeSync, check out the more expensive LG 27UK650-W instead.
Asus VG279Q
If you like the gaming performance of the ViewSonic XG2402 but prefer a larger IPS monitor, go for the Asus VG279Q instead. It’s a 27-inch IPS monitor with a 1080p resolution, a 144 Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync. It’s more expensive than the ViewSonic monitor, which isn’t surprising considering the screen size and panel technology.
The VG279Q is a well-designed product, featuring a slightly stylish chassis with thin bezels, a small joystick for OSD control, and a VESA mounting interface. It has built-in speakers, but they have poor sound quality, which can also be said for most internal monitor speakers.
The monitor comes with a fully adjustable stand, allowing you to easily adjust the screen position for a more comfortable setup, which is important for long gaming sessions. For input, it has one HDMI 1.4 port, one DisplayPort, and one DVI port, with the former obviously being the most important for Xbox One gaming.
If you love to play fast-paced or action-packed games, you’ll love this Asus gaming monitor. It has a very fast response time – which is especially notable for an IPS panel – and a low input lag. The former reduces motion blur, which is great for first-person shooters and racing games. The VG279Q also supports FreeSync over HDMI, which is a big plus for Xbox One gaming. Overall, this Asus display is a great console gaming monitor, offering excellent gaming performance and good picture quality.
BenQ EL2870U
The BenQ EL2870U is a 28-inch TN monitor with a 4K resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate. It has HDR support and FreeSync support over HDMI, with the latter being the more beneficial. You can get this monitor for less than $350 during a sale, which makes it a good option if you want a relatively more budget-friendly 4K gaming monitor.
Like the LG 27UD58-B, this BenQ display has a basic design, with limited ergonomics and not much connectivity options outside of the video input ports. It has two HDMI 2.0 ports, which allows for full compatibility with an Xbox One X. The extra HDMI port is useful if you also own a PS4 Pro and want to connect it to a monitor as well.
The EL2870U has good gaming performance, featuring a fast response time and a low input lag. While it supports FreeSync over HDMI, the FreeSync range (40-60 Hz) is narrow. But to be fair, most 4K monitors currently out have the exact same range. The other 4K monitors on this list are in the same boat.
As mentioned earlier, the monitor supports HDR content. Unfortunately, the HDR performance is mediocre, which isn’t surprising for an HDR monitor selling for less than $500. While far from perfect, the EL2870U is a good gaming monitor overall. It’s a recommended product if you are in the market for a 4K monitor with fast response time and low input lag.
AOC Agon AG271QX
A TN display, the AOC Agon AG271QX is a 27-inch QHD monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate and FreeSync support over HDMI. It has excellent gaming performance, featuring an exceptional response time and a great input lag, both of which are especially beneficial for fast-paced competitive games.
The AG271QX is a well-designed monitor, featuring a stylish chassis with a large red chevron at the back. It comes with a fully adjustable stand and has excellent connectivity, offering multiple input options (DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, VGA) and a USB hub. It has two HDMI ports: one HDMI 1.4 and one HDMI 2.0.
A suitable monitor for first-person shooters and other action-packed games, the AG271QX is just as good as the ViewSonic XG2402 and the Asus VG279Q regarding gaming performance. It has minimal motion blur due to its extremely fast response time. You can’t use the monitor’s full capabilities when gaming on consoles, though. When gaming on Xbox One S or Xbox One X, you can only run in 120 Hz mode when the resolution is set to 1080p.
If you set the resolution to 1440p, the refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz, which isn’t exactly a deal-breaker since there aren’t many console games that can actually take advantage of 120 Hz. Overall, this AOC monitor is a recommended product if you want a QHD TN monitor that offers a fast response time, a low input lag, and FreeSync over HDMI. Combine it with some of the best gaming headsets from our list for the best performance.
LG 27UK650-W
One of the best 4K monitors for Xbox One X, the LG 27UK650-W is an excellent monitor for 4K gaming. It has great overall picture quality and good gaming performance, featuring FreeSync support over HDMI, HDR support, and a low input lag. While it normally sells for around $400-500, you can get it for just around $350 during a sale.
An IPS display, this LG monitor has a simple design that will look good on any gaming desk. It has thin bezels at three sides and a plain white back panel with outward-facing connection ports. The default stand has decent ergonomics, with options to adjust the height, tilt, and pivot. For connectivity with consoles, the monitor has a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports. There is also a DisplayPort for computers and an audio port for headphones and external speakers.
The 27UK650-W has great overall picture quality, with good out-of-box color accuracy, good brightness, wide viewing angles, and decent contrast for an IPS panel. It’s great for triple-A games with pretty graphics, such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Red Dead Redemption 2, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The response time is good for an IPS monitor, which is great for action-packed games.
While it can display HDR content, the 27UK650-W is not that great regarding HDR performance – it doesn’t support a wider color gamut, for one. It has fairly decent HDR performance, but compared to an HDR TV, it’s terribly outgunned. But don’t let that discourage you from buying this monitor – it’s still one of the best 4K gaming monitors out there.
If you like the 27UK650-W but prefer a larger screen, check out the LG 32UD99-W, a 32-inch 4K monitor with an IPS panel. It offers similar gaming performance and also supports HDR content and FreeSync over HDMI, but it sells for around $400-500 more.
Samsung C27HG70
The Samsung C27HG70 is a great monitor for Xbox One gaming, featuring a QHD resolution, FreeSync support over HDMI, and a 144 Hz refresh rate. It’s a 27-inch VA display selling for around $400-500, with its 32-inch variant – the Samsung C32HG70 – selling for around $100 more.
Like the other Samsung product listed here, the C27HG70 is a curved monitor, with a sharp curve radius of 1800R, which translates to a more pronounced curvature. It has a well-designed chassis made of quality materials, featuring a cool lighting system and a joystick for OSD control at the back. For connectivity with Xbox One consoles, the monitor has two HDMI 2.0 ports.
Of the monitors in this guide, this Samsung monitor easily stands out as the most distinctive in physical appearance, due in large part to its unique stand design. The stand, which has a Y-shaped base, looks more like a monitor arm than a regular stand, with its joint in the middle translating to a different height adjustment system. If you want to switch to a third-party stand, there is a VESA mount adapter included in the package.
The C27HG70 has good gaming performance. It has a good response time for a VA panel and a low input lag. It supports FreeSync over HDMI, which is beneficial when playing graphically intensive games. If you game on an Xbox One S or Xbox One X, you can also run in 120 Hz refresh rate, but keep in mind that there aren’t many console games that actually run in 100+ frames per second.
Regarding picture quality, this Samsung gaming monitor is good. It has good out-of-box colors, good brightness, and a high contrast ratio, but it has narrow viewing angles, which is one of the limitations of VA panel technology. The C27HG70 also supports HDR content, and unlike most HDR monitors in the same price range, it has decent HDR performance, with wide color gamut support, high contrast, and decent brightness in HDR mode.
Overall, the C27HG70 is a great monitor for Xbox One gaming, offering good picture quality and good gaming performance. If you prefer a larger screen for a more immersive experience, check out the more expensive Samsung C32HG70 instead.
For more amazing options like this, check out our selection of the top monitors for PS4.
BenQ EW3270U
The BenQ EW3270U is a recommended option if you want a 32-inch 4K monitor for gaming on the Xbox One X. It’s a VA monitor, which easily sets it apart from the other BenQ 4K monitor in this guide to the best monitors for Xbox One. It supports HDR content and features FreeSync technology, which is supported over both DisplayPort and HDMI.
Similar to the BenQ EL2870U, the EW3270U has a plain design. Actually, the two models look almost identical, especially considering their stand design. But you can easily tell which is which, even from afar, since their screen sizes are different. For input, the monitor has two HDMI 2.0 ports, along with one DisplayPort and one USB-C port for computers.
Featuring a fast response time for a VA monitor and a low input lag, the EW3270U is a great monitor for regular gaming. Its 4K resolution translates to more detailed images while its high native contrast ratio allows for more vibrant images. Its large screen also adds immersion, which is great if you love to play open-world games with pretty visuals. On the other hand, the HDR performance is only decent at best, so don’t expect too much on that front.
Like the LG 27UK650-W and most other 4K monitors with FreeSync support, the EW3270U has a narrow FreeSync range, which is 40-60 Hz. All in all, this BenQ monitor is a great product, offering good value for the money. If you want a large 4K monitor that offers good picture quality and good gaming performance, get this unit. It’s especially great for survival horror games, with its high contrast translating to deeper blacks in dark scenes.
Buying Guidelines
When shopping for the best monitors for Xbox One, the aspects that you need to consider are similar to when shopping for PS4 monitors, with only a few differences in some areas. Below are guidelines to keep in mind regarding the technical specifications of monitors.
Screen Size
Since one of the advantages of monitors over TVs is their smaller footprint, we recommend sticking to 24-inch, 27-inch, and 32-inch monitors for Xbox One gaming. If you want a display larger than 32 inches, go for a TV instead.
• 24-inch monitors are great options if you have very limited space and/or sit less than three feet from the screen. They are especially suitable for competitive gaming, with their smaller size allowing you to easily see the entire screen, which can be beneficial in fast-paced competitive games. Furthermore, 24-inch monitors are usually the cheapest, although the budget ones are typically limited to 1080p resolution (more on resolutions in the next section).
• 27-inch monitors are popular among gamers. They are versatile screens that look good whether you are sitting less than three feet from the screen or from three or four feet out. They are great for different kinds of games, including action RPGs, first-person shooters, and sports games. While they are not as immersive as 32-inch monitors, they are better for games with pretty graphics than smaller monitors.
• 32-inch monitors are recommended if you mostly play triple-A games with pretty visuals, such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Far Cry 5. They offer a more immersive experience, especially those featuring a 4K resolution. On the other hand, they take up more space and can be uncomfortable if you sit very close to the screen.
There are also portable monitors on the market. They are typically smaller than 20 inches and look a lot like oversized tablets. If you regularly go on extended trips and want to bring your Xbox One console with you for entertainment, check out portable monitors that include at least one HDMI port for easy connectivity with gaming consoles.
While 16:9 widescreen monitors are the most common, there are also ultrawide monitors, which feature either a 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratio. They offer a more immersive experience than regular widescreen monitors – especially those featuring a curved screen – and are great for racing games, first-person shooters, and open-world games.
However, ultrawide monitors are not recommended for Xbox One gaming, as console games don’t support a 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratio. If you play console games on an ultrawide monitor, the displayed image will be either stretched out or flanked by a thick black bar at both sides.
Resolution
For the original Xbox One and the updated Xbox One S, a monitor with a 1920×1080 (FHD) resolution is good enough. For the beefier Xbox One X, consider monitors with a 2560×1440 (QHD) or 3840×2160 (4K UHD) resolution. Unlike PS4 consoles, the more powerful Xbox One X model also supports a 1440p resolution.
When considering the resolution, consider the screen size as well. For monitors smaller than 27 inches, the recommended resolution is 1080p for a good pixel density, with 1440p being a good option as well if you want more detailed images. There are also 24-inch 4K monitors on the market, but they are not recommended unless you are shopping specifically for a cheap 4K monitor under $300.
For 27-inch monitors, the sweet spot is 1440p, which translates to a pixel density of 109 pixels per inch (PPI). If you want a higher resolution, there is also a good selection of 27-inch 4K monitors on the market, but they are usually more expensive. If you sit at least three feet from the screen and are not particularly sensitive about visible pixels, you can check out 27-inch 1080p monitors, which are cheaper.
For widescreen monitors larger than 30 inches, 4K resolution is ideal for sharper images. A QHD resolution is also good on a 32-inch display. Unless you want a cheap large-screen monitor selling for less than $200, we don’t recommend 32-inch 1080p monitors – their low pixel density means images will not be very sharp.
Refresh Rate
Measured in Hertz (Hz), the refresh rate is the number of times a monitor refreshes the image on the screen per second. A higher refresh rate translates to increased smoothness while gaming, which is especially great for fast-paced games.
For Xbox One gaming, a 60 Hz refresh rate is more than enough. Yes, the Xbox One S and the Xbox One X both support a 120 Hz refresh rate, but there aren’t many games that can actually take advantage of that. Console games are usually capped at 30 or 60 frames per second, and that’s unlikely to change within the next few years. If you are also going to use your monitor for serious PC gaming, then go for monitors with a high refresh rate. But for strictly console gaming, a monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate is good enough.
Response Time
In monitors, the response time is how fast pixels can change from one color to another, listed in milliseconds (ms). A fast response time leads to better motion handling, with less noticeable motion blur, which is great for fast-paced or action-packed games.
Fast response times are beneficial for competitive gaming. But for regular gaming, the picture quality is more important than response time. If you love to play fast-paced competitive games and can actually notice a few milliseconds of difference in response time, go for monitors with extremely fast response times. But if you mostly play slow-paced or story-driven games and/or can hardly tell the difference between 5 ms and 10 ms response times, don’t worry too much about response times.
Keep in mind that the response times listed in the official technical specifications are rarely accurate and only refer to the gray-to-gray response time, which is not an accurate indicator of the actual response time. If you want to check the actual response times of a monitor, you’ll need to look into in-depth hands-on reviews.
Panel Type
The panel type is one of the most important aspects to consider when shopping for the best monitors for Xbox One gaming. There are three types of panels used in monitors: IPS (In-Plane Switching), TN (Twisted Nematic), and VA (Vertical Alignment).
• IPS monitors have good color reproduction and wide viewing angles. They are great for regular gaming and are suitable for games with pretty graphics. While they are not as fast as TN monitors, there are also IPS monitors with fast response times, which is beneficial in fast-paced games such as first-person shooters. IPS monitors are also widely available, but they are more expensive than TN and VA monitors.
• TN monitors feature extremely fast response times and low input lag, both of which are beneficial for fast-paced competitive games such as Overwatch. They are also widely available and are cheaper than IPS and VA monitors. On the other hand, they have inferior overall picture quality, with mediocre contrast and subpar color reproduction. They are more suitable for competitive gaming than regular gaming, where picture quality is more important.
• VA monitors offer the best contrast ratio, which translates to more vibrant images. They have better color reproduction than TN monitors, but they have narrow viewing angles. Similar to IPS monitors, VA monitors are best used for regular gaming. They are recommended for survival horror games and other games with a lot of dark scenes. On the flip side, VA monitors are usually the slowest regarding response times, which translates to more noticeable motion blur.
Video Input
For Xbox One gaming, the only video input port that you need to worry about is HDMI, which is what gaming consoles use to connect to displays. For 1080p monitors with a 60 Hz refresh rate, HDMI 1.4 is good enough. While HDMI 1.4 is technically capable of supporting a 1440p resolution at 60 Hz, Microsoft’s consoles seem to only allow a 1440p output when using the newer HDMI 2.0.
For 4K monitors, the required interface is also HDMI 2.0, which allows for a 4K resolution at 60 Hz. If you connect using HDMI 1.4, you won’t be able to run at the max resolution and refresh rate due to the limitations of the port. You will still be able to game in 1080p at 60 Hz, but that would be wasting the full capabilities of your 4K monitor.
FreeSync
Developed by AMD, FreeSync is an adaptive synchronization technology that allows for variable refresh rates in monitors. When the feature is enabled, the monitor refresh rate (which is usually fixed) dynamically adapts to the frame rate (which is variable).
For example, if the frame rate is 40 frames per second, the monitor refresh rate changes to 40 Hz. If the frame rate drops to 35 frames per second, then the refresh rate also drops to 35 Hz. This eliminates screen tearing, which is especially beneficial when playing graphically intensive games, where frame rate drops happen regularly.
Unlike PS4 consoles, Xbox One can use FreeSync, but only if the monitor supports FreeSync over HDMI. While there are many monitors that support FreeSync over HDMI, it’s not always mentioned in their product descriptions. The good news is that you can easily check at the AMD official website whether a display supports FreeSync over HDMI.
HDR
High dynamic range (HDR) is a display technology that allows for more realistic images, with more colors, increased brightness, and higher contrast. However, monitors are not that great regarding actual HDR performance and are significantly inferior compared to HDR TVs.
While there are many monitors that support HDR content, most of them can’t display HDR content correctly. Some models can’t get bright enough while others don’t support a wider color gamut. If you want an HDR monitor that offers good HDR performance, there are limited options, not to mention all of them are very expensive.
All HDR monitors selling for less than $1,000 are either decent at best or outright mediocre regarding actual HDR performance. If HDR is a very important factor for you, then you’ll be better off with an HDR TV than an HDR monitor.
