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Curved monitors have become pretty popular over the years as companies continue to invest more and more into the technology. Despite this, a lot of people are left wondering if curved monitors actually live up to the hype. The first thing you’ll notice about curved monitors is the price tag, they are certainly not cheap, so do the benefits justify the cost? In this post, I’ll be going over the pros and cons of using a curved monitor.
The pros of a curved monitor:
It’s important to remember that the effect you get from a curved monitor will differ depending on a few key factors: how wide the monitor is, how deep the curve is, and how far you sit from the monitor. Try to consider all of these factors when weighing up the pros and cons.
A more uniform picture quality
To get the best picture quality from a monitor your eyes should be perpendicular to the screen. Unless you move your head, your not going to be at the ideal viewing angle when looking at the edges of a flat screen, especially if it’s a wide monitor. The edges of a curved monitor will always be closer to being perpendicular to your eyes than the edges of a flat monitor, in result providing a much more uniform picture quality.
Immersion
The improved immersion of curved monitors is amazing for both gaming and movie watching. You will have more screen in your peripheral view due to the edges being closer to your eyes, the wider the monitor is, the more relevant this will be. This also means you will be turning your head a lot less which is always nice. Curved monitors try to replicate a real-world view to allow you to get fully immersed into whatever you’re watching.
Perfect for ultrawide
Like I said earlier, you won’t have the ideal viewing angle when looking at the edges of a flat screen without moving your head. Ultrawide monitors are… Ultrawide, this amplifies the viewing angle issue further than usual. This is why I think curved screens are the missing piece of the puzzle for ultrawide monitors.
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An almost 3D effect
Curved monitors produce an almost 3D effect thanks to the enhanced depth. True 3D monitors do exist but the technology is not quite there yet, you also have to wear special glasses which is not ideal. Although the effect is subtle, curved monitors are a potential alternative to a real 3D screen.
They look cool
It may sound like a silly reason, but what’s the point of buying an expensive product if it doesn’t look cool? This is subjective and some people may disagree, I personally do think curved monitors look super cool, especially ultrawide curved monitors. If you’re someone who prides themselves on having an extremely cool-looking setup then this is certainly a pro.
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The cons of a curved monitor:
Curved monitors don’t come without their fair share of cons. Just like the pros you have to consider how wide the monitor is, how deep the curve is and how far you sit from the screen itself. Curved monitors come in many different shapes and sizes and some of these cons will be more obvious depending on the model you choose.
They’re expensive
I’m sure you have already noticed that curved monitors do not come cheap. The extra cost of a curved monitor leaves a lot of people wondering if the price justifies the advantages. Instead, you could spend that extra money on buying a monitor with other improvements, such as a high refresh rate. That being said, not all curved monitors are overly expensive so it really depends on what you’re looking for.
Viewing angles
If you’re not positioned to the center of your monitor then the picture will start to look off and slightly distorted. This is not much of an issue if you’re the only one using the screen, but when you add another person into the mix it starts to become a problem. You may have noticed the same effect with a flat monitor when looking at it from a bad angle, curved monitors essentially have the same problem but worse.
Lack of ultrawide support
(This problem only applies to ultrawide curved monitors)
Ultrawide monitors look amazing when the picture fills the whole screen, but not everything is optimized for an ultrawide viewing. Video games are a perfect example, not all games have an ultrawide resolution option, this leaves you with wide black bars on each side of the screen. I feel this is relevant as ultrawide and curved screens go hand in hand.
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Design work
Straight lines may not look entirely straight on a curved monitor, this is a potential issue for anyone doing graphic design work or anything similar. Although it’s not as bad as it sounds, your eyes should adjust to the difference after a week or two of use. There are plenty of designers who use curved monitors so this is not a total deal-breaker.
Limited choice
There are simply fewer options to choose from when buying a curved monitor compared to a flat one. This is especially obvious when looking for a curved monitor with a high refresh rate like 144Hz or 240Hz. This almost forces you to choose between a curved screen or a high refresh rate, although I’m sure this will be less of an issue over time as the technology improves.