Best monitors for Counter-Strike 2

Are you ready to upgrade your monitor setup for Counter-Strike 2? Here’s a rundown of the best monitors you can use for the game, including their sizes, refresh rates, and the spending budget you’ll need for each.

Counter-Strike 2 has finally been released and you’ll need to take various things into account when searching for the best monitors for the game.

The display technology, refresh rate, and panel size will all factor into your decision, and due to the competitive nature of CS2 having cutting-edge tech to play should help you get off to a good start. A monitor that has lower input latency and fluid motion clarity will also be ideal for making sure Counter-Strike 2 is a lag-free experience.

For players with a smaller budget you can still run the FPS on a HD monitor, and for those who own a high-end PC paired with a strong graphics card, a 4K monitor is an option. Whatever your setup, we’ve got a full list of monitor recommendations for Counter-Strike below.

1. BenQ ZOWIE XL2566K

BenQ

• Size: 24.5-inch
• Resolution: 1920×1080
• Refresh Rate: 360Hz
• Panel: TN

The BenQ Zowie XL2566K will be one of the best monitors for Counter-Strike 2, as it sports a rapid 360Hz refresh rate and an unbelievable 0.5ms response time. This 1080p TN panel offers a great gaming experience with minimal input lag and blur reduction, so you can catch your targets quickly and easily.

While this monitor misses out on features like HDR, it offers a no-frill gaming experience. It has excellent ergonomics and BenQ’s magical ghosting reduction, dubbed DyAc+. This is a monitor built for esports through and through, which also extends to its design.

The BenQ Zowie XL2566K comes with blinders, giving it a unique look, and is one of the best esports monitors in its category. It’s very likely that you will see this monitor rolled out at tournaments, too.

2. ASUS ROG PG27AQN

ASUS

• Size: 27-inch
• Resolution: 2560×1440
• Refresh Rate: 360 Hz
• Panel: IPS

The Asus ROG PG27AQN is an ideal esports gaming monitor for fast-paced FPS games, offering a fluid 360 Hz refresh rate. This 27-inch monitor is slightly larger than what most pro players use; however, it will future-proof you from needing to upgrade to a bigger monitor.

Moreover, since it has a 1440p resolution, it also offers a good pixel density, resulting in a sharp image for its size.

Among other key features of this monitor are its blazing-fast IPS panel, Dark Boost, crosshair overlays, and on-screen timers. It even comes with a 25-inch mode that displays images like a 25-inch monitor, though with black bars around the display.

That said, since it’s an IPS panel, the contrast levels are not as high as a VA or an OLED panel, and the blacks are not as black as they could be. Regardless, this monitor has a blazing fast refresh rate and response time, which makes it excellent for Counter-Strike 2, making it our top pick.

3. Alienware 25 AW2521H

Dell

• Size: 24.5-inch
• Resolution: 1920×1080
• Refresh Rate: 360 Hz
• Panel: IPS

If you’re a sucker for premium-looking high-end monitors, the Alienware 25 AW2521H not only has eye-catching looks, but the performance to make for a great gaming monitor.

This stylish monitor has a 25-inch LCD panel with full HD resolution and a 360 Hz refresh rate, which lets you aim quickly and score more kills. It has native G-SYNC variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing, has an exceptionally low input lag, and has an incredible response time with silky smooth motion.

Since it is an IPS panel, it offers wider viewing angles, making it easy to place anywhere on your desk, but the IPS panel also means low contrast ratios and blacks that resemble dark grey.

4. ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM

Asus

• Size: 24.5-inch
• Resolution: 1920×1080
• Refresh Rate: 280 Hz
• Panel: IPS

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM monitor is one of the best-selling monitors in its category. It is available in a near-perfect 24.5-inch size that’s ideal for esports and FPS gaming, as it allows gamers to see the entire screen without moving their head around.

This monitor is available in Full HD resolution and supports an ultra-fast 280 Hz screen refresh rate, offering a fluid gaming experience. Other key features of this monitor include G-Sync compatibility, fast response rate, the ability to reduce extreme low motion blur, thus reducing ghosting, and a rich choice of connectivity ports. It doesn’t hurt your wallet either, making it an excellent choice. You’ll have to be content with a maximum of 1080p, however.

5. Acer Nitro VG240Y

Acer

• Size: 24-inch
• Resolution: 1920×1080
• Refresh Rate: 165 Hz
• Panel: IPS

If you want a monitor under $200 to play Counter-Strike 2, then the Acer Nitro VG240Y offers excellent value. This is a 24-inch monitor offering full HD resolution with 165Hz refresh rate.

Other key features include 0.5ms response time, AMD FreeSync compatibility to reduce stutter, and image tearing apart from multiple gaming modes to suit your style.

Retailing at around $135, you can’t go wrong with this budget champion. Its 1080p IPS panel and fast response time are enough to make CS2 silky smooth without breaking the bank.

6. LG UltraGear 4K 27GN950-B

LG

• Size: 27-inch
• Resolution: 3840×2160
• Refresh Rate: 144 Hz
• Panel: IPS

If you want to add a 4K monitor to your arsenal for playing Counter-Strike 2, then the LG UltraGear 4K 27GN950-B should be on your list.

Though it comes at a premium, this monitor is as good as possible and is a fantastic 4K gaming panel. Since it’s a premium monitor, it also retains the minimal design required for aesthetically pleasing battlestations.

It has a modest refresh rate at a high resolution, while a Nano Cell-infused IPS panel produces vibrant colors, and a peak brightness of 600 nits.

The 27GN950-B is ultra-responsive, too, with a 1ms response time, and even has RGB lights on the rear panel.

What to consider when shopping for a Counter-Strike 2 gaming monitor

• Refresh rate: The refresh rate is the number of times the image on the screen is updated per second. A higher refresh rate will result in smoother gameplay, especially for fast-paced games like Counter-Strike 2.
• Response time: The response time is when the pixels on the screen change from one color to another. A lower response time will result in less ghosting and blurring, which can be helpful for competitive gaming.
• Resolution: The resolution is the number of pixels that make up the image on the screen. A higher resolution produces sharper images and requires a more powerful PC to drive.
• Panel type: There are three main panel types: TN, VA, and IPS. TN panels are the most affordable but have the worst image quality. VA panels offer better image quality but respond slower than TN panels. IPS panels offer the best image quality but are also the most expensive.

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