Mega-wide PC monitors have officially arrived. All the big names are looking to get in on some 32:9 action, and the Philips Brilliance 499P9H has already proven that going wide can be a real boon for productivity.

Ultra-immersive with the right game; Sleeker than multiple monitors; FreeSync support at up to 144Hz; Much lower graphics demands than 4K

Basic HDR credentials; Relatively low pixel density; Not all games suit a 32:9 aspect ratio

Our monitor reviews are somewhat subjectively rated as we try to show the experience supported by a handful of measurement. I mean it's great to get all the data from the colorimeter hardware including precise brightness levels and color gamuts, in the end though, often once you've calibrated a...

The Asus ROG Strix XG49VQ is the latest Republic of Gamers monitor, and it's one of the most outlandish panels the firm has ever released – not least because it has a vast 49-inch curved widescreen that will dominate any desk.

Excellent colour quality; Fantastic contrast; Huge; curved; wide panel; Decent physical design; Good OSD

Uniformity isn't great; HDR has little impact; Huge price; Limited usefulness in some genres

Asus's latest gaming panel is a super-wide, 49-inch monster of a monitor with a high refresh rate and HDR support. However, you'll pay dearly for such a monitor without a USB-C port.

Huge panel size; High refresh rate; Great gaming features

Not exactly cheap; Poor image quality for productivity; No USB-C

The monitor was ok until about day 2 when I turned on HDR it would dim my screen to grey, grey out my mouse pointer and then anytime I would play a game it would flicker the screen on an off as if it was being plugged in again.

So, whether you should buy the XG49VQ or not depends on what you want it for. Mainstream computing and occasional gaming This isn't the right choice. But if you're in search of a huge screen to complete your gaming rig, its striking design and impactful colours make it a great option.

Striking design; Impressive screen width and aspect ratio; Excellent contrast

Backlight uniformity is so-so

Good basic image quality, solid design and decent features, but a high price and some inconsistent performance are issues

Excellent colour quality; Fantastic contrast; Huge, curved, wide panel; Decent physical design; Good OSD;

Uniformity isn’t great; HDR has little impact; Huge price; Limited usefulness in some genres;

Solid gaming monitor for wide screen experience. Sound quality decent but on the expensive side