Best Budget 120Hz PS5 Gaming Monitors Availabe On The Market Right Now
Time for our resident PS5 expert to step up. A staffer with a taste for blur-free gaming, he’s spent the last week putting budget 120Hz monitors through their paces. Every budget monitor on this list had to prove it could keep pace with the PS5’s 120 frames per second screen rendering muscle. That’s a tall order for a high-end display, an even taller one for a budget monitor that won’t suck your wallet dry.
For those that are no longer content with 60Hz gaming on a big screen TV, a switch to double the refresh rate can be a shock. Action that blurred and tore every time a first-person shooter spun in the direction of enemy fire suddenly clears up. Response times are up, return fire lag goes way down, and there’s a competitive edge gained as combat smoothens and clears. It’s the kind of upgrade you don’t ever want to lose. Once you’ve seen a fast-paced firefight at a rock-solid 120fps, a half-sized refresh speed feels like playing in glitchy treacle.
With the gains to be had realized, let’s stop flapping our jaws and get into the meat of the list. We, or rather our PS5 expert, have lined up budget contenders that actually deliver. No gimmicks, no “gaming” branding slapped on a sluggish panel, these are the budget-friendly monitors that deliver the crispest visuals when your PS5 is in full beast mode.
Top 8 Best 120Hz PS5 Gaming Monitor Today
GIGABYTE GS34WQC 120Hz PS5 Gaming Monitor
- Color Accuracy: 120% sRGB, 8 bit
- Special Features: HDR ready, TÜV Rheinland Certified, HBR3, AMD FreeSync Premium
- Connectivity: 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x Displayport 1.4, 1x Earphone Jack
Why It Made The Cut: With a 1500R curved screen and a 3440 x 1440 (WQHD) resolution, the first entry on our list has the gaming credentials to beat. It ticks the box as a true 120Hz PS5 gaming panel, adds a 1ms response time for fast combat control and low input lag, and there are 2x HDMI and 1x DisplayPort connectors to keep users plugged into the gaming arena.
The other feature we took to right away was the 34”edge-illuminated panel. To keep within budget constraints, some of the gaming monitors on this list will, by necessity, be smaller than average. The Gigabyte GS34WQC is surprisingly big, and it has that 1500R curve to pull gamers right into the middle of the action. It’s a WQHD screen, but 1440p gaming actually pushes the PS5 hard, reducing frame drops to the bare minimum. Also, the rear connections panel takes a few liberties, reducing the usual mess of ports found on gaming monitors. Yet there’s the expected twin HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, and even a headphone jack as well. If this screen is going in a college dorm, gamers can get a session of headphone play in and never need worry about waking their roommate.
Our PS5 staffer, now in his “Gamers Never Die, They Respawn” t-shirt, buried himself in the gameplay on Fortnite Battle Royale for an entire afternoon while using the GS34WQC. Its build was solid, blacks super dark, and the HDR-ready colors were saturated without delivering any bleed. One minor quibble, there were no speakers. We loved it, though, and feel this Gigabyte sets the ultrawide bar high.
Samsung Odyssey G55C 120Hz PS5 Gaming Monitor
- REACT IN REAL TIME
- EXHILARATE YOUR SENSES
- STAY IN SYNC WITH ALL THE ACTION
- FIND HIDDEN DETAILS OTHERS MISS
Why It Made The Cut: The screen curve on the 32-inch Samsung monitor is 1000R. It hits an impressive 165Hz on gaming PCs, so a 120Hz refresh rate on our PS5 shouldn’t be an issue. Again, we’re looking at 1440p QHD gaming, this time at 2560 x 1440. In other words, this is not an ultrawide panel. Again, comes with a 1ms response time. Only 1x HDMI and 1x DisplayPort 1.2 connectors.
Not that we don’t have faith in our office PS5 staffer, but we decided to cross over to Reddit to see what other Samsung Odyssey G55C owners thought of their 120Hz gaming monitor. Let’s just say that their reviews were positive. The monitor is equipped with HDR10, so fine details were rendered well while deep colors retained their depth and hue as they were thrown around the screen while our gameplay expert took a hairpin turn too tight on the Trial Mountain track in Gran Turismo. The car livery glowed and reflected the environment with superb detail here on the 16:9 panel, rendering every detail in rich 1440p pixel sharpness. While AMD Freesync and NVIDIA G-Sync are onboard, these are PC features, but they go a long way to proving Samsung’s dedication to game smoothing expertise at higher response rates.
A single HDMI and single DisplayPort connector looks a little conservative, but that’s all you really need. Frankly, we prefer monetary shortcuts being made on the connector quantity, leaving the premium screen quality to show off its stuff. Also, again, this monitor doesn’t have speakers, but there’s a handy headphone jack and the option to stream audio through the controller is always available too.
Alienware AW3425DWM PS5 120Hz Gaming Monitor
- Bring virtual worlds to life with WQHD quality
- Dive into expansive details
- Fluid Performance
- Sharp visuals
Why It Made The Cut: It’s an Alienware monitor on a budget screen list. The screen is a 34-inch WQHD, our largest so far on this curated 120Hz for PS5 gaming list. It also reaches 180Hz when not gaming, so the monitor would make a great main or second panel for a PC or Mac. VRR is also implemented via HDMI. Uses a 1500R curve and 1ms response time, for quick response combat.
Granted, it’s the higher end of the budget category, but we just had to make room for this premium quality Alienware AW3425DWM. It’s hard to believe it’s so affordable, but here we are. The 1500R curvature and DisplayHDR 400 really worked in concert to make gameplay hyper-realistic, even though the panel displayed environments, yet again, at a WQHD 1440p resolution of 3440 x 1440. That’s a 21:9 ratio, by the way, so black bars may appear if the PS5 is to use its native screen resolution, but that’s quickly forgotten as players are mesmerized by the rich details and low lag input that radiates out of the Alienware monitor. And if you finish gaming, consider switching the screen to another duty, that of backup panel for a computer. At 180Hz and equipped with AMD FreeSync Premium, PC graphics stay rock solid when channeled through the screen.
Looking in the back, 2x HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort, and a joystick make room for USB connectors. There are no speakers, which is hardly surprising as every effort has gone into keeping this Alienware affordable to the masses. Our reviewer did suggest using an HDMI or USB port to connect speakers or a soundbar. All-in-all, it’s a rock star in the making, a monitor that any PS5 owner would love to take home.
LG UltraGear 32GS60QC-B PS5 120Hz Gaming Monitor
- Ascend your game with the speed of UltraGear
- Gamer-Centric Design
- 99% sRGB color gamut
- Enhanced Gaming GUI
Why It Made The Cut: This 32-inch WHD monitor from one of South Korea’s premier screen manufacturers shows off a more than capable 2560 x 1440 resolution. It also has the gamer demanded 1ms response time, and then there’s the 120Hz refresh rate as well. As a quick by-the-way, that screen refresh quickly switches up to 180Hz when the monitor connects to a similarly capable computer.
In order to come in at a sub $300 price point, there are few bells and whistles installed on the LG UltraGear 32GS60QC-B. It’s obviously a deliberate move, saving the more impressive hardware innards for the eye candy spilling out of the 32-inch panel. Switching to Overwatch 2, the Lijiang Tower section for a real challenge, our nimble-fingered gamer took advantage of the 1ms refresh and HDR10 color depth to spot combatants early and fire off a volley of shots from his heavy pulse rifle. The results were bloody and messy but oh-so-satisfying as the motion twisted to follow escaping enemies without a single glitch. Everything stayed pin-sharp on the 1000R curved screen. Dark shadows were a non-issue too, the 300cd/m2 brightness rating ensuring full outline separation from the deep blacks emitted from the monitor.
It’s a fine option as a gaming monitor for players who’ve spent their last dollar on energy drinks and pizza. All the costs have clearly gone into the hardware and panel design, so it’s a streamlined product, one capable of just enough visual punch to make your favorite titles pop, minus the fluff that drives up price tags. No speakers, but the rear panel has 2x HDMI ports and 1x DisplayPort 1.4, plus the ubiquitous headphone jack, of course.
ASUS TUF VG32UQA1A PS5 120Hz Gaming Monitor
- ASUS Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync (ELMB Sync) technology
- High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology with DisplayHDR 400 compliance
- HDMI 2.1 supports native 4K 120 Hz gaming without chroma subsampling (4:4:4) on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
Why It Made The Cut: It’s a price jump, but we’re going to count this as a budget monitor. This is our first 4K model on the list. For that resolution, we’d expect a reduction in screen size. Not so, the screen is 32-inches, and it sports the required 120Hz gaming refresh rate. It even has a 1ms refresh, so no sacrificing player response times as eye-to-hand coordination on a PS5 controller spots danger.
The ASUS TUF VG32UQA1A monitor is a 3840 x 2160 UHD display, which equals the all-important 4K output modern gamers demand. The brightness delivered while playing UHD games held steady at a respectable 400cd/m2, then there was the DisplayHDR 400, which our eagle-eyed staffer said helped smooth sharp color and contrast gradients while he played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III for hours on end. Other notable motion un-blurring features we reviewed with a canny eye towards gaming clarity included ELMB Sync and anti-flicker technology. Everything felt geared towards gaming here, even the HDMI 2.1 ports to the rear and the game graphics tuning Display Widget.
While the ASUS gaming monitor might sound like a hefty investment, gamers get a lot for their money. That includes 4K, a non-compromised 32-inch panel, and 120Hz gaming. The screen even overclocks to 160Hz when required, but that’s more of a PC gaming feature, along with AMD Freesync Premium. And, for the first time in this review, we have speakers. They’re only a pair of 2W devices, but at least players don’t need to go out and buy their own, leaving more cash for snacks. Result!
MSI MAG321CUP PS5 120Hz Gaming Monitor
- Enjoy the most immersive gameplay with 1500R curvature rate.
- Perfectly support 120Hz at FHD/WQHD resolution with next-gen console
- Frameless Design
- Adjustable Stand
Why It Made The Cut: It’s a gaming monitor brand that doesn’t use obvious cost-cutting shortcuts. The 3840 x 2160 resolution proves 4K performance, yet the screen size is 32-inches. The 120Hz refresh rate easily keeps up with newer PS5 titles. Then there’s viewpoint surrounding 1500R, a narrow bezel and quick-adjusting stand, even a console mode that avoids display stretching. This gaming panel has it all.
It’s rare to find one of the top computer makers selling a gaming monitor that doesn’t use some kind of scaled-back design. If the resolution is 4K UHD, then the screen size is small, or the refresh rate gets cut back to 60Hz. Here, nothing feels pared down. The MSI MAG321CUP pleased our picky gamer du jour by sporting all of these premium features, plus a 160Hz adaptive refresh. Okay, that’s a computer gaming spec, but it also implies PS5 gaming fidelity at a lower 120Hz as well. Pair that with a 1ms response time, and the cityscape on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was scrolling past the thin bezel of our test MAG321CUP without any frame skipping.
DisplayHDR 400 and a 91% DCI-P3 wide color gamut, brightened by a 350 nit display, kept Spidey and his super villain adversaries front and center, refreshing at 120Hz. Every little detail zipped across the game with smooth precision. Gaming tests concluded, our web-slinging through Manhattan felt fluid, combat graphics were sharp without a hint of blur, delivering a 1ms response rate that eliminated input lag. As a result, our tester’s button mashing synced with every web swing. No speakers here, but there are 2x HDMI 2.1 ports, a headphone jack, DisplayPort 1.4, and a USB-C connector. Last but not least, console mode made VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) syncing at 120Hz a breeze to achieve on our PS5.
Sceptre C345B-QUT168 PS5 120Hz Gaming Monitor
- Luminous Backcover Lights
- WQHD Resolution
- 21:9 Ultrawide
Why It Made The Cut: For once, we were looking at a monitor that looked like it was built expressly for gaming. That meant a 1500R curve, then a big 34-inch UWQHD screen resolution, then a 1ms response and rear panel backlights as well. At a hard-to-believe low price tag, that’s a huge number of high-end gaming credits to have printed on the box. We couldn’t wait to unpack it and select our next title.
The game title we landed on was Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The high-octane action popped crisply to life on the 21:9 ultrawide screen, the 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio deepening blacks as our gamer carefully engaged in a series of corner peeks. Enemies registered instantly at distance, the 1ms response time eliminating ghosting so that combatants stood out sharply, ready to be taken down with a shot from a deadly Goblin MK2 assault rifle. Close-quarters melee combat looked amazing, pulling us all in as we watched the 1500R curve create an immersive gaming experience in 3440 x 1440 UWQHD. If we had the same title on our office gaming PC, we could’ve used AMD FreeSync Premium at 165Hz, but we were more than happy to stick to the PS5, taking advantage of an edgeless chassis design that looked as stylish as it was practical, doubling as an office showpiece in our spartan gaming setup.
The Sceptre brand is like any other budget manufacturer, in that they don’t skimp on the essentials, but certain premium features are either entirely missing or poorly incorporated. For one thing, HDR is included, but it’s not an advanced system, so don’t expect super color separation during gameplay. That aside, 120Hz gaming and 1ms response time are compelling, especially if you’re a 1440p gamer on a tight budget. Does include speakers and HDMI, but it’s the 2.0 standard, not the newer 2.1.
AOC CQ32G2S PS5 120Hz Gaming Monitor
- 1500R curved monitor (VA panel)
- Rapid 1ms (MPRT) response and 165Hz refresh rate with AMD Free Sync
- 3-Sided frameless design with ultra-narrow borders for the ultimate multi-monitor setup
Why It Made The Cut: A 0.5ms response time hit us for a loop right out of the gate. Next, the screen has 32 inches of gaming real estate to play with, and it has a game-immersive 1500R curve, as displayed at a crisp 2560 x 1440 resolution. A 300 nit luminance is also on deck to reveal hidden threats. All that being said, it’s still regarded by our staffers as a stripped-back design, as there’s little mention of HDR.
We can’t say it was love at first sight, but keen office gamers slowly fell for the AOC CQ32G2S due to its highly focused gaming credentials. The chassis is attractive, the quad HD 2560 x 1440 graphics jumped at blazing fast speeds, turning our view as a twitch of a controller demanded a response to enemy fire. The 0.5ms response time is undeniably unusual in a budget gaming monitor, so take advantage of it if your reflexes need an edge when deep in online, no-quarters given gameplay. Better still, the max refresh rate is 165Hz, defaulting to 120Hz when connected to a PS5. Navigating over to finicky Reddit buyers, they held this panel in high esteem. It was only the lack of HDR that held this monitor back from garnering more attention from our console game hounds.
An AOC CQ32G2S gaming monitor would do credit to any PS5 setup. Just don’t expect it to serve double duty as your PC or Mac monitor, as it lacks the polished pixel rendering productivity that professionals demand. We would say that some buyers are so enamored by its low price, they actually buy multiple boxes of this screen, perhaps for a second console or a second display on a computer. No speakers, but there are 2x HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4, and a headphone jack as well.
Lag-Free on a Lean Budget!
A lot of effort has been made to keep this expertly curated 120Hz gaming monitors for PS5 players’ list filled with products you’d actually want to own. That means we included 4K screens when possible. We also avoided 1080p full HD, opting instead for the higher resolution muscle that is 1440p. Screen size was also a prime consideration. A 32-inch sweet spot was used, but 27-inches would also have been acceptable. It would’ve been difficult to stay in budget territory if we’d gone above 34-inches.
That being said, a few caveats need to be mentioned. Some of these gaming monitors use ultrawide resolutions, which are not natively supported by the PS5. Either black borders or stretching could occur if these types of displays are selected. Again, we’ve gone out of our way to avoid this undesirable display glitch. For example, the MSI MAG321CUP gaming monitor has its stretched 3840 x 2160 resolution to trip up your PS5, but it has a built-in Console Mode that automatically adjusts screen stretching, eliminating the issue. It therefore earns a place high in the upper echelons of our review. For price, the Sceptre C345B-QUT168 is always going to be tough to beat, but don’t decide too quickly, as it lacks the better HDR displays found on our other products.
We also have to put the Alienware AW3425DWM at or close to the top, closely followed, as ever, by the Samsung Odyssey G55C. Remember, although they’re both high-performance 1440p beasts with superb 120Hz gaming on a PS5, you don’t always need to aim for 4K. If it’s 4K or die, though, the ASUS TUF VG32UQA1A is your choice. Now scoot, you’ve got the hard deets, so go enjoy your 120Hz PS5 gaming!
