Nowadays, the popularity of ultrawide monitors has been rising. But is ultrawide worth it? Let’s talk about it.
Ultrawide monitors come with a different aspect ratio compared to the standard widescreen monitor. For your information, normal widescreen monitors have a 16:9 aspect ratio. At the same time, the ultrawide monitor comes with a 21:9 aspect ratio. Because of that, ultrawide monitors have a 3rd more screen real estate compared to a standard monitor.
To put it another way, ultrawide monitors tend to be longer than standard widescreen monitors in length. So you are getting additional space laterally. This could come in handy on many occasions. At the same time, it could create many inconsistencies as well. As a result, many users want to know whether ultrawide monitors are worth it or not.
Fear not. We are here to tackle this question. This post will discuss this topic from different perspectives and try to come up with a sound answer.
So, let’s get started…
Are Ultrawide Monitors Worth It?
Unfortunately, there is no single straightforward answer to the question – Is ultrawide worth it? As you know, like any other things, the choice of ultrawide monitor is also relative. One person might like it, while others might not be interested at all.
Many factors impact the choice here. For example, if you are a gamer, then an ultrawide monitor would have a specific meaning to you.
On the other hand, if you need a monitor for watching movies, videos, or simply browsing the web, it would be different. Similarly, an ultrawide monitor would impact a user that usually uses his monitor for his office work.
So, you can see that whether an ultrawide monitor is worth it depends on the person who is using it. Still, let’s discuss this topic in a detailed manner to find a few more reasons to go or not go for ultrawide monitors.
Is Ultrawide Good Choice For Productivity and Multitasking
Most users would use their computers for productivity and multitasking once in a while. Now, depending on the type of work you will be performing, the impact of an ultrawide monitor will vary. Here we will be talking about various tasks that you will perform on an ultrawide monitor. And how they can influence your productivity.
Writing and Researching
As a content writer, I know the importance of having to open multiple windows side by side. In this case, you will need lateral space on the monitor. On a 21 inch widescreen monitor, you will be able to open only 2 windows side by side (for the best results).
You can open as many windows as you want. But opening more than 2 windows on a 21 or 23-inch monitor is not worth it while researching and writing because you will not be able to write or research optimally.
On the other hand, a 34-inch ultrawide monitor offers so much lateral space that you can open more than 2 windows side by side without compromising productivity. In this case, an ultrawide monitor would be great compared to a widescreen one.
Image and Video Editing
An ultrawide monitor is great for video and image editing. It is because the timeline UI of the editing software will be there with more context and details. Many editors seem to agree that ultrawide monitors are the best for editing videos and images compared to standard monitors.
However, if you want to multitask while editing videos, then an ultrawide would not offer much support. In that case, you are better off using a multiple monitor setup than an ultrawide monitor.
Programming
Normally, compared to a single widescreen monitor, you will love an ultrawide monitor for programming. However, some of you might actually like multiple monitor setups for programming.
Pros
- Offers additional space for opening more windows at the same time
- Ultrawide monitor allows greater space for the timeline UI of video editing software
Cons
- For programming, you might be better off with a multi-monitor setup
All in all, ultrawide monitors are actually better than standard monitors when it comes to productivity. You get more space for more windows. Also, you can accomplish more multitasking, which is great for productivity.
Is Ultrawide Good Choice For Gaming
According to many gamers, ultrawide monitors offer a uniquely immersive experience. And this is not available in widescreen monitors. You will also see more components of the game compared to people who are using a normal monitor.
Interestingly, because of this, most competitive games don’t support ultrawide monitors. So if you are a competitive gamer, this might not be for you. Along with that, there are still many games that don’t support the 21:9 aspect ratio.
In that case, you will have to use the 16:9 aspect ratio. That means there will be black bars on both sides of the screen. It could not be enjoyable for some, or some might not notice it at all. But when the game supports ultrawide monitors, you will feel a new unique gaming experience.
Fortunately, most game developers are now releasing their games with support for the 21:9 aspect ratio. But for competitive games, it is not a viable option yet.
Pros
- Offer great immersive-ness
- You can see or control more in-game
- Looks great as well
Cons
- Not all games support ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio
- You will need a powerful GPU
- Many cutscenes would be on the 16:9 aspect ratio
- Not great for competitive gaming as most of those games don’t support ultrawide aspect ratio
From the above discussion, it is clear that ultrawide monitors offer a unique gaming experience that is impossible to get elsewhere. Also, the immersive-ness it offers doesn’t compare with anything else.
For the best gaming experience, you must try ultrawide monitors. However, if you are a competitive gamer or want all games to support your monitor, you should opt for standard widescreen monitors with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
For Entertainment and Multimedia – Is Ultrawide Worth it?
Normally, people tend to watch movies on their computers nowadays as opposed to TVs. As a matter of fact, you will also watch lots of YouTube videos or videos from other video sharing or social media sites on your computer monitor. And, you might have noticed that most of those videos are shot in the 16:9 aspect ratio.
That means when you will be watching those videos on your ultrawide monitor that has an aspect ratio of 21:9, they will not match. That means there will be black bars on both sides of the screen. Once again, for most people, it won’t be enjoyable. But based on your preference, the black bars might not bother you at all.
In our opinion, for watching online videos that are in the 16:9 aspect ratio, an ultrawide monitor is not great.
On the other hand, most movies are shot in the 21:9 aspect ratio for theaters by default. As a result, you might find that when you watch movies on your 16:9 aspect ratio standard monitor, there are black bars on the sides of the screen. Thus, people tend to watch the 16:9 version of the movies on their standard monitors.
However, you can see that you will be able to enjoy the movies the way they were shot in the first place if you have an ultrawide monitor. Then again, you will need the 21:9 aspect ratio version of the movies for compatibility.
Once the movie or video is compatible with your monitor, it will be a wonderful experience, for sure. But if you will be watching social media or YouTube videos on the monitor, then a standard monitor is the better option.
Pros
- Offers great viewing experience for videos and movies of 21:9 aspect ratio
- Normally, movies are shot in 21:9 aspect ratio for theaters
Cons
- There are not many videos shot in 16:9 aspect ratio
Is Ultrawide Good Choice For Streaming
You might think that an ultrawide monitor will be great for streaming. However, it is not the case if you are a gamer.
For example, if you will be streaming your gameplay on an ultrawide monitor. Then you will have to minimize and resize the window of the game to make space for the streaming software. It is not optimum for either gaming or streaming.
In this case, the best solution is to use a multi-monitor setup. That way, you can play on one monitor while using the streaming software on the other monitor. That is why we don’t like ultrawide monitors for gaming.
Of course, you can also use two ultrawide monitors for gaming and streaming. But if the game doesn’t support a 21:9 aspect ratio, there will be black bars on the sides. This will be visible while streaming.
In fact, you might have to use software trickery or apply an overlay to hide the black bars. And you know that it is not an efficient way.
One Ultrawide vs. Multiple Standard Monitors
If you are still with us, you might have seen that we have mentioned multiple monitor setup a few times above. So is an ultrawide monitor better than a multi-monitor setup? It is a great and very crucial question, actually. Eventually, it also depends on the user’s preference.
For example, if you play games occasionally and want a great gaming experience, you will love ultrawide. On the other hand, if you are a competitive gamer, which streams as well, you should opt for a multi-monitor setup. Or if you don’t stream yet play competitively, then a standard widescreen monitor is the better option.
If you are a video/image editor, you can try ultrawide as it offers additional space for all the tools and timeline UIs of the software. For a writer or office worker, an ultrawide monitor would be a great choice. Because if you need to research and write at the same time, you will be able to open multiple windows at the same time without any issue.
Also, a multi-monitor setup will have the bezels of the monitor in the middle. So it could be a distraction for some of you, whether you are a writer or gamer. For productivity and multitasking, a multi-monitor setup and an ultrawide are neck and neck. It will boil down to the preference of the user.
When you are buying an ultrawide monitor, you are paying once. Also, there will be fewer wires and accessories with one monitor. On the other hand, multiple monitor setup could be a bit expensive as you might have to buy 3rd-party monitor stands as well.
Also, with multiple monitors, there will be lots of wires and accessories to manage. Plus, the electricity bill could be a bit higher when running multiple monitors at the same time compared to a single ultrawide monitor. So think about all of these before committing to a new setup.
Wrapping Up the Question – Is Ultrawide Worth It?
There is no denying that ultrawide monitors are great. However, they are also a bit pricey compared to standard monitors. So, are Ultrawides really worth it compared to widescreen monitors? We have talked about this topic in detail above. We hope this post will help you to make up your mind on ultrawide monitors.
In summary, Ultrawide are great as they offer a unique visual experience with their immersive-ness. However, when it comes to compatibility, they still lack a bit compared to widescreen standard monitors. So, it is now up to you to make a final verdict – is ultrawide worth it? Keep in mind your specific needs, of course.
If you have found this post helpful, don’t forget to share it. And, if you have further questions or queries, you can let us know in the comments below!
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