In the monitor market, the debate between curved monitors and flat monitors has never stopped. The former sells itself with "immersive experience", while the latter dominates with "compatibility and practicality". Which type of screen is more worth buying? This article will conduct an in-depth comparison from three dimensions: applicable scenarios, core parameters, and actual experience, providing clear answers for users with different needs.
The physical curvature design of curved monitors (common curvatures are 1000R and 1500R; the smaller the value, the greater the curvature) allows the edges of the screen to maintain a more equal distance from the line of sight, thereby reducing the frequency of eye movement. This feature makes it stand out in gaming and audio-visual entertainment scenarios:
When playing open-world games like Cyberpunk 2077, a curved monitor can wrap around the field of view, enhancing the "immersive" feeling. Especially when paired with a 21:9 ultra-wide ratio, the left and right field of view expands significantly;
When watching IMAX format movies, the curved edges can reduce image distortion, making the depth of field of panoramic shots more natural.
However, it should be noted that the "golden viewing position" of a curved monitor is relatively narrow. When deviating more than 30° from the center of the screen, the image is prone to color accuracy deviation and reflection problems, and the experience is poor when multiple people share the screen.
Flat monitors have the advantages of compatibility and stability:
In office scenarios, when multiple screens are spliced, the transition between images is smoother, and document typesetting and table comparison are less likely to have visual faults;
Designers have high requirements for color accuracy. Flat monitors have better panel consistency. Professional IPS screens can control the Delta E value within 2, while curved monitors usually have larger color accuracy errors due to edge light refraction caused by curvature;
When browsing web pages and watching videos daily, the "dead-angle-free viewing" feature of flat monitors is more in line with fragmented usage habits.
Curved monitors are limited by their physical structure and mostly use VA panels (a few high-end models use IPS). Their advantage is high contrast (typical value 3000:1), and the performance of dark details is better than ordinary IPS screens, which is suitable for dark scene games; but the response speed is slow (usually 8ms), and fast-moving images are prone to smearing.
Flat monitors cover all panel types: TN screens for e-sports (1ms response, 240Hz high refresh rate), IPS screens for design (wide color gamut, high color accuracy), VA screens for balancing image quality and price. Users can accurately match according to their needs.
The optimal size of curved monitors is 27-34 inches. Too small sizes (such as 24 inches) have weak curvature, which is rather useless; ultra-wide curved monitors above 34 inches have a strong sense of immersion, but they need to be paired with a viewing distance of more than 1.5 meters, otherwise, they are prone to a sense of oppression.
Flat monitors are more flexible in size selection, ranging from 21.5-inch portable models to 49-inch "带鱼屏" (ultra-wide screens). Moreover, under the same size, flat monitors occupy less horizontal space, making them easier to place on small apartment desktops.
For the same size and configuration, curved monitors are 10%-20% more expensive than flat monitors, which is due to the cost addition of arc cutting technology. In addition, the edge of the curved monitor screen is a weak point. Long-term use may cause light leakage due to external force extrusion, while flat monitors have better impact resistance.
Three reasons to choose a curved monitor: Pursue gaming/audio-visual immersion, mainly for single-person use, and have sufficient desktop space (can ensure a viewing distance of more than 1.2 meters);
Three reasons to choose a flat monitor: Need multi-screen office or professional design, have a limited budget, and have complex usage scenarios (multi-person sharing, mobile device screen projection, etc.).
A curved monitor is not an upgrade that is "comprehensively better than a flat monitor", but a segmented choice for specific needs. If you are a heavy gamer or audio-visual enthusiast, the immersion of a curved monitor can bring a significant experience improvement; if you value practicality and cost-effectiveness more, a flat monitor is still a more reliable choice. Making a decision according to your own usage scenarios can make the monitor truly serve your needs.
