Image: Corsair
The first 45-inch OLED bendable gaming monitor, the Corsair Xeneon Flex (45WQHD240) got a whole lot right for a new gaming technology. It promised (and delivered) beautiful visuals that did a better job of mimicking the 3D experience than a flat monitor could. Curved monitors do that too, of course, but the obvious advantage of the Xeneon Flex was that you could choose the level of immersion you want by adjusting the display’s curvature.
That said, CES 2025 has yielded a new and improved bendable gaming monitor in the LG UltraGear OLED (45GX990A). It irons out some of the hangups we found in the Corsair Xeneon Flex. In fact, it’s got me listing off the reasons I now want to buy a bendable gaming monitor over a curved one. And here they are…
You get better viewing angles
One of the criticisms of curved gaming monitors has been that they have limited viewing angles. This means you have to sit directly in front of the monitor to get the best visuals. That’s usually not a problem for gaming, because that’s where you’re going to sit anyway. But for watching movies or spectating it can get frustrating when you can’t get the full picture.
With a bendable monitor you can adjust the curvature to better suit your viewing needs, be that watching from up close, far away, or side on. Bendable monitors can also be used flat, which cancels out any issues watching movies with others. As an added benefit, an adjustable curve makes it easier to minimize annoying light glare.
Creative work is now doable
For a lot of creative professionals doing any kind of creative work is only possible on a high-resolution flat monitor. That’s because curved displays can distort images and make accuracy difficult. Again, since bendable monitors can be used flat, they’re a whole lot more accurate than curved monitors. That’s great news for designers who like to play games; they can now ditch their dual monitor setups for one monitor that can do everything.
The resolutions are now fantastic
Back in 2023 the Corsair Xeneon Flex launched in a good place for resolution, offering up 3440x1440p in a bendable OLED panel. While it seemed like a hard act to follow, LG has actually gone and bettered it by incorporating a world-first 5K2K resolution in a bendable gaming monitor. 5K2K is a fancy term, but it basically means the LG UltraGear OLED has an ultrawide 5K (5120×2160) resolution. The jump in resolution is simply great news for gamers. It means more detail and immersion than before.
Curvature is now fully automatic
While you had to crank side handles on the Xeneon Flex to find an appropriate level of curvature, a process which our PCWorld reviewer said was “clunky and mildly terrifying at first,” the LG UltraGear OLED uses a motor to automatically curve the display through its 900R curve for you, thereby taking the guess work out of it all. Getting the motor working is as simple as pressing a button on a remote control and selecting from one of three curvature presets — so, it’s super easy.
Refresh rates are very high
Just because you want the extra immersion and versatility that a bendable monitor will give you, doesn’t mean you can’t have great refresh rates. Both the Corsair Xeneon Flex and LG UltraGear OLED do a fine job with refresh rates which are suitable for quick, competitive gaming. The Xeneon Flex hits 240Hz whereas LG’s UltraGear OLED has a dual mode which gives you a 165Hz refresh rate at its native 5K (5120×2160) resolution, or 330Hz if you dial down the graphics to 2K (2560×1080). Both monitors also have a quick 0.03ms response time, too.
If all that’s sparked your interest in a bendable monitor, you can read our review of the Corsair Xeneon Flex for a more detailed rundown. Right now, it’s the only bendable of the two monitors I mentioned available for purchase. It costs $1,199.99 at Corsair. But be sure to keep a lookout for LG UltraGear OLED pricing and availability details later this year — it may be well worth the wait.
See our roundup of the best gaming monitors for even more options.
Author: Dominic Bayley, Australian Editor, PCWorld
Based in Australia, Dominic Bayley is a hardcore tech enthusiast. His PCWorld focus is on PC gaming hardware: laptops, mice, headsets and keyboards.
