Interest is rising in high-quality monitors for gaming use – notably with the rise in esports – and this is a market that resellers can tap into to build additional revenue streams.
Gaming is big business in the UK, worth billions every year. With the rise of competitive gaming and esports, gamers are looking for the best equipment to help them achieve the marginal gains that can be the difference between winning and losing – and this includes the monitors they use, which is providing opportunities for resellers.
Nick Loftus, business manager commercial monitors Acer UK, says that the UK gaming monitor market is in strong growth mode. “In 2024, the overall monitor category grew by around 10% year-on-year, with gaming monitors outpacing the average,” he adds. “The outlook for 2025 is positive, driven largely by the consumer segment, as price points have become more accessible and feature sets have improved.
“While commercial demand has been flatter, due to constrained budgets in sectors like education, consumer appetite, fuelled by esports, immersive gaming experiences and multi-use home setups, continues to push the market forward. Falling costs, coupled with advances in refresh rates, display quality and form factors, mean gamers can now access high-performance technology that was once limited to the premium tier.”
Paul Butler, AOC and MMD (Philips Monitors) regional sales director for the UK and Ireland, adds. “We’re seeing consistent year-on-year increases as gaming transitions from hobby to lifestyle for millions of Britons.
“The rise of competitive gaming, streaming culture, and hybrid working has accelerated demand. Gaming monitors with USB-C and KVM switches enable seamless switching between work laptops and gaming PCs, making them perfect dual-purpose investments.”
Ross Turner, retail and peripherals director, UK and Ireland at TD SYNNEX, agrees that much of the growth is being generated by the expansion of esports. “In addition, government-backed initiatives are fuelling demand for high-performance monitors among competitive gamers,” he adds.
Trends
While demand is growing, gamers are exacting in what they want from their monitors, with several trends to the fore.
“UK gamers are looking for the absolute best performance and they can get,” says Ross. “That means OLED panels with ultra-low latency and high refresh rates (144Hz–540Hz). Curved and ultra-wide screens that allow immersive play are popular. Many will also want built-in speakers, RGB lighting, anti-reflective coatings for daylight gaming, comfort for long gaming sessions, and energy efficiency.”
Nick says screen size and refresh rate are two crucial elements. “The 27-inch panel is the current sweet spot, offering the perfect balance of immersion and desk space,” he says. “Though demand for 32-inch monitors is rising, especially among users seeking a dual-purpose device for gaming, work and streaming.
“Gamers’ expectations have shifted: 144Hz was once the standard, but now demand is trending towards 200Hz and above. Acer has been at the forefront here, making 200Hz available even at entry-level price points.
“On resolution, Full HD still accounts for around 50% of the market, but WQHD (2K) now makes up roughly 30% and is growing, while 4K adoption is accelerating in the premium bracket. Curved displays are increasingly popular in larger sizes, now representing 30–40% of demand in that segment.”
Paul agrees that UK gamers are increasingly sophisticated in their requirements. “QD-OLED technology is the hot trend, with our AGON PRO QD-OLED models proving exceptionally popular,” he says. “Gamers demand ultra-low response times that only OLED delivers, alongside high refresh rates – 240Hz and above are becoming standard expectations.
“Curved displays and ultrawide formats are gaining traction. Selected Philips Evnia models particularly resonate thanks to their distinctive white-grey design aesthetic and Ambiglow feature.”
Projection option
But gamers have more options than just monitors, according to Christopher Mullins, head of product marketing at Sony Professional Displays & Solutions, Europe. He says resellers can steer gamers towards home cinema projectors. “These offer a professional-grade viewing experience defined by exceptional image clarity, colour and contrast, while delivering the necessary smooth and clear movement for responsive and immersive gameplay,” he says.
“In late 2024, Sony launched two new native 4K laser projectors, the BRAVIA Projector 9, VPL-XW8100ES, and BRAVIA Projector 8, VPL-XW6100ES, designed to bring a professional-grade cinematic HDR experience into the home. Powered by BRAVIA XR Processor for Projector, they leverage Sony’s cutting-edge video processing by optimising BRAVIA TV technologies for projection.
“Gamers are a key target market for these products. Input Lag Reduction allows for super-fast response times for more thrilling gaming action, giving players a competitive edge when split-second reactions count for everything. The 4K 120fps at a 12ms input lag plus Auto Low Latency Mode via 2x HDMI 2.1 compatible inputs improves the performance of the display reaction speed and ensures gamers can enjoy the best possible experience alongside dazzlingly detailed image quality.”
Getting involved
With demand growing, resellers should investigate entering the gaming monitors market – if they haven’t already.
As Nick notes, gaming monitors present significant opportunities for resellers in consumer and specialist verticals. “Universities and colleges are investing in competitive gaming facilities, product design labs, and game development courses – driving demand for high-performance, large-format and OLED displays,” he adds.
“Also, defence and public sector organisations require high-spec monitors for training and simulation applications. Video editing, 3D modelling and streaming also call for high-resolution, colour-accurate displays, creating overlap between gaming and professional use.
“By understanding the needs of these segments, resellers can position gaming monitors not only as entertainment hardware but as multi-purpose productivity tools.”
Paul says that resellers can capitalise by positioning themselves as gaming specialists. “It’s about understanding technical specifications and communicating value to customers,” he says. “Training staff on panel technologies, refresh rates and response times is crucial. We provide comprehensive support through marketing materials and demo units. Our OLED models feature a three-year warranty including burn-in – a key selling point.”
Ross adds that for resellers it is about selecting the brands and models they want to offer and ensuring they are given a high profile with customers. “Our retail and consumer team can help retailers and webstores pick the right products for their business and customer base,” he says. “It’s a competitive sector of the market though and to win business and deliver great customer service, retailers and webstores need the right kind of support from distribution. The exceptional product availability, next-day delivery, specialist logistics services and flexible finance and credit we provide helps them to maximise their opportunities.”
Reseller conversations
When talking about gaming monitors to potential customers, there are various facets that should be highlighted, such as the competitive advantage quality displays provide. “Frame rates and response times matter – the difference between victory and defeat,” says Paul. “Explain how our 240Hz+ AGON PRO or Evnia 8000 models deliver split-second advantages.
“Emphasise investment value; premium monitors outlast several GPU generations. Demonstrate how QD-OLED’s perfect blacks and vibrant colours transform gaming experiences, or how ultrawides provide peripheral vision advantages in racing, simulation, and strategy games.”
Nick adds that resellers should emphasise the dynamic frequency range. “The ability to switch between resolutions and refresh rates, for example, 4K at 160Hz for creative tasks, then Full HD at 320Hz+ for gaming, on the same monitor.
“Also, combining OLED colour quality with 200–500Hz refresh rates delivers beauty and speed.”
There are also trade-in and sustainability angles that should be explored, he adds. “With more customers seeking greener choices, resellers can highlight VESA-mountable, stand-free, and portable monitor options to reduce waste and desk clutter.”
Ross says that the sweet-spot with gaming monitors currently is for high refresh rates of 144Hz and 240Hz and beyond. “These are becoming standard for competitive gaming and the rest of the market will follow,” he says. “There is increasing demand for ultra-high 4K resolution and high dynamic range for cinematic visuals. There is also a surge towards OLED panels and further growth is expected here, with LCD growth slowing. Adaptive Sync technologies, like NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, are being widely adopted to eliminate screen tearing.”
Future
This is a developing market, so more innovations can be expected in the coming months and years, which should help to further drive demand.
“The next wave of gaming monitors will bring greater versatility, higher refresh rates, and smarter integration,” says Nick. “Such as portable 4K Monitors like the Nitro PG271K, offering 4K at 72Hz for creative work and FHD at 144Hz for gaming, with USB-C one-cable connectivity for easy switching between devices.
“Overall, we see gaming monitors evolving from single-purpose devices into central hubs for gaming, creative work and entertainment – a shift that will continue to open new sales avenues for resellers.”
Ross expects to see further development of OLED technologies with several cutting-edge displays due to launch later this year. “For example, LG’s 540Hz Tandem OLED panel will offer dual mode refresh rates up to 720Hz at 720p, 4,000 nits HDR brightness, and 99.5% DCI-P3 coverage for professional-grade colour fidelity,” he notes. “We can expect other leading vendors to release new offerings ahead of the peak buying season in calendar Q4.”
Paul is also excited about the future. “4K at 240Hz+ is becoming mainstream, and we’ve announced our 610Hz Counter-Strike 2 branded monitor for ultimate competitive edge,” he says. “We’ve launched affordable Dual-Mode monitors for AOC and Evnia, letting gamers prioritise either refresh rate or resolution – ideal flexibility. More high-refresh OLED options are coming across different price points.
“The UK market shows strong appetite for premium products, and with gaming’s continued mainstream adoption, monitors represent a sustainable, high-margin opportunity for resellers.”
