LG UltraWide 38BR85QC-W 37.5" White 2024

The LG 38BR85QC-W is a massive 37.5-inch ultrawide that nails the work-and-play balance with a 144Hz refresh rate, best-in-class color accuracy, and a built-in KVM switch. Its Nano IPS panel covers 98% of DCI-P3, making it a legit option for creative pros. Pricing is a rollercoaster, ranging from $148 to over $2,000, so shop carefully. If you want one monitor to rule both your productivity and gaming setups, and you have the desk space, this is it.

In our database, the 38BR85QC-W's overall performance lands in the 77th percentile, which is well above average. The 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time are the stars here, making motion look buttery smooth whether you're tracking a target in an FPS or just scrolling through a long document. FreeSync Premium Pro and G-SYNC Compatible support mean you're covered for tear-free gaming regardless of which GPU camp you're in. The 450-nit brightness, backed by DisplayHDR 600, gives highlights a nice punch in HDR content, though it won't replace a high-end HDR TV for movie watching.

The real-world implication of these numbers is that you're not sacrificing much by choosing this ultrawide over a dedicated 16:9 gaming monitor. The 1ms response time keeps ghosting to a minimum, and the high refresh rate makes the entire desktop experience feel more responsive. For creative work, the 98% DCI-P3 coverage and 10-bit color (via 8-bit+FRC) mean you can grade footage or edit photos with confidence. The panel gets bright enough to combat glare in most rooms, though you'll want to keep direct sunlight off the screen to really appreciate those deep colors.

The LG 38BR85QC-W sits in a weirdly specific niche, so its competitors are a mix of gaming-focused and productivity-focused displays. The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQL5A is a 27-inch 1440p monitor that's all about speed and value. It'll save you a ton of money and desk space, but you lose the ultrawide immersion, the KVM, and the color volume. The Dell S2725QC is a 27-inch 4K monitor aimed at home office users. It's sharper for text but tops out at 60Hz, so it's a non-starter for gaming. The BenQ MA270U is another 27-inch 4K panel that's built for Mac users and designers. It'll have excellent color accuracy but lacks the high refresh rate and sheer size of the LG.

On the gaming side, the Samsung G75T is a 32-inch 4K curved monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate. It's a more traditional 16:9 aspect ratio, which some gamers prefer for better game compatibility, and it likely has better contrast thanks to its VA panel. The Acer Nitro XV272U is a 27-inch 1440p high-refresh monitor that's a budget-friendly gaming workhorse. It can't touch the LG's color performance or screen real estate. Basically, the LG is for someone who refuses to choose between a color-accurate work monitor and a fast gaming monitor. If you only need one or the other, you can save a lot of money by picking a more specialized display.

Pricing on this monitor is all over the map. We've seen it listed anywhere from $148 to $2,180 across different vendors, which is a staggering $2,032 spread. That kind of variance usually means you need to shop carefully. A price near the low end of that range is an absolute steal for a monitor with this feature set and color performance. At the high end, you're entering OLED territory, and the value proposition gets a lot shakier.

Given the specs, a fair price for this monitor probably sits somewhere in the middle of that range. You're getting a top-tier productivity and gaming hybrid with a built-in KVM, which is a feature that usually commands a premium. If you can snag it closer to the $1,000 mark, you're getting a lot of monitor for the money. Just make sure you're buying from a reputable seller, because a price that's too good to be true on a monitor this niche probably is.

The LG 38BR85QC-W is one of those monitors that makes you wonder how you ever worked on anything smaller. We're talking about a 37.5-inch curved ultrawide with a 3840x1600 resolution, which is basically a 4K panel that's been stretched out to a cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio. It's a Nano IPS display, so the colors pop in a way that makes spreadsheets almost enjoyable and games genuinely immersive. This isn't a monitor for someone who just checks email. It's for the person with 47 browser tabs, a code editor, Slack, and Spotify all open at once, or the gamer who wants to be swallowed whole by their RPG of choice.

What makes this particular model interesting is how it straddles the line between a productivity beast and a legitimately capable gaming display. You get a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time, which puts it in the conversation with dedicated gaming monitors, but you also get that massive, color-accurate canvas that creative pros crave. The built-in KVM switch is a killer feature for anyone running a dual-PC setup, letting you control two machines with one keyboard and mouse. It's like LG looked at the "work hard, play hard" cliché and built a monitor around it.

But here's the thing: this monitor is a commitment. It's heavy, it's wide, and it demands a serious chunk of desk real estate. The 2300R curve is subtle enough not to distort your work but pronounced enough to pull you into games. With a DCI-P3 98% rating and VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification, the specs suggest a panel that's ready for color-critical work right out of the box. Our database puts its feature set and color performance in the 97th percentile, which is basically best-in-class territory. If you've got the space and the budget, this is a strong contender for the last monitor you'll need for a while.

You should probably skip this monitor if desk space is at a premium. This thing is over 10kg and has a massive footprint, and our database gives it a portability score of just 13.7 out of 100. Once it's on your desk, it's staying there. If you're in a small apartment or have a shallow desk, a 27-inch or 32-inch 4K monitor will be a much better fit physically.

Competitive esports gamers should also look elsewhere. While 144Hz is smooth, the ultrawide 21:9 format isn't always supported in games like Valorant or League of Legends, and the sheer size of the screen means you have to physically turn your head to see the minimap. A 24-inch or 27-inch 1080p or 1440p monitor with a 240Hz+ refresh rate will serve you better. And if you're on a tight budget, the wild price variance on this model means you could accidentally overpay. A more mainstream 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor will give you 90% of the gaming experience for a fraction of the cost.

If you're a hybrid worker who codes or creates during the day and games at night, and you have the desk space for a 37.5-inch behemoth, this LG is a fantastic choice. The built-in KVM is a genuine productivity booster if you're juggling a work laptop and a personal desktop. The color accuracy out of the box is good enough for professional creative work, and the 144Hz refresh rate means you won't feel like you're compromising when you launch a game. This is a monitor that can genuinely replace a dual-monitor setup for a lot of people.

For pure gamers, the recommendation is a bit more nuanced. You can get a smaller, faster 1440p OLED monitor for less money that will deliver better contrast and true HDR performance. The LG's IPS panel can't match OLED black levels, and some games don't play nice with the 21:9 aspect ratio. But if you also play a lot of immersive single-player titles and value that extra horizontal field of view, the 38BR85QC-W is a compelling, if pricey, option. Just make sure you're not paying a premium for features you won't use, like the KVM.