Build the Best Gaming and Streaming Multi-Monitor Setups

Media and entertainment still portray multi-monitor setups as the domain of hackers and genius programmers.

Dual or triple monitors are now more affordable and offer tangible benefits to a wide range of users, including gamers, streamers, professionals, and those who want a premium visual experience.

Benefits of Dual/Triple-Monitor Setups

Multiple monitors improve high-end gaming, streaming, and productivity to the point that those with the space use them.

Additional monitors reduce the amount of information on your main display and move some to your peripheral vision, giving you a sense of realism and boosting productivity to a level not possible on a single screen.

Before discussing how to set up the perfect multi-monitor setup, let’s discuss its benefits!

Unmatched Immersion: Wider Field of View and Enhanced Realism

A multi-monitor setup improves your gaming experience, whether you’re into sim racing, flight simulations, or open-world games.

Imagine exploring massive virtual worlds like Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption 2, where landscapes span multiple screens. You’re experiencing, not just playing.

Flight sim racers and fans get better. The extended, peripheral view gives you the thrill of driving or being in the cockpit.

Gaining a Competitive Edge: More Space for Everything

Additional screens can help you view more information. Without wasting time, you can view map strategies, talent trees, statistics, and walkthroughs for that tricky puzzle you can’t solve.

Extended field of view improves surroundings awareness. You can spot enemies faster and detect peripheral movement without sacrificing your primary target.

Increased Productivity: Multitasking at Your Fingertips

Multi-monitors are essential for productivity today. Spreading multiple displays lets you manage multiple apps and 100 browser tabs.

To boost productivity, some may need a third monitor in a different orientation.

Streamers with one monitor can play or monitor their Twitch/YouTube chat. Overlays solve this problem, but they visually affect your gaming and audience interactions. Another vertical monitor may be best in this case.

Ultrawide vs. Multimonitors

Ultrawide and multiple monitors provide more screen space, but in different ways. You should weigh the pros and cons of each before choosing.

Big and Simple

Dual monitor and ultrawide monitor setups vary in size and ease of use. The former, 29 to 49 inches, requires one HDMI or DisplayPort cable and one power cable and takes up less desk space due to its single stand.

Dual monitors, which are 18 to 34 inches, require more desk space for two stands or an arm. This requires setup and cable management, which may be complicated. However, you can combine multiple monitors to create a panoramic setup for immersive gaming.

– Viewing Experience and Flexibility

The viewing experience differs greatly between ultrawide and dual monitors. The seamless, panoramic view of ultrawides provides immersive experiences, but they lack positioning flexibility.

Dual monitors can divide tasks across screens and be set up vertically or horizontally, making them more flexible. Ultrawide monitors make managing multiple windows and apps harder, especially with fullscreen apps.

– Price

Ultrawide monitors are more expensive, especially when trying to match dual or triple monitor resolution. Additionally, dual monitors offer higher total resolutions at lower costs, making them a good choice for many audiences.

Dual or triple monitors offer the best value and balance between immersion and productivity.

– Multitasking experience

Dual monitors improve multitasking by separating tasks.

Ultrawides are beautiful but not as multitaskable. Which option you prefer depends on what you value most when working or gaming.

Multiple Monitor Setups: Considerations

Common Multi-Monitor Setups

Multiple monitors can be flexible but also inflexible. Why? Because you can create countless monitor setups that suit work or entertainment needs.

Before building your perfect gaming and/or work setup, you must decide what you need and which monitor models to buy.

Horizontal Side-by-Side Setups

A typical gaming setup aligns all monitors. Curved monitors have a wider field of view, making them ideal for this setup.

Dual-monitor gaming setup:

The 1000R curve of each MAG 275CQRF-QD Curved Gaming Monitor bends the screen ‘around’ the user, improving immersion and realism. What if we up it?

A triple-curved monitor gaming setup:

Like dual curved monitors, but better. The central monitor is your primary display, while the other two provide realistic peripheral vision for an unforgettable gaming experience.

Monitor Options: MAG 275CQRF-QD/MAG 325CQRF-QD

All these monitors have the ideal 1000R curve, which matches our eyes’ curvature, so each fits perfectly into your field of vision. Rapid VA panels offer fast response times without sacrificing VA panel colors and blacks.

Landscape+Portrait Monitor Setups

Unfortunately, streamers can’t focus on their game. They must also interact with their audience, monitor their live chat, camera, broadcasting software, and more.

Serious streamers need a different setup than gamers to maximize audience engagement and productivity during livestreams. This basic dual-monitor setup will work for most streamers:

The high-resolution flat MAG 323UPF 4K 160Hz Gaming Monitor is the main gaming monitor in front of you.

To manage chat, comms, and other needs, add a flat vertical monitor on the right/left (depending on your preference). As all these secondary display apps are text-heavy, portrait orientation eliminates scrolling. A quick glance catches you up!

Stacking Monitors

Hardcore streamers who won’t compromise should try this triple-monitor setup:

We’ve kept the basic streaming setup and added a horizontal monitor above your primary monitor. This gives you plenty of space for video previews, broadcast software, etc. without Alt + Tab away from chat and livestream windows.

While all your other applications and windows are spread across the vertical monitor and the second horizontal monitor above, the large curved 4K primary gaming monitor provides an immersive gaming experience.

Monitor Options: MAG 274UPF (Vertical), MAG 323UPF (Horizontal), MAG 325CQRXF-QD (Curved Horizontal Primary).

This setup has 4K monitors with high refresh rates for smooth gaming. The 27-inch MAG 274UPF Gaming Monitor’s stand rotates 90 degrees, allowing a horizontal + vertical setup like the one above.

Connectivity

Before buying more monitors, check your PC or laptop’s connectivity. Make sure your setup has enough HDMI / DisplayPort / USB Type-C with Display Support ports to connect all the monitors.

Find out how many display output ports your motherboard, laptop, or graphics card has on its technical specifications page.

Size and Curvature of Monitor

Multi-monitor setups require the right monitor size. In addition to space, buying multiple large monitors will be uncomfortable.

For horizontal only dual-screen gaming, stick to 32 inches, and for triple-monitor gaming, 27 inches. Vertical monitors larger than 32 inches are too high to read and glance at.

Bezel Sizes

Bezels are the black borders between your monitor’s screen and plastic/metal frame. Every monitor has a bezel to protect the LCD panel and electronics.

When buying multiple monitors, thicker bezels can be distracting. Consider monitors with thin bezels for a seamless viewing experience.

Mounts, stands, and adjustments

Multi-monitor setups require more flexibility in placement, angle, and position.

If you need a vertical display, dual or triple-screen monitors should have tilt and rotation stands. If not, make sure the monitors are VESA-compatible to attach a monitor arm for flexibility.