LG UltraWide LG 38WR85QC-W 38 inch Curved UltraWide WQHD Nano Review

The LG 38WR85QC-W 38-inch ultrawide monitor offers a great balance of screen real estate and performance. Its 3840x1600 resolution gives you more vertical space than typical ultrawides, and the 144Hz refresh rate is smooth for gaming. However, some units have color uniformity issues, and it's a big, heavy screen.

If you're hunting for a high-end ultrawide monitor that can handle both work and play, the LG 38WR85QC-W is a serious contender. This 38-inch curved beast offers a 3840 x 1600 resolution, which gives you that expansive ultrawide view without sacrificing vertical space like some 3440x1440 panels do. It's built around a Nano IPS panel with HDR600 support and a 144Hz refresh rate, backed by NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. It's not cheap, but for a premium ultrawide, it packs the specs people search for.

In our database, this monitor's overall performance lands in the 64th percentile, which is solid for an ultrawide focused on a balanced experience. The 144Hz refresh rate and G-Sync make for smooth gaming, though its gaming score is 49.7 out of 100, meaning it's good but not the absolute top tier for hardcore gamers. The HDR600 certification means it can deliver brighter highlights and better contrast than basic HDR400 monitors, but it's not the full-blown HDR experience you'd get from a top-tier OLED. For everyday use and casual gaming, it's plenty fast.

This monitor sits in the premium ultrawide price bracket. You're paying for that unique 38-inch, 3840x1600 form factor, the Nano IPS panel, and the 144Hz refresh rate. If you specifically want more vertical pixels than a standard 3440x1440 ultrawide and don't need the absolute best gaming performance, it's a justified purchase. But if your budget is tighter, there are excellent 34-inch ultrawides that cost less.

The main competitors are playing different games. The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 57-inch is a super-ultrawide monster with a higher resolution and refresh rate, but it's even more expensive and massive. The ASUS ROG Swift 32" 4K QD-OLED is a flat panel with arguably the best picture quality for gaming and media, but it's not ultrawide. The LG UltraGear 45" offers a unique dual-mode resolution switch, but its pixel density is lower. And the Dell UltraSharp 27" 4K is a productivity-focused monitor with great color accuracy but a standard size. The LG 38WR85QC-W carves out a niche as a 'just right' size ultrawide for mixed use.

Skip this if you're a competitive gamer who needs the absolute fastest 240Hz or 360Hz panels, or if you're a video editor or photographer who requires perfect color uniformity across the entire screen. Also, if you have a small desk or need to move your setup often, its massive size and weight (over 10kg) make it a poor choice. For those users, look at faster flat gaming monitors or more portable ultrawides.

Should you buy this? If you're a developer, content creator, or multitasker who craves that extra vertical space and wants a good-but-not-extreme gaming experience, this monitor is a fantastic choice. The USB-C with 90W charging is a bonus for laptop users. But if you're a pure, competitive gamer chasing the highest refresh rates or the best HDR, look at the QD-OLED options. And if color accuracy and uniformity are your top priority for professional work, the potential tint issues might be a dealbreaker. For most people wanting a big, beautiful, do-it-all ultrawide, it's a strong buy.