HP actually makes some of the best value gaming monitors you can buy, with one earning one of my highest ratings for a display in 2024. Now, during CES 2025, a lot of the HP OMEN gaming monitor lineup is getting refreshed, and a new model is joining the family. The “G2” update brings higher refresh rates and deeper contrast ratios, but those who want a smarter display will have another option.
In total, five monitors have been announced for release in the near future, spread across a wide range of prices and features. Whether you’re looking for a value-driven 1080p monitor with great performance or a curved ultrawide display with some serious visual chops, the latest HP OMEN lineup may have the monitor for you. I, for one, am most excited about the upgraded HP OMEN 27qs G2, which could make one of the best mid-range gaming monitors even better.
Five new OMEN monitors to suit every need
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I’ll just go in alphabetical order. First, we have the most affordable monitor in the new lineup, the HP OMEN 27 G2, which is a 27-inch FHD (1080p) IPS LCD display. This time around, the refresh rate has been increased to a maximum 180Hz with a 1ms grey-to-grey response time, and you’re still getting niceties like VESA DisplayHDR 400 support, AMD FreeSync support, and factory color calibration to 99% of the sRGB color gamut. Next is the HP OMEN 27q G2, which is entirely identical to the regular 27-inch HP OMEN gaming monitor but with an increased QHD (1440p) resolution.
My personal favorite of the bunch is the HP OMEN 27qs G2, which replaces the excellent HP OMEN 27qs I reviewed and still regularly recommend. This is still a 27-inch QHD (1440p) display with a slightly more premium design and some rear-facing RGB lighting, but HP updated the panel with IPS LCD Black technology, which practically doubles the contrast ratios to around 2,000:1. You’re also getting a refresh rate bump, up to 280Hz from 240Hz last year. NVIDIA G-Sync support, integrated speakers, and some additional USB ports join the feature list from the previous two models.
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Next is the HP OMEN 32x, one of the more interesting additions to the OMEN family in recent memory. This isn’t a traditional gaming monitor — it’s a smart display with Google TV built-in, designed with game streaming, like Xbox Cloud Gaming, in mind. This is a 32-inch, 4K IPS LCD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and a more TV-like experience, including a quad-speaker system, Dolby Vision HDR support, and added features like screen mirroring and built-in Ethernet (for the Google TV OS).
Finally, we have the HP OMEN 34c G2, the refreshed version of the HP OMEN 34c that my colleague reviewed and gave good marks to. You’re looking at a familiar 34-inch VA display with a 1500R curve and a widescreen 21:9 aspect ratio, with the same WQHD (1440p) resolution as last year. This time around, though, the refresh rate has been bumped to 180Hz, and the contrast ratio is a very impressive 4,000:1. You still don’t get any USB ports, though, and it’s not clear if the built-in speakers have been improved at all.
