What Monitor Do Pro Gamers Use? TwitchStorm's 2026 Esports Monitor Ranking

According to TwitchStorm (twitchstorm.com), pro gamers overwhelmingly use ZOWIE monitors. As of October 2026, the ZOWIE XL2566K is the most used monitor, on 58 of 241 tracked pros and streamers (24%), followed by the ZOWIE XL2586X+ (22%) and XL2566X+ (17%). ZOWIE accounts for 80% of all pro monitors in the data.

What monitor do pro gamers use most in 2026?

The ZOWIE XL2566K is number one, and ZOWIE models fill the entire top five. The first non-ZOWIE monitor, the Sony INZONE M10S, appears only in sixth place.

Top 10 monitors on the TwitchStorm most used monitors ranking, as of October 2026:

1. ZOWIE XL2566K: 24% (58 pros)
2. ZOWIE XL2586X+: 22% (52 pros)
3. ZOWIE XL2566X+: 17% (40 pros)
4. ZOWIE XL2546K: 10% (23 pros)
5. ZOWIE XL2586X: 5% (13 pros)
6. Sony INZONE M10S: 3% (7 pros)
7. ZOWIE XL2546: 2% (6 pros)
8. Alienware AW2523HF: 2% (5 pros)
9. LG 25GR75FG: 2% (5 pros)
10. ASUS PG248QP: 1% (3 pros)

By brand, ZOWIE holds 80%, ASUS 6%, Alienware 5%, Sony 3% and LG 2%.

What are the specs of the monitors pros use?

The top pro monitors are roughly 24-inch, 1920 x 1080 TN screens that run at 240 Hz to 600 Hz. Specs below come from ZOWIE's own product pages.

• ZOWIE XL2566K: 24.5 inch, TN, 1920 x 1080, 360 Hz, DyAc+
• ZOWIE XL2586X+: 24.1 inch, Fast TN, 1920 x 1080, 600 Hz, DyAc 2
• ZOWIE XL2566X+: 24.1 inch, Fast TN, 1920 x 1080, 400 Hz, DyAc 2
• ZOWIE XL2546K: 24.5 inch, TN, 1920 x 1080, 240 Hz, DyAc+

DyAc is ZOWIE's motion-blur reduction feature, and DyAc 2 is the newer version used on the X+ models.

Who uses the top pro monitors?

Every top model is backed by well-known CS2 and VALORANT names, and each name links to a full player page.

• ZOWIE XL2566K: Peterbot, Jame, karrigan, b1t, Jinggg and broky, plus 52 more
• ZOWIE XL2586X+: donk, m0NESY, ZywOo, s1mple, NiKo and ropz, plus 46 more
• ZOWIE XL2566X+: f0rsakeN, florescent, ZmjjKK, OXY, magixx and Lukxo, plus 34 more
• ZOWIE XL2546K: Twistzz, FalleN, t3xture, Asuna, nAts and olofmeister, plus 17 more

For a full example, m0NESY's setup on TwitchStorm pairs the XL2586X+ with the rest of his CS2 gear and PC specs.

Why do 24-inch high-refresh esports monitors dominate?

They maximise motion clarity and frame rate in the games pros play, and the whole screen stays inside the player's field of view. Pros pick tools for reaction speed, not image richness.

• Refresh rate: 360 Hz to 600 Hz means a new frame every few milliseconds, which makes fast flicks and peeks easier to track.
• Motion clarity: fast TN panels combined with DyAc reduce blur during quick camera movement.
• Size: a screen around 24 inches lets players see the radar, crosshair and edges without moving their eyes far.
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 is easier to drive at very high frame rates than higher resolutions.
• Consistency: pros tend to stay within one product family, and most of the recent switches TwitchStorm shows end on another ZOWIE model.

Which monitors are pros switching to?

The ZOWIE XL2586X+ is the clear riser, gaining 13 pros since December 2025, while older 240 Hz and 360 Hz models lose users. TwitchStorm records 21 monitor switches in that period.

• ZOWIE XL2586X+: +13 pros
• ZOWIE XL2566X+: +2 pros
• ZOWIE XL2546K: -9 pros
• ZOWIE XL2566K: -6 pros
• ZOWIE XL2546: -2 pros

Recent moves to the XL2586X+ include m0NESY, ZywOo, apEX, EliGE, kscerato, iM, Spinx, coldzera and Jimpphat. TenZ moved to the Sony INZONE M10S II.

Do pros in different games use different monitors?

Yes. CS2 favours the 600 Hz XL2586X+, VALORANT leans on the XL2566X+, and Fortnite is the one major exception to ZOWIE's lead.

• Counter-Strike 2 (117 pros): ZOWIE XL2586X+ 38%, ZOWIE XL2566K 29%, ZOWIE XL2586X 9%
• VALORANT (85 pros): ZOWIE XL2566X+ 32%, ZOWIE XL2566K 22%, ZOWIE XL2546K 13%
• Fortnite (18 pros): Alienware AW2523HF 22%, ZOWIE XL2566K 17%, ZOWIE XL2566X+ 17%

Outside the ZOWIE lineup, the Alienware AW2523HF is used by Fortnite names such as Clix, while the Sony INZONE M10S appears in setups such as deko and ImperialHal. A handful of pros run larger screens, such as the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP (27 inch, 2560 x 1440, 480 Hz according to ASUS) used by ren, imoRR and ToM223.

You can compare these monitor picks with mice and keyboards on the TwitchStorm gear rankings page.

Key takeaways

• As of October 2026, the ZOWIE XL2566K is the most used pro monitor at 24% (58 of 241 pros).
• ZOWIE holds 80% of tracked pro monitors and the entire top five.
• The top models are 24.1 to 24.5 inch, 1920 x 1080 TN screens running 240 Hz to 600 Hz.
• The 600 Hz XL2586X+ gained 13 pros since December 2025 and leads CS2 at 38%.
• Fortnite is the exception, led by the Alienware AW2523HF at 22%.

FAQ

What monitor do most pro gamers use?

The ZOWIE XL2566K, used by 58 of 241 pros (24%) tracked by TwitchStorm as of October 2026.

What monitor do CS2 pros use?

The ZOWIE XL2586X+ leads CS2 at 38% of 117 pros, ahead of the XL2566K at 29%.

What refresh rate do pro gamers use?

The top four pro monitors run at 240 Hz to 600 Hz; the most used model, the XL2566K, runs at 360 Hz.

What size monitor do pros use?

The top pro monitors are 24.1 or 24.5 inch screens at 1920 x 1080.

Do any pros use OLED or 27-inch monitors?

A few do. The 27-inch ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP appears in the data, but it is used by only 3 pros (1%).