Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 Bendable OLED Review: Curved or Flat, Your Choice

Corsair’s 45-inch 21:9 OLED monitor with a bendable screen and 3440x1440 resolution.

Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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OLED technology has come a long way since it was first introduced. Early panels suffered from various teething problems and were very expensive. But today, there are some truly compelling choices available at more affordable prices.

A bendable screen could be considered the answer to an unasked question, but many thought the same thing when curved displays first appeared. Now, curved monitors are everywhere and are a top choice for gaming enthusiasts and professionals. Corsair has combined the best parts of flat and curved panels into a single monitor.

(Image credit: Corsair)

The Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 represents multiple displays in a single chassis. For graphics work and productivity, it’s a huge flat panel with nearly the same area as two 32-inch 16:9 screens. High color accuracy and contrast make it ideal for creatives and number-crunchers alike.

Gamers can grab the handles and bend the screen to an ideal 800R curvature. With so much width and height available, the image truly envelopes the user. Video processing is equal to the very best screens with 240 Hz, perfect Adaptive-Sync and smoother motion than an equivalent LCD monitor. It also has lower input lag than nearly every 240 Hz display I’ve reviewed. The Flex is equally well-suited for casual gamers or esports pros. The only flaw here is HDR color which was a little off-hue mark in both real-world content and in testing.

The Corsair Xeneon Flex is one of the very best gaming monitors I’ve ever reviewed. At an initial price of $1,999, it’s a premium purchase, but once you’ve tried it, you won’t care about that. Its addictive gameplay and gorgeous screen are simply unmatched by anything else.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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MORE: How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor

Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

  • helper800
    We can pick flat or curved and save 50%... I don't get the niche for this product other than, "Look at my monitor, it has two arbitrary modes of rest."
    Reply
  • ThatMouse
    Very happy with my $250USD - 32" IPS 2560x1440 165Hz monitor while you guys spend all your money.
    Reply
  • helper800
    ThatMouse said:
    Very happy with my $250USD - 32" IPS 2560x1440 165Hz monitor while you guys spend all your money.
    As an earlier adopter of 1440p at 165hz I paid nearly 600 dollars for it, but this is not a apples to apples comparison, because our monitors are likely substantially different when it comes to response time, perceived blur, brightness, and features.
    Reply
  • Pollopesca
    Who is this for? I cant think of a use case for such a feature... I've never sat in front of my curved display and thought to my self "man, I wish I could bend this."
    Reply
  • Sarah Jacobsson Purewal
    Pollopesca said:
    Who is this for? I cant think of a use case for such a feature... I've never sat in front of my curved display and thought to my self "man, I wish I could bend this."
    lol, yeah, of all the things i wish my monitors could do...this is not really high on the list. or...on the list.
    Reply
  • kjfatl
    Pollopesca said:
    Who is this for? I cant think of a use case for such a feature... I've never sat in front of my curved display and thought to my self "man, I wish I could bend this."
    The main reason for this feature could be "lower shipping cost". Instead of making an extra $300 on the curved monitor, the supplier can make $305 extra. It's not a big deal now, but is will be when the price drops to $199.
    Reply
  • DavidLejdar
    Pollopesca said:
    Who is this for? I cant think of a use case for such a feature... I've never sat in front of my curved display and thought to my self "man, I wish I could bend this."
    Some users may enjoy the option to switch between flat for work and curved for gaming. Additionally, there may be the argument that for a movie night with several persons, a flat screen is a bit better for the persons sitting on the sides of the couch. And there also is the issue that when someone has a multiple display wall-setup, a curved display may not be that great to have as a side display - and having a display with some flexibility about where it can be used in such a setup, that may be appealing.

    Not saying that it would be enough of an argument for me personally to spend that much on it. Just naming some examples of what some may find quite nice about it.
    Reply
  • Sleepy_Hollowed
    I was about to do backflips when it said that it had low pixel density (something like 2560 X 1080 or 2560 x 1200), but alas, that's way too high for mortals.

    I think it might be priced for the target audience, people who can just buy a top of the line GPU, or someone making content for both flat and curved displays, to quickly test them, though I don't know how much it might last doing that constantly.
    Reply
  • Friesiansam
    That's a lot of money, for a silly marketing gimmick.
    Reply
  • sgtkeebler
    Dang, I really want this monitor 4k at 240 refresh rate, and it also curves too. Sign me up.
    Reply