Why it matters: Renewed interest in the gaming sector has provided the PC industry with some much-needed momentum, helping to drive upgrade / replacement demand for peripherals. If you've been considering a high-end gaming monitor, now is a great time to make the transition as holiday sales are in full swing.

Shipments of gaming monitors are forecasted to reach 5.1 million units worldwide by the end of 2018 according to a new report from WitsView, a division of TrendForce.

WitsView, who defines a gaming monitor as having a refresh rate over 100Hz, said the forecast represents growth of 100 percent compared to 2017.

Asus and Acer will retain their first and second place spots, respectively, in the global shipment rankings. Beyond that, there's a bit of a market shuffle going on as AOC / Philips is expected to place third followed by Samsung. Last year, BenQ took home the bronze followed by AOC / Philips in fourth.

WitsView notes that more than 95 percent of gaming products shipped by Samsung this year are of the curved screen variety. Indeed, overall sales of curved gaming monitors are up as the segment has eclipsed 50 percent market share in 2018. That's up from just 23 percent a year ago. Market share for flat LCD models in the gaming sector, meanwhile, is expected to drop from 77 percent to just 46 percent.

Anita Wang, senior research manager of WitsView, notes that a wave of replacement purchases in Internet cafes in China last year helped spur sales of gaming monitors with high refresh rates among common gamers.

Have you made the jump to a gaming / curved monitor? If so, let us know your thoughts on it in the comments section below.

Image courtesy sezer66, Shutterstock