Ghosting Test
Check for trailing blur, overshoot and inverse ghosting on moving objects. This is especially useful for gaming monitors with overdrive settings.
What the ghosting test tells you
Ghosting appears when pixels cannot change fast enough during motion. You may see a dark trail, a blurry smear or a bright halo behind fast-moving objects depending on response time and overdrive tuning.
Use this page to compare different refresh rates, overdrive modes and picture presets. The same panel can look clean in one mode and show heavy overshoot in another.
- A dark smear behind moving objects usually means response time is too slow.
- A bright halo or outline can mean overdrive is set too high.
- Retest at different refresh rates and overdrive levels for a fair comparison.
- On touch devices, tap once or twice to reveal the controls before changing steps.
How to read the result
Use the focused test first, then confirm what you see on at least one or two additional steps. A single quick glance can be misleading on glossy panels, OLED screens or displays with strong reflections.
- Clean the panel surface before you decide that a defect is real.
- Check from your normal viewing distance first, then move closer.
- Retest with another related tool if the issue could also be caused by uniformity, sync or motion settings.
- If you are within the return window, take notes or photos while the issue is still easy to reproduce.
Related tests you should also try
UFO Ghosting & Overdrive
Track fast moving objects and look for trailing blur or inverse ghosting halos.
Response Time / Input Lag Demo
See how quickly the display reacts to a click or key press.
Screen Tearing (V-Sync)
Watch for horizontal tears when a fast line moves across the screen.
Viewing Angle Washout
Look from the sides to spot brightness and color shifts.
Frequently asked questions
Ghosting is a visible trail or smear that follows moving objects because pixels do not transition fast enough from one color to another.
Inverse ghosting is a bright or discolored halo caused by overdrive being too aggressive. It is also called overshoot or corona in some monitor menus.
Yes. Higher refresh rates can change the way response-time artifacts look, so it is useful to test at 60 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz or whatever modes your monitor supports.
Yes. A browser-based ghosting test is a quick way to compare presets, although final perception also depends on real games, motion processing and the display panel itself.