It’s not a gaming monitor unless someone is drooling over it. This year, using the power of anecdotal scrolling through the mire of social media and game publications, it was pretty clear to us that Samsung, LG, Acer, and MSI had managed to find some traction with their pitches to gamers.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 truly pushes the question of whether there’s ever too much gaming monitor with its massive 57-inch wingspan. pic.twitter.com/EViKOdoF9b
— IGN (@IGN) January 10, 2023
MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED & 491C QD-OLED Curved Gaming Monitor
MSI
Designed for ultimate immersive gaming, the latest MSI’s renowned QD series combines the newest OLED panel technology. MSI QD-OLED products provide the best gaming with super-fast 0.1ms response time, fascinating image quality, and a truly wide color gamut. The MEG 342C QD-OLED won an award under the “Computer Peripherals & Accessories” in November and the 491C QD-OLED Monitor won two awards, recognized under the “Gaming” and “Computer Peripherals & Accessories” category.
MSI MAG 275CQRX Curved Gaming Monitor
Winning the “Computer Peripherals and Accessories” category in November, this monitor will no longer have users choosing between a curvature or a monitor’s response time thanks to the latest advancements in Rapid VA technology. With a 1000R curvature, 250Hz refresh rate, a 1ms response time, and a 2560×1440 resolution, users can take advantage of immersive gaming on a curved display without having to sacrifice image clarity or fluid gameplay.
MSI Modem MD271UL Monitor
Modern MD271UL 4K monitor with a sleek, curved, and elegant rear cover comes with 1.07 billion display colors and Type C with 65W PD. The exclusive app MSI Display Kit & Eye-Q Check system both ensure productivity and eye-care technology for users. The Modern MD271UL Monitor was awarded under the “Home Audio/Video Components & Accessories” category in November.
There’s no way to prepare for the massive and smooth LG UltraGear 45GR95QE gaming experience. The second you sit down in front of its ginormous 45-inch screen, the 800R curvature all but envelops your peripheral vision. Unlike other super ultra-wide curved monitors with 32:9 aspect ratios that bend the screens so far outside of your immediate field of view, the 21:9 aspect ratio on the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE is so much more tolerable. You won’t sprain your neck trying to look from one side to the other.
Inverse
What We Think
Gaming, specifically PC gaming, is a very specific market with a taciturn audience that can turn into a pitchfork crowd if it feels aggrieved or disrespected. But, we’re talking about products here that will probably be going for no less than $1,600 MSRP. Two things are important to bear in mind: hardcore gaming is going to have a place on all TVs courtesy of streaming gaming services like GeForce Now so, strategically, if you are in the display business you want to have a feel for hard core gamers; secondly graphics add-in boards (AIBs) cost upwards of a $1,000 and displays are just beginning to catch up to premium price points.
It used to be that a gamer would be sitting at a cluttered desk glued to a small screen (a $500 monitor was the top of the range for a $500 graphics AIB). Now, those graphic cards cost $1,500, and those monitors are also doubling up as streaming entertainment centers. The perfect storm for the monitors showcased in this article. We’ll reserve judgement on demand because it is still an uncertain macro-economic environment but, in theory, the audience for these products are recession-proof. They were bidding up graphics cards over the pandemic when supplies were constrained and prices were in the thousands of dollars.
