I've been a user and a fan of ultrawide gaming monitors for around half a decade now. And despite my friends' many attempts to evangelize me on the glory of gaming on a 4K display with an ordinary aspect ratio, I always find myself coming back to the comfort of an immersive, wide-periphery 21:9 panel.
Up until now, high-refresh-rate OLED panels have all been 4K displays, like those found in LG's wildly popular "C" line of large-format gaming displays. But all of that is set to change with the introduction of the first ultrawide OLED gaming monitor, Dell's appropriately named Alienware 34 OLED.
We got a chance to take a look at the monitor during a special Dell CES 2022 preview event held in New York City last month. During our time there, a rep told us the Alienware 34 will be backed by what's being called "Quantum Dot OLED" panel technology, which the company claims should provide greater levels of color uniformity, wider color-gamut coverage, and increased brightness compared to white OLED (WOLED) displays.
If you're wondering what Quantum Dot OLED is, it's pretty much in the name; an OLED display lined with what are known as "quantum dots" on one of the panel layers. The underlying tech is complex, but without getting too in the weeds, effectively quantum dots enable greater peak brightness levels for any panel type they're incorporated in. QD tech has been around in standard LCD and LED televisions and monitors for years now, and while OLED is known for its rich contrast and deep blacks, peak brightness has been its Achilles' heel. QD-based OLEDs aim to change that.
The 34-inch panel matches the standard screen size for most 21:9 entries over the past few years, and it will come with a number of top-end features, including G-Sync Ultimate anti- screen-tearing tech, as well as a 175Hz peak refresh rate. The monitor will have an 1800R curvature (once again relatively standard for its kind), and comes dripping with many of the same cabinet design and lighting accents we loved when we first saw them on the Alienware 27 earlier this year.
No word on pricing yet, but the monitor launches on March 29 in North America. Europe will have to wait until April 5 to get hands on one. More as we get a sample in hand, and final pricing.