During its CES 2022 address, Nvidia announced a new line of 27-inch gaming monitors from major manufacturers, all boasting a new 1440p resolution and 300Hz-plus refresh rate standard.
Four new monitors from AOC, Asus, MSI, and ViewSonic will feature G-Sync, 1440p resolutions, and at least a 300Hz refresh rate, with the fastest maxing out at 360Hz. These will also pair with new esports-focused features, such as the ability to digitally downsize to a 25-inch display and a vibrant color mode.
1440p Esports Displays Are Here
Full HD (1080p) is the go-to resolution for esports gaming, especially since recent hardware generations could more easily push toward high-refresh ceilings like 240Hz and 360Hz at that resolution. This is a good fit, in particular, for MOBA and FPS titles, which can achieve staggeringly high frame rates.
With superior modern GeForce RTX 30-Series GPUs, better processors, and some added software efficiencies, many PCs are now better able to handle the sharper (but more demanding) 1440p resolution. 1440p has previously been a good fit for AAA titles, where frame rates of 60fps to 120fps are more acceptable, but the latest hardware can now reasonably pair with a 1440p panel and attain much higher refresh rates.
And so, these new monitors reflect this new reality. The four new displays are the AOC Agon Pro AG274QGM Mini LED, the Asus ROG Swift 360Hz PG27AQN, the MSI MEG 271Q Mini LED, and the ViewSonic Elite XG27G-2K. The Asus is the refresh-rate standout, maxing out at 360Hz, while the others sit at 300Hz.
Again, all measure 27 inches diagonally and feature a 1440p native resolution. Nvidia has determined that 27 inches is the ideal size for this combination of features, even sporting some research that player aim improves by 3% with this combination over 24-inch displays.
The benefits of higher refresh rates should be clear to any hardcore gamer by now—these screens can show higher frame rates, which means smoother gameplay—and 360Hz is the highest reasonable target. Only some titles will be able to actually achieve 360fps, but most of them are the types of esports games that enthusiasts and professionals would use a monitor like this for. You can see more details around these monitors in Nvidia's CES blog post.
Additional Esports Features
On top of the hardware specs are some new esports-focused features. One of the more interesting ones is Dual-Format 25 Inch. This will downsize the active display area to a 25-inch diagonal, as if you were playing on a smaller monitor with a thick bezel, and tune down the resolution to 1080p. Competitive gamers may prefer to play some titles this way, particularly shooters, and play others more casually at full screen.
Another feature is automatic integration of the Reflex Analyzer feature. Reflex is an Nvidia technology to reduce latency and input delay, and now the live overlay for it will be available in a one-click toggle on these monitors.
One last software addition is Esports Vibrance, essentially a color filter. Streamers, pros, and competitive players often use the Digital Vibrancy feature available in the Nvidia Control Panel to make their colors pop more for viewers (or for themselves).
Seeing this trend, Nvidia has worked an esports-tuned vibrancy mode into the monitor firmware. It works in combination with the monitor hardware, too: mini-LED backlights and IGZO transistors push more light through the display.