LAS VEGAS—Want a PC monitor with a 360Hz refresh rate? It may sound like overkill, but not to Nvidia. The company has developed a new class of 360Hz PC monitors for esports players seeking to minimize gameplay lag.
The 24.5-inch monitors will be called G-Sync Esports Displays, and will support a 360 frame-per-second refresh rate at a 1080p screen resolution. They'll support Nvidia's G-Sync technology, which can limit screen tearing and stuttering.
Here at CES, Asus is showing off the first G-Sync Esports Display with the ROG Swift 360HZ. There's no word on pricing, but according to Asus, the monitor will launch later this year. For reference, current 240Hz PC monitors at 1080p can go for around $350 to $500.
Many PC monitors have a lower, 60Hz refresh rate, which is enough for casual gamers, but not for professional players. A higher refresh rate—144Hz and 240Hz—can project gameplay images on the screen milliseconds faster. This may not sound like much, but in the world of competitive esports, it can give players a significant edge in reaction time and targeting enemy opponents.
"The sooner you can see them, the sooner you can shoot," Nvidia's director of product management, Vijay Sharma, told reporters on a conference call.
For instance, players can pull off "flick shots" in first-person shooter games about 28 percent faster on a 120Hz screen over a 60Hz, according to Nvidia's own research. The improvement rises to 37 percent when comparing gameplay from a 360Hz screen to a 60Hz monitor.