With CES 2025 simply across the nook, a number of gaming monitor manufacturers are unleashing their wares for the brand new 12 months. We’ve already seen some 500+ Hz OLED panels. Next up is a brand new era of 4K 27-inch OLEDs.
Thus far, the 4K OLEDs we have already seen are all 32-inch fashions. That applies to screens based mostly on each LG WOLED panel tech and Samsung QD-OLED. These new 27-inch fashions are all based mostly on what’s being billed as ‘4th Gen’ Samsung QD-OLED know-how.
However, don’t get too excited by that ‘4th Gen’ label. The new 27-inch 4K Samsung panel doesn’t seem to maneuver the sport on for metrics like brightness. Instead, it is extra of a shrinking of Samsung’s present third Gen 32-inch 4K panel, like that within the MSI MPG 321URX, all the way down to 27 inches.
That brings with it clear advantages by way of pixel density. Existing 32-inch 4K panels are available just below 140 pixels per inch. These new screens will likely be just a little over 160 (truly 166 DPI as a result of panel dimension coming in at 26/5 inches).
That ought to put to mattress issues over font rendering with the QD-OLED tech and its triangular pixel substructure (which is retained for these 27-inch panels). Font rendering was already fairly good because of the pixel density of 32-inch fashions. At 4K and 27-inch, it needs to be a complete non challenge.
The advantage of the pixel density for gaming is extra debatable. Do many avid gamers have a look at a 32-inch 4K panel in-game and suppose it is good however just a little bit blocky? In follow, the visible profit by way of sharpness and in-game picture element going from 32-inch 4K to 27-inch 4K is marginal. But the smaller panel dimension and the diminished immersion that brings is arguably extra apparent.
Image 1 of 2
With all that in thoughts, who’re the gamers on this new market? Among the primary out of the gate is the Asus Swift OLED PG27UCDM. It packs the brand new Samsung panel working at 240 Hz, plus DisplayPort 2.1a (as much as 80Gbps).
There’s additionally USB-C with 90 W energy supply, however Asus is not making any claims re elevated brightness. Our understanding is that the brand new Samsung panel doesn’t enhance full-screen brightness in comparison with present QD-OLED screens.
MSI has the MPG 272URX, which basically matches the Asus spec for spec, however with marginally larger 98 W USB-C energy supply. Where Asus hasn’t quoted brightness specs, MSI has, with 250 nits full display and 1,000 nits in a 3% window. Again, that is the identical as present 32-inch 4K QD-OLED fashions.
Samsung has its personal panel on this new 27-inch 4K section, the Odyssey OLED G8 (G81SF). It seems to have just about equivalent specs to the competitors. Oh and for the document, we perceive that the intense ambient reflectivity points that result in black tones showing gray nonetheless apply to those 27-inch 4K QD-OLEDs.
Anyway, elevated pixel density is at all times good, but it surely’s not instantly apparent how a lot this will likely be a transparent profit over 32-inch 4K panels for gaming. The enchantment of those panels will due to this fact seemingly come down to cost. Our understanding is that they are going to be cheaper than their 32-inch cousins, however solely just a little.
