A key detail about LG’s OLED gaming monitor is still unknown
The 48-inch UltraGear 48GQ900 is LG's first OLED gaming monitor.
Fransebas
LG’s latest gaming monitor, the 48-inch UltraGear 48GQ900, has officially been announced. The OLED display is among its highlighted features and it marks a first for the brand’s gaming monitors.
All the specs have been revealed, but the most important detail about the monitor is still unknown. The price.
LG did not provide price details for the UltraGear 48GQ900, and its absence is noteworthy. OLED is an expensive technology, which is likely why its rollout to monitors has been so slow.
Consider the 55-inch Alienware OLED gaming monitor as a reference, which was released for $4,000 in 2019. Even with its price dropped to $2,500 later on, it was a supremely expensive gaming monitor. That’s especially significant as we consider newer technology such as QD-OLED via the new Alienware 34 QD-OLED monitor. The upcoming monitor is priced at just $1,299, which could suggest that Samsung’s QD-OLED panels are a bit cheaper than traditional OLED.
While OLED is common among TVs, it has not often been used for screens associated with gaming. Tom’s Hardware noted that the OLED playback would likely fare well with high-quality gaming graphics cards, while LG has said the display is also compatible with current-generation gaming consoles, including the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. via HDMI 2.1.
These consoles support variable refresh rates up to 120 Hz to allow for smooth playback, but would have to be connected through a DisplayPort cable for use on a PC.
The LG UltraGear 48GQ900 features a 4K resolution, 10-bit panel, HDR support, and an antiglare coating. It also feature a 1ms gray-to-gray response time, a DCI-P3 color gamut with 98.5% coverage, built-in speakers, and a purple design in the rear.
Finally, the display also has two additional HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, and a headphone jack.
Several variables, including improvements in OLED technology, upgrades in HDMI technology, and its various compatibilities, could affect the price of the monitor.
Updates to how DisplayPort cables are certified and labeled were recently announced, which could affect how brands package their products, including gaming monitors, moving forward.
The LG UltraGear 48GQ900 is expected to launch during the second half of 2022.
