Most-Anticipated Gaming Monitors of 2023: 500 Hz, OLED, Wide Screen

2023 is looking to be a banner year for gaming monitors based on some of the new products we saw this year at CES 2023. The gaming monitor segment is incredibly varied, with multiple screen sizes, resolutions, panel types, refresh rates and more. Ultra-wide and OLED panels seem to be gaining steam, and you'll see plenty of vying to take their place among the best gaming monitors.

Ultra-High Refresh Rate Monitors

2023 is likely to become the year of ultra-high refresh rate gaming monitors, with Alienware and Asus leading the way. Alienware struck the first blow with its AW2524H, which measures 24.5 inches across and uses a Full HD (1920 x 1080) 10-bit IPS panel. The monitor features both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports, but you'll want to remember that the HDMI 2.1 port maxes out at 240Hz native refresh rate. Switching to DisplayPort 1.4 takes the AW2524H to a native refresh rate of 480Hz. You'll need to enable the OC function to hit the magic 500Hz refresh rate figure.

 Other specifications for the AW2524H include VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, 400 nits typical brightness, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, Nvidia G-Sync certification and the usual complement of RGB elements on the back of the monitor. The stand is fully adjustable on the AW2524H and there's a full allotment of USB ports for hooking up peripherals like a keyboard, mouse and headset. According to Alienware, the AW2524H will launch later this quarter at an unspecified price.

If you thought 500Hz was impressive, Asus is taking the game of one-upmanship to the next level. The company's Swift Pro PG248QP is also a 24-inch Full HD monitor, but its refresh rate cranks to 540Hz when overclocked.

Before jumping for joy in excitement, you'll notice that the Swift Pro PG248QP uses a Twisted Nematic (TN) panel rather than the IPS panel found on the AW2524H. That means viewing angles and color reproduction likely won't be as good. But as long as you're sitting front and center (as you should be with a 24-inch monitor), the viewing angle disadvantage shouldn't be too concerning.

Super Ultra-Wide and Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitors

When ultra-wide gaming monitors aren't enough, why not just stretch the horizontal resolution even further and make them super ultra-wide? Not only does the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 have a capacious Dual UHD resolution (7680 x 2160), but the screen stretches a gargantuan 57 inches. The monitor uses a Mini LED panel with a claimed 1,000,000:1 native contrast ratio, DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity (one of the first on the market), a 1000R curve and a native refresh rate of 240Hz.

The Odyssey OLED G9 is slightly smaller in stature, coming in at 49 inches across, while maintaining the 32:9 aspect ratio with a 5120 x 1440 resolution. Rather than relying on a Mini LED panel, the Odyssey OLED G9 uses Samsung's Quantum-Dot OLED technology (also with a 1,000,000:1 native contrast ratio). The Odyssey OLED G9 also boasts a 240Hz native refresh rate and supports Samsung's Gaming Hub for PC/console-free access to cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now.

MSI is also in on the game with its 491C, which has similar specs to the Odyssey OLED G9 (both likely use the same panel). The 491C matches the 5120 x 1440 resolution, 0.1ms response time, and 240Hz refresh rate while employing a QD-OLED panel.

We saw the 491C up close at CES, but the prototype on hand was plagued by graphical glitches. Those things can be expected for a prototype that was likely cobbled together to make the deadline for the show, but shipping units should be solid when they arrive later in 2023.

If a "mere" ultra-wide, big-screen monitor will suit your computing needs, Acer is on the move with the Predator X45. This is another OLED panel, but it measures 45 inches with a UWQHD (3440 x 1440) resolution. The monitor features a tight 800R curve, 1,000 nits peak brightness, a 0.01 ms response time, a stellar 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio and a 240Hz refresh rate.

In addition to rocking dual HDMI 2.0 and one DisplayPort 1.4 port, the Predator X45 features a built-in USB 3.2 hub, including a USB-C port with 90-watt Power Delivery (great for powering and connecting to a laptop via a single connection). Acer says the Predator X45 will bow during Q2 2023, priced at $1,699.

32-inch and Smaller OLED Monitors

OLED panels are slowly starting to invade the gaming monitor space, particularly with larger panel sizes (as you can see with the super ultra-wide monitors above). However, the panel tech is slowly filtering down to smaller monitors, some of which we saw at CES.

Acer's Predator X27U features a QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium support. You'll find a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio, 1,000 nits of maximum brightness (although the typical brightness is much lower at 150 nits). The X27U's port layout is identical to its much larger sibling, the Predator X45, and it boasts 98.5 percent DCI-P3 coverage along with dual 5-watt speakers. The Predator X27U will debut next quarter, priced at $1,099.

Asus' ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM is slightly smaller, with a 27-inch panel size and the same QHD resolution. The OLED panel features a 0.03 ms response time, 240Hz refresh rate and meets 99 percent of the DCI-P3 color space. Peak brightness is listed at 1,000 nits, and although Asus doesn't mention typical brightness, we'd imagine it is a lot lower (which is typical for an OLED panel).

The Asus ProArt Display OLED PA32DCM isn't a gaming monitor, but it deserves mention here for putting a vibrant, 31.5-inch OLED panel. It features a 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution and brings an impressive feature set to the table. Not only does the PA32DCM claim an impressive color error of Delta E <1, but it hits 99 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space.  Asus claims the monitor hits a max brightness of 700 nits and is VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified (500 nits with a 10 percent pattern).

Given that the PA32DCM is primarily aimed at creative professionals, the monitor has a smaller stand (50 percent smaller than its predecessor) to free up desk space. Also onboard are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, providing high-speed access for your USB-C and Thunderbolt devices. One of those ports supports 90-watt Power Delivery to juice your laptop (the other USB-C port only supports 15-watt charging). Asus hasn't announced pricing for the PA32DCM at this time.

Mainstream Gaming Monitors

Not everyone wants to spend big bucks on a gaming monitor to get OLED or Mini-LED panels, and some don't have the space to accommodate ultra-wide behemoths. To that end, Lenovo has two monitors on the horizon that won't break the bank but still promise to offer excellent performance.

The Legion Y27qf-30 features a QHD (2560 x 1440) panel with a native refresh rate of 240Hz. However, the monitor supports an overclocking function, which bumps the refresh rate slightly to 250Hz. You'll also find DisplayHDR 400 compliance, AMD FreeSync Premium support and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio. 

The Legion Y27f-30 carries the same chassis design as the Y27qf-30, but instead uses a Full HD (1920 x 1080) panel. It also features a 240Hz native refresh rate, but jumps to 280Hz when overclocked. The Lenovo Legion Y27f-30 and Legion Y27qf-30 will launch in May, priced at $399 and $599, respectively.