LG’s latest 27-inch OLED monitor hits that gaming sweet spot
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LG follows his bizarre 45-inch curved UltraGear monitor with a (slightly) more modest 27-inch flat screen model. Despite having no curvature, the new screen shares many of the same features as its big brother.
It’s still one OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display that translates to deeper blacks and brighter whites. Looking at the spec sheet (opens in new tab), HDR10 support is present, allowing the monitor to cover 98.5 percent of the DCI-P3 (Digital Cinema Initiatives – Protocol 3) gamut and display a wide range of colors. The resolution took a small hit as it is now 2560×1440 (still 2K resolution) pixels with an aspect ratio of 16:9 due to the model’s smaller size. One of the biggest benefits of having the 45-inch is the added level of immersion and greater peripheral vision. 27 inches is still a decent size, but you might not catch that sneak attack coming from the right.
Same features as before
Aside from the size difference, everything you’ll find on the 45-inch display can also be found on the smaller model.
You still get that lightning fast response time of 0.03ms and 240 Hz refresh rate for a crystal clear image. 240Hz on an OLED is particularly noteworthy as it makes the UltraGear series one of the first monitor lines to feature this technology. The surface of the screen is treated with anti-reflection protection to protect against light bouncing off the monitor to keep the image sharp. In addition, both NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync are present to add that extra performance boost for their respective GPU.
As with other OLED monitors, the 27-inch model is quite expensive at $1,000, but still cheaper than the 45-inch screen. Pre-orders are currently open with the shipping set for January 2. And if you decide to pre-order, you get one for free UltraGear gaming pad (opens in new tab); normally $200 only. Good thing you get it for free because it’s hard to imagine spending that much money for a mousepad when there are tons cheaper and just as good options Outside.
Better than 4K
Now comes the main question: is it worth buying this monitor or saving up for a 4K monitor? If you’re a big gamer, the 27-inch UltraGear display might be the better choice.
The problem with 4K gaming monitors is that it’s hard to get the most out of them. Sure, screenshots of a game at 4K resolution look very good on IGN, but in reality it comes at the expense of performance. Most games can’t output that high quality without caveats (although some come pretty close). The hardware is just not there at the moment, even with all the developments around us. 4K monitors are better used for content creation or the entertainment industry where video quality is not split with gameplay. It’s much better to buy a 2K monitor that still looks good and can deliver consistently good performance.
Be sure to check out our recently updated list of best gaming monitors for 2022 if you’re in the market for one. LG’s UltraGear line appears there.