MSI has announced its joining Dell’s Alienware and Samsung Electronics in launching its first QD-OLED monitor. 

The 34-inch curved MEG 34C, as it’s called, offers a QD-OLED display with a 175Hz refresh rate, 3440x1440 resolution, deep blacks, high contrast and a 0.1ms response time, with 99.3% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. 

It was announced at Computex 2022. There is no word yet on Variable Refresh Rate support, as MSI has not released the monitor’s full specifications. However, it said it will use Samsung Display’s QD-OLED panel, so we can expect brightness to hit around 1,000 nits, as Alienware’s QD-OLED monitor does. 

It’s designed for gamers, and MSI said the MEG 34C “insane fast 0.1ms response time and lightning fast 175Hz refresh rate” will ensure they have a head start versus the competition. 

“Its pre-calibrated settings give you the most precise colour and meet the industry standard,” the company added. 

The monitor also comes with external RGB lighting that’s customizable and features a futuristic-looking design. 

MSI hasn’t yet revealed price details or when it might go on sale, but it could be affordable and it could launch soon. Alienware launched its first QD-OLED monitor in March, priced at $1,300. 

World’s First 500Hz Monitor

In related news, Asus and Nvidia have partnered to create what they says is the world’s first-ever 500Hz gaming monitor, designed for eSports professionals. 

The 500Hz refresh rate means the Asus ROG Swift 500Hz can refresh up to 500 times per second, the companies said. They explained that it draws frames more than eight times faster in a single second than a typical 60Hz display, giving gamers a distinct advantage that could make all the difference in fast-paced multiplayer action games like Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Rainbox Six Siege. 

“With super low response times and unprecedented improvements in input lag, the ROG Swift 500Hz is the new benchmark in Esports," said Asus.

Naturally, the ROG Swift 500Hz supports Nvidia’s G-Sync for VRR, and boasts Nvidia’s Reflex Analyzer tech that aids in reducing system latency. 

The 24-inch monitor is based on an LCD panel that’s supplied by AU Optronics. Asus refers to it as an “E-TN panel”, which has 4K resolution. 

TN panels are the fastest kind of LCD displays around but they suffer from lower picture quality and poorer viewing angles than IPS and VA-based LCD displays. That said, LCD is too slow to enable 500Hz refresh rates, so Asus has had to create a workaround. What it does is apply an over-voltage that enables the liquid crystals in the display to change their orientation more quickly. This can sometimes result in “overdrive trailing”, which means halos may appear around some moving objects. 

If that sounds too painful, then gamers may well want to wait for the world’s first OLED- or MicroLED-based 500Hz monitor, as those technologies are expected to deliver superior performance at these kinds of speeds. 

Asus said pricing and availability for the ROG Swift 500Hz will be announced later.