ASUS Races LG To Release First 4K OLED Gaming Monitor With Dual Refresh Rates
One of the trends shaping up for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month is the introduction of dual-mode gaming monitors that let you choose between a higher resolution at a lower refresh rate, or a lower resolution at a faster refresh rate. LG already tipped its hand by teasing its upcoming UltraGear 32GS95UE, and now so has ASUS with its ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP.
It's possible (and we'd say highly likely) that both monitors are built around the same panel. Each one sports a 32-inch OLED display with a 4K resolution and fast 240Hz refresh rate. However, what makes these monitors stand out from the crowd is the option to drop switch over to 1080p at 480Hz, effectively doubling the refresh rate.
Dropping down from a display's native resolution (in this case, 4K) is old hat. But generally speaking, the maximum refresh rate is set in stone—you can lower it but you can't increase it in most cases. The CRT era was an exception to this, and we've seen claims of some televisions offering faster refresh rates at 1080p compared to 4K.
There's also at least one gaming laptop that offers this feature. The Razer Blade 16 we reviewed earlier this year boasted a dual refresh rate mini LED display supporting UHD+ (3840x2400) at 120Hz and FHD+ (1920x1200) at 240Hz.
All that said, ASUS is sparse with information about its PG32UCDP, other than the dual refresh rates and laying claim to the "world's first dual-mode monitor." Whether that ends up being the case depends on if ASUS can beat LG to retail. It's also possible that we'll see other monitor makers unveil similar products, so this might not be a two-horse race.
Additionally, we're curious to see if the PG32UCDP offers one-click switching like LG's 32GS95UE supposedly will. Either way, this is a great development that could eventually lead to no longer having to choose between a higher resolution display for better image quality, or a blistering refresh rate for competitive gaming at 1080p. Gamers will soon be able to have their cake and eat it, too.
