Check out more of the year's best tech in our PC Gamer Hardware Awards 2024 coverage.
If there's one thing that stands out about 2024, at least as far as gaming monitors are concerned, it's that this year has without a doubt been the year of the OLED monitor. We've been hit with them left, right, and centre. And sure, these monitors mostly feature the same 32-inch Samsung or LG panels, but those are great panels.
Whether we're talking about the MSI MPG 321URX, LG UltraGear 32GS95UE, or any number of other 2024 OLED releases, you're getting a high refresh rate, low latency, and stunning 4K visuals. But while we've seen a bunch of these entering the market, none of them are cheap.
We've also seen some manufacturers start to experiment with Mini LED tech. This technology uses backlighting arrays and could eventually be an alternative to OLED tech that offers brighter screens with less text fringing and no risk of burn-in. Unfortunately, though, there are still problems with Mini LED tech, as we discovered when we looked at the BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX, for instance.
At the other end of the pricing scale, 2024 has shown us what can really be achieved for a more moderate number of pennies. The Xiaomi G27i, for instance, showed just how high of a refresh rate and how low latency you can get for a mainstream price these days.
Speaking of refresh rates, one trend we saw this year was the introduction of dual-mode refresh rate technology. We first saw this with the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE which had its debut at CES. This tech allows for an ultra-high refresh rate at 1080p and then a lower (but still high) refresh rate at 4K, thanks to pixel doubling. We already saw it in laptops in 2023 such as the Razer Blade 16, but the tech is now officially featuring in standalone monitors.
MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED
The MPG 321URX kind of encapsulates what 2024 had to offer in terms of both price and performance/quality. That's because it uses the same 4K, 240 Hz, 0.03 ms response OLED panel as many of the others that launched this year but retails for a lot cheaper. We're talking hundreds of dollars less than similar competition for a gorgeous glossy panel with great and vibrant colour reproduction plus some very deep blacks.
Read our MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED review.
LG UltraGear 32GS95UE
While the MPG 321URX encapsulates what 2024 offered in terms of a balance between performance, quality, and price, the UltraGear 32GS95UE shows what it had to offer in terms of sheer high-end quality and performance, pricing be damned. First off, it's a dual-mode monitor, so you get the benefit of the 480 Hz refresh rate at 1080p if that's your jam. And if not, well, there's 240 Hz at 4K, and who can argue with that? Apart from that, though, it's an OLED panel that's actually slightly better than the others we saw this year, mainly because it's a little brighter and has a more neutral colour profile. It's got a matte finish, but it's glossier than most matte finishes so the colours still pop. The downside to all this lovely tech, however, is the very steep price tag.
Read our LG UltraGear 32GS95UE review.
Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS
This monitor showed what 2024 tech was capable of when put to the task of delivering in the mainstream monitor market—none of this $1,000 4K OLED malarkey. The ROG Strix XG27ACS features a 1440p IPS panel and comes in at $299, which is more expensive than some 1440P IPS panels you can get, but it's worth that extra cost. That's because it goes up to 180 Hz and has a 1 ms grey-to-grey response time, which makes it much snappier than most similar panels. Its colour reproduction is also incredibly well-calibrated straight out of the box, even when viewing SDR content in HDR mode.
Read our Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS review.
The winner of the Best Gaming Monitor 2024 PC Gamer Hardware Award will be announced on New Year's Eve. So keep your eyes peeled for our pick of the best panel for this year.
