With all the commotion surrounding the PS5 and Xbox Series X stock, you'd be forgiven for forgetting the myriad examples of new and shiny tech being released.
As the console wars rage on, CES 2021 has brought a delectable selection of HDMI 2.1 monitors to optimize your gaming experience for when you finally bag an elusive next-gen machine.
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HDMI 2.1 is the talk of the town at CES: TVs, next-gen consoles, and gaming monitors will use it to bring 4K gaming at 120Hz to the masses.
PC gamers may have enjoyed the fruits of such specifications for some time; it’s due, in part, to the sheer adaptability of PC hardware with a regular influx of new machinery. If gaming on portable screens is more your style, you can check T3's best gaming laptops, where we've meticulously poured through the brightest sparks in a busy sector.
News coming out of CES, though, does seem to speak to an industry intent on eradicating this hardware chasm, with HDMI 2.1 presiding over a new breed of monitors that offer support for both consoles and PCs. This is brilliant news for PS5 and Xbox Series X lovers, who might’ve been just a bit tetchy about the obvious rift in hardware that's opened up over the years.
There’s a number of heavy-hitters releasing supporting models: Acer is to expand its lauded Predator, and Nitro Gaming monitor portfolio, launching the Acer Predator XB273U NX, and Acer Nitro XV282K KV. The standout machine, Acer's XV28, is gunning for next-gen gamers with an IPS display, and a mega 144Hz refresh rate.
Asus’ CES unfolded with similar buzz around new monitors: HDMI 2.1 will be central to its newly announced ROG monitors, as part of the Asus TUF Gaming range. It's ROG Swift PG32UQ is a hefty 32-inch 4K gaming monitor, that'll launch in the second quarter of this year, and will be its first model to support HDMI 2.1 with its DisplayPort 1.4 enabling 4K at 144Hz.
T3 has a rundown of the best Asus TUF gaming peripherals, if you're already a fan of Asus' gaming ecosystem. Similarly, one of LG’s new UltraGear 4K UHD monitors – model name, 27GP950 – will give users fluid gameplay with a rapid refresh rate, also supporting HDMI 2.1.
These sorts of specs aren't cheap, of course: launching first in North America, Acer's Predator XB273U will be available from May at $1099 / £999 / AU$1756; the Acer Nitro will launch at XV282K at $900 / £899 / AU$1580; unfortunately, no pricing is yet available for Asus' 32-inch model, while LG's new 27-inch 4K price is expected later this week, and is predicted to be around $800 / £586 / AU$1030, based on last year's pricing, or slightly more expensive (via wccftech).
It paves the way ahead for a momentous year in gaming; accordingly, as consoles finally get that elusive restock, users should hopefully have plenty of options to vividly screen games, across a variety of consoles and PCs.
Source: Digital Trends
