LG Announces UltraGear 48GQ900, Its First Huge Diagonal PC OLED Gaming Monitor

Even though LG is the market leader in OLED TVs, which it recommends even for gaming on consoles or PCs, the South Korean company did not seem to be in a hurry to bring this technology in an official way and on dedicated PC monitors. That is changing now, as the company officially announced its first OLED panel gaming monitor in the LG UltraGear range: the 48GQ900. It seems to keep the advantages of its TVs from the past, but it adapts the technology to the needs of gamers with dedicated functions, but also by eliminating some capabilities that are not necessary on a monitor.

The LG UltraGear 48GQ900 is an OLED TV turned into a gaming monitor

The LG UltraGear 48GQ900 is basically a PC version of the 48 ”CX, C1 and C2 series TVs. While those models use a TV stand, which can’t be adjusted in any way and doesn’t encourage good cable organization, the new UltraGear model adopts a more “traditional” V-shaped monitor stand.

Smart TV capabilities such as internet connection, integrated applications and TV tuner are eliminated, but instead, dedicated capabilities for gamers appear.

First of all, the 48GQ900 monitor integrates a USB 3.0 hub with two ports, which allows you to connect accessories directly to the monitor, something that LG TVs do not offer. Then we have a headphone jack for playing HDMI or DisplayPort. The latter port is another advantage of the LG UltraGear monitor, something that does not exist on TVs. You can connect three HDMI 2.1 devices on this model, for 4K images at 120 Hz, but by connecting to a PC via DisplayPort, you can increase the refresh rate to 138 Hz by overclocking, for even smoother images.

Of course, the monitor is compatible with the HDR10 standard, but also with G-Sync technologies from NVIDIA and FreeSync from AMD, to reduce the response time in video games, regardless of the displayed framerate.

The transition has led to the elimination of some TV capabilities, but has ensured the introduction of some dedicated to gaming

Instead of a TV remote control, LG offers a simpler remote control, which benefits from a large volume wheel and a few buttons that provide access to quick functions: Game mode, Reader Mode, Source, Mute and menu navigation buttons. The volume controls both the sound played on the headphones via the 3.5mm jack and the sound of the two integrated speakers with a power of 20W.

LG says that this model consumes about 175W, significantly more than a traditional gaming monitor, and in HDR can reach 253W consumption. However, these values ​​are lower than those of similar OLED TVs, which consume 50-100W more in these conditions. Extra consumption on TVs could be justified by the integration of a processor that holds an operating system, as well as permanent Wi-Fi internet connection, as well as integrated Bluetooth for connecting speakers, soundbars or wireless headphones.

With the transformation from TV to monitor, the LG UltraGear 48GQ900 has lost a little weight. It weighs “only” 16.8 kg with support, while a 48CX or 48C1 TV weighs over 18 kg.

For now, LG is launching the UltraGear 48GQ900 in Japan, and other countries in North America, Europe and Asia will receive this model in stock in the next few months. The price has not been announced yet. Also, despite the fact that LG has announced a C1 model with a diagonal of 42 “, more suitable for use on a desktop PC, the UltraGear model only comes with a diagonal of 48”.

source: LG