The Biggest Gaming Monitor Trends of CES 2025

CES 2025 showcased a plethora of new gaming monitors, highlighting significant advancements in display and graphics technology. The show revealed exciting surprises and features pushed to new heights, making 2025 a truly remarkable year for gaming monitor enthusiasts.

QD-OLED's Continued Dominance and Increased Accessibility

QD-OLED technology solidified its position as a leading force in gaming monitors. Major brands like MSI, Gigabyte, and LG all presented their latest QD-OLED offerings, emphasizing enhanced burn-in warranties and protective features. This year will see a continued strong push towards this display technology. Building on the significant growth of 2024, manufacturers debuted impressive 4K 240Hz QD-OLED monitors featuring high-bandwidth DisplayPort 2.1 connections. MSI even unveiled a groundbreaking 1440p QD-OLED, the MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50, boasting a remarkable 500Hz refresh rate. The advancements extend beyond resolution and refresh rate; protective features are also improving. Asus's Neo Proximity Sensor, integrated into the upcoming ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDPG, automatically displays a black screen when the user is away, preventing burn-in. As the technology matures, prices are expected to decrease, making these high-performance monitors more accessible.

Mini-LED: A Technology Worth Watching

While not as prevalent as QD-OLED, Mini-LED technology remained present. MSI plans to position its dual-mode AI Mini-LED, the MPG 274URDFW E16M, as a more affordable alternative to QD-OLED. This 4K, 160Hz monitor features 1,152 local dimming zones and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, delivering impressive contrast. Its ability to reach 320Hz at 1080p is intriguing, although its AI-driven resolution switching remains questionable. Despite limited options at CES, Mini-LED's inherent advantages—high brightness, excellent contrast, and no burn-in risk—make it a technology to watch, especially if manufacturers can maintain reasonable pricing.

Escalating Refresh Rates and Resolutions

The convergence of refined QD-OLED technology and more powerful graphics cards continues to drive higher refresh rates. 4K at 240Hz is now a reality, alongside 1440p at 500Hz. Gigabyte's Aorus FO27Q5P impressed with its sleek design and vibrant display, achieving VESA TrueBlack 500 certification. MSI revived TN panels, showcasing the MPG 242R X60N with an astounding 600Hz refresh rate, although this comes with trade-offs in color accuracy and viewing angles. The year also saw the emergence of 5K monitors. Acer's Predator XB323QX, a 5K, 144Hz monitor with Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar technology, and LG's pair of "5K2K" ultrawide monitors (the Ultragear 45GX950A and 45GX990A) highlight this trend. Beyond gaming, Asus introduced the ProArt Display 6K PA32QCV, a 6K mini-LED monitor for creators.

Smart Monitors Blur the Lines Between TVs and Gaming Monitors

Smart monitors, offering integrated streaming services and smart TV functionality, are gaining traction. While not all CES exhibits were explicitly gamer-focused, this trend is clearly growing. HP unveiled the OMEN 32x Smart Gaming Monitor, a 32-inch 4K monitor with built-in streaming apps and multi-platform streaming capabilities. LG countered with the ultrawide UltraGear 39GX90SA, and Samsung introduced the M9 Smart Monitor, featuring 4K OLED, neural processing for enhanced picture quality, and a 165Hz refresh rate.

Conclusion

CES 2025 demonstrated a clear progression in gaming monitor technology. The showcased monitors pushed boundaries, offering glimpses into future advancements. Following a successful, albeit expensive, 2024, 2025 promises even greater innovation and accessibility in the gaming monitor market.