CES 2026 might need been a moist squib in lots of areas however not in terms of gaming displays
Though CES 2026 wasn’t essentially the most thrilling of the Vegas shopper electronics occasions of latest years—and heck, with all the large AI speak, there did not appear to be a lot ‘shopper’ about it—there was at the very least one space of PC gaming {hardware} to get enthusiastic about: displays. So fairly than one other day of doom and gloom speaking concerning the rise of AI and the memorypocalypse, let’s take a look at some positives.
Most likely an important space we noticed actually thrilling developments in was OLED displays. One of many greatest issues with these that has in all probability stopped lots of people from taking the plunge and shopping for one—alongside excessive worth tags and worries about burn-in—is textual content fringing. OLED panels look incredible for gaming, however for different issues, they have not all the time been your best option, as a result of small, skinny, and wriggly little shapes akin to letters (the most typical little digital wrigglers) have tended to look slightly fuzzy when displayed on an OLED panel.
That is due to the best way OLED shows its pixels. As a refresher, there are two fundamental varieties of OLED panels: QD-OLED, from Samsung, and WOLED, from LG. These do issues barely otherwise on the sub-pixel degree—QD-OLEDs have sq. purple, inexperienced, and blue OLEDs organised in an RGB triangle, whereas WOLEDs have rectangular purple, inexperienced, blue, and white OLEDs lined up in a row—however they’re all lower than good at displaying textual content.
CES 2026
Meet up with CES 2026: We’re on the bottom in sunny Las Vegas masking all the newest bulletins from among the greatest names in tech, together with Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and extra.
Now, although, new OLED panels from each LG and Samsung are popping out with a distinct subpixel structure. Samsung’s taken a leaf from LG’s e book of OLED and organized its sub-pixels into rows. LG, alternatively, has determined to drop the white sub-pixel altogether.
Samsung remains to be utilizing quantum dots with a blue backlight, so such displays are QD-OLED, whereas LG is sticking to WOLED branding as it can nonetheless be utilizing a white backlight that passes by way of color filters. Regardless of these variations, although, the elemental structure is identical: vertically lined rows of purple, inexperienced, and blue subpixels for every pixel, which ought to cut back fringing.
We first noticed this answer on the tail finish of 2025 with the announcement of LG’s new OLED panel. We have not seen this answer in individual but, however we’ve got seen Samsung’s, as used within the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36, an ultrawide 2K monitor with a refresh fee of 360 Hz and 300 nits of brightness.
The revised subpixels do make textual content look sharper, though there is a restrict on this case, as a result of low pixel density. Even so, our Jeremy discovered his general expertise utilizing the monitor so nice that he scored it a mighty 92% in his evaluation.
For CES, HyperX additionally introduced a monitor that makes use of Samsung’s newest ‘V-Stripe’ panel, this being the HyperX Omen OLED 34—and sure, HyperX having a monitor is a primary, though it is HP that is making them. It is the identical deal because the MSI one: 360 Hz, 21:9 facet ratio with WQHD decision, and so forth.
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At CES, we additionally noticed Asus launch two new gaming displays, one utilizing Samsung’s tech and the opposite LG’s. The Samsung panel monitor, the ROG Swift PG34WCDN, is identical deal because the MSI and HyperX, however the LG panel monitor is a 27-inch, 240 Hz, 4K affair, known as the ROG Swift PG27UCWM. The LG one will, presumably, fare even higher on the fuzziness entrance because of unbelievable pixel density.
LG introduced the UltraGear Evo 39GX950B at CES, which does not use its very newest striped panel tech, however does use its 4th gen tandel OLED tech, and our Jeremy reckons it would find yourself being a pen-in for the finest gaming monitor of 2026. It boasts a ridiculous 5,120 x 2,160 decision, and at 39 inches on the diagonal, these pixels are stored good and dense.
Then there’s Intel and Samsung’s CES-announced partnership to work on enhancing OLED energy effectivity. Particularly, the 2 firms are pushing out a expertise known as SmartPowerHDR, which, when in HDR mode, adjusts the display’s voltage on the fly to assist cut back general energy consumption relying on what’s on display.
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Each LG and Samsung have additionally upped the ante within the OLED TV sphere by asserting new panels that may attain 4,500 nits of brightness—although it is price noting that determine is for small display areas, and full-screen brightness is far decrease, although nonetheless brighter than desktop OLED displays. It isn’t received any of that fancy subpixel stripe stuff occurring, nevertheless it’s a pleasant enchancment for the sofa gaming crowd.
So, there have been some real enhancements to OLED displays launched in and round CES, from each main panel suppliers. However OLED is not the one panel tech that is had one thing thrilling pulled out of its sleeve: IPS has, too.
That is because of the enhancements to Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar blur discount expertise. Displays may cause a form of perceived movement blur that happens when pixels hold round of their earlier spots for too lengthy. Pulsar is a type of backlight strobing, like Extremely-Low Movement Blur (ULMB), that strobes the backlight between body refreshes to assist your eyes not understand such persistence blur and consider the shifting picture extra clearly.
G-Sync Pulsar was formally introduced at final yr’s CES, however there have been no displays able to utilizing it till those simply introduced at this yr’s CES from MSI, Asus, Acer, and AOC. Extra importantly, although, the expertise itself has really been upgraded. Initially, Pulsar was going to strobe the backlight in full between every monitor refresh, in step with a variable refresh fee. Now, nonetheless, only one horizontal strip of pixels at a time strobes proper forward of the rolling ‘scanout’ that writes new pixels to the display with every refresh.
Nvidia claims all this results in “4x the efficient movement readability” and that the rolling strobing ought to cut back flickering in comparison with, say, ULMB. Which is all nice on paper, after all, however we have not simply seen it on paper. Our Andy received his fortunate eyeballs on G-Sync Pulsar, and mentioned the expertise has “kinda ruined all different gaming displays for me” due to simply how clear these in-game actions are.
However do not take my phrase for it, take his: “The image general, with each fast-moving and static objects, appeared to beam straight into my retinas with spectacular precision—leading to a shifting picture high quality that appears miles forward of something I’ve seen so far … As somebody who’s stood in entrance of a whole lot (doubtless hundreds, at this level) of extraordinarily good gaming displays, the best way G-Sync Pulsar adjustments the way you understand fast paced pictures is downright profound.”
I suppose the issue from right here can be deciding between the 2. Would you like wonderful movement readability, or some critically vibrant colors? I suppose a lot would possibly come right down to value. OLEDs have been steadily reducing in value over the previous yr, however that new one from MSI is $1,099, which ain’t precisely low-cost.
On the optimistic—maybe optimistic—facet although, now that there are newer, higher OLED panels available on the market, the older ones would possibly drop even decrease in worth. So, maybe an oblique impact of the brand new striped subpixel panels can be cheaper older OLEDs, making them genuinely viable for the typical gamer on a average funds. We have already seen respectable latest displays which have panels utilizing the older triangular subpixel structure go for round $400 on sale, and maybe such displays will go for even cheaper shifting ahead.
At any fee, it feels good that we have at the very least received one space of PC gaming {hardware} that is not seeing skyrocketing costs and lacklustre enhancements—reminiscence scarcity be damned. As soon as we sift by way of the performative AI garbage that took up most of CES 2026, there is a particular gem hidden in there, and it is the promise that this yr holds out for gaming displays. Although let’s simply hope I have not spoken too quickly.
Finest gaming displays 2026