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Monitors with 500Hz refresh rates are available today. My body is equipped

After being promised at Computex in 2021 but never materialising, in 2022, face-melting 500Hz displays finally make their debut at CES 2023. Personally, as a certified sweating tryhard, I am very down with this.

Increasing the GPU frame rate and the display refresh rate is a favourite technique of professional esports players since it greatly improves responsiveness. (Even if it looks bad, there’s a good reason why esports professionals turn down the visual settings to Low.) Up until now, the highest frame rate offered by competing displays was 360 Hz, which was already a buttery smooth experience. However, at CES2023, the 500Hz barrier was ultimately broken by the Asus ROG Swift ProPG248QP and the appropriately called Alienware 500Hz Gaming Monitor (AW2524H). These 24.5-inch 1080p screens are already impressive, but Nvidia adds their renowned G-Sync and Reflex technologies to take them to the next level of fluidity.

The common misconception that hearing frequencies over 60 hertz is imperceptible is unfounded. When I asked the esports and display engineers at Nvidia about this in the past, they told me that doubling the refresh rate was necessary to noticeably improve the monitor’s performance. This is why the jump from a 60Hz to a 120Hz display is so noticeable in esports, but the jump from a 120Hz to a 144Hz panel is hardly noticeable. It’s also the reason why upgrading to a 360 Hz gaming display from a 144 Hz one felt so dang silky smooth. Extremely silky; extremely scrumptious.

These new displays have me drooling, but I doubt they’ll make much of a difference to me since 500Hz isn’t twice as fast as 360Hz. Launch 500Hz G-Sync displays should definitely do the job if you’re playing on a 144Hz or even a 240Hz display and want to unleash a brand new mind-blowing degree of smoothness.

If you want to dominate in Call of Duty, you’ll need an expensive display. Asus informed the Verge that the ROG Swift Pro PG24QP should cost $900, while Alienware has not yet disclosed its price. Both the Alienware and the ROG display will be available for purchase later this quarter. In the meanwhile, our guide to the top gaming monitors may help you choose the most suitable screen for your needs right now. We’ll meet again in the battlefield, my friend!