Gadget Review: Your display for an immersive gaming experience

Gamers rejoice! After you’ve spent a mini fortune to have your ultra powerful gaming system assembled - with the latest, most advanced and most expensive Nvidia graphics chipset, a processor with the computing power to run the galaxy, a trillion terabytes of RAM, a gazillion terabytes of solid-state storage memory, and every other paraphernalia that cost you an arm and a leg – there’s finally a monitor that can do justice to the output that your state-of-the-future system can give out. The LG 49GR85DC-B Curved UltraGear Gaming Monitor.

Now, while that name is quite a mouthful and about as substantial as the aforesaid system you’ve assembled, its heft hints at the performance that it provides. Not only does this LG sport a weighty name, but its claim to fame is actually performance that left us impressed. But more about that presently.

Features-wise, the design and build of the 49GR is impressive. Upon unboxing it, the first thing that struck me was its sheer size. This monitor commands attention with its massive 49-inch curved display, which immediately sets it apart from conventional gaming monitors. The curvature of the screen enhances immersion, drawing the viewer deeper into the gaming world. The build quality is top-notch, with a sleek and modern design that exudes sophistication and smooth finishing on all surfaces of the high-grade plastics that house the screen chassis within. The stand is sturdy and provides ample stability, with a twin pronged forked base that spreads the monitor’s considerable weight around evenly on your table for stability and an upright arm housing a spring-loaded height adjuster where the actual screen is mounted.

While the entire monitor assembly’s bulkiness may pose a challenge for users with limited desk space, this is an extremely well-built monitor. What exemplifies its sturdiness and build quality is the spring in the height adjuster, which is at once smooth to use when you raise or lower the monitor to meet your eye level, and precise with absolutely no give. The up and down sliding action for adjusting the height is silky smooth and the spring-loading holds the monitor absolutely rock-steady at whatever height you leave it at.

The screen itself is a dual quad HD with a whopping 5120-by-1440 pixel native resolution. Best of all, it has an ultra-tight curve, which bends 1,000mm or 1000R. This is the number that denotes the radius of the circle that the curvature of the monitor would create if it was extended on both sides until the edges met. Smaller numbers mean tighter radii and more curved monitors – and 1000R is on the lower end of that scale available in the market.

Low numbers are said to mimic the human eye’s natural depth of field, with tight curves not only providing more immersive gaming experiences but also improved image quality.

Another aspect that improves the image quality on this LG is that instead of the more commonly used IPS panels for gaming displays the 49GR panel is VA, which provides better contrast and deeper black levels.

When you combine this with a pixel refresh rate if 240, a rated contrast ratio of 200:1 and a rates screen luminance of 450, the numbers add up to great images – and to great gaming performance.

The cornerstone of this performance is the 49GR’s fast response time and low input lag. While playing Call of Duty and Gran Turismo 7, every action felt responsive and snappy on the screen, with no lag that my eyes could see. Whether I was dodging enemy attacks or executing precise overtakes on chicanes, the monitor's rapid refresh rate ensured that motion blur and ghosting were imperceptible, resulting in a smooth and fluid gaming experience. The LG 49GR is definitely aimed at enthusiast gamers who value widescreen gaming with as little input lag as possible.

Nitpickers might point out that the GR49 is not an OLED screen, but it does not need to be. OLEDs have slower refresh rates and – while returning the most stunning pictures and colour saturation - are therefore not as suitable to fast gaming action. Besides, they are way more expensive for the same given size.

The LG GR49 is priced at a very reasonable Dh3,999, and while it is a bulky piece of kit and the colour saturation is not up to OLED levels, it does what it says on the tin brilliantly – provide an immersive gaming experience.

LG 49GR85DC-B UltraGear Gaming Monitor

Hits:

- Good contrast

- Fast refresh rate

- Curvature provides visual immersion

Misses:

- Bulky

- Colours not at OLED levels

Price:

Dh3,999

Rating: 4 stars

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