Asus is currently working on the world’s first 4K HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor to support the Xbox One X and the PS5. These two next-gen consoles are slated to offer 4K visuals at up to 120Hz, but we all know that they are made for TVs that only have HDMI connectors. DisplayPort 1.4 can do it, but you will only find them on graphics cards built for PCs.
It’s worth noting that the current top dogs in the GPU market do not offer HDMI 2.1, so many are looking to the release of Nvidia’s Ampere and AMD’s Big Navi GPUs. However, details for these products are not yet available at this time, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t include HDMI 2.1 since DP 1.4 is the current top choice for connectivity.
The Asus first 4K HDMI gaming monitors will come in three sizes which include 27-inch, 32-inch, and 43-inch variants. The devices are still in development, and Asus has still yet to release model names for each one. The only details that are available are the 120Hz refresh rate for all types along with support for variable refresh rates.
HDMI 2.1 and Why We Need It
DisplayPort 1.4 is already a very capable platform, but it can only be used on computers at this time. Its 32.4Gbs of bandwidth is capable of 4K at 120Hz and 4K 144Hz with the help of DSR so PC gamers with top-end cards won’t have issues with the current slate of 4K 144Hz monitors. HDMI 2.1, on the other hand, is able to produce up to 48Gbps which will handle the full native resolution without any scaling or chroma subsampling.
So far, only high-end TVs like LG’s OLED models offer HDMI 2.1 out of the box, but devices that can utilize it aren’t readily available yet. This is where the Xbox Series X and PS5 come in which previewed 4K 120Hz capabilities out of the box. Their HDMI 2.1 connectivity were only recently brought to light, so we can now rest easy and plan our upgrades in the near future.
Asus is the lone gaming monitor company so far to even mention HDMI 2.1 in their next models. Pricing still isn’t available, but they did mention that the three new models will become available just in time for the holidays. Keep checking this article for the latest news regarding these exciting 4K HDMI 2.1 gaming monitors.
-About the Author:
Paolo is a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since his junior high years. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations and he believes that it’s every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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