Every year, CES brings a slew of new monitors for everyone from home office workers to large format gamers. CES 2022 is no different, with a variety of unique displays from Alienware, Asus, LG, HP, and Samsung. We can see a lot of screens every year in January, but only a few make up our list of the best monitors for CES 2022.
Samsung ARK
The Samsung ARK is something else. It’s a 55-inch OLED gaming monitor that spins vertically, but that’s not the most impressive part about it. It’s a screen that can handle almost anything: aspect ratio, resolution or input.
The included wireless controller lets you expand to different aspect ratios and adjust window size, and with Samsung Multi View, you can view multiple streams on the screen at once.
While the vertical orientation doesn’t have a ton of uses at the moment, it still looks great. With three 16: 9 screens, the monitor is capable of playing a game, watching a movie, and opening a chat window at the same time, all without losing the feel of a standard 16: 9 screen.
Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ
CES 2022 is the year of OLED gaming monitors. There have been a lot of OLED displays over the past few years, but they’re either the size of a TV like the Alienware AW5520QF or locked to a lower refresh rate like LG’s UltraFine line of displays. Enter the Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ, a 42-inch OLED display that meets amid the previous options.
42in is big for many setups, but the ROG Swift PG42UQ still feels a lot more manageable than 48in screens like the Aorus FO48U. As a gaming-focused display, it’s capable of 120Hz at 4K through one of the HDMI 2.1 ports, and it offers low automatic latency mode and variable refresh rate for consoles.
We’ve known for years how good OLED is for watching movies, but next-gen consoles have brought display technology to the gaming world. Now, not only can gamers enjoy the deep contrast offered by OLED, but they can also see the image at high refresh rates. The ROG Swift PG42UQ is the first 42-inch OLED gaming display, but it will be far from the last.
Samsung Odyssey Neo G8
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 handles the impossible – 4K at 240Hz. For years, 4K monitors have been locked into lower refresh rate levels, and that is about to change. The Odyssey Neo G8 sets the benchmark for 4K monitors in the future.
Basically, it is an Odyssey Neo G9 with a 16: 9 aspect ratio. You still get the peak brightness of 2,000 nits, which translates into stunning HDR, along with a high contrast ratio and 1ms response time.
It’s a wishlist monitor that checks every box, and it’ll likely be the benchmark for years to come.
Alienware 34 curved QD-OLED
The Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED display is another example of OLED making the rounds around the gaming world. QD-OLED is an emerging display technology that combines the best of OLED and QLED, and the new Alienware’s monitor was one of the first screens to come out with it.
Apart from the natural advantage of OLED, the Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED is an ultra-wide 21: 9 monitor. To my knowledge, this is the first ultra-wide OLED gaming display ever, and certainly the first to use QD-OLED.
The panel is designed for gaming with a 175Hz refresh rate and 3,440 x 1,440 resolution, but it should also be a great performer for content creators. Alienware says it has an extended color gamut that covers 149% sRGB and 99.3% DCI-P3, and out of the box you can expect color accuracy with Delta-E values below. 2.
Combined with Nvidia G-Sync Ultimate and VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 certification, this could be the best ultra-wide gaming monitor. And if you’re worried about OLED burn-in, you shouldn’t be; Alienware says it comes with a three-year warranty that includes OLED break-in coverage.
Samsung m80b
At first glance, the Samsung M80B is not an exciting display. It’s a 32-inch 4K display in a market that swims with them, with useful but unimpressive brightness and contrast. The capture comes in the software. It’s a smart monitor that comes preloaded with apps, including unique additions from Samsung.
I’m very excited about Game Home, which lets you connect a controller and stream games from cloud gaming services. For the home office, Samsung has Workspace, which is a hub for documents in Microsoft 365 and video calls through apps like Google Duo. Keep in mind that none of these applications require a computer; you can use the monitor on its own.
If you want to connect a laptop, the USB-C port offers up to 65W of power for charging. Additionally, the monitor comes with a magnetic webcam that you can attach to the top of the screen or any edge around it. We saw plenty of screens blurring the lines between a monitor and an all-in-one at CES 2022, and the Samsung M80B is the best of them.
LG Dual Up 28MQ780
This is by far the most unique monitor at CES, LG’s DualUp. It’s almost a square monitor, essentially stacking two 21.5-inch monitors on top of each other to achieve a 16:18 aspect ratio.
Stupid? Maybe, but don’t overlook LG’s ability to design forward-looking display form factors. LG was the first company to introduce the 21: 9 ultra-wide aspect ratio in 2012 – the name 21: 9 actually comes from LG’s UltraWide monitor series. Ultra-wide monitors are everywhere now, and it’s possible that DualUp could be the start of something similar.
This design helps reduce side-to-side movement of the head, which LG says is the leading cause of neck pain. It also includes LG’s Ergo Clamp, so you can clip it to the side of your desk and position the monitor however you want.
I think 16: 9 or 21: 9 screens will remain the go-to options for a primary monitor, but there’s plenty of room for a design like DualUp as a second screen on your desktop or dedicated workstation monitor for you. sound engineers and video editors. At the very least, the DualUp explores an area of monitors that no one else is, and it’s something I can support.
HP Z40c G3
At CES 2022, the focus was on devices designed for the work-from-home world. The HP Z40c G3 is designed for remote workers, offering a massive 40-inch display, built-in 4K webcam, and Thunderbolt 3 with up to 100W of power. It’s less of a monitor than a hub, where a single cable can turn a laptop into a full desktop.
It’s an ultra-wide 21: 9 screen, but the resolution is much higher than similar screens. The Z40c G3 sports a resolution of 5,120 x 2,160, or a crossover of 5K and 2K. It’s not too bright, hitting 300 nits, but it still supports full sRGB spectrum coverage with Delta-E values below 2 right out of the box.
What excites me about the Z40c G3 is how it works with laptops and mini-PCs. With the Thunderbolt 3 connection, you can plug in any laptop under 100W and use it without a second charging cable. The Z40c G3 also works with HP mini-PCs, including the recently announced Z2 Mini G9.
Add the built-in 4K webcam and you’ve got a flexible home office setup that requires two cables: one for your PC and a power cord for the monitor. The Z40c G3 might not be as unique as the DualUp or the Swift PG42UQ, but it does provide the perfect balance of features for your home office.
