'Are monitors anti-inflation?': AOC argues monitors are a better upgrade than graphics cards or memory right now, which seems like the kind of thing a monitor manufacturer would say
Monitors are kind of important. Like, you need them to see the games you play, man. But on a deeper level, picking the right one to see your games as intended actually is important—be that going up to 4K for those beautifully rendered textures or OLED for true blacks. Monitor manufacturer AOC seems to agree, and it has a whole new range for you to pick from.
In a press conference I attended in Croatia today, Cesar Reyes Acosta, European commercial leader for AOC, showed off said new monitors, and asked questions as 'food for thought'. These were a series of prodding inquiries intended to explain why one might want a new monitor right now (or, I suppose, in a few months, with some of them out in June and July).
The first and most important question was "Is it smart to buy an OLED monitor today?" Effectively, with the memory crisis continuing to rage, taking GPU prices up with it, Acosta argues that swapping to OLED will feel more monumental than paying all that cash for quicker memory or an upgraded GPU.
Following up, he pointed to how things have changed in five years, showing that the AOC 24G2SPU launched for €239 with a 23.8 HD 165 Hz screen and 4 ms response time. Inversely, the AOC 127G4ZR is a 27-inch 1440p 260 Hz panel, with a 1 ms response time and HDR 400, and it comes in at the same price.
After showing this comparison, Acosta asked: "Are monitors anti-inflation?"
When compared to what has happened to the price of memory? Monitors are certainly in a better situation. When we consider the normal passage of time and the development of tech? Absolutely not. But the point is taken, even if presented playfully. Monitors are getting better-priced and higher-specced with time, and it is becoming much easier to buy monitors for less money.
But not all of AOC's new monitor announcements are about getting more monitor for less money. On the OLED front, AOC is releasing the AGP346UCSD, which uses the 5th-generation QD-OLED tech (bye bye, font fringe) and offers a 34-inch HDR 500 TrueBlack panel with a 1440p resolution, for €999. It is also launching a 4th-generation W-OLED 1440p 27-inch 540 Hz monitor called the AGP277QCKD for €899 in June.
Its sister company Philips has also unveiled the Evnia 27M2K5901A, which is a €799 5K (165 Hz) monitor with a dual-mode to swap to 1440p (at 330 Hz).
I stand by the fact that swapping to OLED is arguably one of the most monumental changes I've made in my gaming setup, but it's definitely strange to think of a monitor as being a good buy for your rig because you can't afford memory or a graphics card. That's perhaps made a little weirder by the fact that it's coming from the company selling the monitor to you. Even if the monitors seem pretty great.