There’s a lot of crossover between advanced TVs and monitors these days since they’re often based on more or less the same display technologies. Plenty of gamers with expendable cash have repurposed high-end TVs as desktop monitors, but LG wants to make it official with its newest OLED design. The 48GQ900 is a 48-inch monster designed for PC gaming first, so it gets LG’s designated gaming moniker, UltraGear.
In terms of pure specs, the 48-inch screen is similar to LG’s 2022 OLED TV lineup, but notably adds a 0.1ms latency to handle the most intense twitch-heavy combat. The 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate are pretty standard, but the display explicitly supports both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium out of the box, something most TVs can’t boast. It also includes dual 20-watt speakers (which is still on the weak side even for a desktop) and HDR10 support.
As far as connections go, you get three HDMI 2.1 ports, which should easily handle the 4K/120 image needs, plus a DisplayPort and two USB 3.0 ports for accessories. Unlike standard TVs, the headphone jack supports both input and output for a handy connection to a gaming headset. To top it all off, the 48GQ900 gets a customized remote control “specifically designed for enhanced gaming convenience.” What does that mean? Hell if we know!
Notably missing from LG’s press release is any mention of a smart TV system. That’s especially telling since LG never misses a chance to hype up its proprietary WebOS platform (inherited from Palm, may it rest in peace). Streaming app-focused interfaces are pretty standard for televisions, but just get in the way if all you want to do is access whatever’s actually plugged into your TV. That might be a reason for PC gaming die-hards to consider the UltraGear 48GQ900 over conventional televisions.
LG didn’t announce prices for the 48GQ900 or its other upcoming gaming monitors, a pair of 32-inch Nano-IPS screens at 4K and 1440p. All of them will be available in Japan “starting this month.” They’ll be coming to North America, Europe, and Asia sometime later.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who's been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.