It’s funny how as most electronics have become smaller yet more powerful, big-ass screens keep getting bigger yet more affordable. (Try to buy a phone with a screen smaller than six inches, if you don’t believe me.) Right now, you can get the biggest OLED monitor on the market for just $899 on Amazon. And unlike some alternatives, this Asus monitor pairs great with gaming laptops.
The Asus ROG Swift PG49WCD uses the same 49-inch 144Hz panel that Samsung, LG, and other gaming monitor makers do. Honestly, they’re probably coming from the same factory. So it’s up to individual manufacturers to distinguish their designs beyond that 5120×1440 resolution, which is basically two QHD monitors squished together on one curved screen. Asus does this with some extra I/O prowess. In addition to the usual HDMI and DisplayPort options, you get a USB-C port with 90 watts of power delivery, which should be enough even for thirsty gaming laptops. An extra pair of USB-A ports lets the built-in KVM switch do its thing for multiple PCs at once.
Other highlights include a beefy heatsink to protect the OLED panel, various software tricks like pixel cleaning and screen moving to do the same thing, and three years of warranty coverage for burn-in if that stuff isn’t quite enough. Oh, and according to the Amazon listing, buying this monitor will get you a free copy of Doom: The Dark Ages. Hell yeah!
You can use the savings to get a VESA mount for a stylish upgrade, but keep in mind that you might need an upgraded model to handle its weight. If this monitor isn’t quite what you’re looking for, be sure to check out PCWorld’s picks for the best monitors.
Save $300 on this 49-inch OLED ultrawide gaming monitor (and get a free copy of Doom: The Dark Ages with it)