Reality check: Acer's massive 4K IPS G-Sync gaming monitor costs more than VR
Exhibit A is Acer’s Predator XB321HK, which just launched in the United States. It has a 32-inch IPS display with 4K UHD (3840x2160) resolution. It also supports Nvidia’s G-Sync technology, which eliminates stuttering and tearing by syncing the display refresh rate to the game’s precise framerate.
The cost $1300.
We’ve seen monitors this expensive from Acer before. Last year, the company released the Predator X34, also priced at $1300 with a 34-inch curved IPS display and G-Sync. The new 32-inch monitor is narrower and may lack the immersion factor of a curved screen, but is larger and sharper than the curved display overall. (It does, however, lack some of the X34’s niftier bells and whistles, such as customizable underglow lighting and 100Hz refresh rate overclocking.)
Other features of the XB321HK include a blue light filter to reduce eye fatigue, a built-in USB 3.0 hub with four inputs, and a way to quickly toggle through a few customizable profiles. It supports 4K HDMI output at 24 Hz, and 4K DisplayPort output at 60 Hz.
The new monitor is available now through online retailers such as Newegg, and for every penny of its suggested retail price.
Why this matters: For all the gnashing of teeth over the cost of high-end VR headsets—$600 for Oculus Rift, $800 for HTC Vive—high-end monitors like the XB321HK provide some perspective. Whether you want to enjoy the current state of gaming at its finest or experience its possible future, these are all enthusiast products for early adopters, and carry steep price tags accordingly.