LG Shows Off A Gaming Monitor With Ultra-Wide Screen

South Korean gadget maker LG Electronics announced that it will introduce a 21:9 “UltraWide” monitor for gamers next week. The 34-inch curved-screen monitor is among the first to take advantage of Advanced Micro Devices’ FreeSync technology, which eliminates images which “tear,” or are not correctly aligned when the monitor and graphics card are out of sync. LG is the latest company to jump the gun on its announcements for the 2015 International CES, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas next week. Tech companies typically try to one-up each other by announcing their Consumer Electronics Show gadgets at unexpected times.

Graphics chip maker Nvidia, a rival to AMD, has previously its own rival technology for dealing with screen-tearing. The new monitor will enable fluid motion during fast gameplay scenes in games. It has an aspect ratio of 21:9, which is wider than the typical 16:9 monitors. It caters to gamers, digital imaging artists, and business professionals. LG is the world sales leader in this monitor category over the past seven fiscal quarters, according to market researcher IDC, with 77.3 percent of the world’s 21:9 monitors. LG’s UltraWide Gaming Monitor (34UM67) is the company’s first 21:9 monitor specifically developed for graphics-intensive gaming with AMD’s FreeSync.

“AMD FreeSync technology is an innovative monitor technology, based on free and open industry standards, to eliminate the tearing and stuttering that has plagued PC gaming for 30 years,” said Roy Taylor, corporate vice president of ISV/IHV Partner Group at AMD, in a statement. “We are pleased that LG Electronics stands with us with truly exciting AMD FreeSync-ready displays like the LG UltraWide Gaming Monitor.”

The monitor has Black Stabilizer tech that illuminates dark scenes and helps to clearly define the deep black areas where objects and enemies could be hidden. The Dynamic Action Sync mode minimizes input lag, enhancing users’ real time gaming experience. Many popular games such as Battlefield 4, World of Warcraft and ArcheAge currently support 21:9 resolution with more games expected to support this resolution in the future. Iiyama also just announced an AMD FreeSync monitor, but without a curved screen.

LG’s UltraWide monitor has a curved screen in “quad HD” resolution, or 3440 x 1440. It has a 178-degree viewing angle, and uses In-Plane Switching (IPS) display technology for better colors. LG didn’t say how much the monitor will cost or elaborate on its availability. LG will also showcase the Digital Cinema 4K Monitor (Model 31MU97) featuring 4K resolution (4096 x 2160), with more pixels than standard Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160).

“LG’s premium 21:9 UltraWide monitors are designed with the unique needs of consumers in mind,” said In-kyu Lee, senior vice president and head of the TV and monitor division at the LG Electronics Home Entertainment, in a statement. “The industry has come a long way from the days when one display design was thought to be suitable for all users. With the amount of time we spend in front of monitors, these products are no longer one size fits all.”