2023-04-28 09:50:02
How not to be amazed by such risk taking on the part of LG. Its gaming-focused UltraGear range has a new figurehead, and it measures 45 inches diagonally, for a curvature that surpasses anything we’ve seen so far. It’s simply the most important on the market right now, and it’s not the only stat that impresses on this 45GR95QE model.
I advise you to be extremely careful how you handle this screen. The entire structure (except the foot) is plastic, even the joint between the pillar and the screen. This is the case for almost all screens of this type, and it makes the whole thing easily prone to shaking. The ideal is therefore to mount it delicately, and to move it as little as possible.
See the LG UltraGear 45GR95QE PC screen at Fnac
I won’t lie to you, the screen was enough to turn the heads of people passing by. The curvature of the slab is 800R, a record for a consumer screen. Similar models do not go below 1000R (the lower the number, the greater the curvature). It is possible to orient the screen to the left or to the right, and to orient it up or down. It is not played like Samsung’s Odyssey Ark, because it cannot be rotated in vertical mode. Given the more than questionable usefulness of this option, I am far from disappointed.
The various ports on the back are directly accessible from the front, and can pass through a plastic tip on the top of the pillar so that they pass under the desk without being visible. As for the rest of the range, we find rear lights, in case you have to remember that this is a gaming screen. They can be adjusted and deactivated via the screen menu. Let’s just talk regarding it.
Interface: a gamer design and a remote control that changes everything
It is given too little credit but can quickly become a small ordeal when it is poorly done: the interface of this screen is excellent, for the simple reason that it is interacted with via a remote control. I had already told you regarding this in my test of the 27-inch non-curved version of this screen, but I want to support it once more. On a screen with similar dimensions like the Samsung Odyssey G9, there is a button/joystick on the back to navigate through the settings. It’s functional, but having to contort yourself to change the brightness or source is less than ideal. What is, however, is the remote control supplied with the 45-inch UltraGear, and that changes everything.
Personally, I appreciate being able to switch from game setting mode to a screen configuration more suited to reading and office automation. In addition, being an OLED screen, cleaning the screen to avoid marking is necessary from time to time. Performing all these actions with the remote control is much more convenient.
Between the sound settings (in headphone mode), brightness, source or general settings, other interesting functions are present:
- 2 customizable buttons to associate what you want (input source, Games mode, crosshair, black control, FPS display, light under the screen).
- Entretien OLED : to overcome the potential marking problems that we know well on OLED panels, a menu is dedicated to the small care of technology with a pixel shift (LG offers 4 modes but without specifying their nature…), as well as a image and pixel cleaning, requiring the screen to be turned off during the process.
- DTS-X : the jack under the screen is DTS-X compatible for spatial sound. I mightn’t test it, even if it remains quite anecdotal for a game screen.
- Special mention to bouton Lecture instantly switching to blue light filter mode to soothe the eyes, tinting the screen yellow. Even if pressing it a second time does not deactivate the option, forcing you to dig into the settings to do so.
As for the OSD (the interface for modifying the settings of a screen) as such, we end up with a completely gamer look. We like it or not but the most important thing is what’s inside. While the settings are very complete, I deplore the lack of clarity of certain options. There are 4 picture modes, as well as two other custom modes. As you make changes, you can see the status of frame rate, Adaptive-Sync, HDR, and DAS mode at any time. The latter is a technology specific to LG which makes it possible to offer such a low response time.
Picture and game: perfect for gaming, not for the rest
The tech inside this display is exactly the same as the flat 27-inch version (27GR95QE) we tested. The only differences lie in the dimensions of the slab as well as the curvature. My opinion therefore remains almost the same. OLED on a PC screen is rare and allows infinite contrasts with perfectly black blacks, blending into the edges.
The ultra-wide aspect ratio of 21/9 (the majority of screens are in 16/9 format) somewhat conceals the large size of 45 inches of the panel. We are on a small TV, but adapted to the use we have of a computer. Compared to the 32/9 ratio of the Odyssey G9, we keep a little more height, which is a little more practical when we want to work on it a little, even if it is not the advantage of this product, I will come back to it.
Unsurprisingly, the immersion in games is second to none. For what ? Because compared to the slightly less curved 32/9 formats, the extra height makes you forget more regarding the borders at the top and bottom. It is, in my opinion, the best screen in the world for playing simulation and exploration games. Whether with F1 22 or God of War, nothing compares the experience I have had with these two titles. The experience and feel changes a lot depending on the distance you put between yourself and the screen. This is the case for all curved monitors, but even more so for this model. Preferring to move it a little further away in order to have a better overview of my content when I work, I immediately feel the loss of immersion. The 240Hz refresh rate is more than enough for all gaming video needs.
Beware of competitive players, I suppose you recognize yourself, but I prefer to specify it: such a large and wide screen can only be a brake during games where reflexes and precision are essential. Even though the screen is impressive, it is no coincidence that professional gamers are satisfied with a simple 24 inch in classic 16/9 format.
Where this screen fails the most is of course the brightness. The measurements taken give us approximately 172 nights in SDR and 244 nights in HDR, on a white square one tenth of the total size of the screen. Concretely, it is advisable to limit the sources of external light as much as possible to make the most of the excellent quality of the panel during sessions on dark games. Fortunately, the screen is matte, which completely eliminates reflections and allows suitable use in most cases.
This completely crazy format finds its limits on the side of game consoles. It doesn’t matter if you have the latest PS5 or Xbox Series X, these don’t support the 21:9 screen ratio, so you’ll have to deal with black bars on either side in games. Only PCs (with a sufficiently powerful graphics card of course) can take full advantage of it.
The office, the real black spot
If you were planning to use the daring format of this LG UltraGear for office automation, you are putting your fingers in your nose. OLED technology has a strong tendency to show color inaccuracies, which are imperceptible in-game, but disturbing when working with text, tables… As you can see in this example, the red pixel is aligned first in the structure of the screen. In some cases, you can see a line or a red halo on the outlines of certain elements, which makes the reading less enjoyable. Also, the low pixel density (1440p on such a tall screen) doesn’t help, and I really recommend picking up this monitor if you’re going to spend most of your time gaming.
Conclusion
Points forts
- The impressive curvature
- The OLED and 240 Hz combo, unheard of
- The best screen for immersion games (simulation, exploration, etc.)
- The remote control, a big yes
Weak points
- A little disappointing maximum brightness
- Office use well below gaming
- Like any OLED screen: low risk of marking
This screen is the very definition of a very specific product positioning. OLED with a frame rate of 240 Hz is a first, as is the radius of curvature of the panel. With this LG UltraGear 45GR95QE, the most demanding gamers mainly playing simulation and exploration games will be delighted. To the angels even, provided they put their hand in the wallet, and that they have enough to block the outside light to compensate for the low maximum luminosity.
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#Test #Ecran #45GR95QE
