Today, Microsft announced that it was partnering with Asus, Philips, and Acer who are now creating monitors specifically designed for the Xbox Series X and S. The announcement included three separate displays that will be launching later this year, all varying sizes. For gamers who prioritize competitive performance, these screens will offer meaningful upgrades, while others may find them needlessly expensive. If your looking to dive into some of the newly announced games from E3 this year and need a screen, Microsoft and its partners want to make sure you are covered.
All three screens are touted as having HDMI 2.1, meaning that they will support 4K, HDR, and 120hz refresh rates. Basically, these monitors want to allow you to take full advantage of the Xbox Series X’s horsepower. However, many new televisions already support this feature set, so it’s sort of difficult to see what sets these displays apart. The first display detailed in the announcement was the 55 inch Phillips Momentum, a television with a soundbar built-in. The speakers are designed by the audio experts at Bowers and Wilkins, and the screen features a light ring at the back that matches what is on screen, meaning that the televisions will extend the game’s ambiance into your room. For almost $1600, the screen has an impressive feature set but is still pricey. The next screen to be detailed was the 43 inch Xbox Edition Asus Strix monitor. The screen features the same list of utilities with HDR, 120hz, 4K, and free sync and comes in at about 200 dollars less. Unlike the previous screen, this one has a 1ms response time listed, meaning that it will be optimal for competitive play. If you are looking for a large, television-like monitor capable, at least on paper, of strong performance in esports, this is actually a strong option for you. The final panel announced was the 28 inch Acer Xbox Edition monitor. Unlike the other screens, it features a lower-rated HDR 400 panel, meaning it is not as bright, but still features the other displays’ high resolution and refresh rate. It too features a 1ms response time. The Acer comes in at just under $1000.
While the displays that Xbox has announced with its partners are expensive, the Asus model in particular sticks out as a viable television-sized display for more series competitive play, a niche that has seldom been ventured into. When comparing these to other similar spec televisions, they are a bit pricey but overall still competitive. While most people will settle for the television set they have or a more typical television or monitor, if this feature set sticks out to you, the three panels will be available later this year for you to take full advantage of with your Xbox Series X. You can read the announcement here.
