Despite LG not launching its new ‘Dual-Mode’ OLED gaming monitor yet, it already has a range of negative reviews due to its insistence on using a matte coating, which some claim ruins the OLED display. LG also revealed the monitor’s price, which sits at the higher end of the 32-inch market, leading to further criticism.
While LG hopes the new 32GD95UE-B will have a chance at being one of the best gaming monitors that money can buy, it seems as though LG has done little to please its audience despite the display not even being available yet.
Let’s start with the price. The LG 32GD95UE-B will have an MSRP of $1,399.99. This is high, but not obnoxiously so for a 32-inch 4K OLED display. When you consider the ‘Dual-Mode’ feature allowing for 1080p @ 480Hz, it packs a lot more performance under the hood than you may imagine at first glance.
It’s harder to justify, however, when you compare it to the price of the MSI MPG QD-OLED 32-inch monitor, which has an MRSP of $949.99, a whole $450 less than the LG 32GD95UE-B. That display lacks the dual-mode feature, though.
What has people enraged enough to be leaving product reviews for something not yet available to the public is the decision to stick with a matte coating on the OLED panel. This is something that is being accused of dampening the high contrast and true blacks expected from OLED, factors that are emphasized by a glossy finish.
A matte finish on a monitor can also create a grainy look, which is an issue, particularly with these LG WOLED panels, as they already have worse clarity than LCD panels with equivalent pixel density, so adding this matte texture to the display can further reduce the clarity levels.
We’re not sure this is necessarily worth review-bombing an unreleased product over, as the final quality of the product is impossible to tell until it has been used, but asking people to drop $1,399.99 to have a chance to find out is also questionable.
Not sure where you sit on this matter? Check out our guide to the best monitor panels that you can buy right now so you don’t get confused when someone asks you if a monitor is IPS, TN, or VA.