Acer reveals three brand-new HDR Predator gaming monitors, including a 42.5-inch UHD Predator CG437K S that supports HDMI 2.1 and is shaping up to be perfect for PS5 and Xbox Series X owners.
The new Acer gaming monitors, including the Predator X38 S and Predator X28, will be available in the second half of 2021. What's more, each one is VESA DisplayHDR certified so gamers can expect all the vivid and life-like visuals in demanding PC games.
- The best cheap monitors in 2021
- The best gaming laptop deals in May 2021
- We tested a 144Hz gaming monitor and a 360Hz gaming monitor
Acer Predator CG437K S
The Acer Predator CG437K S may be one of the most sought-after gaming monitors once it releases, as it boasts support for HDMI 2.1. The 42.5-inch monitor will be available in North America this November with prices starting at $1,799.99; in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East (EMEA) in November starting at €1,599; and in China in October, starting at ¥9,999.
The 42.5-inc Predator CG437K S comes with Nvidia G-Sync compatibility and is equipped with a UHD (3840x2160) display panel. With its two HDMI 2.1 ports, it will support up to 4K gameplay at a 144Hz refresh rate with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and a 1ms Visual Response Boost (VRB) response time.
Along with the HDMI 2.1 connectivity, you'll get a USB-B port, a pair of USB-A 2.0 and USB-A 3.0 ports, plus a USB Type-C port. It even comes with a built-in KVM device to easily switch between multiple PCs.
Gamers can also expect 1,000 nits brightness along with local dimming with 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut for some brilliant color accuracy.
HDMI 2.1 connectivity is looking to be the new standard for TVs and gaming monitors, and it's an impressive upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X owners. It will be able to support higher video resolutions and with equally higher refresh rates. This includes 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 120Hz.
The new connectivity will also support Dynamic HDR formats and has an increased bandwidth capability of up to 48Gbps. That's up from HDMI 2.0's 18Gbps. However, none of this will work unless you also have an HDMI 2.1 cable.
Impressively, the monitor itself has been designed with RGB in mind. The Predator CG437K S is equipped with RGB lighting strips on the rear that can be synced to music and media. What's more, it comes with Acer's ColorSense feature to automatically adjust the screen's temperature; LightSense to detect ambient lighting and adjust brightness; and ProxiSense that automatically wakes the monitor when a user is nearby.
Acer Predator X38 S
The Acer Predator X38 S has been developed with esports in mind, with a highlight being its 175Hz refresh rate and 0.3ms response time. The Predator X38 S will be available in North America in September with prices at $1,999.99; in EMEA in September starting at €2,199; and in China in August, starting at ¥14,999.
The 37.5-inch gaming monitor sports a 2300R curved UWQHD+ (3840x1600) Agile-Splendor IPS display, with 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Gamers will also find an impressive overclocked 175Hz refresh rate with as little as 0.3ms response time. That means virtually no ghosting.
The monitor comes equipped with multiple display modes, too. This includes Predator Game Mode that offers players eight customizable pre-set modes for different PC gaming genres, along with Nvidia G-Sync Esports Mode designed specifically for competitive gameplay. The latter offers the lowest latency possible and turns off variable backlighting.
Gamers can also expect Acer's LightSense and Acer ColorSense features to automatically adjust color and brightness settings, along with Nvidia's "Reflex Latency Analyzer" system. This is a latency measurement tool that detects clicks coming from the mouse then measures the time it takes for the resulting pixels (i.e., a gun muzzle flash) to change on the screen. We'd definitely like to see that in action.
Acer Predator X28
Finally, the Acer Predator X28 is the company's slightly more affordable gaming monitor. The Predator X28 will be available in North America this August starting at $1,299.99; in EMEA in August starting at €1,199; and in China this July starting at ¥7,999.
The monitor boasts a 28-inch, 4K UHD (3840x2160) Agile-Splendor IPS display with a 155Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time. Along with Nvidia G-Sync and G-Sync Esports Mode, this monitor offers a more affordable choice to Esports enthusiasts.
The Predator X28 also comes packed with Acer's LightSense, ColorSense, and ProxiSense features. It's interesting to note that Acer's new gaming monitor is also TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe-certified thanks to its BlueLight Shield Pro, meaning it can selectively filter out harmful blue light emission.
Outlook
Acer has yet to announce specific dates on when each of the Predator gaming monitors will be released, but we can't wait to check them out.
While both the Acer Predator X38 S and Acer Predator X28 seem to cater to the esports market, we expect the Acer Predator CG437K S will be a big hit with PS5 and Xbox Series X owners. However, the monitor already has competition from Asus with its 43-inch ROG Strix XG43UQ gaming monitor.
