One-by-one monitor manufacturers are releasing gaming monitors with the new QD-OLED panel. Alienware and Samsung were first with the AW3423DW and Odyssey G8QNB, respectively. Now, MSI has joined the group with the introduction of MEG 342C. Like the other two monitors, MSI MEG 342C is a curved gaming monitor with a 34-inch QD-OLED display.
MSI hasn’t shared very many details. But we know that the panel is 21:9 and will support a 175Hz refresh rate. The company also claims 99.3% coverage of the DCI-P3, 97.8% of the Adobe RGB, and 139.1% of the sRGB color spaces.
In addition, the curve is 1800R, and there is plenty of RGB on the monitor. You can also expect to see MSI’s usual smart features, such as Sound Tune, Optix Scope, and Smart Crosshair.
There is no word on other specifications of the monitor.
Availability troubles for QD-OLED monitors
Alienware 34 (AW3423DW) is the only QD-OLED monitor currently on sale. Unfortunately, both Samsung and MSI are yet to reveal anything on the pricing and availability front. This is very likely because of the limited QD-OLED panel availability. It’s a new technology, and Samsung Display is probably finding it hard to ramp up the production.
Apart from monitors, QD-OLED panels are also being used in televisions. Samsung and Sony have released QD-OLED TVs. But unlike monitors, QD-OLED TVs availability is slightly better, and you can actually find the Samsung S95B in stock at various retailers and the Sony A95K goes on preorder in June.
What is QD-OLED
For the uninitiated, QD-OLED is a new display technology that combines OLED with quantum dots to offer better color accuracy and higher brightness. Unlike the traditional OLED panels that use color filters to get red, green, and blue colors, the QD-OLED panels use the quantum dots to get RGB colors. As filters are not the most efficient, OLED panels lose some brightness, which isn’t lost in the QD-OLED panels. You can read more about QD-OLED panels in my detailed explainer.