Philips and AOC announce the 'world's first' 1,000 Hz dual-mode gaming monitors

Philips and its sister brand AOC are claiming a world's first in gaming monitor tech. The Philips Evnia 27M2N5500XD and AOC AGON Pro AGP277QK are both 500 Hz 1440p gaming panels with 1,000 Hz alternative 1080p modes.

Size-wise, we're talking 27 inches. The actual panel technology has yet to be revealed. However, a number of the specifications that are available (via Display Specifications) point to a specific subset of IPS tech.

Along with the refresh rate, the response time is quoted at 1ms GtG, which is in line with IPS tech. The static contrast is said to be 2,000:1. That would require either VA panel technology, the very latest IPS Black panel from LG or at least a similar IPS-derived tech to LG's IPS Black. Conventional IPS panels top out at 1,300:1 contrast.

Given that VA panels tend to be slower than IPS and also typically offer contrast of 3,000:1 to 4,000:1, our money is on IPS for this 1,000 Hz pairing. Likewise, the 2,000:1 contrast makes it very unlikely that these displays use TN panels.

VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification is also reportedly in the mix. So, in terms of HDR support, these are entry-level panels and won't have local dimming.

It's also worth noting that the 1080p alternative mode on a 1440p panel does not allow for integer scaling, which is the best way to run a second resolution on an LCD panel with fixed pixels in terms of image quality.

So, that 1,000 Hz mode might be very fast. But the image quality will definitely suffer. It's also unclear how that 1,000 Hz refresh maps to the 1 ms response. Even if the 1 ms response is true (and in reality, 1 ms IPS panels are never truly 1 ms capable), that would mean that as each new frame is sent to the monitor, the panel has only just completed the colour transition to the previous panel, given that 1 ms essentially equates to 1,000 Hz.

Anywho, let's just say it will be interesting to see what these monitors actually look like running at 1,000 Hz. As to that world's first claim, well, it will probably all come down to when these panels actually go on sale. This is not the first time a monitor manufacturer has announced a 1,000 Hz model.

Back in September, AntGamer debuted its own 1,000 Hz monitor. That is a rather different proposition, coming in at 25 inches, being based on TN panel tech and running a 1080p native resolution.

While we wait and see who actually offers a 1,000 Hz monitor you can buy, the question what actual benefit a refresh rate that high offers remains. For most gamers, arguably nothing in terms of latency. For esports pros? Maybe there's a competitive edge to be had.

1,000 Hz also promises incredible motion clarity. At least it would in a panel with instantenous response. But given the aforementioned limitations of LCD panels as opposed to OLED panels, and whatever the panel type used by Philips and AOC for these monitors, they very much appear to be LCD and not OLED, you're simply not going to get the full benefit of 1,000 Hz in terms of clarity.