[Editor's note: This press release comes from the US division of Philips, so the news is more relevant to the USA.]

Envision Peripherals, Inc. (EPI), an affiliate of TPV Technology Limited (TPV) Philips' monitor license partner, announces the release of the world's first Designed for Xbox console gaming monitor. Philips Momentum Designed for Xbox console gaming monitors are built from the ground up to provide the ultimate experience for Xbox fans. These Designed for Xbox console gaming monitors set the standard for Xbox gaming. The inclusion of the new HDMI 2.1 spec now enables next-gen console gaming with 4K resolution and faster 120Hz refresh rates for ultra-clear and ultra-smooth gaming performance. Taking it the next level, TPV partnered with Xbox to tune these "Designed for Xbox" displays to deliver the optimal validated Xbox Series X performance from the moment you plug it in.

Unlike televisions, Philips Momentum gaming monitors are built for console gaming, with low latency and low lag as priorities to provide a much smoother, more realistic gaming experience. The series' low input lag is a great advantage when playing twitch-sensitive video games, allowing the input to register on the screen faster. The flagship 55" Philips Momentum (559M1RYV) will include a specially designed speaker enclosure from the engineers at Bowers & Wilkins, the British loudspeaker company globally renowned for their innovative designs and sound engineering, that completes the experience.

Acer has expanded its line of Predator gaming monitors with three new VESA DisplayHDR -Certified models: the Predator CG437K S, Predator X38 S and Predator X28. The new monitors target different niches by offering something that will excite a wide variety of gamers, whether weekend warrior or seasoned professional.

The Predator CG437K S is a massive 42.5-inch NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible gaming monitor with a UHD (3840x2160) display that strives to provide players with the most flexible experience possible, containing a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports that support the latest game consoles[1] and allow for 4K 144 Hz with VRR using only a single cable. A USB hub offers a USB-B port, a pair of both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports to support an array of peripherals, plus a USB Type-C (PD30W) port for good measure. Additionally, a built-in KVM switch simplifies the lives of those who juggle multiple PCs. Once users are all set up, the monitor's 144 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms VRB response time provide satisfying gameplay.

Huawei is reportedly preparing an unconventional high-resolution monitor under its MateView brand. Featuring an aspect-ratio of 3:2, the monitor is wider than 4:3 or 5:4, but "taller" than 16:9 or ultrawide ratios. The monitor features an "IPS-like" panel with 4500 x 3000 pixels native resolution, support for 10-bpc color (1.07 billion colors), and a refresh-rate of 90 Hz. You also get DisplayHDR 400 and HDR10 support. Pulling something like this off will presumably take inputs such as HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4 to muster the bandwidth needed for 4500 x 3000 @ 90 Hz with 10-bpc. A nifty feature with this monitor is its stand, which doubles up as a Qi-compatible wireless charging pad. Huawei is reportedly preparing to launch this monitor on May 16.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has recently issued a press release that addresses the use of illegitimate DisplayHDR 2000 certification. VESA is the body responsible for certifying displays under its DisplayHDR scheme which features various tiers corresponding to peak luminance. The recently announced Samsung Odyssey G9 and ASUS EI491CRG9 monitors are advertised as having DisplayHDR 2000 certification on Chinese retailer Taobao which is not possible given that currently available certifications only go up to DisplayHDR 1400. VESA has not ruled out a possible future DisplayHDR 2000 standard but given this press release, it would appear unlikely to be released anytime soon.

NVIDIA today unveiled the world's first cloud-native, multi-tenant AI supercomputer—the next-generation NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD featuring NVIDIA BlueField -2 DPUs. Fortifying the DGX SuperPOD with BlueField-2 DPUs—data processing units that offload, accelerate and isolate users' data—provides customers with secure connections to their AI infrastructure.

The company also announced NVIDIA Base Command, which enables multiple users and IT teams to securely access, share and operate their DGX SuperPOD infrastructure. Base Command coordinates AI training and operations on DGX SuperPOD infrastructure to enable the work of teams of data scientists and developers located around the globe.

A listing has surfaced on Chinese website Taobao featuring what is being described as the 2021 update for the ultra-premium Samsung Odyssey G9 gaming monitor. It keeps the DNA of the Odyssey G9 - that means the 49" VA panel, 5120×1440 resolution and 1000R curvature remain. The devil, as always, is in the details; the new monitor is expected to feature a MiniLED backlight solution featuring 2048 dimming zones, which should enable a contrast ratio of 4,000:1 and an eventual, first-of-its-kind DisplayHDR 2000 certification by VESA. The current maximum under the standard stands at DisplayHDR 1400, so it's quite the jump for maximum HDR quality.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced the latest addition to its 7-series portfolio, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 780G 5G Mobile Platform. Snapdragon 780G is designed to deliver powerful AI performance and brilliant camera capture backed by the Qualcomm Spectra 570 triple ISP and 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine, allowing users to capture, enhance, and share their favorite moments seamlessly. This platform enables a selection of premium-tier features for the first time in the 7-series, making next generation experiences more broadly accessible.

"Since introducing the Snapdragon 7-series three years ago, more than 350 devices have launched based on 7-series mobile platforms. Today, we are continuing this momentum by introducing the Snapdragon 780G 5G Mobile Platform," said Kedar Kondap, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Snapdragon 780G was designed to bring in-demand, premium experiences to more users around the world."

High dynamic range (HDR) offers the most impressive improvement to the visual experience in recent history. HDR unlocks an entirely new range of colors with more intensity than standard monitors, making games come to life like never before. In November 2020, the Xbox Series X/S consoles launched with the Auto HDR feature which automatically upgrades your backwards compatible games from SDR to HDR to take advantage of this amazing display innovation and provide a richer visual experience even on already-released games. Today we're excited to bring you a preview of Auto HDR for your PC gaming experience and we're looking for your help to test it out. When enabled on your HDR capable gaming PC, you will automatically get awesome HDR visuals on an additional 1000+ DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games!

Samsung has recently announced their latest flagship gaming monitor the Samsung Odyssey G9 2021. The new Odyssey G9 is the successor to the original monitor by the same name which was released by Samsung in June 2020. The monitor is the first from the company to feature their Quantum MiniLED technology which will greatly improve peak brightness levels. The Odyssey G9 2021 will reportedly be able to reach a peak brightness of 2,000 nits when displaying HDR content. The monitor retains its 49" size, 1000R curvature, 240 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time, and 5,120 x 1,440 resolution. Pricing and availability for the new monitor are currently unknown however we would expect the price to remain near the 1699 USD RRP of the original.

UPDATED January 19th 2021: NVIDIA in a statement to Overclock3D had this to say on the issue:

Late last year we updated G-SYNC ULTIMATE to include new display technologies such as OLED and edge-lit LCDs.

All G-SYNC Ultimate displays are powered by advanced NVIDIA G-SYNC processors to deliver a fantastic gaming experience including lifelike HDR, stunning contract, cinematic colour and ultra-low latency gameplay. While the original G-SYNC Ultimate displays were 1000 nits with FALD, the newest displays, like OLED, deliver infinite contrast with only 600-700 nits, and advanced multi-zone edge-lit displays offer remarkable contrast with 600-700 nits. G-SYNC Ultimate was never defined by nits alone nor did it require a VESA DisplayHDR1000 certification. Regular G-SYNC displays are also powered by NVIDIA G-SYNC processors as well.

The ACER X34 S monitor was erroneously listed as G-SYNC ULTIMATE on the NVIDIA web site. It should be listed as "G-SYNC" and the web page is being corrected.

NVIDIA has silently updated their NVIDIA G-SYNC Ultimate requirements compared to their initial assertion. Born as a spin-off from NVIDIA's G-SYNC program, whose requirements have also been laxed compared to their initial requirements for a custom and expensive G-SYNC module that had to be incorporated in monitor designs, the G-SYNC Ultimate badge is supposed to denote the best of the best in the realm of PC monitors: PC monitors that feature NVIDIA's proprietary G-SYNC module and HDR 1000, VESA-certified panels. This is opposed to NVIDIA's current G-SYNC Compatible (which enables monitors sans the G-SYNC module but with support for VESA's VRR standard to feature variable refresh rates) and G-SYNC (for monitors that only feature G-SYNC modules but may be lax in their HDR support) programs.

LG Electronics (LG) announces a planned partnership with Google to bring Stadia to its latest webOS smart TVs in the second half of this year. After Stadia comes to Google TV, LG will be the first TV manufacturer to natively support Stadia gameplay via webOS.

LG is demonstrating its commitment to supporting premium gaming on its state-of-the-art displays, made even more compelling with support for 4k and 5.1 surround sound for Stadia Pro users. Stadia on LG TVs will allow customers to instantly play hit Stadia games such as Cyberpunk 2077, NBA 2K21, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion with just a Stadia controller and no additional hardware or game downloads required.

AOC has announced a new addition to their AGON line of gaming monitors in the form of the AGON AG493UCX. This is a beastly monitor with a 49" diagonal and 5K resolution with a Super Ultra-Wide aspect ratio of 32:9 (with a resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels). The panel type is VA, which promises increased contrast ratios against those typically found in IPS panels (3000:1, in this case). AOC is promising 120 Hz refresh rates with a 1 ms (MPRT) response times with MBR backlight. There is also support for VRR technologies such as FreeSync and G-Sync (compatible).

Display brightness is quoted at 550 cd/m², which is just shy of a DisplayHDR 600 certification, but comfortably achieves the VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification. The monitor isn't a slouch in terms of color display either, being better than your average VA panel: the display is factory-calibrated and ships with a guaranteed dE <2, and coverage for 16.7 millions colors across a 93% DCI-P3 gamut coverage (and 121% sRGB coverage). I/O is handled by 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x USB type-C, 3x USB ports and 1x an audio output. 2x 5 W speakers are built in to the screen and the stand offers tilt, height and swivel adjustments. No word on pricing as of yet.

Update December 10th 2020: AOC has just made the AGON AG493UCX available for purchase. Initial availability is pegged for Europe with a price tag set at £899 / €899.

A German website, Heise.de, has discovered a bug in HDMI 2.1 chipset that causes black screen issues on specific hardware. On AV chipsets sourced by Panasonic, and used by Denon, Marantz, and Yamaha HDMI 2.1 AV receivers, the chipset experiences a specific issue of a black screen. More specifically, the bug happens once you connect Microsoft's newest console, Xbox Series X, or NVIDIA's Ampere graphics cards. When connecting these sources at resolutions like 4K/120 Hz HDR and 8K/60 Hz HDR to Panasonic HDMI 2.1 chipsets, the black screen happens. This represents a major problem for every manufacturer planning to use the Panasonic HDMI 2.1 chipset in its AV receivers, meaning that the issue has to be addressed. The Audioholics website has reached out to Sound United and Yamaha to see what their responses were, and you can check them out below.

Today at Adobe MAX, HP Inc. announced its latest innovations to the HP Create Ecosystem to capture, create, and experience. HP continues evolving the Create Ecosystem, offering creators new remote solutions and the necessary tools to collaborate, accelerate workflows, and iterate, ensuing they can truly share their creations and work in real-time from any environment. Additionally, the next-generation Z by HP and DreamColor displays are reimagined with the creator in mind, providing seamless color accuracy, industry-leading performance, and an ultra-thin frameless design.

As creators work in new hybrid work environments, the need for the right technology and tools to keep them productive, connected, and collaborative has never been more essential. Eighty percent of companies are doing what they can to keep up with today's new normal by accelerating the adoption of collaboration applications for workers. Even in a pandemic, the creative community never stops creating as consumers still crave the entertainment and the escape that artists, designers, and engineers bring to the world. The importance of enabling remote work for creators will continue to increase, with 80% of creators reporting a desire to continue to work from home post-pandemic.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, announced the launch of the newest addition to its award-winning ViewSonic ELITE line of gaming monitors with the XG270Q Designed to deliver an amazing gaming experience, the XG270Q features a 165Hz refresh rate, 1 ms (GtG) response time and NVIDIA's G-SYNC Compatible technology for a smooth and seamless gaming experience.

As part of its ELITE gaming portfolio, the ViewSonic XG270Q is a 27-inch monitor that can achieve true 1ms (GtG) response time. Along with the 165Hz* refresh rate and G-SYNC Compatible technology, the XG270Q ensures effortless gameplay within even the fastest scenarios. This gaming monitor also boasts a frameless IPS panel with native QHD (2560x1440) resolution and VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification that brings games to life with vibrant colors and incisive details.

New displays and meeting systems from Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) help creatives and office professionals work productively and comfortably in hybrid work environments. According to IDC research, 81% of employees believe monitors with higher resolution, better ergonomics and color improve the overall working experience. This expanded UltraSharp portfolio features state-of-the art technology, including mini-LED, built-in colorimeter and low blue light reduction screens.

"Technology that helps us do our best work is critical as we adapt to the new hybrid work environment," said Bert Park, senior vice president and general manager, Software & Peripherals Product Group, Dell Technologies. "Our monitors have always been the most desired companion to any PC, and our new line is no different. We're helping customers push productivity to the edge while delivering great performance, style and comfort." As world's number one monitors brand for seven years running, Dell offers an end-to-end ecosystem of collaboration tools that can meet the needs of every worker and offers the most EPEAT Gold registered monitors globally.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced a new 5G mobile platform in the 7-series, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G Mobile Platform, which enables truly global 5G with brilliant HDR gaming and amazing on-device AI. To date, there have been more than 275 designs announced or in development based on Snapdragon 7-series mobile platforms, including 140 5G designs.

"We continue to see great traction with our high-tier Snapdragon 7-series 5G mobile platforms," said Kedar Kondap, vice president of product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "As we continue to build out this relatively new tier of our mobile roadmap, we're always looking for ways to support the growing needs of our OEM customers. Snapdragon 750G delivers a selection of premium mobile features to an even wider audience."

Dolby have recently announced that the Xbox Series X and Series S will support Dolby Atmos games at launch and Dolby Vision games later in 2021. This will be the first time a generation of consoles have supported the standards in-game. Dolby Vision creates the best HDR experience with a compatible screen as it offers per scene metadata adjustments and 12-bit color depth. Dolby Vision is already available through Netflix on Xbox One but this will be the first time both technologies are offered for console games. Dolby Atmos support will be included at launch, however, a 15 USD license fee will be required if you don't own Atmos speakers.

LG Electronics (LG) is bringing new meaning to immersive gaming with its new UltraGear (model 27GN950), the world's first 4K IPS 1 millisecond Gray-to-Gray (GTG) gaming monitor. A 2020 CES Innovation Award and Red Dot Design Award winner, the 27-inch model more than lives up to UltraGear's name and reputation for gaming excellence and is a worthy successor to the brand's first 1 ms GTG IPS gaming monitor (model 27GL850) introduced last year. Featuring advanced IPS displays, LG UltraGear monitors achieve stunning speed without compromising picture quality, contributing to the brand being named the top gaming-designed monitor in the United States.

The new UltraGear monitor builds on the fast, accurate colors of its predecessor to deliver 4K resolution for maximum gaming impact. A combination of speed, high resolution and 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space gives gamers a total sense of immersion. And thanks to VESA Display Stream Compression (DSC) technology, the 27GN950 can deliver virtually lossless 4K UHD images in 10-bit color with a 144 Hz refresh rate via just a single DisplayPort cable.

Japanese monitor maker iiyama has recently announced the GB3466WQSU Red Eagle gaming monitor, this monitor is quite similar to the GB3461WQSU which was released by iiyama a few months ago. The GB3466WQSU is a high-end gaming monitor with almost all the features you could want, a 3440x1440 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate with FreeSync Premium Pro support, VA panel, and 1500R curve. The VA panel comes with a typical brightness of 400 cd/m² scoring it HDR400 certification along with a typical static contrast of 3000:1.

The included monitor allows for height (110 mm), and tilt (-5°, +20°) adjustment or can be mounted to any VESA compatible stand using the 100 x 100 mm mount. The monitor features x2 HDMI and x2 DisplayPort but you will want to use DisplayPort as HDMI caps out at 100Hz, a basic dual port USB 3.0 hub is also included. The monitor features dual 3 W speakers and a 3.5 mm jack for all your audio needs. The monitor measures 808 mm x 441.5 mm x 256 mm and comes in at 10.9 kg, the monitor is currently available to pre-order for 429.99 GBP (~540 USD) with delivery expected July 24th.

ASUS today announced a new partnership with Light Illusion, who specializes in critical color management for the film, post-production and broadcast industries. Through the partnership, ASUS ProArt displays now feature integration with ColourSpace CMS, a software calibration system that connects to a wide variety of display calibration probes to correctly assess display color rendition, providing advanced and precise SDR and HDR calibration for ultimate color accuracy.

The latest ASUS ProArt PA32UCX, PA32UCX-P and PA27UCX displays are the first to support Light Illusion ColourSpace CMS for SDR and HDR calibration, offering support for the Rec. 709, DCI-P3, DCI P3 D65 and Rec. 2020 color spaces, as well as ST2084 and HLG multiple-HDR-format for HDR hardware calibration. ColourSpace CMS is used in display calibration and color management in the professional media industry and is compatible with most major calibrators, including those from Colorimetry Research, X-Rite, Datacolor and Klein.

MediaTek today announced enhancements to its Dimensity 5G chipset family with the Dimensity 1000+, an enhanced 5G-integrated chip with a number of leading technologies and upgrades for gaming, video and power-efficiency.

Dimensity 1000+ is based on the flagship performance of the Dimensity 1000 series and delivers a high-end, premium user experience. With years of accumulated experience in integrated chip technologies, MediaTek has made breakthroughs and innovations in all aspects and has become a pioneer in the 5G era.

NVIDIA rolled out the GeForce software 445.98 Hotfix drivers. The Hotfix was released to expeditiously correct glaring bugs with the GeForce software. The 445.98 Hotfix improves Overwatch stability, resolves F1 2019 crashes, fixes driver installation on the Colorful GeForce GTX 1650, improves HDR in some games, and includes various other bug fixes. The drivers are otherwise identical to GeForce 445.87 software released earlier this week. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 445.98 Hotfix

ASUS today announced ProArt Display PA32UCX-P and PA27UCX, 4K HDR monitors for professional content creators with groundbreaking Off-Axis Contrast Optimization (OCO) technology that maintains color accuracy in wide-angle viewing and makes the monitors ideal collaboration tools. The 32-inch PA32UCX-P and 27-inch PA27UCX feature mini-LED backlighting and support for multiple HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG). PA32UCX-P offers a peak brightness of 1200 cd/m² with 1152 zones of local dimming control, and PA27UCX offers a peak brightness of 1000 cd/m² with 576 zones.

Designed to give content creators professional-grade color performance, PA32UCX-P and PA27UCX come pre-calibrated and provide a Delta-E (ΔE) color accuracy of less than one in the sRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces. They also feature quantum-dot technology that supports the DCI-P3, Rec. 709, Rec. 2020, sRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces. For seamless calibration, the monitors are compatible with most major calibrators and professional calibration software.

MSI has comprehensively evolved! On top of the award-winning GE66 Raider and GS66 Stealth, MSI grandly revealed the complete line-up of six series of gamer-oriented laptops. Only the strong one can survive and evolve! MSI is the only laptop manufacturer that provides a stable supply under the global disruption of the supply chain. Now be the vanguard and evolve to next-generation by choosing the latest MSI gaming laptops equipped with 10th Gen Intel Core i9 processor (Comet Lake H-series) and latest GeForce RTX Super series graphics, newly designed for gamers in style!

The next-gen performance can entertain and satisfy the gamers in all aspects. The revamped MSI laptops can reveal the true computing power of the 10th Gen Intel Core i9 Processor. Featuring up to i9-10980HK processor, the latest Intel chip has a noticeable impact on FPS in demanding games and multitasking. With the latest Intel chip's 50% boot in computing and the Single-Core Turbo boost reaching 5.3 GHz, now gamers can enjoy an unparalleled gaming experience. Furthermore, see real-time Ray Tracing in games with up to the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, AI-enhanced graphics, which can also provide a faster efficiency than its erstwhile generation.