Image: Brad Chacos/IDG
MSI could’ve left well alone with the MEG 321URX QD-OLED monitor (try saying that three times fast!). I mean, it’s impressive as hell just off pure specs alone: This 32-inch, 4K, 240Hz OLED monitor with DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification and 99 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color spectrum is already better than everyone owns except the 0.01 percent of PC enthusiasts while the integration of OLED Care 2.0 (which automatically dims the black line between two open windows as well as shortcut icons if you spend lengthy time on the desktop) should help reduce two irritating causes of potential burn-in.
Stop there, and this beast rocks. Don’t take my word for it. Hardware Unboxed monitor guru said just that in this early preview of the monitor, published in time for CES.
But MSI didn’t stop there.
AI isn’t just for NPUs, Windows 11, and data centers anymore. MSI bakes chips with “AI” into its monitors. Most of its lineup sticks to MSI’s Gaming Intelligence feature, which automatically enables eye saver mode when you’re slinging spreadsheets, enables game modes when you’re slinging virtual bullets and so on. Cool beans!
The MSI MEG 321URX goes one step further. It uses AI to try to turn you into a League of Legends god.
Seriously. One of the two features is fairly simple, but still incredibly handy: There’s an RGB “SpectrumBar” lightbar across the bottom of the display, and MSI trained its AI to tie that into your selected character’s health bar in LoL. It sounds silly, but seeing that light meter slowly drop across the bottom of your display as your character takes blows makes it much easier to keep tabs on your health.
The next one is more complicated. While you’re scrolling around the League map, you’ll see a big red skull appear at times, pointing offscreen. This is the monitor itself detecting where enemies are coming in from out of your line of sight and giving you an early warning, using a feature called “AI Skylight.” Yep, it’s a delightfully handy AI-driven cheater mode – and since all the processing runs off a chip in your monitor, you won’t get banned, you naughty lil devil.
MSI plans on training the MEG 321URX’s AI features to work in other esports games like Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 2. Who knows? Before you know it, your esports games may play themselves. Either way, I’m lusting over this monitor in ways I haven’t felt since testing the mammoth Corsair Xeneon Flex last year.
This god-tier, god-making screen will be available for $1199 when it launches in select countries in late February. Stay tuned to PCWorld for more nifty PC goodies from CES 2024 all week long!
Author: Brad Chacos, Executive editor
Brad Chacos spends his days digging through desktop PCs and tweeting too much. He specializes in graphics cards and gaming, but covers everything from security to Windows tips and all manner of PC hardware.
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