MSI MPG 322URX: Unusual OLED gaming monitor arrives globally with hidden upgrades
The next Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is right around the corner, having been scheduled between January 7 and January 10 in Las Vegas. With that in mind, companies like Asus have begun teasing new devices ahead of CES 2025. Now, MSI has revealed full details about the MPG 322URX QD-OLED, which it presented at the start of the month in China.
Incidentally, the MPG 322URX has arrived globally roughly a week after the MPG 321URXW received the same treatment. While the MPG 321URXW is merely a white version of the existing MPG 321URX (curr. $924.99 on Amazon), a feature of the MPG 322URX arguably makes it more future-proof for high-end gamers than the MPG 321URX. Fundamentally though, the pair utilise the same Gen 3 QD-OLED panel from Samsung Display. As a result, the MPG 322URX contains the following display characteristics:
- Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 (4K)
- Refresh rate: 48~240 Hz
- Response time: 0.03 ms GtG
- Brightness: 250 nits HDR, 450 nits HDR (10% APL), 1,000 nits HDR (3% APL)
Additionally, the MPG 322URX features the same overarching design as the MPG 321URX, as well as an identical ergonomic stand. By our count, three differences exist between the pair, which one may miss at first glance. For instance, the MPG 322URX's USB Type-C port can recharge a connected device at 98 W, an 8 W upgrade on the MPG 321URX.
Moreover, MSI has swapped out USB 2.0 Type-A and Type-B ports for faster USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) alternatives. Arguably the most important change is the inclusion of DisplayPort 2.1a port that supports the Ultra-High Bit Rate 20 (UHBR20) standard. Consequently, the MPG 322URX can output at 4K and 240 Hz over DisplayPort without using Display Stream Compression (DSC) thanks to an 80 Gbit/s peak bandwidth.
Theoretically, DSC introduces latency and quality losses, although VESA claims that DSC is 'visually lossless'. However, VESA admits that about 25% of people could tell a DSC image from a native one during testing. In other words, your experience may differ from others in this area.
Regardless, no consumer graphics cards currently support UHBR20. In short, the main selling point of the MPG 322URX over the MPG 321URX is redundant at this point. Unsurprisingly, MSI advertises the former as being designed 'to support future hardware'. Given that the company has not confirmed how much the MPG 322URX costs yet, we suspect it will form part of its CES 2025 showcases next month in Las Vegas.
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