Asus ROG Swift 500Hz gaming monitor

Is the Asus ROG Swift 500Hz Gaming Monitor a Game Changer for eSports?

One of the key aspects of computers that developers have constantly tried to improve is latency. With eSports blowing up and becoming a multibillion-dollar industry, skilled players can’t risk having any lag when viewing games on their monitors. Industry expert Nvidia has addressed this issue with its new offering, the Asus ROG Swift 500Hz Gaming Monitor, which aims for the lowest latency possible.

There’s no pricing info about the new screen yet, but it’s likely to be at the high end of the scale and aimed at professional gamers. Would regular players benefit from one of these or would it be considered a luxury item?

What Does the Asus ROG Swift 500Hz Gaming Monitor do?

Computer fanatics were expecting big announcements from Nvidia at this year’s Computex event, but they weren’t anticipating the new Asus ROG Swift 500Hz Gaming Monitor. Experts at the convention were blown away when they witnessed the new offering, with PC Gamer claiming it had the fastest refresh rate they’d ever seen.

Most PC players would regard a monitor with 170Hz to be a top-of-the-range screen for reduced latency. The 1080p 24″ screen from Nvidia with 500Hz was simply unheard of until now. The company has hailed this as the fastest monitor ever made, and few would challenge that assertion. It’s an exciting development in the industry, as other brands will now try to better this with even faster pieces of hardware.

Who Needs the Monitor?

There’s no doubt that the new monitor from Nvidia is aimed at professional gamers who need to get every advantage possible when playing online. With many of the world’s top eSports requiring high levels of skill and speed, getting that extra edge on latency is a huge advantage.

It’s unlikely that all PC players will be rushing out to buy this piece of kit, however. Indeed, many people will find themselves priced out of the screen. There has been no announcement of cost yet, but the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz is around $500. So, the new upgrade is likely to be a lot more than that.

For many PC players, a refresh rate of 500Hz is completely unnecessary. For example, popular war strategy games often don’t rely on super-quick thinking, like League of Legends or Overwatch, but instead long term tactical planning. In the title based on the Norse warriors, players build communities and defend them against opposing factions. These worlds take time to build and don’t involve lightning-quick gameplay. Similar titles like World of Warcraft and RuneScape can also be played without such high-tech capabilities.

eSports players, on the other hand, may see this offering as the perfect way to climb up the rankings and carve an advantage over their competitors. They may figure that the outlay for the monitor will be worth it if it helps them make money from competitive gaming.

The Asus ROG Swift 500Hz Gaming Monitor from Nvidia is a hugely impressive piece of kit that will help push the eSports industry forward. Regular PC players don’t need to go splashing the cash on this, but aspiring eSports athletes could find that it is a great way to get some extra gains in the online leagues.

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