Nvidia's Computex 2022 keynote had a focus on big ideas like AI training and data centres for enterprise and cloud gaming. We also saw a few new titles anointed with RTX and DLSS support. But there was one gaming hardware announcement that shocked us, though it wasn't a GPU.
During the keynote, Nvidia announced the new Asus ROG Swift 500Hz gaming monitor, which is the fastest refresh rate we've ever seen. Most of the high refresh rate monitors out there are closer to the 170Hz mark, or at the upper extreme, 360Hz. So 500Hz is a truly bonkers refresh rate for a gaming monitor, especially one announced without much fanfare during a Nvidia conference.
The Asus Rog Swift 500Hz also boasts a 1080p 24" screen with what Nvidia referred to as a brand new TN panel. While TN panels are fairly old tech, they're also very low latency, which follows with the rest of the theme of this high refresh rate screen. Nvidia crowned it the "lowest latency, highest refresh rate G-sync esports display ever created" in the announcement.
It's been highly optimised for low latency gaming, meaning you're missing out on other features, like a higher resolution display. Still, for those serious about eliminating every last bit of latency out of their gaming experience, this is going to be a great and likely expensive choice.
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The monitor was spoken about in conjunction with Nvidia's Reflex Analyzer software, which is being integrated directly into games like Fortnite and Apex Legends to help mitigate latency. According to Nvidia, the tech coordinates the game and graphics driver to reduce any system latency, and given that's what this new Asus 500Hz screen is about, it makes they were discussed together.
We don't have any pricing information on the Asus Rog Swift 500Hz gaming monitor just yet, but given its one of a kind status, and that it's marketed at pro esports gamers, we're not expecting a cheap screen.
