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In 2023, I tested my first OLED gaming monitor for Engadget, the LG 27GR95QE. Coming from an IPS LCD, the LG screen was transformational. Its WOLED (White OLED) panel produced inky blacks that made every game look incredible, and it allowed me to experience HDR gaming on a PC for the first time. But as amazing as that monitor was, it was a first generation product and it had a couple of problems. It produced text fringing that made it distracting to use for productivity tasks, and it would flicker whenever I enabled NVIDIA's G-Sync smoothing. I ended up recommending the LG 27GR95QE with a few caveats in my first gaming monitor guide, but anytime in the last two years that I've considered buying an OLED for myself I've held off. The panels have gotten better, but if I'm going to spend $800 or more on a new monitor, it better be perfect or at least close to it. I think I've finally found the OLED monitor I would recommend without reservation, and I'd even buy it for myself. As long as you own a GPU that can drive it, Alienware's new AW2725Q is an exceptional gaming display. With a 4K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate, it's fast, sharp and delivers nearly flawless image quality across both SDR and HDR applications. Oh, and did I mention it's substantially cheaper than the competition? If you're in the market for a high-end gaming monitor, this is the one to buy. Design Igor Bonifacic for Engadget The AW2725Q marks the debut of Dell's new AW30 design language for Alienware products. It's been a while since I've seen one of the company's devices in person, and I was worried the monitor would look gaudy on my desk. Thankfully, the AW2725Q is not that; in fact, it has one of the more understated designs I've come across. Dell offers the AW2725Q in a single color: Interstellar Indigo. Its a subtle hue that's more interesting than the usual black you see on so many competitors. The monitor also has minimal Alienware branding. On the back of the display, there's the company's trademark alien logo, while on the front you'll find its badge. The logo lights up. You can change the color of the LED or turn it off from the on-screen display (OSD) menu. Like most Dell monitors, the AW2725Q offers plenty of ports. To start, it comes with two HDMI 2.1 connections. One of them supports eARC, so you can connect the monitor to a soundbar and a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. It also has three USB-A ports and a single USB-C connection capable of 15W power delivery. The AW2725Q has the same flat Samsung-made QD-OLED panel as the $1,200 ASUS PG27UCDM and the $1,100 MSI 272URX. Dell cut a few features to get its monitor to $900. First, it's missing a DisplayPort 2.1 output, meaning it's limited to the older 1.4 standard. As a result, the AW2725Q needs to rely on Display Stream Compression (DSC) to output a 4K signal at 240Hz. On paper and in practice, that's not much of a reason to skip over Alienware's monitor. As the name suggests, DSC is a compression algorithm. It's not technically lossless, but it is "visually lossless," and unless you pixel peep, it's difficult to notice a difference between a DSC signal and an uncompressed one over DisplayPort 2.1. Besides, you'll need one of NVIDIA or AMDs latest GPUs to take advantage of the new standard anyway. The AW2725Q's other compromises are more notable. The MSI and ASUS models offer faster 98W and 90W power delivery over their USB-C ports, making them better for charging a laptop quickly. The ASUS monitor also comes with a KVM switch, in case you want to use a single keyboard and mouse to control more than one computer. Those are all nice to have, but not features I would pay an extra $200 or $300 to get on a new monitor, especially one I plan to use primarily for gaming. Display Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Although I've seen more than a few OLED monitors in the past, the AW2725Q was immediately impressive. As I mentioned earlier, it features a QD-OLED panel made by Samsung, and this specific model marks the first time that company has offered a 4K resolution on a 27-inch panel. That might seem like overkill, and in a way it is. That said, there's one major benefit to the AW2725Q's 166ppi pixel density. This is the first OLED monitor I've used that doesn't sacrifice text clarity. With earlier generations of OLED panels from both Samsung and LG, I found the text fringing really distracting, making them impractical for most productivity tasks. With the AW2725Q, that problem is almost entirely solved, making it not just a great gaming monitor, but a great monitor period. The AW2725Q offers 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage. Out of the box, my unit needed some calibration, as the green diodes were slightly overpowering everything else. Once I ran the monitor through DisplayCal, the AW2725Q looked nearly perfect. Colors were vibrant without being overbaked. If you want to use the AW2725Q for design work, Dell includes an option to clamp down the display to sRGB in the OSD. Speaking of the OSD, it's well laid out and easy to navigate thanks to a joystick that's just big enough not to feel fiddly. Igor Bonifacic for Engadget The AW2725Q has a glossy coating that accentuates the panel's ability to produce deep blacks and vibrant colors. In a dimly lit room, the Alienware monitor outputs an image that's almost three-dimensional. When I went to revisit older games, even ones that were mastered in SDR, I felt like I was seeing artistic details I hadn't noticed before. Of course, the tradeoff with a glossy coating is that reflections are far more pronounced. Additionally, one of the quirks of QD-OLED panels is that their black pixels can look gray in rooms with bright ambient light. At first I found this frustrating, but once I got better about using my blinds to manage the light coming through the window, the tradeoff was more than worth it. In that way, the AW2725Q is like any OLED screen: it needs proper lighting to look its best. Once I had th screen dialed in, the AW2725Q was equally great for both immersive and competitive gaming, thanks in part to its 240Hz refresh rate. Coming from a 165Hz monitor, I didn't think the faster refresh rate would make games feel noticeably smoother, but I was wrong. Even when my NVIDIA RTX 3070 GPU wasn't able to saturate the display fully, in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Space Marine 2 for example, I didn't see any blur or smearing. Much of that is thanks to the 0.03ms pixel response time. One of the nice things about OLED monitors, especially if you're running a less powerful GPU like I am, is that you don't need to worry about overdrive modes. I saw VRR flicker when I had G-SYNC enabled, but it seemed less pronounced than what I've seen on older OLED monitors like the LG 27GR95QE. Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Everything I mentioned so far applies to SDR gaming, but the AW2725Q really comes into its own when you enable HDR. It's a VESA True Black 400-certified display. In dark, atmospheric games like Dead Space and Alan Wake, the AW2725Q's ability to produce true blacks and a near-infinite contrast ratio is transformational. The screen greatly enhances the ambience those games strive to achieve, thanks to dark scenes that aren't washed out by the glow you get on IPS displays. Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment needed to measure peak brightness and panel uniformity. The reviewers at Rtings and Monitors Unboxed do rate the AW2725Q highly, though. They found the monitor can peak at 220 nits in its SDR mode, and sustain around 260 nits of peak brightness across a full screen during HDR operation. If you're coming from an LCD display, I imagine the AW2725Q won't disappoint, even if it doesn't get as bright as some other OLEDs on the market. Burn-in protection A few weeks is not long enough to stress the AW2725Q for burn-in, but from what I've seen so far, with decent care, the panel should last for years. First of all, the monitor comes with a suite of maintenance features. One of those will refresh all the pixels on the panel so they don't get stuck. You can start the process manually through the OSD. The AW2725Q will also initiate the process on its own after you turn off your computer or it goes to sleep. The entire procedure takes about five minutes. There are also self-diagnostic tools for the panel and fan at the back of the display. In the US, Dell offers a three-year warranty on the AW2725Q, with burn-in protection included in the coverage. Not every manufacturer does this with their OLED monitors, so the fact Dell does is nice and makes the AW2725Q a smarter long-term purchase. Wrap-up Igor Bonifacic for Engadget Normally, when I review a product, I can't wait to get back to the device I was using before. I try to be thoughtful about my buying habits, and only purchase things I know will serve me well for years to come. So the best thing I can say about the Alienware AW2725Q is that I'm not looking forward to sending it back. It is an amazing display that has made one of my favorite hobbies more enjoyable. The fact it costs $900 is icing on the cake. Yes, it's still more expensive than your average IPS gaming monitor, but it's cheaper than the competition without sacrificing visual quality. If you're in the market for a 4K OLED, I would only skip the AW2725Q if you have the desk space to accommodate a 32-inch screen and you prefer that size.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/alienware-aw2725q-review-an-exceptional-oled-gaming-display-120046049.html?src=rss
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This week Meta held its first-ever AI dev conference, LlamaCon, focused on the development of its Llama generative AI model. But while there was plenty of hype, not much happened, besides the launch of the Meta AI app and a new Llama API. In this episode, Engadget Senior Reporter Karissa Bell joins us to talk about her thoughts on LlamaCon after attending in person. After just announcing its latest Llama models a few weeks ago, it was as if Meta didn't have much else to say. Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Topics Metas Muted LlamaCon: who was the AI dev conference really for? 1:31 Court orders Apple to stop collecting app fees outside of the iTunes store 21:44 Microsoft announces Xbox series X and S prices are going up 25:22 NPR report: DOGE employees may have access to U.S. nuclear secrets 26:44 New EV startup Slate to offer a barebones pickup for $20k (after tax breaks) 30:47 Swiss academics use AI to influence public opinion on Reddit 35:08 Duolingo to replace contract workers with AI 40:19 Working on 47:50 Pop culture picks 50:56 Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Karissa BellProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/engadget-podcast-metas-first-llamacon-was-kind-of-a-bust-113008156.html?src=rss
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Microsoft is dramatically increasing the price of the Xbox Series X and Series S as well as new games and accessories. The Series S will start at $380, up from $300, while the Series X will begin at $550, a $100 increase on its previous price. The company is also increasing the prices of pretty much all its first-party products and peripherals. A basic controller will now cost $65. Microsoft is also increasing pricing in Europe, UK, Australia and many other countries. Microsoft, however, isnt pointing the finger at tariffs: We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development, the company said. Its unusual for a mid-generation console to increase in price typically, companies launch a slightly more expensive, better-specced iteration instead. Also this week, Samsungs chief financial officer Soon-cheol Park told reporters The ongoing uncertainty surrounding US tariff policies continues to pose a potential risk of demand slowdown. Park said US tariff policies and stronger export controls against artificial intelligence products are expected to have an impact on demand. In addition to a downward trend on sales, the company also expects tariffs to raise prices for the components it uses on its mobile phones so expect more expensive smartphones down the line. The recent addition to upward pricing is DJIs popular Ozmo Pocket 3 vlogging camera. Up from a launch price of $520, its gone way up to $799. (DJI had already bumped the price up last month to $620.) The base camera is now more expensive than the Creator Kit available at launch. Mat Smith Get Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The biggest stories you might have missed Apple sends spyware warnings to iPhone users in 100 countries Rivian R1S Gen 2 review: The rugged foundation of Rivians electric empire VR is helping to make daunting medical treatments more bearable for patients The best way to compost your food scraps The BBC used AI (and an actor) to bring Agatha Christie back to life With approval from her estate. BBC BBC Maestro offers classes and courses similar to Masterclass, but with a British twist. Its latest tutor, however, died in 1976. Agatha Christie has been digitally revived to teach us all how to write murder mysteries with no reference to smartphones and the internet. A blend of licensed images, limited footage and past audio recordings converged to create Christies likeness. This was fused with recorded footage of actor Vivien Keene, who performs the words of Christie on video. I got to briefly watch some of the lessons. Theres still a glint of uncanny valley, of course, (I think its something to do with the eyes?), but even BBC Maestro CEO Michael Levine noted that since the projects inception a few years ago, the technology had evolved so quickly that the team was able to do even more than it first thought possible. Continue reading. Canon Powershot V1 camera review A powerful compact capable of capturing incredible video. Engadget Canons PowerShot V1 is a versatile hybrid camera with excellent video and image quality thanks to the unusually large sensor. It goes up against Sonys ZV-1 II and beats it in multiple ways, including a built-in fan to minimize overheating. Its also capable of 10-bit log 4K video for those willing to dig into higher-quality footage. The PowerShot V1 is bound to be a hit because it delivers both on video and photo quality. Continue reading. Sam Altman's eyeball-scanning ID technology debuts in the US World is opening six locations across the country. A startup co-founded by Sam Altman has launched its World eyeball-scanning identity verification systm in the US. During an event in San Francisco, Altman reportedly said Worlds technology provides a way to make sure humans remained central and special in a world where the internet had a lot of AI-driven content. Altman is also one of the founders and is currently the CEO of OpenAI, of Chat-GPT fame. (Or infamy.) The project uses basketball-sized spherical objects called Orbs to scan the users irises, which it turns into their unique IrisCode. It then uses that information to create a World ID for the user, which they can use to log into integrated platforms, including Minecraft and Reddit. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111538265.html?src=rss
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