A number of weeks in the past, Philips introduced the Evnia 27M2G5800, a poetically-named, 27-inch, 5K dual-mode gaming monitor on the market in China, and at present, the corporate has introduced a western counterpart—the 27M2D5901A (yeah, monitor names are like that). I managed to get hands-on expertise with the display at a press occasion in Croatia, and dual-mode works in addition to I would need it to.
The all-white panel is able to swapping between 5120 x 2880 (165 Hz) and 2560 x 1440 (330 Hz). The use case right here is placing one recreation on its highest potential decision for these fairly, immersive video games, and swapping to 1440p for aggressive play in one other. 330 Hz is actually on the high-end in that regard, whereas 5K is kind of wasted on the likes of Counter-Strike 2.
Additionally, in case your rig is a tad missing and you propose on upgrading sooner or later, you may deal with 1440p in the interim, then swap whenever you lastly have the ability to justify 5K—although there’s little or no on the market with the ability to justify 5K in the meanwhile.
Cesar Reyes Acosta, the European Business Chief for Philips’ sister firm AOC, tells me “ours is identical [as the 27M2G5800], however ours is extra geared up.”
The 27M2D5901A, in addition to having that all-white look, has Philips Ambilight inbuilt. Which means it has lights on the again which you’ll sync as much as your video games. As a part of this, Philips’ new 5,000-8,000 sequence (the mid to top-end) all include Philips’ personal AI lighting system and Matter compatibility. This implies you may hook up your monitor to your good lights and blast your complete room with mild whenever you get a flashbang hurled at you… theoretically.
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It additionally comes with a 65 W USB Sort-C within the again, so you may cost your laptop computer from it whereas it is plugged in, or use it to energy a USB hub in a pinch.
The 27M2D5901A can be accessible in July this yr, and is available in at a really helpful worth of €799. Roughly exchanged, that works out to $940 on the time of writing, however I am instructed there aren’t but any plans to launch the monitor within the US. Hopefully, that may change sooner or later.
On paper, it is fairly much like the Asus ROG Strix XG27JCG. Each displays provide 5K dual-mode, they usually’re the identical measurement. AOC’s providing, if it launches within the US, will probably are available at north of $900, however Asus’s is obtainable for $849. Each are IPS, and AOC’s is available in at 50 nits brighter. Which means there is a slight improve in brightness, a neat look, and a few flashy lights in change for the additional money.
In testing, I managed to swap between the resolutions principally simply (due to the brand new OSD), and it occurred in just some seconds. The little little bit of gaming I managed to get on the monitor was actually fairly , and that 5K decision is killer. €799 is an eye-watering price for an IPS panel, however not out of the norm for 5K, particularly with dual-mode.
However my eyes have turn into so accustomed to OLED at this level that I am not totally satisfied I can return, and 5K is a budding subject, so whether or not or not you wish to get in on the bottom flooring is a tricky choice. You’re getting a comparatively low brightness right here, and 5K is probably going solely as a consequence of get higher with time, however I can not say I wasn’t impressed by the panel, the monitor, and the beautiful lights nonetheless.
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