Maciej Koper
The CES 2026 trade show in Las Vegas brought many new products, but it was the MSI booth that caught our particular attention. We had the opportunity to take a close look at two of the latest monitors – the MPG 341CQR and the MEG X. These devices could be groundbreaking for anyone who has complained about text quality on OLED screens.
New QD-OLED Panel Under the Microscope
The biggest change that we checked right after entering the booth is the use of the latest generation (5th) QD-OLED panel from Samsung. Unlike older panels, this year's models utilize an RGB Strip subpixel structure. In practice, this means that fonts in the operating system finally become sharp and free of irritating colored fringes. The manufacturer was so confident that they provided magnifying glasses with the monitors – we took advantage of this and must confirm that the issue of image fragmentation with text has basically been eliminated.
During our first impressions on-site, we were drawn to the 360 Hz refresh rate. Although there are already panels on the market with higher values, when combined with the almost instantaneous response time of the OLED, the sharpness of the image in motion is stunning. We checked how the monitor performs with dynamic scenes, and in our opinion, it provides a significantly better effect than IPS panels with a refresh rate of 500 or even 1000 Hz. This is complemented by a glossy screen coating that does an excellent job of maintaining deep blacks, even in the challenging lighting conditions of trade show halls.
Connectors and AI Support
We also took a look at the back of the casing, where we found the latest DisplayPort standard UHBR20. This is key information because it allows for the transmission of images at the full parameters of 360 Hz without the need for lossy DSC compression. For laptop users, MSI has prepared a USB-C port with Power Delivery of 98 W. Interestingly, there is the MEG X model, which is equipped with artificial intelligence features. Among them are the AI Tracker system and the automatic brightness recovery function after blinding the player, for example, with a flashbang in CS2 😉. Although these features raise controversy in the context of fair play online, the manufacturer suggests their use mainly in single-player modes, where AI can also dynamically change the casing's backlighting depending on our hero's health level.
Our visit to the MSI booth reinforced our belief that the year 2026 will belong to refined OLEDs. Definitely in the world of monitors. Would you like to see monitor tests done by us? Let us know in the comments!
