Acer’s Predator CG552K will be about as fancy as a PC monitor can get when it arrives in Q3 this year. With OLED (opens in new tab), the most premium type of display panel available, the 55-inch 4K (opens in new tab) monitor will be among an incredibly exclusive group of gaming monitors (opens in new tab) and cost an equally incredible $2,999.
When it comes to strong image quality, it doesn’t get better than OLED’s out-of-this world contrast. With OLED screens’ fantastically rich blacks, it’ll pop against any typical LCD monitor, and even motion processing gets a boost, which is a big plus for competitive gamers.
In addition to being a massive 4K gaming monitor (opens in new tab), the Predator CG552K supports HDR (opens in new tab)content at up to 400 nits brightness (as per VESA DIsplayHDR 400 certification) and promises a Delta E (opens in new tab)of less than 1 with 98.5% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, which is just what you want when it comes to HDR titles.
Gamers will appreciate the monitor’s Nvidia G-Sync Compatibility (opens in new tab) and 120Hz refresh rate coupled with an as-good-as-it-gets 0.5ms (GTG) response time, albeit via overdrive.
The monitor has other tricks up its sleeve, including a proximity sensor that makes the monitor wake up when someone’s near and go into power saver mode when no one’s looking. There’s also a light sensor that adjusts the screen’s brightness based on how much light is in the room. Port selection is generous with three HDMI 2.0 ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 ports, a USB Type-C port and two each of USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Plus, there are two 10W speakers and “customizable light strips,” according to Acer’s announcement.
Acer Predator CG552K vs. Alienware AW5520QF
The Predator CG552K will join the extremely short list of OLED gaming monitors. The sole other member readily available is the Alienware AW5520QF (opens in new tab), which only debuted in September (there was also the limited edition Eizo Foris Nova (opens in new tab) temporarily available in October). The Alienware boasts nearly identical specs to the Acer, except it has two 14W speakers and a scanter port selection. Of course, there's lot more to learn about the Predator CG552K, such as how its lights strips are implemented and if it'll come with a nifty remote like the Alienware does. But at the time of writing, the Alienware is slightly more affordable at $2,800.
Unfortunately, the monitors also seem similar when it comes to some things we didn’t like about the Alienware OLED when we tested it. Both displays are only certified for a mere minimum of 400 nits brightness with HDR and lack FreeSync 2 HDR, which has tone mapping and better optimizes HDR games than FreeSync. Additionally, they both have prices that aren’t low enough to sway people from similar-sized OLED TVs.
Still, along with the mini-LED Acer Predator X32 also announced today, Acer is poised to drop two of the most premium gaming monitors money can buy in 2020.
Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Acer Predator CG552K | Alienware AW5520QF |
| Panel Type & Backlight | 55-inch OLED | 55-inch OLED |
| Max Resolution & Refresh Rate | 3840 x 2160 @ 120Hz; FreeSync: Range not specified | 3840 x 2160 @ 120Hz; FreeSync: 40-120Hz |
| Response Time (GTG) | 0.5ms | 0.5ms |
| HDR Brightness | 400 nits | 400 nits |
| Contrast | Not specified | 130,000:1 |
| Speakers | 2x 10W | 2x 14W |
| Ports | 2x DisplayPort 1.4; 3x HDMI 2.0; 2x USB 3.0; 2x USB 2.0; 1x USB-C | 1x DisplayPort 1.4; 3x HDMI 2.0; 5x USB 3.0; 3.5mm; S/PDIF |
| Price (as of writing) | $2,999.99 | $2,799.99 |
