Asus unveils world's first 500Hz gaming monitor — and it's the best kind of overkill

Asus ROG Swift 500Hz
(Image credit: Asus)

The best gaming monitors offer high refresh rates in order to deliver smooth playing experiences. There are some gamers who balk at refresh rates lower than 144Hz, and monitors with 240Hz and even 360Hz displays are starting to become more common. Now, Asus is set to unleash the world’s first 500Hz G-Sync display in the form of the 24-inch 1080p Asus ROG Swift 500Hz.

Revealed during Computex 2022, the Asus ROG Swift 500Hz seems like overkill. But while 500Hz may not be something most gamers, even of the hardcore PC variety, require, it could be what competitive players are looking for. As The Verge reports, Nvidia claims this gaming monitor makes a significant difference for competitive gamers.

According to Nvidia, this monitor reduces ghosting and makes it easier to track targets thanks to smoother animations. The monitor uses Nvidia’s new Reflex Analyzer tech, a collection of technologies intended to help you measure and reduce input lag in your PC gaming rig. The new monitor also has a G-Sync eSports mode as well as a "Vibrance" mode designed to let additional light travel through the LCD crystals. The display employs other technologies that provide better response times.

Like we said above, this monitor is aimed toward the competitive gamer who wants to squeeze the most out of their gaming display. However, in order to take full advantage of the 500Hz display, one would need a beefy gaming rig. Reports say that Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 40-series graphics cards will arrive in the latter half of 2022. Based on the GPU line’s rumored specs, they should allow games to run at very high frame rates and thus capitalize on this monitor’s high refresh rate. 

Nvidia didn’t announce a release date or price for the ROG Swift 500Hz gaming monitor. While it's only 1080p, given its ultra-high refresh rate we expect it to cost north of $1,000. We’re not sure if it will arrive this year; if not, it could possibly be shown during CES 2023.

And while this gaming monitor isn’t for average consumers (or even most gamers), it’s always interesting to see companies push technologies to the extreme. And who knows, perhaps this display will prove popular with the esports crowd it's targeting and claim a top spot among the best monitors on the market.

Tony Polanco
Computing Writer

Tony is a computing writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on X/Twitter. His non-nerdy pursuits involve attending Hard Rock/Heavy Metal concerts and going to NYC bars with friends and colleagues. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.