LG has quietly redrawn the map for high‑end gaming displays. At the center of its new UltraGear evo line is an on‑device AI engine that promises to upscale whatever you throw at it to near 5K clarity — without forcing gamers to rip out their graphics cards.
The lineup, announced ahead of CES 2026, includes three headline models: a 39‑inch 5K2K OLED (39GX950B), a 27‑inch 5K New MiniLED (27GM950B) engineered to rein in blooming, and a massive 52‑inch 5K2K 240Hz panel (52G930B). Two of those — the 27 and 39 — ship with LG's on‑device AI hardware and the company says that enables the world's first 5K AI upscaling for monitors.
What the AI actually does
LG is pitching three AI features that run on the monitor itself: 5K AI Upscaling, AI Scene Optimization, and AI Sound. In practice that means the monitor analyzes incoming frames in real time and reconstructs detail, enhances tones, and tweaks audio balance before the pixels reach the panel. The headline benefit is simple: you can play at higher visual fidelity without buying a new GPU.
That model matters. Gamers who hang on to older GPUs but crave sharper visuals will see the clearest wins. It also matters for streaming and console play, where the source may never be native 5K. Think sharper textures, crisper UI elements, and audio that separates effects from music and voice automatically.
Hardware highlights and why they matter
- 39GX950B: a 39‑inch 5120x2160 curved OLED using Primary RGB Tandem OLED tech. LG claims improved brightness, color accuracy, and longevity. The panel supports dual modes: 165Hz at full 5K2K and a competitive 330Hz at a lower WFHD mode, plus an ultra‑fast 0.03ms GtG response time.
- 27GM950B: billed as the world’s first 27‑inch 5K New MiniLED monitor. It packs 2,304 local dimming zones and Zero Optical Distance engineering to cut the haloing that can plague MiniLEDs. Dual mode here swaps between 165Hz at 5K and 330Hz at QHD, with VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification and up to 1,250 nits peak brightness.
- 52G930B: a 52‑inch 5K2K panel pushing 240Hz designed for large, immersive setups. LG emphasizes a 1000R curve and a 12:9 panoramic workspace that feels wider than a typical UHD monitor.
Across the board LG leans into flexible performance: switch to high‑refresh modes for esports and competitive play, or flip back to full‑resolution modes when you want cinematic detail. That dual‑mode approach will be familiar to anyone who juggles competitive shooters and single‑player epics.
LG also teased the UltraGear GX7 (27GX790B), a separate 27‑inch QHD Primary RGB Tandem OLED with an absurd 540Hz native refresh rate and up to 720Hz in an HD mode, which the company says will go on sale with the evo demo at CES.
The bigger picture: displays meet on‑device AI
This move signals something broader: display makers are starting to embed more compute at the panel level. The idea of pushing heavy image processing off the PC and into the monitor is a natural extension of recent advances in AI image models and edge inferencing. If you follow developments in image AI, this is not surprising — models optimized for devices are becoming commonplace, much like the image research work we saw with Microsoft's MAI image family that pushed image modeling forward AI image models.
For gamers, the timing dovetails with better cloud and local streaming options. If your console or streaming box can deliver 4K or lower, a smart monitor that can upscale and tune audio in real time changes the experience without requiring you to upgrade a whole system. That trend echoes recent improvements in game streaming hardware and services — for example the way PlayStation Portal now stretches PS5 streaming into portable configurations PlayStation streaming.
What to watch for (and what's unclear)
LG's pitch is compelling, but a few pieces remain unfilled: the company did not post retail prices or wide availability yet, and the exact latency impact of AI processing — crucial for competitive gamers — will be something reviewers will test closely. On paper the monitors keep ultra‑low response times and offer high refresh modes, but real‑world performance when upscaling fast motion will decide if e‑sports players adopt them.
There are also broader questions about software support. On‑device upscaling helps with PC and console sources, but how it handles third‑party overlays, VRR handshakes, and variable frame pacing will matter to enthusiasts.
Where and when you can see them
LG will showcase UltraGear evo at CES 2026 with hands‑on zones including a Reddit‑inspired 'Dream Setup' and a SimCraft racing simulator demo featuring the 39‑inch GX9. Until pricing and retail dates are announced, that's likely the best place to judge whether the AI magic is marketing polish or a genuine leap.
If you want to think about companion hardware, this generation of monitors pairs naturally with high‑frame consoles and PCs — even the rumored PS5 Pro and other next‑gen boxes — and could extend the life of current GPUs. For console owners who want a sharper desktop experience, a PS5 Pro is an obvious pairing; it's available via retail channels like the PS5 Pro.
LG is asking us to accept less compromise: better fidelity without a forced PC rebuild, and larger formats without sacrificing speed. Whether UltraGear evo really ends the era of painful upgrade cycles will be answered next January, in a CES booth where the pixels have to prove their worth.