LG Says its 480Hz OLED Monitors Increased Engagement by 38 Percent

LG has weighed in on the long-standing debate about whether high refresh rates are perceived by gamers, presenting new data. According to the company’s research, 480Hz OLED monitors can measurably improve player performance, especially in competitive games requiring fast target tracking. Test results show that higher refresh rates not only provide smoother visuals but can also impact response time and accuracy.

LG Measures a 38% Improvement with 480Hz OLED Monitors

The test, conducted by LG Display, involved 31 adult male gamers who were not professional esports players. Participants played the same shooter game at 60, 240, 360, and 480Hz refresh rates. During the test, the monitors’ specifications were hidden, and the order of the different refresh rates was randomly assigned. This was done to prevent players from consciously influencing the results through their preferences.

The study measured the number of successful hits on targets and the time between an enemy appearing on screen and being neutralized. The results showed that as the refresh rate increased, players’ accuracy also increased steadily. The difference between 60 Hz and 480 Hz reached up to 38% for some participants. A further improvement of around 10% was observed when switching from approximately 240 Hz to 480 Hz.

It was also revealed that using 480 Hz reduced input lag by more than 10 milliseconds compared to 60 Hz. Lower latency helped players track moving targets more easily and react more quickly to changes on the screen. Participants also stated that movements were smoother and target tracking was easier at higher refresh rates. The biggest difference was felt in fast-paced shooter games.

However, the fact that the research was conducted by LG and included only 31 participants suggests that the results need to be supported by larger studies. 480 Hz OLED monitors are not appealing to most gamers due to their high price. Market data shows that the majority of gamers are still using 144Hz or lower monitors. However, LG’s test reveals that refresh rates above 240Hz aren’t entirely unnecessary and can provide competitive gamers with small but measurable advantages.

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