If you’re playing video games such as Valorant, Counter-Strike 2 or League of Legends, you need your gaming monitor to have a high refresh rate. These competitive titles need the player to be ultra-reactive and the response time to be minimal. In eSport, the slightest millisecond can make all the difference to your opponents. From now on, you can count on the BenQ Zowie XL2586X 540Hz display as the ultimate gaming screen!
The Windows 11 update that breaks the refresh rate barrier
On October 10, 2023, Microsoft released the KB5031354 Windows 11 update. Although the changelog doesn’t show it, players have discovered that it completely removes restrictions on refresh rates. Until now, a software restriction limited screen refresh rates to a maximum of 500Hz, but this has now been lifted.
More generally, to get the best performance from a gaming PC, it’s essential that the operating system and graphics card drivers are up to date. Microsoft patches regularly offer optimizations that can save a few frames per second. Whether it’s Nvidia or AMD, graphics card manufacturers also provide gamers with game-optimizing updates.
The BenQ Zowie XL2586X gaming monitor reaches 540Hz
Now that this barrier has been lifted, 540Hz screens dedicated to esports are starting to arrive on the market. An example is BenQ’s Zowie XL2586X, designed for competitions. It offers an optimal refresh rate for better gaming performance.
The gaming screen dedicated to esports
BenQ’s Zowie range is particularly popular with Counter-Strike 2 gamers, and is a benchmark in the field. With the BenQ Zowie XL2586X gaming monitor, BenQ confirms its position as industry leader, offering a refresh rate of 540Hz.
It’s crucial to understand that in the context of competition, visual aesthetics are not the priority. Indeed, some monitors offer post-processing to improve image quality, which can add latency. The aim of an esport screen is to achieve maximum performance. That’s why BenQ has opted for a TN panel, providing an ultra-responsive display.
To ensure that the graphics card delivers the maximum number of frames per second, esport players prefer Full HD definition, or even an intermediate definition such as 1600×1024 pixels. This way, the GPU’s computing power is dedicated to performance. BenQ has understood this, offering a 1920×1080 pixel panel on its BenQ Zowie XL2586X display.
XL Setting to Share and S-Switch
In addition to the excellent performance of the BenQ Zowie XL2586X display, BenQ has also developed the XL Setting to Share software, which lets you save several profiles. This way, professional players can change their game profile on the fly, in the middle of the game, thanks to the S-Switch that allows them to switch from one configuration to another at the touch of a button. Designed with competition and esport teams in mind, XL Setting to Share also enables players to simply share their settings with each other.
Color management with Color Vibrance
BenQ’s Zowie displays also feature Color Vibrance technology, which adjusts colors to highlight the most important elements. This image processing enables players to detect opponents effectively. On classic screens, enemies can blend into the background, notably due to the camouflage clothing in games like Counter-Strike 2 and Rainbow Six. With Color Vibrance, they are highlighted for easier detection.
Black eQualizer for detecting opponents in the dark
The Black eQualizer feature also enhances visibility in dark areas of maps. This setting lets you illuminate parts of the image that are less brightly lit. An indispensable tool for spotting players hidden in the shadows. A real advantage during competitions that helps you avoid being killed by surprise by an opponent hidden in the dark.
Motion blur eliminated with DyAc 2
DyAc 2 technology enables the TN panel to offer instant display. In addition to improved responsiveness, it eliminates the motion blur that is the bane of professional gamers. As a result, the image is always perfectly legible, allowing you to pinpoint the exact location of your opponents.
Why play video games at 540Hz?
By increasing the refresh rate to 540Hz, more frames per second are displayed, making movements smoother and more precise. This is particularly crucial on first-person shooter (FPS) games such asApex Legends or Overwatch 2, for example. Perception of opponents’ movements and the environment is also enhanced, which can confer a significant tactical advantage.
A high refresh rate also reduces the delay between the player’s action and its display on the screen (input lag). The result is improved responsiveness and greater precision when aiming. At the highest level, and particularly in esport competitions, opponents are highly trained and develop extraordinary reflexes. Equipment must not be allowed to restrict the exceptional physical abilities of professional players.
Imperceptible to the naked eye, screens with a low refresh rate can cause image flicker. This can lead to eye fatigue during long gaming sessions. At 540Hz, this phenomenon is eliminated, making it possible to play for longer, for instance during competitions that can last several days.
How to play video games at 540Hz
Most competitive games are optimized for high frame rates. On entry-level configurations, it’s quite possible to reduce the quality of the graphics and the definition to allocate the graphics card’s computing power to performance. However, you’ll need a recent GPU, such as Nvidia’s RTX or AMD’s RX models.
High-end graphics cards have no problem running most modern competitive games. This is especially true in esports, where the definition used is often Full HD. As the latest GPUs are designed for 4K UHD gaming, delivering more frames per second in 1080p is very easy on these devices.
As for software, the latest version of Windows 11 is required if you want to take advantage of the 540Hz refresh rate. Windows 10 users should therefore update their operating system. The latest version of the graphics card driver must also be installed to support 540Hz.
The screen, too, must be capable of reaching this refresh rate. The BenQ Zowie XL2586X gaming monitor is an excellent choice, if not the best. With this model, BenQ sets the bar very high and confirms its determination to be a major player on the esport scene.
Better refresh rates for consumers?
As in motor sports, technologies developed for competitions are eventually made available for all users. The PlayStation 5 Slim and Xbox Series X are already capable of refresh rates of up to 120Hz. More than enough performance to play at a very high level. The imminent arrival of a PS5 Pro and a new Xbox could well bring these ultra-high frequencies to all games.
TV manufacturers have also entered the race, with models capable of reaching 144Hz. All of this is accompanied by support for FreeSync and G-Sync, so you don’t have to worry about screen tearing. TVs are also beginning to attract the attention of PC gamers. A logical development, given the growing importance of fluidity and responsiveness in the gaming sector.
This trend has also made its way onto the movie industry, in particular with the use of HFR on feature films such as Avatar, The Way of the Water and The Hobbit trilogy. This picture smoothness is not always appreciated by film buffs, but is of interest to directors. This technology provides a form of realism that can be disconcerting for some viewers.
These technological advances are part of a wider trend towards the widespread use of high refresh rates in both the gaming and consumer electronics worlds. Whether it’s on a console, a TV or even at movie theaters, image smoothness is becoming a must, testifying to the growing impact of gaming on the entire entertainment industry.
