AOC partnered with Porsche Design on this pricey 32-inch Mini LED monitor – The Verge

Gadgets with any attachment to Porsche Design tend to have a lousy track record, but its latest collaboration is tough to knock. It partnered with AOC (the accessory company, not the US representative) to Porsche-fy this high-end Agon Pro PD32M gaming monitor that’s available for preorder now and shipping in June for $1,799. Beyond the frameless 32-inch panel, which has Mini LED backlighting for better contrast and light control, its minimalist, sturdy-looking aluminum stand mimics the style of Porsche steering wheels.

After looking up what Porsche steering wheels look like, I’m not exactly sold on this homage. But even so, it certainly makes for a more elegant-looking gaming monitor than most — at least from the front. Its rear is covered in RGB LED panels that light up. And as goofy as the headphone hooks on both sides may appear, it’s a feature that I wish every monitor had. I’m always looking for a place to put my headphones and headsets.

Business in the front, party in the back.

Beyond aesthetics, this monitor’s $1,799 price seems reasonable for the features that it offers. In addition to the Mini LED backlighting, it has a 4K 16:9 aspect ratio display with a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, DisplayHDR 1400 support, and 97 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. The spec sheet lists that it supports “AdaptiveSync,” but it isn’t clear if that’s AMD’s FreeSync or Nvidia’s G-Sync.

Its rear features two HDMI ports, at least one of which supports HDMI 2.1 for up to 120Hz at 4K resolution, one DisplayPort jack, four USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a headphone jack, and one USB-C port (this site claims it supports DisplayPort video and 65W of passthrough power). It adds on a couple of extras, like two 8W speakers and a wireless controller, presumably for switching inputs and more easily navigating its on-screen display.

If you want a 4K Mini LED monitor with HDMI 2.1 support for PC, Xbox Series X, and PS5, $1,799 doesn’t seem like the worst possible price for this thing — especially with Porsche Design attached to the product. But monitors that seem exciting and great sometimes don’t turn out that way. Apple’s $1,699 5K Studio Display is one example. Samsung’s Odyssey Neo G9 with Mini LED seemed incredible and turned out to be less than stellar in our review, so maybe wait for the reviews to come out before ordering this one.