Samsung unveils a 27-inch curved monitor for gamers

Curved TVs were all the rage at CES last January. Now Samsung is hoping to entice PC gamers to pay a hefty premium for a 27-inch curved computer monitor. Where conventional consumer-oriented 27-inch displays with native resolution of 1920×1080 sell for as little as $220, Samsung thinks it can fetch $430 for its curved model SD590C. Quoting from Samsung’s press release, Samsung marketing VP Ron Gazzola says that the SD590C’s curved design was “carefully engineered to draw you into the display and truly make you feel a part of the content.” Samsung says the curvature not only gives the display a wider field of view that makes the display seem bigger than it actually is, but that it also reduces visual clutter in the viewer’s peripheral vision.

Samsung insists “the curve changes everything” about watching TV, but can it do the same for PC monitors? Today the company announced that it’s expanding its portfolio of curved screens to include desktop displays. The first such product, a 27-inch 1080p display, has been priced at $429.99 and will go on sale October 1st. Samsung says its engineers “conducted extensive research on the human eye to determine the optimal monitor curve radius.” Those efforts resulted in a curvature of 4000R, which gives the SD590C a wider field of view than flat panels, according to Samsung, and makes it appear larger than it really is. You’d think the curve would be hard to perceive on a 27-inch screen, but remember that this one’s much closer to your face than a TV. Samsung is also claiming that the curve reduces “peripheral visual clutter” since the edges are closer to your eyes and require you to shift focus less often to see content at the far ends; we haven’t been able to test that theory, however. The display has a response time of 4ms, 350-nit max brightness, and a 3000:1 contrast ratio. You’ll find video hookups for HDMI, DisplayPort. and D-sub.