LG Display, the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, announced the outcomes of its experimental study on how the refresh rate of gaming monitors affects actual real-world gaming performance, with its related research paper published at an international academic conference.
According to the paper, “A study on the impact of refresh rate on real-time FPS gaming performance,” using a monitor with a higher refresh rate enhances object recognition in dynamic scenes, thereby improving reaction speed and accuracy.
Four different refresh rates tested
For the experiment, 31 adult males described as general gamers experienced four different refresh rates — 60Hz, 240Hz, 360Hz, and 480Hz — in random order while playing a first-person shooter (FPS) game. Quantitative indicators included hit score (number of successful hits) and event interval time (time elapsed from target appearance to elimination), while qualitative indicators included smoothness, ease of tracking, and overall preference.
In terms of hit score, the gamers’ win rate improved by 38% at the highest level of 480Hz compared to the lowest level of 60Hz. Despite significant gains being achieved even at 240Hz, the win rate increased by an additional 10% at 480Hz. This indicates that gaming performance continues to scale consistently as the refresh rate increases.
Qualitative satisfaction also improved as the refresh rate rose. Participants reported that higher levels resulted in smoother visuals and made it easier to track moving targets, which directly contributed to a stronger overall preference.
Higher OLED refresh rates reduce input lag
These performance advantages are attributed to the physical characteristics of OLED monitors. Higher OLED refresh rates significantly reduce input lag — the delay between input signals and on-screen response — as well as motion blur. In the experiment, input lag was reduced by more than 10 milliseconds at 480Hz compared to 60Hz. This reduction enabled gamers to determine the positions of fast-moving enemies more accurately.
Building on these findings, LG Display plans to continue strengthening its high-refresh-rate Gaming OLED lineup and further solidify its leadership in the gaming monitor market.
This past May, LG Display’s 27-inch 540/720Hz (DFR) OLED panel, which features the world’s highest refresh rate, was honoured with the “Display of the Year” award by the Society for Information Display (SID), the most prestigious organisation in the field.
“Building on our experience in commercialising industry-leading performance products such as the 27-inch 540/720Hz (DFR) OLED, we will further strengthen our technological competitiveness in the gaming display market while securing core technologies for next-generation displays as a technology-driven company,” said Choi Young-seok, CTO at LG Display.