Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar Monitors Aim to Eliminate Motion Blur
▼ Summary
– Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar technology, announced two years ago, is debuting on four new monitors available from select retailers starting Wednesday.
– The technology is designed to reduce display motion blur caused by image persistence on the retina.
– The first four monitors are 27-inch, 1440p, 360 Hz IPS displays from Asus’s ROG Swift PG27 Series.
– Nvidia claims G-Sync Pulsar gives these monitors the effective motion clarity of a theoretical 1,000 Hz display.
– Unlike persistent backlights, Pulsar uses a rolling scan that pulses the backlight briefly just before pixels update with new frame data.
After a two-year wait, the first monitors featuring Nvidia’s G-Sync Pulsar technology are finally arriving on store shelves. This innovative backlight strobing system directly tackles the persistent problem of motion blur in fast-paced gaming, a visual artifact caused by old image data lingering on the human retina. Nvidia initially announced the technology with a planned debut on Asus monitors by late 2024; the company has now confirmed that four initial models will be available for purchase starting this week.
The inaugural wave of displays equipped with this new standard includes specific models from Asus and Acer. These are the Asus ROG Swift PG27 Series, including the PG27AQN and PG27AQDP, alongside the Acer Predator XB273U F and the Acer Nitro XV275U P3.
What makes G-Sync Pulsar particularly compelling is its claim to dramatically enhance perceived motion clarity. All four of these new displays are 27-inch IPS panels with a 1440p resolution and boast refresh rates up to 360 Hz. However, Nvidia asserts that the integrated Pulsar technology gives these monitors the “effective motion clarity of a theoretical 1,000 Hz monitor,” a bold statement that aims to redefine expectations for high-speed visuals.
The core innovation lies in how the display manages its backlight. Unlike conventional monitors that use a constant, always-on backlight, G-Sync Pulsar employs a sophisticated “rolling scan” method. This technique briefly pulses the backlight for precisely one-quarter of a frame immediately before the screen’s pixels are updated with new image data from the GPU. This precise timing is the key to its function, as the short flash of light illuminates the fresh frame while minimizing the time the previous frame is visible, thereby reducing the blurring effect during rapid motion.
(Source: Ars Technica)
