AOC and AntGamer are reportedly preparing the first 1000Hz gaming monitors for 2026, breaking past the current 750Hz ceiling. However, refresh rate alone is not the whole truth.
We are inching closer to monitors that can refresh at 1000Hz (1kHz), or in other words 1000 times per second.
It is a target that Blur Busters has long advocated for, as detailed in this article on the journey to 1000Hz.
First 1000Hz monitors
Chinese brand AntGamer has announced plans for a 1000Hz gaming monitor developed in partnership with AMD, who highlighted titles like Counter-Strike 2 and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds as candidates for 750–1000Hz gameplay.
Few details have been shared so far, as the monitor i snot expected until 2026, but it will use a TN LCD panel with support for black frame insertion and some form of LED zone dimming.
Meanwhile, leaked details from AOC's 2026 lineup point to a 27-inch model with dual refresh modes: 500Hz at QHD or 1000Hz at 1080p resolution. It is not yet clear whether it uses an LCD or OLED panel.
AOC's roadmap also mentions a separate 27-inch 360Hz monitor with Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar, promising a "1000Hz effect", according to the leak. The Pulsar technology has faced multiple delays so its real-world impact remains to be seen.
Refresh rate is not everything
However, refresh rate alone is not the full story as actual motion clarity depends on other factors, too. Also, a TN LCD panel comes with significant picture quality compromises compared to IPS LCD and especially OLED.
As a rule of thumb, OLED panels deliver motion clarity comparable to LCDs with 1.5–2× higher refresh rates, meaning today's 720Hz OLED monitors will likely still outperform 1000Hz LCDs.
TCL showcased a 1000Hz 4K LCD prototype in May 2024.
DisplayPort or HDMI?
DisplayPort 2.1 can handle 1000Hz at 1080p, but only with Display Stream Compression (DSC) and without HDR (10-bit)
Alternatively, the new HDMI 2.2 specification supports up to 96Gbps – higher than DisplayPort 2.1's 80Gbps.
Expect to hear more about the upcoming 2026 monitors at CES 2026 in January.
- Source: ITHome, AntGamer
