After waiting so long for OLED technology to make its way from TVs to PC monitors, it’s finally here. And it is a 45-inch monster of a gaming monitor.
The main attraction here is the OLED screen technology supplied by LG. It is a huge 45-inch panel for a PC monitor. It’s also very fast, thanks to the 240Hz refresh and the extremely fast response time that is characteristic of OLEDs. However, at only 3,440 x 1,440 pixels, it’s not very high resolution for such a large screen.
OLED technology aside, the Xeneon Flex stands out thanks to its novel flexible panel. This screen can be manually adjusted from perfectly flat to an extreme 800R curve. For context, the previous king of the curve, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, only manages a 1000R. So at full flex, this monitor sets new standards in at least that regard.
Elsewhere, it has great connectivity such as USB-C with power delivery, DisplayPort and HDMI. So it’s ready to rock on both PC and console. After all, this isn’t a thinly disguised OLED TV. This is definitely a accusation that can be leveled with other large form factor OLED monitors. Ok, so some TV-related genes remain. It’s time to see if the work paid off.
design and function
The overwhelming scale of the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 will overwhelm you first. Sure, you’ve seen a lot of large monitors before, and a lot of them are TV-based. The Xeneon Flex features a 45-inch diagonal combined with an ultra-wide aspect ratio of 21:9. This is not what is typically associated with gaming TVs.
Then there’s the “flex” feature. Use the handles on either side of the panel to manually lift the screen to your preferred bending angle. Frankly, the process feels a little clumsy and the mechanism is a little fragile. It is designed to be In reality, it’s all a bit hit and miss.
To be clear, this monitor is generally very well put together. But the “flex” feature itself could be the result of novelty. Still, an all-in-one package of ultrawide monitors that can be curved gaming monitors might be something some people enjoy living with.
One certainly welcome aspect is the effort Corsair has made to ensure the longevity of its OLED panels. Pixel burn-in is a big concern on any of her OLED panels, and Corsair has implemented multiple mitigations to address this. This includes a full panel resolution of 3,456 x 1,456 pixels, which is slightly larger than the display resolution of 3,440 x 1,440, so the image is shifted periodically to prevent permanent images from being displayed by pixels. You can avoid it. All in all, Corsair backs the Xeneon Flex with his 3-year zero burn-in and zero dead pixel warranty.
As for connectivity, dual HDMI 2.1 ports mean it can be deployed as a PS5 monitor or an Xbox Series X monitor (resolution compromises are taken into account), while DisplayPort and USB-C do the job for a gaming PC or gaming laptop. The latter connection supports 90W power delivery, allowing the laptop to drive the display and charge with a single cable. The stand also incorporates 4 USB-A sockets, 2 on the back and 2 on the front, for a very convenient and ergonomic hub placement.
performance
Corsair claims some pretty impressive performance for the Xeneon Flex. In addition to the 240Hz refresh, the OLED panel is rated at 0.03 ms for gray-to-gray pixel response and 0.1 ms for full on/off. No LCD-based screen comes close to these response numbers.
It’s also a fairly color-accurate panel, with 98.5% coverage of the demanding DCI-P3 Digital Cinema color gamut, plus 96.3% coverage of Adobe RGB. Then there is the 1.5M:1 contrast. This is the result of OLED technology’s near-perfect pixel-by-pixel lighting control.
However, there are some slightly tricky areas in the spec sheet that affect performance. Both definitely come in the realm of the OLED land, starting with Corsair, who rates the panel’s peak brightness at 1,000 nits, though detailed images are a little more complicated.
That 1,000 nits can only be achieved with a small patch of 3% of the screen. Panels can reach 800 nits over 10% of the panel, 450 nits over 25% of the panel, and just 150 nits at full screen. Put that thought on hold for a moment.
Another issue is sub-pixel layout. Typical PC monitors use RGB or red, green, and blue subpixel payouts, and in fact many aspects of the Windows interface, including fonts, are rendered with that premise in mind. It has been. Zenion Flex. However, it uses LG’s typical RWBG layout. “W” indicates additional white subpixels for increased brightness.
Simply put, it’s not the best for general computing. Especially considering the relatively low resolution on such a large screen results in large, fat pixels.
The problem is the brightness issue. For example, in a dark game scene like Cyberpunk 2077’s dingy indoor bar, the Xeneon Flex looks great. The neon sign behind the bars really pops, the black levels are great, and there are no glows or halos around bright objects that you get with mini LED-driven LCD monitors.
On the other hand, if you’re heading outdoors into bright sunlight, your screen won’t be able to maintain these heights across the panel. The more disappointing the result is. This monitor doesn’t pack a lot of punch when rendering bright images and scenes.
In particular, the Alienware AW3423DW, which uses Samsung rather than LG panel tech, is definitely better when it comes to full-screen brightness. The scale of the 45-inch panel is obviously quite epic. And the pixel response is great and motion blur is almost non-existent. Add 240Hz refresh and this is very suitable for playing online shooters like Apex Legends, CS: Go, Fortnite and more.
Overall – Should I buy?
With a few caveats, you can make a decent case for the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240. It’s huge, mostly very well designed, incredibly fast, and looks great with the right content.
The problem is that correct content. It just provides a full HDR experience with small bright objects and contrasting dark images. The Xeneon Flex fullscreen pop is disappointing. Low resolution is also not great if you use this screen as a traditional monitor for general computing.
Then consider the fact that you can get a full 4K OLED TV for much less, and the Xeneon Flex’s overall proposition is even harder to justify. Admittedly, TVs as small as 40 inches lack some features like USB-C and DisplayPort. Even a half refresh will do. However, it also costs half as much and cannot be ignored.
An interesting monitor, the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240. And it certainly does some things very well. But it’s too flawed and at around $2,000 / £2,100 too expensive to recommend.
How to test the Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240
The OLED revolution has begun, and a new approach to assessing image quality has emerged. OLED screens provide pixel-by-pixel lighting, making brightness judgments difficult. We evaluate brightness on both test images and real-world gaming and media consumption to reveal both real-world numbers and real-world gaming experiences. It also takes into account all the usual metrics such as response time, latency and connectivity.
Read more about how we test gaming monitors on GamesRadar+, or read more about our holistic approach to gaming technology in our hardware policy.
Want to compare the Xeneon Beast to a more professional gaming TV? Then check out our screens Best 120Hz 4K TVWhen Best TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X I will guide you.
