LG’s new UltraGear 25G590B is a 1,000Hz gaming monitor made by LG, a 24.5-inch Full HD display arriving in the second half of 2026. The company claims it is the world’s first native 1,000Hz gaming monitor—a refresh rate that sounds absurd until you realize the GPU requirement makes it nearly impossible for most players to actually use.
Key Takeaways
- LG’s UltraGear 25G590B is the first native 1,000Hz monitor, maintaining Full HD resolution without dropping to 720p.
- The display targets competitive shooters where millisecond-level visual response matters most.
- Reaching 1,000 fps consistently at 1080p is difficult even with current high-end GPUs.
- Most gamers will not meaningfully notice the difference between 1,000Hz and 360Hz displays.
- Launching in the second half of 2026 with no price announced yet.
The jump from 360Hz to 1,000Hz sounds like progress. It is—technically. But there is a massive gap between what a monitor can display and what a GPU can actually produce. That gap is where LG’s ambition collides with reality.
What Makes the 1,000Hz Gaming Monitor Different
The 1,000Hz gaming monitor is fundamentally different from dual-mode gaming monitors that achieve high refresh rates by dropping resolution. Many existing gaming displays can hit extreme refresh rates by lowering resolution to 720p, sacrificing image clarity in the process. LG’s approach keeps the monitor at Full HD (1080p) while pushing the refresh rate to an unprecedented 1,000Hz natively. This means no resolution compromise—you get the speed and the sharpness simultaneously.
LG designed the UltraGear 25G590B specifically for competitive shooters where accurate aiming and near-instantaneous visual confirmation are key to victory. The company states that this display provides ultra-fast visual updates while preserving the readability of in-game menus and interfaces and maintaining the crispness of both moving and stationary onscreen objects. For esports players chasing every possible advantage, the promise is clear: see your target move, react, and fire faster than ever before.
The GPU Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About
Here is the uncomfortable truth: to benefit from a 1,000Hz gaming monitor, your GPU must consistently run games at around 1,000 frames per second. Not occasionally. Not in certain scenes. Consistently. That distinction matters enormously. Hitting 1,000 fps in a loading screen or an empty area is meaningless—you need that performance during active gameplay when it counts.
Even at 1080p, pushing current games to 1,000 fps is difficult with today’s high-end GPUs. This is not a limitation of the monitor; it is a limitation of the hardware driving it. The 1,000Hz gaming monitor is technically ready. Your graphics card probably is not. For most competitive players, a 360Hz monitor paired with a GPU capable of consistently delivering 360 fps is a far more realistic and practical setup than chasing 1,000 fps.
Who Actually Needs a 1,000Hz Gaming Monitor?
The honest answer: almost nobody right now. Most gamers will not be able to meaningfully tell the difference between 1,000Hz and 360Hz in real-world play. The human eye has limits, and the practical advantage of 1,000Hz over 360Hz is marginal for the vast majority of players. You would need a GPU capable of sustained 1,000 fps output, a game optimized to run at that frame rate, and the visual acuity to actually perceive the difference. That is a narrow intersection.
Professional esports competitors in ultra-competitive titles like Counter-Strike or Valorant represent the real audience here. These are players for whom every millisecond matters and who push hardware to its absolute limits. For them, the 1,000Hz gaming monitor is a legitimate tool. For everyone else, it is a technological flex that outpaces practical need.
What This Tells Us About Gaming’s Future
The 1,000Hz gaming monitor is not really about today’s gamers—it is about tomorrow’s. LG is signaling that the industry sees refresh rate as a continued frontier for competitive advantage. As GPUs become more powerful and games become more optimized for high frame rates, the gap between what is possible and what is practical will close. In three or four years, a GPU capable of 1,000 fps at 1080p might not be exotic. At that point, a 1,000Hz monitor becomes less of a luxury and more of a standard option for serious players.
The monitor launches in the second half of 2026 with no price announced. That timing gives GPU manufacturers time to catch up and gives developers time to optimize their engines. When the UltraGear 25G590B finally ships, the ecosystem will be closer to ready—though probably still not ready for average gamers.
How Does 1,000Hz Compare to Current Gaming Monitors?
Current flagship gaming monitors top out at 360Hz or 480Hz at 1080p. Reaching those frame rates is already demanding; most gamers pair a high refresh rate monitor with compromises elsewhere—lower resolution, reduced graphical settings, or acceptance that they will not hit the monitor’s maximum refresh rate in every game. The 1,000Hz gaming monitor pushes that demand exponentially higher. You are not just asking your GPU to do more; you are asking it to do five times more. That is not a linear upgrade; it is a leap that most hardware simply cannot make yet.
Is the 1,000Hz Gaming Monitor Worth Waiting For?
If you are a competitive esports player with a high-end GPU and the discipline to optimize every setting, possibly. If you are a casual or mid-tier gamer, no. Your money is better spent on a 240Hz or 360Hz monitor paired with a GPU that can actually drive it. The 1,000Hz gaming monitor is a proof of concept—a demonstration that display manufacturers are serious about pushing refresh rates higher. It is impressive engineering. It is just not practical for most of us yet.
When will the LG UltraGear 25G590B actually launch?
LG expects the monitor to go on sale in the second half of 2026. No exact date or price has been announced. That timeline gives the industry time to prepare and gives GPU manufacturers a window to deliver hardware capable of actually using the monitor’s full potential.
Can I use a 1,000Hz gaming monitor with my current GPU?
Technically yes, but you will not experience its benefits. Your GPU would need to consistently output 1,000 fps to take advantage of the 1,000Hz refresh rate. Most current high-end GPUs cannot sustain that performance at 1080p in demanding games, which defeats the purpose of buying the monitor.
Is 1,000Hz overkill for gaming?
For nearly every gamer today, yes. Most players will not perceive a meaningful difference between 1,000Hz and 360Hz. The practical advantage is marginal unless you are a professional esports competitor pushing hardware to its absolute limits. For everyone else, a 360Hz or 480Hz monitor remains the sensible choice.
LG’s 1,000Hz gaming monitor is a statement about where display technology is heading, not where gaming currently is. It is ambitious, impractical, and exactly the kind of forward-thinking move that eventually trickles down to mainstream products. In 2026, it will be a curiosity. In 2030, when GPUs catch up, it might be standard. For now, it is a reminder that the monitor is ready—your GPU just has not caught up yet.
Where to Buy
Valve Steam Deck 64GB | Lenovo Legion Go S | MSI Claw 8 AI+ A2VM | Valve Steam Deck OLED 1TB | Nintendo Switch 2
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: T3
