Dough has come clean on its plans for a new 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor, and it's pegging an April 2024 release on this new screen. The upcoming Spectrum Black 4K has been in co-development alongside the 27-inch 1440p Spectrum Black, which is due to launch sometime around September this year.
We're excited to see what the company does with the 27-inch LG W-OLED panel it's using for the 2560 x 1440 version, but it's the supreme pixel pitch of a 4K screen, in a standard gaming monitor size, that we've been holding out for.
And it's taken a long time for this to come around. Indeed Dough shared around a roadmap for the upcoming OLED panels it's aware of last week, and these 4K OLEDs were grouped around a Q3/summer launch next year.
Interestingly, it's Samsung's QD-OLED 4K that was reportedly due first, and with Dough claiming an April expected launch date for its next display, it might have seemed to be switching manufacturers and opting for the Sammy panel over the LG screens it's been using up to now.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Dough Spectrum Black 4K |
|---|---|
| Size | 31.5-inch |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Panel technology | OLED |
| Native resolution | 3840 x 2160 |
| Pixel pitch | 0.1816 |
| Brightness | 150 cd/m² typical | 450 cd/m² peak | 1000 cd/m² peak (HDR, 3%) |
| HDR | HDR10 | VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 |
| Colour depth | 10-bit |
| Response | 0.03ms (GtG |
| Refresh rate | 48 - 240Hz |
| Price | $1,099 matte | $1,299 glass |
But the subpixel comparison images Dough has supplied make it clear that this isn't going to be a QD-OLED, with those tell-tale white subpixels and a side-by-side layout Samsung doesn't use. That means we should be looking at that 4K LG W-OLED panel coming out a lot earlier than the Q3 prediction we saw last week.
Because the company is reusing the same motherboard, and some other components from the 27-inch Spectrum Black, it believes it should be able to stick to the April release for the 32-inch display.
There will be two versions of the Spectrum Black 4K, however, one matte and one with a glossy glass screen, using the same Gorilla Glass covering as it is with the upcoming 1440p OLED.
We're huge fans of the difference a glossy covering makes for an OLED panel. The difference it's made with the two ultrawide Alienware OLEDs is huge, and really dials into the extreme contrast and deep blacks which are the hallmarks of the technology.
Interestingly, Dough is introducing Black Frame Insertion (BFI) to its OLED monitors, starting with the Spectrum Black this year. The 32-inch 4K will use it, too, with the idea that it will help perceived smooth motion in fast-paced games. Given the 0.03ms response of the OLED panel, and 240Hz refresh, it's maybe odd that it's using BFI. Traditionally, that's been a technology used to help slower LCD panels with clarity in motion.
Dough has shown off the technology in action, and I have to say in the videos I'm really struggling to see the difference. But hey, every little helps, I guess.
As is usual with Dough's displays, it's starting sales with a pre-order model sporting a lower price than the final retail price of $1,099 for the matte version and $1,299 for the glossy glass option. But it's also going to have the Dough Spectrum Black 4K available at launch from Amazon in the UK, France, Italy, and Germany, Digital Switzerland in its home country, and B&H and Best Buy in the US.
We're never big fans of pre-ordering before you know what you're actually getting for any product, though I will say we've been impressed with all the actual monitors we've seen from Dough.
There has been a certain amount of controversy around the company's pre-order model, however, with issues of products not shipping out once launched and some customers claiming they never received either a monitor or a refund. Dough says those issues have been ironed out now, but given that it's taking a more traditional route to market through distribution to other retailers outside its own store, if you have any concerns over historical problems, I'd recommend you ought to look to those full-price retailers at launch.
