Let the variable refresh rate monitor battle begin! This week LG has announced a gaming-specific 21:9 aspect ratio monitor that features support for AMD's FreeSync variable refresh rate technology. LG joins Samsung as monitor vendors that have officially thrown in hats with the AMD-backed and VESA standard Adaptive Sync technology rather than NVIDIA's G-Sync (or maybe in addition to). 

The new 34UM67 is a flat, 34-in 21:9 aspect ratio display; a style that is becoming increasing popular among enthusiast and gamers as they offer expanding views in some games without the need to use multiple monitors in a Eyefinity or Surround configuration. LG has not announced the resolution yet but I assume that since they aren't bragging about it openly, that we are looking at a 2560×1080 screen rather than 3440×1440. Still, coupling that resolution with support for a variable refresh technology should provide an impressive gaming experience. 

Here is what the official press release has to say about the new LG 34UM67 being shown next week at CES:

LG's UltraWide Gaming Monitor (34UM67) is the company's first 21:9 monitor specifically developed for graphics-intensive gaming. AMD's FreeSync technology eliminates the screen tearing that occurs when the monitor and graphics card are out of sync. Furthermore FreeSync technology guarantees the smoothest and most seamless gaming experience, generating fluid motion without any loss of frame rate.

"AMD FreeSync technology is an innovative monitor technology, based on free and open industry standards, to eliminate the tearing and stuttering that has plagued PC gaming for 30 years," said Roy Taylor, corporate vice president of ISV/IHV Partner Group, AMD. "We are pleased that LG Electronics stands with us with truly exciting  AMD FreeSync-ready displays like the LG UltraWide Gaming Monitor."

The 34UM67 also has an exceptional UltraWide field of view (FOV), allowing gamers to gain the upper hand by revealing hidden spaces that were invisible on regular 16:9 monitors. The monitor's Black Stabilizer illuminates dark scenes and helps to clearly define the deep black areas where objects and enemies could be hidden. The Dynamic Action Sync mode minimizes input lag, enhancing users' real time gaming experience. Many popular games such as Battlefield 4, World of Warcraft and ArcheAge currently support 21:9 resolution with more games expected to support this resolution in the future.

Support for 21:9 resolutions is still spotty in most PC titles and can result in the same kind of FOV scaling issues we see with Eyefinity. More games are including direct support for these monitors and hopefully 2015 will see a focus on that with each game release. 

I still have a lot of questions about AMD's FreeSync technology and how it will stand up to the effectiveness of NVIDIA G-Sync, but I am eager to see it first hand. CES will provide the first opportunity for us but we will obviously need extended time with panels in our offices to make a final decision.