MSI MPG 491CQPX QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Review - OLED Goes Crazy Big

TweakTown's Rating: 95%

The Bottom Line

MSI's MPG 491CQPX delivers an immersive 49-inch OLED gaming experience with a 240Hz refresh rate at a relatively good price, but its niche 32:9 aspect ratio limits game compatibility. Ideal for RTS, racing, and productivity, but remember not all games support it.

Pros

• Incredible colors
• Awesome gaming performance with 240Hz refresh rate
• USB-C charging
• Stylish aesthetics
• Extensive IO

Cons

• Burn-in prevention features can be annoying
• Lack of native 32:9 games

Should you buy it?

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Buy at Amazon for $901.99 USD

Buy at Newegg for $952.99 USD

Buy at Amazon for $1649.99 CAD

Buy at Newegg for $1474.46 CAD

Buy at PC Case Gear for $1599 AUD

Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

Super ultra-wide gaming monitors are some of the most impressive gaming monitors on the market, offering buyers an extreme amount of screen real-estate, and unforgettable gaming experiences. However, there are some concessions buyers must make if they embark down this road, as a super ultra-wide gaming monitor isn't for the faint of heart.

A quick look at the MSI MPG 491CQPX QD-OLED Gaming Monitor

I have been lucky enough to have reviewed several super ultrawide gaming monitors in the past, having sunken my teeth into ASUS's ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD, another 49-inch gaming monitor, and the more recently reviewed Samsung OLED G9. Both of the aforementioned monitors use the same second-generation Samsung QD-OLED panel, but the MSI's MPG 491CQPX QD-OLED has stepped it up a notch by sporting a third-generation Samsung QD-OLED panel capable of reaching a 240Hz refresh rate. Notably, this increase in refresh rate is a jump up from the 165Hz cap on the MPG 491CQP, MSI's previous generation of the 49-inch OLED gaming monitor.

With it's incredible size comes the massive resolution of 5120 x 1440p, which at 240Hz will require a substantially powerful system to hit the target Hz, especially in graphically demanding games. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend this monitor to any gamer that is currently running the equivalent of an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super or below. Lastly, the MPG 491CQPX has been priced at $1,099, making it quite a bargain compared to Samsung's OLED G9, which is typically available on Amazon for $1,799.

Specifications

Close-up

Best Deals: MSI MPG 491CQPX QD-OLED Gaming Monitor

	Today	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$901.99 USD	$901.99 USD	$999 USD	Buy
	$952.99 USD	$952.99 USD	$999.99 USD	Buy
	$1649.99 CAD	$1649.99 CAD	$1399.99 CAD	Buy
	$1474.46 CAD	$1649.99 CAD	-	Buy
	$901.99 USD	$901.99 USD	$999 USD	Buy
	$901.99 USD	$901.99 USD	$999 USD	Buy
	$1599 AUD	$1599 AUD	-	Buy
* Prices last scanned on 3/18/2025 at 7:45 pm CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.

Design

The physical aesthetics of the MPG 491CQPX are definitely its most striking aspect behind the gorgeous OLED panel, and for those gamers who want to add some style to their setup, the MPG 491CQPX could certainly be the piece that ties it all together. More specifically, the MPG 491CQPX is a 49-inch monitor that has an 1800R curvature, which, when sitting in front of the display, feels appropriate, considering the display takes up the entire of your peripheral vision.

At a reasonably comfortable reading distance for text, approximately an arm's length from the panel, the MPG 491CQPX requires a user to turn their head to see the corners of the screen. At a length of nearly 4 feet, this isn't surprising, but it is something worth mentioning if you are considering the monitor for more than its gaming aspects, such as word-processing tasks or Excel work.

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Moving to the physical design of the MPG 491CQPX, MSI has made the unboxing and setup experience a breeze, with a full setup taking less than 5 minutes to complete. As for the monitor itself, the MPG 491CQPX is housed in a hard plastic shell that leads into its protruding back enclosure that houses all of the components powering this behemoth. MSI has kept this rather simple design-wise, as the outer plastic shell is plain, and the back enclosure features all of MSI's artistic design choices, which fall in line with MSI's other third-generation OLED gaming monitors.

Keeping to the back of the display, the MPG 491CQPX has an array of connectivity options users can take advantage of, with a particular emphasis on the 90W capable USB-C port that I actively used to charge various portable devices such as my smartphone, laptop, and power banks. Additionally, the USB hub also features a KVM feature for those users who want to take full advantage of the monitor size by having various peripherals/PCs connected at once.

What is disappointing to see is the limitation of USB 2.0 ports, and given the price of the monitor, I would have liked to have seen these ports provide at least 3.0 speeds or, better yet, be replaced entirely by USB-C ports. The MPG 491CQPX doesn't come with any speakers either, but there is a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack.

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As for the stand, MSI has done a fantastic job at making not only the stand but the entire build quality of the monitor feel very premium. The stand has a weighty feel to it, and with its wide forked feet, it's able to provide great ergonomics, considering the monstrous size of the panel. The feet on the stand are also another point of contention for me as they protrude out quite widely. I wasn't able to comfortably have the MPG 491CQPX on my standard 1.2m by 90 cm desk, which led me to hook it up to my desk clamp monitor arm.

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After testing a few of these super ultrawide displays, I highly recommend also picking up either a wall or desk clamp monitor arm, as it will instantly solve the obnoxious size problem of the stand, freeing up desktop real-estate and overall improving the look of the setup. Despite its size, the MPG 491CQPX's panel measures extremely thin at just 1cm wide.

Overall, MSI has created another beautifully designed gaming monitor that has sleek aesthetics, and a sturdy build quality.

Panel Breakdown

The MPG 491CQPX sports the latest third-generation OLED pixel technology, which comes with dramatic improvements versus the second generation. What's worth mentioning is the increase in refresh rate versus the MPG 491CQP, the company's predecessor to the MPG 491CQPX (X being the differentiator here), as that monitor featured a 144Hz refresh rate, while MPG 491CQPX features a 240Hz refresh rate. With the third-generation OLED panel, we also get big improvements with text fringing, a common issue with second-generation OLED panels, especially panels that don't have high Pixels Per Inch (PPI).

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The MPG 491CQPX has 108.5 PPI, which is just enough where I can say there is little text fringing that's not immediately noticeable. However, if you are looking at text all day long, as I am, you will begin to notice some fringing around the outside of words/letters, especially if those words/letters are white on a black background. This fringing effect can sometimes cause eyestrain over long periods of reading/writing, which is why I typically won't recommend an OLED monitor with a low PPI to someone who plans on using the display for a split of 70% writing/reading and 30% gaming. With that being said, if you are planning on spending the majority of time in games on this monitor and are only briefly browsing the web, checking emails, or sending messages, this text fringing problem will more than likely not be noticeable.

As with all of MSI's OLED gaming monitors, the MPG 491CQPX comes with MSI's suite of OLED Care 2.0 features that are designed to reduce the likelihood of burn-in occurring. MSI has equipped the MPG 491CQPX with graphene film that's paired with a custom heatsink that has enabled the MPG 491CQPX to be fanless. Moreover, the graphene film and heatsink disperse heat efficiently, reducing the likelihood of burn-on. As for in-built burn-in mitigation features, MSI has outfitted the MPG 491CQPX with Pixel Shift, Panel Protect, Static Screen Detection, Multi Logo Detection, Taskbar Detection, and Boundary Detection.

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Another problem perhaps worth mentioning is the glare on the MPG 491CQPX. MSI has implemented glare reduction in its third-generation OLED panels, but due to the curve of the MPG 491CQPX, the glare can get quite nasty depending on the position of the monitor relative to the light source. For this reason, I recommend using the MPG 491CQPX in low-light conditions, preferably in darkness - as with all OLED gaming monitors. Additionally, this problem can be solved by making sure the light source is behind the monitor.

Overall, the panel within the MPG 491CQPX is the top of the line when it comes to OLED gaming monitor panels, and with a 240Hz refresh rate spread across 49-inches, games, word processing, and web browsing do look and feel crazy good.

Performance

Gaming on the MPG 491CQPX is truly a marvel in its own right, but it really does come down to the game you are playing. As with all of my gaming monitor reviews, I like to test the monitor in the spotlight in a variety of games to identify which games are the best performers. From there, we can find the type of gamer best suited for the gaming monitor. Here are the games I tested on the MPG 491CQPX. Age of Empires IV, Age of Mythology: Retold, God of War Ragnarok, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, Black Myth: Wukong, Apex Legends, DOOM Eternal, and Overwatch 2.

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Firstly, before I get into the performance of the MPG 491CQPX, it's recommended for any gamer thinking about buying a super ultrawide to make sure their most-played games have native support for the 32:9 aspect ratio. If those games don't, you will have to make the concession of either playing your favorite game stretched, meaning the game will render in either 16:9 or 21:9 aspect ratio and stretch to fill out the rest of the screen, or simply have black bars alongside the 16:9 aspect ratio. Unfortunately, not all games come with 32:9 support as it's an odd aspect ratio, but the ones that do, boy, do they look good.

While providing stunning visuals, crisp details, and gorgeous colors in each of the titles, the MPG 491CQPX really fell flat when it came to overall performance in some of the aforementioned RPG titles, as hardly any have native 32:9 support. The first-person-shooter titles were in the same boat; they looked great, but the stretch from a 16:9 aspect ratio to 32:9 was, in some cases, a truly disorientating experience that could induce headaches if I played for too long. You are probably now thinking, "Well, what games did play well?"

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Age of Empires IV, Age of Mythology: Retold, DOOM Eternal, and Cyberpunk 2077 all come with native support for 32:9, and they looked and played impeccably. The perfect scaling of these titles really showed what the MPG 491CQPX was capable of, as it provided a deeply immersive experience through its behemoth size, resolution, colors, and refresh rate. Sitting directly in front of the MPG 491CQPX means your entire peripheral view is consumed by the game, which makes for a transformative experience in specific titles. While testing both Age of Empires IV and Age of Mythology: Retold, I felt as if I had the entire map on lock with my extremely wide field of view. In Cyberpunk 2077 and DOOM Eternal, I was completely immersed in each game's world, and thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate, turning the camera quickly was buttery smooth.

I can really see the MPG 491CQPX shine in racing cockpit setups where the monitor is used to play titles such as Forza Motorsport, Project CARS 2, F1, and other racing games. Unfortunately, I don't own these games, so I wasn't able to test them. Despite it not receiving my recommendation for the majority of FPS games and RPG titles, when the game did have native support for the 32:9 aspect ratio, the MPG 491CQPX provided an unforgettable experience, as do any of these super ultrawides. When it works, it works phenomenally, and when it doesn't, it sucks.

Final Thoughts

So, should you buy the MPG 491CQPX? If your games support the native aspect ratio and you are after some significant desktop real estate, you will definitely be impressed with the experience, as it's not quite like any other PC gaming experience.

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Unfortunately, super ultrawides are limited by their lack of support from developers, which makes them a very hard product to recommend generally for gamers. However, if you fit the following description, you should definitely consider the MPG 491CQPX. If you are a gamer who enjoys racing games, and perhaps has a steering wheel and peddles, and wants the best of the best, you've found it. Also, if you play real-time-strategy titles and want the ultimate experience of overlooking your city expanding, you've found it.

If you are a gamer who spends a considerable amount of time in word processing/editing workflows, browsing the web with multiple tabs or are in need of more desktop real estate, the 49-inches MPG 491CQPX will feel like a blessing. However, if you don't fit at least one of the aforementioned descriptions, I believe your $1,099.99 will be better off spent elsewhere. The MPG 491CQPX is a remarkable display in the right scenario. When it's in that perfect scenario, it can provide an experience that I believe any gamer will be blown away with.