REDMAGIC has announced a MiniLED gaming monitor that switches between 5K at 180Hz and a lower-resolution 2K mode at 330Hz. According to IT Home’s launch coverage, the display combines those two modes with 5,184 independently controlled backlight zones and a CNY 6,499 price in China. The planned December 2026 release puts the emphasis on choosing between image detail and a higher refresh rate on the same screen.
The monitor appeared at the REDMAGIC 12 Pro+ smartphone launch event, but the appeal extends beyond the company’s phone audience. Its higher-resolution mode targets games where you want more detail, while the 330Hz option trades resolution for more frequent screen updates. That gives players two ways to use the display rather than a single fixed resolution-and-refresh-rate combination.
Two modes, with a familiar trade-off
At 180Hz, the screen can refresh 180 times a second; switching to 330Hz raises that ceiling while lowering the resolution. Games still need to produce enough frames to take advantage of the higher refresh rate. The practical choice therefore depends on both the game and the PC driving it, rather than simply selecting the biggest number in the settings.
This approach already has company in the premium monitor market. In our coverage of LG’s UltraGear evo 5K monitors, the 27-inch 27GM950B pairs 5K at 165Hz with QHD at 330Hz. REDMAGIC’s announced higher-resolution refresh rate is slightly faster, while the two share a 330Hz ceiling in their lower-resolution modes.
More than 5,000 dimming zones
The backlight is the other major part of REDMAGIC’s pitch. MiniLED local dimming lets a display control separate areas of its backlight, helping it illuminate bright elements while darkening other parts of the picture. REDMAGIC’s 5,184-zone specification describes how many areas it can control, while the company claims a peak HDR brightness of 1,400 nits.
VideoCardz reports that REDMAGIC’s earlier GM001S already offered 5,088 dimming zones on a 27-inch 4K 160Hz display in 2023. The new model adds just 96 zones, an increase of about 1.9%. The move to 5K and the additional 330Hz mode are therefore larger changes than the backlight-zone increase alone suggests.
REDMAGIC also claims its progressive backlight-scanning technology reduces motion blur and image persistence. The announcement pairs that feature with an ultra-thin aluminium body, a flat rear panel, a smoked-black finish, and a transparent gaming window. Alongside other approaches we’ve covered, including Hisense’s RGB gaming-display showcase, it illustrates how much gaming-display development now centres on the backlight as well as resolution.
How much does the REDMAGIC 5K MiniLED monitor cost, and when is it coming?
The announced China price is CNY 6,499, with a December 2026 release planned. UAE pricing and availability have not been announced.
What screen size is the new monitor?
IT Home reports that REDMAGIC did not disclose the screen size at the launch event. The older GM001S’s 27-inch measurement should not be applied to this model.
