Announced sometime last year, the Corsair Xeneon FLEX 45-inch ultrawide gaming monitor is finally making its way into the Middle East market. The biggest USP of the display is that it can bend. Thanks to the OLED panel and some technical wizardry on Corsair’s part, the Xeneon FLEX can go from completely flat to an 800R curve.
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But being flexible isn’t the only thing the Xeneon FLEX is designed for. It is also a competent gaming display packed to the gills with features like a 45″ ultrawide 1440p/240Hz OLED panel, 0.3ms response time, AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, 98.5% DCI-P3 and 100% sRGB colour coverage, and more.
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In terms of input ports, the Xeneon FLEX is as future-proof as they come, with two HDMI 2.1 ports for current-gen consoles, one DisplayPort, four USB-A ports, and two USB-C ports.
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Corsair Xeneon FLEX UAE Pricing and availability
The Corsair Xeneon FLEX is priced at $1,600 and should be available in retail stores across the UAE. The monitor is available on Amazon for AED AED 8,550, while on GCCGamers, you can find it for AED 7,790.
Corsair Xeneon FLEX Specifications
| Screen Size: | 45″ |
| Panel Type: | OLED |
| Display Resolution | 3840 x 2160 |
| Refresh Rate: | 240Hz |
| Response Time: | 0.3ms |
| Backlight Technology: | OLED |
| HDR: | Yes |
| HDR Format Support: | HDR10 |
| Brightness: | 400 cd/m2 |
| Peak Brightness: | 1000 cd/m2 |
| Dynamic Contrast Ratio: | 1,500,000:1 |
| Color Gamut: | 98.5% DCI-P3, 100% sRGB |
| Panel Dimensions (flat): | 41.7 x 22.5 x 12.4 inches |
| WxHxD w/base: | (1059 x 572 x 315mm) |
| Ergonomic options (tilt, height, swivel): | None |
| VESA Compatibility: | No |
| Connectivity: | DisplayPort x1 (Ver. 1.4), HDMI x2 (Ver. 2.1), USB Type-C x2, USB Type-C Upstream x1, USB Type-A x4 (Downstream), Headphone Output x1 (3.5 mm Jack |
Design
The Corsair Xeneon FLEX is a 45″ ultrawide monitor, so you will need some serious desk space to accommodate the monitor. Thankfully, despite the size and weight of the panel, the included feet of the stand are pretty small at 57mm.
The central part of the stand (where the ports are) is attached directly to the display and is not removable. The stand is smartly designed to make the ports as accessible as possible. The ports on the back, which feature two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports and the power connector, are vertically aligned, allowing easy access and making for a neat cable management process.
The front of the stand has two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an input switch, a power button, and the menu OSD joystick.
While the stand is pretty nifty and well-designed, it does not provide any ergonomic options. No tilt, height or swivel adjustments are allowed, and neither can you mount it on a monitor arm or the wall. Corsair plans to sell compatible wall-mount, although it is unknown when they will be available and for how much.
Bending the monitor is relatively easy but requires some muscle power to perform the action. There are hinges on the side of the display, which must be pressed and then lightly bent the monitor to the desired curve. The monitor can go from completely flat, or a curve of 800R (or anywhere in between). The idea here is that users can mould the monitor according to their preference – if they want to do productive work like video or image editing, they can go for a flat monitor style. Alternatively, they can bend the monitor to their desired curve for an immersive gaming experience.
Features and performance
The Corsair Xeneon FLEX features a 45″ 1440p/240Hz OLED panel capable of 98.5% DCI-P3 and 100% sRGB coverage. The panel is developed in partnership with LG so that users can expect the same OLED technology present in LG’s popular OLED TVs.
Since the Xeneon FLEX features an OLED panel, the picture quality is excellent. The colours are rich and vibrant, with deep blacks that truly make the image pop. With 400 nits of standard brightness and 1,000 nits of HDR peak brightness, users can expect fantastic HDR performance in games and movies.
The 0.3ms response time ensures no ghosting, and the compatibility with AMD FreeSync, Variable Refresh Rate, and Nvidia G-Sync means screen tearing will be a non-issue in games – both on console and on PC.
The biggest drawback of the Xeneon FLEX is its low resolution. The resolution of 3,440 x 1,440 is too low for a 45″ ultrawide monitor, and the low pixel density of 84 dpi only adds to the woes. As a result, text in Windows appears extremely blurry, with purple fringing across the screen. For gaming, the low pixel density does not pose any problems, and in fact, the low resolution means that users won’t need an extremely high-end PC to run games at maximum resolution. However, for productivity work, the Xeneon FLEX might not be ideal.
Alternatives to Corsair Xeneon Flex – How does it stack up against competitors?
Since the Corsair Xeneon FLEX is the first gaming monitor with a bendable display, no products are exactly like it. However, plenty of options are available if you are looking for an ultrawide gaming monitor.
The Samsung Odyssey Ark 55″ 1000R curve ultrawide gaming monitor immediately comes to mind when looking for a display that competes with the Xeneon FLEX. The Odyssey Ark is massive and features Mini-LED with Quantum Matrix Technology, 4K/165Hz VA panel, Dolby Atmos sound, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro compatibility, and more. However, it doesn’t feature any DisplayPort but has four HDMI 2.2 ports instead.
Another curved ultrawide monitor that has garnered praise is the Dell Alienware AW3420DW. It has a 1900R curve, a resolution of 3,400 x 1,440, 120Hz refresh rate, 2ms response time, Nvidia G-Syc compatibility, and 1x HDMI port, 1x DisplayPort, 4x USB-A port, and 1x 3.5mm headphone jack. The biggest drawback against the Xeneon FLEX is the HDMI 1.4 port on the Alienware. It means that the display will not be compatible with current consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X/S if you require variable refresh rate support.
Another popular option in the ultrawide gaming monitor space is the Gigabyte G34WQC. It has a 1500R curve, a 34″ 1440p/144Hz refresh rate IPS panel, 1ms response time, AMD FreeSync Premium and Variable Refresh Rate support, built-in speakers, plenty of ergonomic options, and more.
Corsair Xeneon FLEX Reviews
Hardware Unboxed praised the Xeneon FLEX as a complete monitor for gaming. The bendable screen, gaming features, fast response time and colour-accurate OLED panel are described as perfect for gaming. However, they noted the lacklustre HDR performance but still called it better than the HDR implementations in other gaming monitors. The low pixel density was also called out as its biggest drawback.
Linus Tech Tips also had similar praise and disappointment for the Xeneon FLEX. However, it did not that the 24Gbps on the HDMI 2.1 ports will mean that the display will be stuck at a lower color depth on the PS5.
Corsair Xeneon FLEX FAQs
Is the Corsair Xeneon FLEX compatible with current-gen consoles?
The Corsair Xeneon FLEX is more than compatible with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. With HDMI 2.1 support, the display is compatible with Variable Refresh Rate which ensures no screen tearing on consoles for games that support it.
How many devices can I connect with the Xeneon FLEX?
You can connect up to four devices. It has a DisplayPort for PC, two HDMI 2.1 ports for consoles, and a USB-C port for laptops and other devices.
Is the HDR good on the Xeneon FLEX?
The Xeneon FLEX has an OLED panel with a peak HDR brightness of 1,000 nits. This ideally should provide excellent HDR performance, however, some reviewers have noted that the HDR colours are a little bit off but it is still capable and better than most HDR implementations on gaming monitors.
