Acer Predator CG48 review: A great 48-inch OLED monitor
PC gamers looking for a big-screen monitor have great options in 2022, including new 42-inch and 48-inch monitors with OLED panels. These have many benefits over the IPS and VA panel monitors that came before them, but also sell at a higher price. The Predator CG48 proves the premium is worth paying. It’s rather similar to LG’s alternative, though, so the price may become the deciding factor.
Acer Predator CG48: The specs
The Acer Predator CG48 is a 48-inch 4K monitor with an OLED panel. While Acer doesn’t detail the panel used by the monitor, it’s probably the same LG-produced OLED panel found in the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B.
- Display size: 48-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio
- Native resolution: 3480×2160
- Panel type: OLED
- Refresh rate: 138Hz
- HDR: Yes, HDR10
- Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
- Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 65 watts Power Delivery, 1x 3.5mm audio out, 4x USB-A
- Stand adjustment: None
- VESA mount: Yes, 200x200mm TV wall mount
- Speakers: 2x 10-watt stereo speakers
- Price: $1,499.99 MSRP
Despite its TV-like size, the Predator CG48 is a monitor, not a television. It lacks a TV tuner and can’t be connected to a coaxial input. It also lacks the smart features found on many modern TVs such as built-in apps and a processor capable of smoothing jerky motion (like that of 24 FPS movies). The CG48 makes up for this with numerous PC-friendly connection options including DisplayPort and USB-C.
Acer Predator CG48: Design
The Acer Predator CG48 is a 48-inch monitor meant as an alternative to buying a television, such as LG’s 48-inch C1 or C2 OLED. This comes across in its design, which is similar to most OLED TVs.
It starts with the profile, which consists of a super-slim panel attached to a bulkier low half that contains the monitor’s brains and ports. The result is a simple silhouette that’s virtually identical to the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B, LG C2 OLED, and Sony Bravia XR A90K. All of these displays are about 1.5 inches thick at their thickest point. There are differences in materials, as Acer opts for silvers and grays instead of the black and charcoal of competitors—but this is only obvious from the rear, which most owners will only see when unboxing the display.
The main functional difference is the stand. Acer opts for a pair of legs, at either end of the display panel. It’s a simple, stable design, but also requires a desk or TV stand that’s nearly as wide as the 48-inch monitor. LG’s Ultragrear 48GQ900-B instead uses a wedge-shaped stand, more like a traditional monitor, making it easier to position on a small surface. This is a small win for LG. Neither of these displays offers height, tilt, or swivel adjustment.
Wall mounting is an option, and will work better than some other large-screen monitors. The Acer’s ports face to the side, not the rear, which is far easier to work with when trying to mount the display flush with a wall.
Acer Predator CG48: Features and menus
The Acer Predator CG48 ships with four HDMI ports, plus DisplayPort and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode. That’s a total of six video inputs, which is the most of any comparable monitor I’ve tested.
Just one of the four HDMI ports supports HDMI 2.1: the rest only support HDMI 2.0. That’s a limitation for gamers who own both an Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. One of the two consoles will have to connect over HDMI 2.0 and, in so doing, lose out on 4K at 120Hz (though you can use an HDMI switcher, of course).
The monitor’s USB-C port supports both DisplayPort Alternate Mode and up to 65 watts of USB Power Delivery, meaning it can charge a connected device. It also functions as a USB-C hub which connects to four downstream USB 3.2 ports.
A 3.5mm audio output can send audio to a soundbar or home theater system. It works fine, but the LG Ultragear 48GQ900-B also has optical audio, which is a higher-quality connection. This is an important point if you want to use the monitor with high-end home theater audio.
This is similar to most TV and streaming box remotes and feels more approachable.
The menus are intuitive—for PC enthusiasts. Acer uses the same menu system it does for any other monitor. It’s not as slick as that used by Dell, and the font size is on the small side, but options are clearly labeled and easy to navigate with the remote. In fact, the remote makes the menu much easier to use than most monitors. There’s no need to awkwardly lean forward and fiddle with buttons.
I did notice a few quirks. The display lacks a factory reset option, which is strange. HDR was not set to automatic out-of-the-box, so HDR content won’t look its best until that setting is turned on. And the “standard” color gamut, although very wide and accurate, looks particularly oversaturated and a bit too yellow with some SDR content. Fortunately, the monitor has many other color modes, including an sRGB mode, plus six-axis color customization.
A pair of 10-watt speakers round out the options. They provide acceptable audio in less complex situations: the beeps and boops of Vampire Survivors were crisp. Maximum volume is lackluster, too, so the speakers are only suitable for a small room.
Acer Predator CG48: SDR image quality
These traits lead to performance that, while not perfect in every category, is sure to impress most people.
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