CES 2024 will undoubtedly be the year of QD-OLED gaming monitors, with multiple companies unveiling a range of displays with varying refresh rates and response times.
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MSI, one of the biggest players in the field, has announced a new series of QD-OLED gaming monitors, but one feature on one of these monitors is noteworthy: MSI’s MEG 321URX QD-OLED, demoed in the CES showroom, features a built-in AI processor designed to scan the game currently being played on the monitor and provide visual notifications such as enemy positions and character health.
This new monitor raises some important questions about how AI will be used in the future of gaming: A feature on the MEG 321URX QD-OLED that MSI calls SkySight pops up these visual indications completely independently of the operating system or game files, meaning it can circumvent any potential anti-cheat software.
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MSI demoed this new technology in a game of League of Legends, showing how the AI scans the frames, detects enemy champions appearing on the minimap, and gives the player a visual of which direction they are in. In this and similar scenarios, players using this monitor will no longer need to continually check the minimap for signs of enemy players, or at least not as frequently as before, as the monitor will do that work for them.
Imagine the same scenario playing out in Counter-Strike, Apex Legends, Valorant, or any other competitive title that uses a minimap. MSI claims that its new SkySight technology isn’t “cheating” because it simply monitors the minimap and uses data that’s already there and that skilled players should already be seeing.
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But that’s not all. MSI also announced that it will be rolling out a feature that allows gamers to train AI models on their favorite games to gain new advantages. Training will take place on the player’s PC, but once complete, the AI neural processor will handle the rest. MSI also announced that it will train AI models on other popular eSports games, including DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 2.
Whether or not you oppose the use of new AI techniques in competitive games (and if you don’t, you need to ask yourself how this is different from banned plugins), there is one thing we should all agree on: AI is just beginning to make its way into games.
MSI hasn’t said when it will release the MEG 321URX QD-OLED, but reports suggest it will be released in late February for $1,199.
