Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 Evaluate: 42-Inch OLED Goo...

If you happen to’re like me, your desktop monitor usually does double responsibility as a TV. The Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 4K gaming OLED, launched final yr, desires to be that and look good whereas doing it.

Evnia is Philips’ gaming peripheral line providing each PC gaming displays and equipment whose designs shift away from the aggressive gamer look to a extra aesthetically pleasing vibe.

However don’t fear, you’re nonetheless getting all of the perks from a premium gaming OLED. 4K at 138Hz with a .01 ms response time and a tasteful quantity of RGB lighting. It helps Freesync and G-Sync. And, in fact, the bonus that comes with OLED, nice colour, wonderful distinction, and deep blacks.

At 42 inches, it’s straightforward to toy with the concept of creating this show work as a TV substitute in a bed room or workplace. It’s good in case you’re seeking to keep away from a bloated TV OS crammed with apps you’ll by no means use and a clunky UI.

Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 Design

The gamer aesthetic has advanced.

What can’t be understated is the look of the Evnia. Very like the remainder of the product line, this contemporary chic-ness is a pleasant departure out of your customary gaming monitor. The off-white colorway offers it a extra grownup look than the standard black and crimson we’ve seen on one million displays previously. It’s one thing seen with Alienware’s new OLED that embraces efficiency and aesthetics. I’m right here for it.

Whereas the dimensions works for me, what doesn’t are the 2 large toes that protrude out from the desktop stand. It merely takes up an excessive amount of house the place you’ll be able to’t put something underneath the monitor. So, if you wish to set a sound bar or have some stuff in your desk, it’s a little bit of a ache. Nevertheless, the good thing about the Evnia’s stand is that it will probably swivel and tilt to a level, which provides some versatility in case you can put up with shedding some desk actual property. It does include the swappable VESA plate for simple mounting.

Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 Image High quality

Higher than most TVs

The Evnia delivers improbable image high quality by default; it’s well-calibrated for gaming and watching a great deal of anime, and I’m assuming different types of media as nicely. It really works nicely as a TV, assuming you plug in a streaming gadget or a gaming console to stream from all of your favourite providers. I did discover that leaving the sRGB setting off gave the colours a bit extra pop.

The place it falls flat is brightness. Philips says the Evnia can hit a peak brightness of 450 Nits in HDR and a median brightness of round 135 Nits in SDR, which is unquestionably on the decrease facet. If you happen to play in a room that will get quite a lot of mild, take into account getting curtains. That’s been an issue with quite a lot of gaming OLEDs launched in 2023, not simply unique to Philips. It’s not too dangerous of a compromise it’s important to make if you would like each stellar image high quality and efficiency.

Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 Gaming Efficiency

It performs pretty much as good because it seems to be.

The Evnia is, at the start, a heck of a gaming monitor. PC or console, I discovered the gameplay to be extremely easy. In fact, you’ll want a reasonably beefy gaming rig to profit from the 4K decision at 138Hz, however even on Xbox Collection X or PlayStation 5 (which helps 4K, 120Hz due to its two HDMI 2.1 ports), every thing performed nicely. I’m nonetheless obsessive about Final of US 2 Remastered’s No Return mode.

Low Brightness apart, I loved the colourful colours in video games like Fortnite or Ghost of Tsushima with out oversaturating them. It’s getting the most effective of each worlds with good colour and velocity, which most non-OLED gaming displays must make you select.

The place the Evnia shines (or doesn’t shine) is the way it handles deep blacks in moody horror video games like The Final of Us 2: Remastered or Useless Area. There’s nothing like doing horrible issues to horrible folks in a stuffed workplace constructing or being chased by aggressively stabby monsters in a derelict house station.

Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 Options

Heck of a lightweight present

The Evnia has every thing you’d anticipate from a gaming monitor. There are tons of settings and picture presets, all dealt with by way of a distant or rear OSD joystick. Nevertheless, the most important function I used to be pleasantly stunned by was Ambiglow, which seems on Philips TVs.

It’ll mechanically change the ambient lighting of the Envia to match no matter essentially the most dominant colour onscreen is. So, in case you’re dropping from the Battlebus in Fortnite right into a snowy space, the monitor’s rear will glow blue and white.

Shockingly, the pair of 10-watt audio system are punchy, although enabling DTS Sound appears to be the higher method of listening to your content material. I’d advocate discovering an honest soundbar in case you’re on the lookout for stable audio.

You’ve even bought 4 USB 3.0 ports (two of them are quick cost) and a USB-C port with energy supply, so I may second display screen my Macbook Professional for work for work. You’ll be able to by no means have sufficient ports.

Verdict

Philips Evnia 42M2N8900 is a improbable OLED, an ideal measurement in case you’re on the lookout for a giant however not too large display screen. It’s speedy, colourful, and appears like a gaming monitor. It launched at $1,400, which was fairly steep, contemplating you should buy 48-inch OLED displays less expensive. Even on the reduced price of $1,100, it stays a bit expensive in comparison with different 42-inch OLEDs (which aren’t many round), just like the LG C G3 for under $900. Nonetheless, if you would like one thing fashionable with killer efficiency, this Evnia is an efficient selection, even at a better price.