Bigme introduces a color e-ink monitor that could reportedly hit 60 FPS — 25.3-inch display will come with a 3200 x 1800 resolution and support for 4096 colors
E-ink displays have come a long way since their introduction, with advancements in refresh rates and colors allowing them to be used as monitors for PCs. Bigme is once again pushing e-ink monitor technology with the 25.3-inch Bigme B251 Pro, which is on sale on its website for $1,279.00 (down from $1,599.00). This isn't the first color e-ink monitor, as Dasung previously launched the first one in 2023, while e-ink device manufacturer Boox also debuted its 25.3-inch option last year. Nevertheless, what made the B251 Pro different is its claimed 60 FPS refresh rate.
This is the fastest claimed refresh rate we've seen so far on an e-ink monitor, with the previous record sitting at just 33 Hz. That doesn't mean that you can start gaming on an e-ink display, though. VideoCardz points out that displays like these still face slow pixel response rates, latency, ghosting, and image quality issues, especially during fast motion, so it's better to stick with the best gaming monitors if you need a monitor for competitive gaming. Nevertheless, this might be a viable solution if you have a text-heavy workload and have grown tired of dealing with strained eyes at the end of the workday.
Its 3200 x 1800 resolution, paired with a 25.3-inch screen size, gives it 145 DPI, which is slightly better than the 92 to 93 PPI you'd get from a 24-inch Full HD display. It also supports 4096 colors and 16 gray levels - although this is miles away from the millions of colors that modern monitors support, but that is the limitation that e-ink monitors face for now. The Bigme B521 Pro offers HDMI or DP connectivity, but also comes with wireless screen mirroring and a remote control. It also has a built-in front light with adjustable temperature, allowing you to use it in the dark without requiring an external light source.
The Bigme B251 Pro is an interesting development in e-ink technologies, and it would be nice to see if it can actually deliver a usable experience outside of reading. While we doubt its capabilities when it comes to gaming, we still want to see if it's a usable alternative for productivity. Those on a budget will likely be deterred from buying it, though, especially as its high price point makes it more expensive than some of the best 4K gaming monitors you can buy today.