This giant 4K monitor takes PC gaming to the next level

Want a really big monitor for your gaming? How does a 43-inch display sound, because if you've got the pennies, that's the size of the latest 4K offering from Philips.

The Philips BDM4350UC boasts a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and has a 10-bit IPS panel with viewing angles of 178 degrees and a response time of 5ms (with a refresh rate of 60Hz).

Because it's so large – after all, this thing's more the size of a living room TV than a desktop monitor – Philips' MultiView feature allows you to happily watch four pictures from four separate sources on-screen at the same time.

Using Picture-by-Picture four people can hook up their laptops to the BDM4350UC and use them simultaneously, or you can use Picture-in-Picture mode to, for example, watch the football on a feed from a set-top box while you work away (or not) on your PC's desktop.

Image smarts

This monitor also offers SmartUniformity, which ensures a uniform level of brightness across the display, and that's very handy for those who need to view accurate images such as designers and photographers.

And there's also a SmartImage mode which intelligently optimizes contrast and color levels depending on the screen mode (Game, Movie, Photo, Office and so forth) you've picked and the content being displayed. That one could go either way depending on how clever Philips has been setting it up, but it's certainly a nifty idea in theory.

You also get a USB 3.0 hub with four ports, one of which incorporates FastCharge (for quick charging devices), and a pair of integrated 7W speakers. Connectivity options include an HDMI 2.0 port, VGA and a pair of DisplayPorts.

The Philips BDM4350UC goes on sale at the start of May with a recommended price of £1,170 (around $1,710, or AU$2,210).

• Also check out: Asus' FPS-counting gaming monitors help you be a smooth operator