Asus and Acer are each planning to release an IPS 27-inch 4K monitor with a fast 144Hz refresh rate (overclocked) and support for both HDR visuals and Nvidia's G-Sync technology—ROG Swift PG27UQ and Predator X27, respectively—and both are slated to arrive this summer. However, it looks like Asus is aiming to beat Acer to market ever-so-slightly by announcing availability in June.
Acer previously announced its monitor would arrive in July, though neither company has offered up a specific release date. So, it's not yet clear how much of a jump start Asus will have over what will be the only other monitor of its kind. That said, buyers with the requisite cash can already preorder the Predator X27.
Timing aside, these monitors are more alike than different. Asus and Acer are both sourcing their panels from AU Optronics, and the specs are mostly the same. Key to both is the ability to hit a peak 1,000 nits brightness. Many of the current HDR monitors on the market hover around 400 nits, which is the lowest rating VESA will even consider for its recently formed DisplayHDR certification.
One interesting difference between the two is that Asus lists the PG27UQ's typical brightness level at 300 nits, whereas Acer is claiming 600 nits on the Predator X27. It could be that they're just rating things differently.
Most of the other specs are the same—4K resolution, HDR support, G-Sync support, 144Hz refresh rate (via DisplayPort), 4ms response time, and 178-degree viewing angles (horizontal and vertical). It's basically the holy grail of current display technology, though the 27-inch panel might make things a bit too tiny if you don't have awesome vision.
Connections look to be the same too, with both monitors offering up a HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 inputs (one each) and three downstream USB 3.0 ports, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack.
As with the Predator X27, Asus says its ROG Swift PG27UQ will sell for $1,999.99.
