Why debate the merits of PC versus console gaming, when you can partake in both? If that is your philosophy, the Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is a strong contender to be your next display, as it takes aim at being the best gaming monitor for PC and the latest generation consoles.
Asus actually announced the VG28UQL1A during the Consumer Electronics Show back in January, and at the time, said it would be out by June. Well, June has come and gone, as has July, and we're more than mid-way through August. So, where is it?
It's finally here...sort of. Asus put out a press release (via TechPowerUp) announcing the availability of the VG28UQL1A and all of its fancy features, like a 28-inch "Fast IPS" panel with a 4K resolution (3840x2160), 1ms gray-to-gray (GtG) response time, and 144Hz refresh rate.
There's also a fleshed-out product page highlighting "all of the essentials for next-gen gameplay," but as of writing, it's not listed on any retail sites I've checked, including Amazon and Newegg. However, I did come across a very recent review at PC Monitors, so between that and Asus formally announcing its availability, I imagine it will show up on virtual retail shelves imminently. We've got a review in the works as well, which should be going live this week.
When it does appear on shelves though, it could prove a popular option. One of the key selling points is the inclusion of not just one, but two HDMI 2.1 inputs. It also boasts a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 input, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and two USB 3.1 ports.
Having HDMI 2.1 connectivity means owners of a PlayStation 5 and/or Xbox Series X/S console can tap into this display and take full advantage of their capabilities, including native 4K 120Hz gaming without chroma subsampling (4:4:4), with variable refresh rate and auto low latency support to boot.
PC gamers have it even better, with the display's ability to refresh the screen at 144Hz. Of course, you'll need a meaty GPU to push anything close to 144 fps at 4K, but some of the latest generation graphics cards (if you manage to wrangle one) are up to the task, especially when leveraging DLSS 2.0 (Nvidia) or FidelityFX Super Resolution (AMD) upscaling technologies.
This is labeled as a FreeSync Premium display, and it also bears the G-Sync Compatible badge. The combo means tear-free gaming regardless of where your current GPU allegiance lies.
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According to Asus, the panel on this display offers 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, suggesting a high level of color accuracy and image quality (high color gamuts and image quality don't necessarily go hand-in-hand, but they often do).
This display also passes muster for VESA's DisplayHDR 400 requirements. Part of the certification requires that monitors hit a peak brightness of at least 400 nits, and this one is rated to peak at 450 nits.
That's still well short of the preferred (and eye-searing) 1,000 nits brightness for doing HDR content justice on an LCD panel, but it manages to check the HDR box all the same.
The key here is going to be pricing, and if Asus manages to keep it reasonable, I could see this end up being a highly sought-after gaming monitor.
