The portable gaming display Asus announced back at CES is finally up for preorder, though it's not cheap—it costs $499, or $599 if you want a tripod stand and carrying bag included.
The accessories are the only differentiating factor, otherwise the ROG Strix XG17AHPE ($499 at B&H Photo) and XG17AHP ($599, Amazon) feature the same excellent 17.3-inch IPS panel with a speedy 240Hz refresh rate.
- Size: 17.3 inches
- Panel type: IPS
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- Refresh rate: 240Hz
- Response time: 3ms (gray to gray)
- Contrast ratio: 1,000:1
- Brightness: 300 nits
- Color saturation: 100 percent sRGB
We reviewed the portable monitor sans tripod stand last month and found that it's lightweight (2.3 pounds) and easy to use, with decent battery life to boot—up to around 3 hours of gaming on the built-in 7,800mAh battery (Asus claims up to 3.5 hours).
"The XG17 offers an excellent second screen experience that travels easily without compromising color or speed," Jorge wrote.
Of course, taking full advantage of a 240Hz refresh rate is a tough ask and requires a powerful GPU. Even then, you're still pretty much bound to less demanding games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, in order to push framerates north of 200 fps.
Still, it's a nifty (albeit niche) product for those who want such a thing, can afford it, and are willing to pay a premium for the portable form factor. To put the price into perspective, the Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM is a 27-inch G-Sync Compatible display with an IPS screen, 1080p resolution, and 280Hz refresh rate (overclocked) for $399.
