ASUS PG35VQ MONITOR
A gaming monitor to rule them all. But does it?
Last year Nvidia and its partners introduced us to an exorbitantly-priced monitor based on a technology concept called G-Sync HDR which offered dynamic High Dynamic Range adjustment (like TV’s Dolby Vision), but for games. It was maddening to get working but the technology has matured to the point where Asus ROG Swift PG35VQ now exists. Why does this matter? Because, in theory, it should be the best gaming monitor ever made.
The clunky original felt like an axe-hewn screen stuck onto one of Asus’ fancy stands. The PH35VQ, however, is much more refined: resplendent with full ROG detailing and programmable Aura RGB lighting at both the base and back. G-Sync HDR has since been re-branded, G-Sync Ultimate but the fundamentals are the same: maintaining colour accuracy and uniform image quality while simultaneously adjusting both framerates and HDR involves some seriously complex processing.
But first, some of the specs: it sports a blinding 1,000-nit (peak) brightness, super-speedy 200Hz (overdriven) refresh rate, 90 per cent support of the top-rated, cinema-specified DCI-P3 colour gamut, 512-zone rear-LED-array dimming and a curved, ultra-wide (21:9) VAtechnology screen with a 3,440 x 1,440 resolution.
The OSD is fast and intuitive to use, there are gaming features such as a crosshair overlay and FPS counter plus blue-light filters and the usual set of pre-sets like Cinema, FPS (which adjusts contrast to help see enemies better) etcetera. Connectivity includes DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2,0, USB 3.0 and 3.5mm headphone jack. But what’s it like to actually use?
When playing HDRcompatible games you’ll quickly notice the extra vibrancy. Bright light seemingly glows out of the screen in games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and yet doesn’t make targets harder to see – although you can be distracted when admiring the scenery. Far Cry 5’s stunningly-lit wilderness looks sublime. Meanwhile, in lessoptimised games like Metro Exodus, detail remains visible in very bright areas and very dark areas simultaneously which is something that lesser monitors are unable to achieve. Ultimately, games can look phenomenal although competitive gamers will likely turn off the graphical enhancements to minimise distractions.
However, there are some issues. Firstly, the 200Hz overdrive is only available with SDR. Otherwise you’re limited to 100Hz. While dynamic framerate adjustment helps smooth things out, competitive gamers will likely want more. Secondly, there is noticeable halo-effect blooming around bright areas on dark backgrounds which you’ll easily see when moving a mouse cursor across a black screen.
Thirdly, having become used to superb cinematic reproduction on largescreen TVs, it was disappointing to see messy compression artefacts and banding in colour gradients on UHD video. Another annoyance was the active fan – the lighting array needs cooling and, though quiet, we could hear it gently whirring away in the background. Nonetheless, a crisp and clear Windows desktop is produced and working on the wide display was a joy.
So, who should buy this $3,699 beast that costs more than a 50-inch OLED TV? If money is no issue and you demand your games to look the best, it’s for you. Otherwise it’s an overpriced luxury.