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If you have the money, the best are still the Acer Predator X27 and the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ (and among the best 4K gaming monitors you can buy). There are a lot of HDR-capable screens that cost less than $100, but many of them just accept the signal without adding anything to the experience. A few, on the other hand, can really improve the quality of HDR without costing a lot. The ViewSonic Elite XG270QC is the next step.
In past reviews, we’ve talked about HDR monitors that just support the standard and the best HDR monitors that really take image quality to a new level. We can all agree that the best of these are full-array local-dimming (FALD) backlit displays. FALD is the way to go if you want the best quality, since HDR contrast ratios can go as high as 50,000:1. But these screens are very expensive.
The ViewSonic Elite XG270QC a 27-inch, 1440p, curved VA panel with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, DisplayHDR 400, and very high brightness for about $450. But is it one of the best monitors for gamers? The ViewSonic Elite XG270QC puts up a good fight because it is well made and produces great images.
ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Design
When new video standards come out, it seems to take a while for consumer hardware to understand them fully. HDR is a great example of this. Even though it’s hard to find a monitor that doesn’t have HDR these days, only a few screens really live up to the standard. We’ve looked at a lot of them, and it seems that only FALD-enabled monitors and a few edge-backlit monitors can really deliver HDR.
The Elite XG270QC from ViewSonic belongs to the second group. The ViewSonic XG270QC is already ahead of the curve because it has a VA panel. ViewSonic takes this performance to a high level by adding a useful and well-tuned dynamic contrast feature to its HDR mode. This screen is almost as good at HDR as FALD screens, which cost a lot more. There are no flaws in the image quality, which has good DCI-P3 color coverage and a clear picture.
Even the way games work is impressive. On both FreeSync and G-Sync systems, we played all day at 165Hz. HDR works with both technologies when DisplayPort is used. If your computer has an AMD graphics card, you can also use HDMI to get 165 Hz, FreeSync, and HDR. ViewSonic’s use of overdrive makes video processing smooth and free of blur, and it has very low input lag. You can buy this gaming monitor from its official website.
ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Refresh Rate
Models with a high refresh rate that are 27″ WQHD (2560 x 1440) can be good for both work and play. There are models with all three types of LCD panels, but the VA and IPS types have been getting more attention lately. The ViewSonic ELITE XG270QC is a VA screen with a focus on contrast. It is part of the ELITE series.
It also has a curved screen, Adaptive-Sync (including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro), a refresh rate of 165Hz, and HDR support. We put this monitor through our usual set of “real world” tests to see how well it works.
ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Price
The ViewSonic XG270QC is a great gaming monitor that is worth every penny it costs to buy. The VA panel gives you great picture quality right out of the box, and it’s also a good choice if you want to try HDR gaming. We love how the monitor looks in general, especially with the RGB lighting, but the stand could be a little bit smaller.
It’s hard to find a problem with the ViewSonic XG270QC, which surpassed our expectations in most, if not all, ways. The only things we don’t like about it are the built-in speakers and the fact that the sRGB filter doesn’t work. Overall, it’s one of the best gaming monitors you can buy for $500 right now.
ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Features
The XG270QC gaming monitor has a 27-inch, beautifully curved screen with a matte black finish that prevents glare and makes the game feel more real. Regarding the screen, the AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Pure XP motion blur reduction technologies gave us some of the clearest and smoothest images we’ve ever seen. The 1ms response time made all the difference in fast-paced games like FPSs and racing games.
In fact, the movement is so smooth that it takes a while to get used to at first, but once you do, it’s hard to go back. The blacks always have good depth, and the monitor’s color accuracy is truly stunning. This size of monitor works best with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and DisplayHDR 400 support may be the basic level of the technology, but it does most of the job well.
Even though the experience was almost perfect, there were some bumps along the way. For example, the display works great whether you’re in a room with a lot of light or no light. Unfortunately, the dynamic lighting doesn’t work well when it’s neither naturally dark nor bright.
ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Performance
We used different games to test the ViewSonic Elite XG270QC, and we were happy with its solid performance and helpful presets. We used the MOBA setting (it’s not a MOBA, but RTS is close enough) in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition to make the colors brighter and the contrast a little stronger.
My colorful soldiers from the early modern era marched through enemy towns and shot volleys from their muskets at a satisfying 100 frames per second or more. The fast and colorful FPS setting in Doom Eternal, the muted and realistic Realistic setting in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and even the normal Standard setting in Final Fantasy XIV all worked well for me.
Even though not all presets are created equal (Battle Royale is a little blurry, and Vibrant is way too blue), this is a good place to start for gamers who don’t want to program their own custom settings, though you can do that if you want to. Aside from that, the 165 Hz screen was helpful when we played some less demanding games, though my old gaming PC had trouble going above 100 frames per second at high settings. Users with newer computers should have no trouble getting frame rates of 150 fps, especially since the display’s highest resolution is 1440p.
ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Final words
The ViewSonic ELITE XG270QC is a curved 27″ WQHD gaming monitor that can reach a response time of 1ms (MPRT). With a refresh rate of 165Hz and AMD FreeSyncTM Premium Pro technology, this monitor for gamers makes sure that even the fastest scenes run smoothly and without interruption.
ViewSonic Elite XG270QC Ratings