Asus ROG Strix XG27UCS

Verdict

The Asus ROG Strix XG27UCS is a solid 4K gaming monitor with detailed images and smooth motion, as well as thoughtful OSD controls and a convenient port selection. it also benefits from excellent, accurate colours and a highly adjustable stand. However, its blacks and contrast aren’t as strong as the competition.

Introduction

I remember when monitors with HDMI 2.1 ports that could display games at 4K/144Hz cost an absolute fortune. Asus’ new ROG Strix XG27UCS aims to change that.

At £538.99/$499/€669.90, it’s a lot more affordable than the initial wave of 4K/144Hz screens a couple of years ago that went for four-figure sums while retaining the benefits of modern displays including a 27-inch Fast IPS 4K panel with a 160Hz refresh rate, alongside a sleek design, the fun of a USB-C hub, and a whole lot more.

For reference, one of our favourite 4K gaming displays, the Mini LED Acer Predator X32 FP is £1399, so this option from Asus is a much more affordable choice while retaining the same basic feature set.

I’ve been testing the XG27UCS for the last few weeks to see how well it stacks up against the competition, and to see if it’s one of the best gaming monitors.

Design

• Intricate back panel design
• Convenient OSD navigation
• Useful, if a little small, port selection

The XG27UCS is similar to other Asus ROG panels, with an understated yet modern look. There’s a two-tone grey and black finish, which looks excellent, while the back of the panel is also home to an extravagant line design that looks almost like traces on a PCB. It’s different to other panels I’ve tested and looks marvellous. The base of the stand also houses a small indent for propping your phone in, which is handy.

This is also especially simple to put together with a toolless construction and screw-in stand, which also has some solid adjustment with tilt, swivel and height adjustment. The panel can also pivot around to be vertical, as the AOC Gaming Q27G3XMN/BK does. If you don’t want to use the included stand though, the XG27UCS is also 100mm x 100mm VESA mountable.

The back of the panel is also home to convenient controls for changing inputs and navigating the OSD, with an easy-to-access joystick on the right-hand side. This means you don’t have to fiddle with buttons found on the bottom side and trawl through menus with aimless button presses, which is mighty convenient.

Regarding connectivity, the XG27UCS may only feature one of each port type, but it’s a convenient selection. There is a DP 1.4 port, as well as an HDMI 2.1, as well as a USB-C with DP Alt Mode. This means you can also connect devices by USB-C for output to the monitor, or use the USB-C as a base for a USB hub for connecting other devices – it can provide up to 15W of power delivery.

You also get a 3.5mm jack for connecting external audio sources, although there isn’t a KVM switch. The latter isn’t that big of a loss, but it is welcome on panels being used with multiple inputs.

Image Quality

• Detailed and smooth output
• Wonderful colour accuracy
• Black level and contrast is middling

I had high hopes for the XG27UCS’ overall image quality, and for the most part, those expectations were met.

Out of the box, it’s a reasonably vibrant monitor with a measured brightness of 307.7 nits, although cranking it up to the max offered a peak of 438.6 nits – close to Asus’ quoted peak of 450 nits.

A 4K resolution across the 27-inch screen size looked excellent, with crisp and vibrant images thanks to that reasonably high peak brightness. In addition, a 160Hz refresh rate aided in offering smooth motion and responsive gaming in everything from cinematic titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, or quicker paced eSports titles where that refresh rate becomes more useful such as Counter Strike 2 and Dirt Rally 2.0.

Being a Fast IPS panel means you experience the benefits of both brisk response times and fantastic colours, too. This is especially useful for competitive titles, and the XG27UCS had no trouble in the likes of CS:2 and Apex Legends in my testing, for instance.

This is also a colour-accurate panel for the most part, with my testing revealing a full 100% coverage of the sRGB colour space, meaning the XG27UCS displays all the mainstream colours needed for gaming and productivity workloads perfectly. For more colour-sensitive workloads, this panel could conceivably be used, with 99% DCI-P3 and 89% Adobe RGB coverage being above the requisite 80 percent measurement by some margin.

Whites were also accurate with a measured 6300K temperature being nearly bang-on, although the 930:1 contrast ratio is quite middling. The black level on offer was a bit of a disappointment though, with out-of-the-box levels of 0.33, which was exacerbated to 0.48 when cranking the XG27UCS up to its peak brightness.

VRR supports comes in both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, meaning the XG27UCS comes with a tear and stutter-free experience with GPUS from both Team Red and Team Green. HDR support is lacking compared to competing Mini LED or OLED choices, with only the basic HDR10 on offer, though.

Software and Features

• OSD is easy to navigate with joystick
• Lots of settings to choose from
• No speakers is a pain for those who may need them

The XG27UCS’ OSD is easy to navigate with the monitor’s dedicated joystick on the right side of the back panel, and there is a reasonable amount here for you to get your teeth into. It’s in the ‘Gaming’ section where you can add an FPS counter into the corner, or choose from all manner of gaming modes, such as FPS titles, racing games or MOBAs.

There are also three separate levels of shadow boost to control any ghosting, as well as Asus’ ELMB feature, which cuts down on motion blur as much as possible in fast-paced games. However, turning ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur) on disables VRR, and you can’t have both on at the same time. Elsewhere in the Gaming tab are also on-screen crosshairs, as well as a timer and stopwatch if you need them.

You also get typical features in the ‘Image’ tab with granular control for brightness and contrast, as well as being able to enable HDR or the monitor’s blue light filter. In the ‘Color’ tab, you can fiddle with the displayed colour gamut, as well as choose the panel’s colour temperature, gamma level or saturation level.

As is becoming more common with gaming displays, the XG27UCS also goes without its own speakers. If you’re someone who already has capable separates, or a soundbar as I do, then that isn’t going to be an issue. However, for those who lack the desk space for anything apart from integrated monitor speakers, then they may have been useful.

Latest deals