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The growth in the curved gaming screen market has been phenomenal over the last few years, averaging 25 per cent a year, although this segment of monitor sales is still quite small – around ten per cent of the total. But with the growth and premium attached to this format, it's no surprise to see an increasing abundance of options. That said, the ASUS ROG Strix XG32VQR isn't just a ‘me-too' entry into the realm of curvaceous displays, but has plenty of serious gaming credibility as well.
For a start, this is a 144Hz screen with AMD FreeSync adaptive synchronisation, which is even more useful now that NVIDIA graphics cards also support it. This is a 31.5in VA panel, which is the preferable technology for a curved screen. This has the usual strengths of VA with 3,000:1 contrast and a bright 450cd/m2 maximum illumination, but also the usual weakness of 4ms Grey to Grey pixel response. The native resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 is also the current sweet spot for gaming beyond Full HD.
The design is typically ROG Strix badass style, mostly revolving around black but with some red elements on the stand. The latter also incorporates ASUS's Aura Sync ambient lighting. There are two HDMI 2.0 inputs plus a single DisplayPort, but no legacy video or USB C connectivity. There is a USB 3.0 hub with two ports, but no built-in speakers, although there is a minijack to route digital audio from a digital video connection to speakers or headphones.
You get the full range of adjustments, with tilt, swivel, and height adjustment available. There is also a wealth of gaming-focused control available in the OSD menu. However, you do pay a considerable premium for all this high-end gaming ability, with the ASUS ROG Strix XG32VQR coming in at over £550. For that kind of money, this needs to be a seriously top-end screen in every respect. Let's find out how it fares.
Specification:
- Screen size: 31.5-inch, 16:9 aspect
- Native resolution: 2,560 x 1,440
- Refresh rate: 144Hz, AMD FreeSync 2
- Panel type: VA
- Contrast ratio: 3,000:1 (typical)
- Brightness: 450cd/m2
- Response time: 4ms Grey-to-Grey
- Display inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort
- USB hub: Yes, 2 x USB 3.0
- Tilt: 5 degrees forward, 20 degrees backward
- Raise: 100mm
- Swivel: 50 degrees left and right
- Portrait: No
- Other: Audio output
Retail Price: £569.99 (inc. VAT)
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