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With the proliferation of premium OLED gaming monitors coming across my test bench, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see another 400 Hz monitor again. But all things considered, OLEDs are still expensive and the BenQ Zowie XL2566X+ costs a good bit less. Granted at $650, it isn’t a trivial purchase. However, an OLED with equivalent gaming performance costs around $1,000.
The XL2566X+’s retro styling and solid build make it a competitive gamer’s tool. I noted the useful markings on the premium stand for repeatable positioning. And with its flexibility in setup and the handy S-Switch, you can tote it easily to a LAN party. I liked the inclusion of side blinders so you can isolate yourself from your competitors. And everything about its physical presence exudes quality. You’ll be using this monitor for a long time.
The XL2566X+’s retro styling and solid build make it a competitive gamer’s tool. I noted the useful markings on the premium stand for repeatable positioning. And with its flexibility in setup and the handy S-Switch, you can tote it easily to a LAN party. I liked the inclusion of side blinders so you can isolate yourself from your competitors. And everything about its physical presence exudes quality. You’ll be using this monitor for a long time.
BenQ has created a benchmark with its DyAc2 backlight strobe. This feature is common on fast gaming monitors, and it almost always comes with phasing artifacts that render it barely usable. The XL2566X+’s version is perfect. It only cuts brightness slightly and it renders perfect motion resolution without overdrive. And if you’d rather run Adaptive-Sync, the overdrive is very effective. It also delivers a moving image without blur or artifacts. I have not seen better video processing from any LCD in recent memory.
Though I never expected OLED image quality from the XL2566X+, it did irritate me a little with its lack of a correct gamma option. The darkest setting is still lighter than the 2.2 standard. The picture is good but with the right gamma, it would be even better. And there were no aiming points or frame counters.
If you’re balking at the idea of spending $800-1,000 on an OLED, but you need a high-performance monitor for tournament play, the BenQ Zowie XL2566X+ is definitely worth checking out.
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