After teasing us this summer, Asus started putting its money where its mouth is today, detailing not one, not 2.1, but three monitors debuting this year with HDMI 2.1 ports.
For those seeking the best 4K gaming monitors, HDMI 2.1 brings notable benefits. While HDMI 2.0 limits 4K resolution to a refresh rate of 60 Hz, HDMI 2.1 ups it to 120 Hz without using compression.
Following last week’s announcement that Acer’s first HDMI 2.1 monitor will be available in May, Asus announced during CES 2021 today that its three HDMI 2.1 monitors, one 28-inch, one 32-inch and one 43-inch, will all be available in North America in Q2. More specific dates and pricing wasn’t shared.
Asus HDMI 2.1 Monitors Specs
| Name | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Max Refresh Rate | Response Time | Adaptive-Sync | Color | HDR | Ports | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A | 28 inches | Fast IPS | 3840 x 2160 | 144 Hz | 1ms (GTG) | AMD FreeSync Premium Pro | 125% sRGB, 90% DCI-P3 | DisplayHDR 400 | 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 DSC | Variable overdrive, ELMB Sync |
| Asus ROG Swift PG32UQ | 32 inches | IPS | 3840 x 2160 | 144 HHz | 1ms | G-Sync Compatible | 98% DCI-P3 | DisplayHDR 600 | 2x HDMI 2.1, Display 1.4 DSC | ELMB Sync, variable overdrive |
| Asus ROG Strix XG43UQ | 43 inches | VA | 3840 x 2160 | 144 Hz | 1ms | AMD FreeSync Premium Pro | 90% DCI-P3 | DisplayHDR 1000 | 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4 DSC | ELMB Sync |
Of course, in order to reap the benefits of HDMI 2.1, you’ll need to connect one of these monitors to a system that has an HDMI 2.1 port (along with the right cable). The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X already have you covered. PC gamers, meanwhile, will need one of the best graphics cards. Only the AMD Radeon RX 6000-series and Nvidia RTX 3000-series cards support it, assuming you can find any in stock. HDMI 2.1 laptops aren’t readily available yet, but CES 2021 has shown us that that should be changing this year, including with options from Asus, Lenovo and Razer.
If you do have the right system though, you’ll also be able use the monitors’ Auto Low Latency Mode feature. Part of HDMI 2.1, this “enables the ideal latency setting to automatically be set allowing for smooth, lag-free and uninterrupted viewing and interactivity,” as the spec makers put it.
Outside of the fancy new port, Asus also equipped all the monitors with ELMB Sync, Asus’ motion blur-fighting tech. You also get DisplayPort 1.4 DSC, which enables 4K gamers to hit the monitors’ max refresh rate of 144 Hz, albeit with compression.
The PG32UQ also comes with Nvidia Reflex, an input lag analyzer that’s also supposed to fight latency, which is a nice addition considering the feature was originally only available with 360Hz monitors.
With Asus, Acer and the crowdfunded Eve Spectrum all promising HDMI 2.1-ready displays in 2021, 4K fans have something to keep an eye on this year.
