Packaging, Physical Layout & Accessories
The shipping carton is quite substantial, made of double-corrugate cardboard, and more than adequate to protect its contents from shipping damage. Sturdy foam blocks protect the screen and upright, which is packed separately from the base. That part can be attached with a captive bolt. Even though the panel can be removed from the stand without tools, it’s already assembled for you. Just slide a small switch if you want to use your own mounting bracket.
Unlike most 28-inch TN/Ultra HD monitors, the MG28UQ has an internal power supply. Asus includes an IEC cord for this purpose. You also get heavy-duty DisplayPort, HDMI and USB 3.0 cables. The warranty card and quick start guide represent the printed instructions, while the main user manual is provided on a CD.
Product 360
The bezel measures a thin 19mm making the MG28UQ a good candidate for multi-screen setups. The GamePlus menu includes is a nifty guide-graphic that helps you position adjacent monitors so the images are perfectly aligned. More on that below.
Asus uses an extremely effective anti-glare layer that staves off all but the harshest light and doesn’t harm image quality with annoying grain or softness. Clarity is paramount when pixel density is this high, and it appears that the air gap has been kept thin for maximum sharpness.
You might think the silk-screened icons on the front bezel represent touch controls but there buttons around back instead. They click firmly with positive feedback and are supplemented with a tiny joystick for quick and easy menu navigation. To make a selection, press the stick. The keys access things like input selection, GamePlus and picture modes.
Asus has gone all out with a fully adjustable stand. It’s something you’d expect from a more-expensive ROG product. The height range is just shy of six inches and you can pivot the panel 60 degrees to either side. Tilt goes from -5 to 25 degrees, and there is a portrait mode.
The MG28UQ’s side profile isn’t terribly slim but the flat back means wall mounting is feasible. The handle-like protrusion on the upright is for cable management. An actual handle would be nice since this monitor is a little heavier than most.
Ventilation is provided around the perimeter of the bulge that houses well-shielded internal components. The upright can be removed to expose a 100mm VESA mount. Inputs are marked with molded-in icons.
From the left we have the USB 3.0 ports, two HDMI 1.4 inputs, an HDMI 2.0 jack and the single DisplayPort, which is required for adaptive sync operation. The HDMI 2.0 input will accept 3840x2160 signals at 60Hz.
GamePlus
GamePlus is a feature seen on all Asus gaming monitors and it has a new element in this implementation: multi-display alignment. You also get the usual crosshair/reticule group, countdown timers (30, 40, 50, 60 and 90 minutes) and an fps indicator. The only flaw is you can’t use more than one feature at a time.
These reticules are very handy for the more casual fraggers (fragists?) among us. Once activated you can move it around the screen with the joystick.
This is super-cool. The arrows make it extremely easy to align multiple monitors, on any side, to ensure proper image registration.
Like the reticules, you can move the fps counter around the screen with the joystick. We weren’t thrilled with the black box around the number though. That remains visible regardless of image content.
