Asus ROG PG348Q 34-inch Curved G-Sync Monitor Review

Reviews
By Christian Eberle
published

Asus adds to its premium Republic of Gamers line with the curved ultra-wide PG348Q. It sports a color-accurate IPS panel at 34" diagonal, with 3440x1440 resolution, G-Sync, and a 100Hz refresh rate. We’re checking it out today.

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Conclusion

It’s pretty clear that Asus has produced another winning addition to its Republic of Gamers line of monitors. The PG348Q fits in nicely with a premium group of displays that can complement any high-end gaming system with accurate color and a bright sharp picture, plus must-have special features like G-Sync and a factory-overclockable (warranty-preserving) 100Hz refresh rate.

At a price of over $1100 at this writing, expectations for this display are understandably high. You should get a monitor that’s accurate out of the box, solidly built, distinctively styled, and ready to mate with an equally expensive gaming rig equipped with the latest in high-performance graphics processing. The PG348Q checks those boxes. In fact the only thing preventing it from being calibration-free is the contrast control. That’s a minor flaw and it’s easily corrected. And we think it’s important to make that adjustment in order to maximize image quality.

There are some that may miss the ULMB feature found on other ROG screens. Frankly, we just don’t think it’s worth giving up G-Sync to use it. Tearing is a far more distracting artifact than motion blur. And that problem is mostly solved when refresh rates exceed 60Hz.

Stacking the PG348Q and other IPS curved monitors up against the 35-inch AMVA crowd is an obvious comparison. AMVA will get you better contrast and a higher refresh rate for sure. But those extra pixels along with a superior overdrive implementation makes IPS displays like this well worth their extra cost. It should also be noted that you won’t need as much graphics horsepower to drive a 3440x1440 panel as you would for one that runs at 3840x2160. When connected to identical systems, we’re seeing almost double the framerates on the 21:9 screens.

There are now many choices in curved ultra-wides, and gamers have obviously taken to them in sufficient numbers to keep new products coming. Prices haven’t dropped much since we first saw the category two years ago, but the gaming experience they offer is a unique one. And if you compare it to the cost of three decent flat screens, the curved ultra-wide comes out as more budget-friendly.

The PG348Q is well-worthy of both the ROG designation and a higher price. For its excellent image quality, accurate color, impressive feature set, and distinct styling, we’re giving it our Tom’s Hardware Editor Recommended Award.

MORE: Best Computer Monitors
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MORE: All Monitor Content

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Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

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40 Comments Comment from the forums
  • RocketChild
    How's the cable management on this pretty monitor? Doesn't look like there is any and I take it no VESA mounting points either? Seems like a decent part of the cost with this monitor is that stand so you can have a flashlight on your surface. Good to see headway is being made with higher refresh rates at greater resolutions.
    Reply
  • itsnotmeitsyou
    I don't understand why we're still seeing Predator/Bionicle themed high-end hardware... Can the kids that are into this garbage actually afford it?

    I would guess that the larger market is the people who grew up gaming that are now career professionals. I suppose that doesn't imply their taste in hardware styling has matured, but personally I'm over the whole PowerRangerMegaZord kitsch that started with Alienware in the 90s.

    It looks like a beautifully specd monitor. Just wish it wasnt so painfully styled.
    Reply
  • moogleslam
    I've had this monitor since April 2016, and it's phenomenal. The combination of 21:9, 34", 3440x1440, 100Hz, Curved, IPS, & G-Sync cannot be bettered by anything currently on the market. Today, this is the ultimate gaming monitor. It's completely immersive, and I've had no issues with game support so far. Funnily, my most jaw dropping moment was when I first took it out of the box and saw the size of it.... before I even powered it up! It's huge! My own sample isn't 100% perfect though. There is noticeable IPS Glow/Backlight Bleed (I don't really know the difference) in all four corners, though it can only be seen in almost entirely black scenes, and fortunately, for the games I play, that's almost never. There are also visible scanlines at any overclock. You have to look very closely to see them, and certainly, during normal game play, I never notice them. In all though, I am incredibly happy with this monitor (even if I paid $1300!), and I expect it to serve me well for many years, regardless of what else comes to market!
    Reply
  • Realist9
    Wouldn't it be smarter to pick up a 4k of similar size/specs like the Predator XB32 for $60 more?

    Given you have the rig to run 4K?

    My concern is relative adoption of 3440x1440 vs 4k. I *feel* like 3440 is not as widely supported as 4k, and with 4k, there's no fisheye (right?).

    for ref: Currently running 3x32" surround on a 1080 (for ref concerning frame rate). 3440x1440 = 4.9M pix, 5760x1080 = 6.2M pix, and 4k = 8.3M pix.
    Reply
  • moogleslam
    18663297 said:
    Wouldn't it be smarter to pick up a 4k of similar size/specs like the Predator XB32 for $60 more?

    Given you have the rig to run 4K?

    My concern is relative adoption of 3440x1440 vs 4k. I *feel* like 3440 is not as widely supported as 4k, and with 4k, there's no fisheye (right?).

    for ref: Currently running 3x32" surround on a 1080 (for ref concerning frame rate). 3440x1440 = 4.9M pix, 5760x1080 = 6.2M pix, and 4k = 8.3M pix.

    I've tried 4K, and this is far superior. There is no 4K with similar specs. Two of the three most important things this monitor provides are missing on 4K; 100Hz, and 21:9. Before this monitor, I had a 144Hz monitor, and dropping to 100Hz was a sacrifice I was willing to make, but I'll never go back to 60Hz, even with G-Sync/FreeSync. And 21:9 is the real difference maker. The extra horizontal screen real estate is amazingly useful, and it's what provides greater immersion than ever before; probably immersion that can only be beaten with VR (not even with triples because I hated the bezels).

    I don't see any adoption issues. Firstly, this format is becoming more and more popular all the time. Secondly, whether it's adopted by the masses or not, I'v had zero support issues to date. The most I've had to do is edit a config file (World of Tanks), but all other games have been completely straight forwards.

    There's zero fish eye in any games. I'm not quite sure what you're getting at.... I mean, your in-game FOV isn't distorted by having a wider monitor; you just see more left and right, in a completely natural manner; there's no stretching to fill it.

    I've tried triples and 4K, and I firmly believe that the three most important factors in a gaming monitor, which I'll never go without again are:

    21:9
    G-Sync/FreeSync
    100+Hz

    Resolution would only be 4th on my list, and I'd even take a 2560x1080 21:9 before I went to 4K, just so I could have the 3 must haves above.
    Reply
  • moogleslam
    18662798 said:
    How's the cable management on this pretty monitor? Doesn't look like there is any and I take it no VESA mounting points either? Seems like a decent part of the cost with this monitor is that stand so you can have a flashlight on your surface. Good to see headway is being made with higher refresh rates at greater resolutions.

    Cable management is actually good. If I recall correctly, the cables, where they plug into the monitor, are hidden behind the back cover, and then feed through the stand, coming out at the rectangular square you can see at the bottom/back of it.
    Reply
  • larsv8
    This guy, or similar, is on my wish list for some time over the next two months. Heard the light bleed is really the only noticeable downside, but that is not the biggest deal.

    I am assuming this is mostly identical to the Predator X-34? Gonna have to make a decision on which brand to go with.

    I am hoping the new version, the X34P, which is supposed to have some performance improvements is released soon, to either drive this price down, or be affordable enough to upgrade.

    I can't wait to fire up Forza Horizon's 3 on this badboy at max settings. Good time to be a gamer!



    Reply
  • moogleslam
    18663459 said:
    This guy, or similar, is on my wish list for some time over the next two months. Heard the light bleed is really the only noticeable downside, but that is not the biggest deal.

    I am assuming this is mostly identical to the Predator X-34? Gonna have to make a decision on which brand to go with.

    I am hoping the new version, the X34P, which is supposed to have some performance improvements is released soon, to either drive this price down, or be affordable enough to upgrade.

    I can't wait to fire up Forza Horizon's 3 on this badboy at max settings. Good time to be a gamer!



    It uses the same panel as the Acer Predator X34, yes. The ASUS PG348Q seems to have had less issues/better QA, and the OSD and associated controls are far superior on the ASUS as well. Many also tend to prefer the PG348Q styling. Other than that, they're more or less identical.

    Sim racing on these monitors, in cockpit view, is one of my favorite things. Try out iRacing if you can, and use the built in FOV calculator.
    Reply
  • infamousk12
    This monitor is extremely expensive, however, it is absolutely amazing. I have owned it for about a month. Out of the box, it was easy to assemble and the quality of the parts is simply top notch. The monitor performs extremely well, and once you game on a native 21:9 aspect, you will never go back.
    Reply
  • poochiepiano
    18663372 said:
    I've tried 4K, and this is far superior. There is no 4K with similar specs. Two of the three most important things this monitor provides are missing on 4K; 100Hz, and 21:9. Before this monitor, I had a 144Hz monitor, and dropping to 100Hz was a sacrifice I was willing to make, but I'll never go back to 60Hz, even with G-Sync/FreeSync. And 21:9 is the real difference maker. The extra horizontal screen real estate is amazingly useful, and it's what provides greater immersion than ever before; probably immersion that can only be beaten with VR (not even with triples because I hated the bezels).

    I've tried triples and 4K, and I firmly believe that the three most important factors in a gaming monitor, which I'll never go without again are:

    21:9
    G-Sync/FreeSync
    100+Hz

    Resolution would only be 4th on my list, and I'd even take a 2560x1080 21:9 before I went to 4K, just so I could have the 3 must haves above.
    If you take a 4k monitor and chop of the top and bottom 1/6 of the screen, you get 1440p with an even wider screen. How is having additional vertical real estate bad? Assuming the 4k monitor has 100+ Hz that is variable, for the same price, I don't see how it's not better.

    I love the 21:9 form factor too, and I use one at home, but at these prices, I don't see how a 1440 21:9 can beat a 4k with the same specs.

    If the price was more in line with the comparative resolutions, aka it didn't cost virtually the same with <1/3 of the pixels, I would say that 1440p IPS in 21:9 with a 34" diagonal is my sweet spot too, but it just costs too much. This is pretty much the highest-end of these types of displays, especially with 100 Hz, so it's understandable, but with a comparable 4k? Why go with this?
    Reply