Asus ROG Swift PG259QN 360Hz Monitor Review: Elite Speed

360Hz is the new 240Hz.

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For most gamers, an ordinary 144 Hz monitor will do. There are plenty of inexpensive, high-performing panels that offer everything needed for a satisfying experience. But players who want the ultimate in fast response and perfect motion rendering need a higher refresh rate. While it’s true that the largest leap in perceived response comes from the gap between 60 and 120 Hz and greater, there are still gains to be had when going from 144 Hz to 360 Hz. The Asus ROG Swift PG259QN fills that gap and is currently one of just five 360 Hz monitors announced for this year (one is another version of our review subject, but with Nvidia’s Reflex Latency Analyzer). 

(Image credit: Asus)

The question is: Are you willing to spend $700 on a 1080p monitor? You get HDR, and the PG259QN does a good job with it, but you don’t get extended color, VA-level contrast or high pixel density. How much do these things matter? On paper, they might dissuade some buyers, but in practice, we quickly forgot about the monitor’s higher price, lower resolution or lack of DCI-P3 coverage. 

An accurate sRGB color gamut produces natural and vivid color for both SDR and HDR content. The variable backlight feature improves contrast enough to make highlight and shadow detail stand out while still rendering deep blacks when appropriate. And when the frame rate surpasses 250 Hz, the PG259QN’x pixel density is a non-factor. With support for G-Sync (and FreeSync unofficially), all you need to add is a capable graphics card to enjoy the smoothest motion we’ve ever seen on a modern monitor. Regardless of how fast the action becomes, objects and backgrounds remained in perfectly sharp focus.

We also noticed a positive effect from that instant response. It made us better players. Small differences in lag and response will affect aiming and precision when moving on-screen. With hours of play under our belts, the PG259QN spoiled us into thinking we were better gamers than before.

If you’re looking for the ultimate gaming performance tool, the Asus ROG Swift PG259QN is it. Right now, it’s the only 360 Hz monitor available for preorder as of writing. This also doesn't feel like a version 1.0 product by any means. We simply hooked it up and it worked. If your budget and graphics card can manage it, you should definitely check it out. There is no doubt that this is among the best gaming monitors we’ve reviewed to date.

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.

15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Dayne_87
    That's great, but I prefer resolution over frame rate. I have a 1440p Asus ROG 27" with 144hz and G-sync and I'm fine with that for now. If I were going to upgrade for that price I would want it to be at least 1440p 360hz or 4k 144hz or faster and still 27".
    Reply
  • thepersonwithaface45
    No idea why companies are focusing on high refresh rates at 1080p. This is the 4k generation, 2k was last gen and we should be getting more choices in the 4k range. Which I'm sure we will, but I don't see anyone paying $700 for a 1080p high refresh rate monitor when for $100 more you can get a 144hz 4k 27" monitor.
    Infact, this one is only 24.5"?
    What? What is that price for that resolution, you're really just paying for 360hz?
    Reply
  • azuki84
    Still waiting for successor on my 2x pg27uq...
    Reply
  • Jonagold
    What are all the included latencies in your Absolute Input Lag testing? Could there potentially be mouse button latency included? Also system latency? What are frame-times etc.?
    Reply
  • ashburner
    This is for competitive gamers and that's it. They are notorious for running high framerate at low resolution. Even at 1080p, almost all effect settings are turned off. It's kinda crap to watch but it works for them. I prefer 2K at 27". I'm at 165hz now but I'm looking at a 4K 27". My 3080 should be in on Tuesday.
    Reply
  • nofanneeded
    I dont know whats stopping Tomshardware from reviewing LG Oled 4K 55 inch TV for gaming ? it has everything one needs for gaming even Nvidia Gsync.
    Reply
  • fireball812
    It Hertz your budget
    Reply
  • mdrejhon
    Founder of Blur Busters / Inventor of TestUFO here.

    I should compliment Toms Hardware for improved mainstream-writing description of how motion blur is reduced -- doubling Hz halves display motion blur, as an alternative to strobing. Yesterday's media used to dismiss high Hz, or was not familiar with the benefits of high Hz.

    I would, recommend that TomsHardware do pursuit camera tests with instructions at the forums:
    https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewforum.php?f=23(Even an iPhone works as a pursuit camera!)
    Reply
  • mdrejhon
    ashburner said:
    This is for competitive gamers and that's it.
    Not necessarily. If you own a 120Hz iPad, you'll notice web browser scrolling is 2x clearer. LCD motion blur halves when LCD Hz doubles. And my 360 Hz monitor has 1/6th web browser scrolling motion blur of a 60 Hz LCD monitor.

    I have the PG259QN here too, and it's absolutely lovely, especially when combined with the Razer 8000 Hz mouse (I have a prototype here).

    4K was a $10,000 frivolity in 2001. Today, 4K is a $299 Walmart special. The mainstreaming of 120 Hz is slowly beginning this decade, with future iPhone/Android devices standardizing at least 120 Hz. But eventually, 240 Hz will be a freebie feature much like Retina screens.

    We've almost retina'd out resolution, but we are far away from retina refresh rates. There is already a laboratory engineering path to an 8K 1000Hz display, though that will take many years of progress to reach.

    High-Hz isn't just for esports anymore. Though the highest Hz is still expensive and mainly of interest to bigger-budget users.
    Reply
  • CaesarNaykid
    mdrejhon said:
    Founder of Blur Busters / Inventor of TestUFO here.

    I should compliment Toms Hardware for improved mainstream-writing description of how motion blur is reduced -- doubling Hz halves display motion blur, as an alternative to strobing. Yesterday's media used to dismiss high Hz, or was not familiar with the benefits of high Hz.

    I would, recommend that TomsHardware do pursuit camera tests with instructions at the forums:
    https://forums.blurbusters.com/viewforum.php?f=23(Even an iPhone works as a pursuit camera!)
    I was going to post about your site. My eyes hurt and I cringe every time i see sideways pans in films and I check your site from time to time to see how the race to 1000hz is going. I get why these people like higher resolutions, but even back in the day of the 3DFX Voodoo1 and Voodoo2 SLI I preferred higher framerate over the resolution bumps. I want to see that 1000 hz target hit and this is a positive step that moves the bar even if just a bit towards the goal we need in display technology.
    Reply