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).
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.
