Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A touts itself as the best partner for your new PS5 / Xbox Series X console. This 4K, 144Hz gaming display supports HDMI 2. This means that a connected next-generation console may output 4K at 120Hz when enabled. As more video games add support for 120Hz, HDMI 2.1 is quickly becoming a must for gaming monitors & TVs alike, and the VG28UQL1A certainly hopes to be ahead of the curve.
HDMI 2.1 gaming displays are no longer hard to find. However, the majority of devices are still rather pricey. With a price of $799, Asus’ TUF Gaming VG289UQL1A attempts to undercut the competition without sacrificing quality or connection. It is mainly successful, yet it does not stand out in a crowded field.
What will you see here?
Price & Availability
The Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A costs £749 in the UK, which is not inexpensive enough to introduce a 4K high refresh to a new generation of fans.
Screens like these are especially bad value given that a 4K, 120Hz LG OLED panel can be obtained for roughly £1,000 / $1,000. It’s not a direct parallel, but it’s still rather unfavorable. In summary, the wait for a more affordable 4K, 144Hz gaming panel for the public continues. Because, alas, this isn’t it.
Design
The Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A appears to be a gaming monitor, with a simple base and robust stand. It does not, however, appear to be an annoyingly overdesigned gaming display, instead choosing basic angles and a few geometric embellishments. The screen is 28 inches wide, with low bezels on the sides and top, and a little bigger bezel on the bottom with the Asus logo. The tablet should fit perfectly in a gaming nook. However, the VG28UQL1A would also look great in a business or creative setting, especially as it is powerful enough to do many types of graphic design work.
The ability to rotate the screen vertically is a very helpful feature of the VG28UQL1A. That’s great for productivity users. However, it’s simple to switch back when you’re ready to play. You may tilt the screen 25 degrees back and forth, swivel it 30 degrees side to side, or slide it up and down around five inches. Whatever kind of play you like, the VG28UQL1A should have a setup to suit you.
Ports
The VG28UQL1A contains the majority of what you’ll need, but not everything. It contains two HDMI 2.1 connectors, two HDMI 2.0 ports, and one DisplayPort port, which should be sufficient to connect a variety of platforms and at least one powerful PC. In terms of connectivity, you may also connect a USB-B cable to have access to two USB-A ports and a 3.5 mm jack. The only gripe is that the ports are a little out of the way, so it’s definitely not worth the effort if you need to disconnect any devices regularly.
Similarly, at least one USB-C connector would have been useful for the display. Between delivering video signals, charging devices, and connecting new accessories, USB-C has grown rather common in the gaming industry in recent years, and even just one connector would have sufficed.
Display
The Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is a 28inch Display with UHD resolution as well as a 144Hz refresh rate, built like a Rapid IPS panel. Although the TUF brand is generally associated with Asus’ budget-friendly monitors, gaming laptops, and accessories, the use of Rapid IPS brings the VG28 well into midrange pricing for a 4K gaming monitor. The 28-inch size is excellent for most desktops, and the 4K resolution & 144 Hz refresh rate are perfect for gaming, TV, movies, and a variety of productivity applications. The display is bright, clear, and sharp, with brilliant and lifelike colors.
The Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A outperformed several of its closest competitors, such as the Acer Nitro XV282K as well as the Sony Inzone M9. While the VG28UQL1A was somewhat brighter than the XV282K in ordinary mode, it was a little darker in HDR.
Brighter Quality
The TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A has no issues with brightness. Its peak SDR brightness of 353 nits does not set records. However, it is more than adequate to provide a pleasing, lively image even in bright environments. A brightly illuminated window may be enough to give this monitor pause, but it will always appear bright.
Surprisingly, the Inzone M9 beats Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A in all categories except color accuracy. Still, given that the Inzone M9 is spanking new & costs $100 more than the VG28UQL1A, it’s not unexpected that the benchmarks are slightly higher.
Performance
One intriguing aspect of the Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is that it performs admirably in all games. Most gaming displays shine at some titles while failing at others. However, the VG28UQL1A made demanding games seem gorgeous on both the PC and PS5, with deep, rich colors and smooth frame rates.
To put things into perspective, Doom Eternal is one of the greatest graphics-intensive games. This game looks fantastic and vivid on the VG28UQL1A. The volcanic landscape’s deep, exaggerated, hellish reds and oranges contrasted beautifully with the drab grey of a shotgun, the electric blue of a plasma pistol, or the lush green of the Doom Slayer’s armor.
The display didn’t scrimp on the other games, though, with stunning contrast in FFXIV’s nighttime cities and vivid blues and greens on Age of Empires’ medieval battles. The blues and greys of Cyberpunk 2077 weren’t as eye-catching as gamers want, but the explosive pinks and oranges are eye-soothing.
However, when HDR is enabled, the visuals on the PS5 appear darker than expected. Activating the console mode on the display didn’t appear to make much of a difference. Both Nioh and AC Valhalla had good contrast and rich colors, but the screen simply didn’t appear as bright, which was a problem in well-lit rooms or gloomy in-game environments. Toying with the PS5’s HDR settings and each game’s graphical settings is possible, but it takes more time than one can reasonably expect to devote to each game to make it appear nice. It’s hardly a dealbreaker. However, PC games look nearly beautiful with no human input.
Interface
The VG28UQL1A has an extensive menu system. It’s simple to use owing to a logical layout and joystick control on the bottom right flank. On a gaming monitor, there are various image quality settings available, including a specialized sRGB mode and a number of carefully tailored gamma presets. You have a plethora of options, ranging from Variable OD to GamePlus to Shadow Boost. However, it’s unclear what each option accomplishes or which of them may be used with HDR settings. There are just numerous complex variations possible.
This isn’t inherently a negative thing, but there’s some curiosity about how many gamers will want to learn how to navigate the intricate menus and how many will simply want to play the game.
One thing you can do using the Asus menu adjusts the volume, which is worth mentioning. While the VG28UQL1A is not the only gaming monitor with speakers, it is one of the few with a quality pair of speakers. While the speakers aren’t particularly impressive, compressing bass, treble, and voices a little more than I’d like, they’re absolutely enough for everyday use.
It also has gaming-specific features including a timer, a crosshair, an FPS counter, and a black equalizer. Built-in loudspeakers are standard and far superior to expectations. Gamers who want to jump in for a quick session without headphones, or who play video games with less focus on music, may want to use the built-in speakers rather than external audio. The speakers are ideal for podcasts and YouTube.
Is ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A fast?
The astounding overclockable 280Hz refresh rate indicates the panel is nearly twice as quick as standard 144 Hz monitors. You’ll enjoy incredibly smooth gaming images, giving you an advantage in first-person shootings, racing, real-time strategy, and sports games.
Which monitor is better HP or Asus?
The ASUS has a larger 27-inch screen, which provides for more multitasking area, while the smaller screen on the HP provides for a better pixel density because they both have a 1080p resolution. Because the stand on the ASUS is swivel, it has considerably superior ergonomics.
Conclusion
In many aspects, the Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is an excellent 4K gaming display. It produces a clear, precise image with better contrast and motion clarity. Its sole flaw is a lack of homogeneity in illumination. The display’s $799 MSRP is very reasonable for a 4K HDMI 2.1 monitor.
There is only one issue. The challenge. Acer XV282K, Swift PG27UQ, Gigabyte M28U, Asus ROG, and Samsung Odyssey G70A are just a handful of the possibilities available to gamers. To be frank, these displays are so similar that the decision is frequently based on pricing. Gigabyte & Samsung have the upper hand, since each company’s 28-inch 4K HDMI 2.1 monitor costs $649.99.
