ASUS PG248Q Republic of Gamers Swift 24-inch G-Sync Gaming Monitor Review

There’s a lot of cool stuff happening when it comes to gaming monitors these days, and while the ideal has shifted away from 24-inch/1080p screens to 4K and 30-inch+ ultra-widescreen monsters, there’s still a lot of mileage to be had from the 24-inch form factor.

And that’s exactly the case with this screen from ASUS. Sure, it’s “just” a 24-incher, but it’s a 24-incher stuffed with some of very best display technology available to the form factor – we’re talking G-Sync, a 144Hz refresh rate (overclockable to 180Hz) and 1ms response time (grey to grey), a 1080p resolution and flicker-free ultra-low blue light tech.

It even supports NVIDIA’s 3D Vision, a specialised 3D implementation that lets gamers who also shell out for NVIDIA’s special 3D Vision 2 glasses the option to play supported games in 3D. In short, this is a spectacular screen, and is in fact a 24-inch version of the popular 27-inch ROG Swift.

And of course, as this is an ASUS monitor, there’s also the various scene modes and game-enhancing ASUS GamePlus extras that the company builds into its high-end screens.

Here’s how each technology benefits the gamer:

1ms response time: No ghosting even on the fastest-moving gaming and movie scenes.

144Hz refresh rate (overclockable to 180Hz): Gaming visuals that are even smoother than the “mere” 60Hz refresh rate on offer by most non-gaming displays. This is ideal for high-end gaming PCs with graphics cards capable of pushing frame rates beyond 60 frames per second, i.e. adopters of NVIDIA’s excellent 10-series GeForce GTX cards ans enthusiasts who run multiple NVIDIA GPUs in their systems. And the most demanding gamers can push that to 180Hz through overclocking for even more smoothness.

3D Vision: The ability to play supported games in 3D. Requires an additional 3D Vision Kit that syncs game output with a special set of 3D glasses.

G-Sync: Special NVIDIA technology that matches the frame rate gamers’ GeForce graphics cards are putting out with the screen’s actual refresh rate. The result is smoother graphics at refresh rates of up to the screen’s maximum of 180Hz.

1080p: Full HD resolution is standard on this monitor and makes games look fantastic, especially when an additional layer of anti-aliasing is applied by the graphics card. This further smoothes out edges to provide a beautiful, seamless look to everything.

Ultra-low blue light tech: This screen controls harmful blue light levels with four different filter settings that place the control squarely in the gamer’s hands. Less blue light, less eye-strain, and happier hardcore gamers.

Flicker-free: Further reductions to eye-strain are made possible by the screen’s flicker-free operation. This is especially useful for gamers who love spending lots of time in their favourite game worlds, and who don’t want to be pulled away by a need to take a bit of a break to rest their eyes.

ASUS Extras: GamePlus offers gamers customisable crosshairs, an on-screen FPS counter, the ability to align the screen’s output and more. ASUS DisplayWidget tech offers software controls for all of the screen’s OSD functions, making them easier to access than pressing physical buttons.

Ports Aplenty: The PG248Q offers HDMI, DisplayPort and DVI-D inputs to accommodate the most popular graphics card outputs. To make full use of the screen’s high resolution and 144Hz (and 180Hz) refresh rates requires the use of the DisplayPort input, as it’s the most advanced of the three.

And lastly, the PG248Q’s stand tilts and swivels for easy setup, plus the screen rotates 90 degrees into the portrait position – in case you want to read a website without scrolling or some other design priority dictates it. The stand’s ergonomic design is further complemented by LED lighting, adding that extra special touch that gamers can use to really show off.

Add all that up and you have one monster gaming monitor that has all of the functions modern gamers love.

Of course, there has to be a caveat – this monitor doesn’t come cheap. You’ll find it in the shops for an RRP of R9499, which is a fair chunk of change to spend on a screen. Still, the price is most certainly worth it – those gaming-specific features offer genuine gamer-friendly enhancements over other screens in the same size category.

So yes, this is a pricey screen when compared to other 24-inchers, but it also offers a lot of functions that those screens don’t, and is thus a worthwhile investment for high-performance gamers serious about their hobby.