The ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQR is a mid-range 27-inch, 4k gaming monitor. Part of the ROG Swift gaming lineup, it's a higher-end model than the ASUS ROG Strix XG27UQR, with a faster 160Hz refresh rate, and it has other gaming features like FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support and G-SYNC compatibility. It competes with other 4k gaming monitors, like the Gigabyte M32U. It offers a healthy selection of ports with HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-A ports. It also includes a few handy features to improve your gaming experience, like crosshairs and ELMB Sync for its backlight strobing feature to work simultaneously with VRR.
Our Verdict
The ASUS PG27UQR is great for most uses. It's excellent for gaming thanks to its fast response time, low input lag at high refresh rates, and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take full advantage of gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. It's also impressive for office use and content creation as it displays sharp text and detailed images, and its wide viewing angles and good ergonomics are ideal for sharing your screen with someone else. It's good for watching content, especially in a bright room, as it gets bright and has good reflection handling, but it looks worse in dark rooms due to its low contrast ratio and terrible local dimming feature.
- Sharp text clarity.
- Good ergonomics.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Performs well in bright rooms.
- Not many extra office features like a KVM switch.
- Input lag increases with 60Hz signals.
The ASUS PG27UQR is impressive for office use. Its 4k resolution and high pixel density helps result in sharp text, and its 27-inch screen is big enough to place two windows side-by-side. It also has decent viewing angles and good ergonomics, making it easier to share your screen with a coworker. Lastly, you won't have issues using it in a well-lit room as it gets bright enough to fight glare and has good reflection handling.
- Sharp text clarity.
- Good ergonomics.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Performs well in bright rooms.
- Not many extra office features like a KVM switch.
The ASUS PG27UQR is excellent for gaming. It has smooth motion handling at any refresh rate thanks to its fast response time, and it has low input lag at high refresh rates. However, its input lag increases at 60Hz, which is disappointing if you're a competitive gamer who relies on fast reactions. On the plus side, it has a max 160Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of current-gen gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. It also has FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing.
- Excellent motion handling at any refresh rate.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
- 160Hz refresh rate with VRR support.
- Low input lag at high refresh rates.
- 4k resolution delivers detailed images.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Input lag increases with 60Hz signals.
The ASUS PG27UQR is good for media consumption. Its 4k resolution lets you watch the latest content with a ton of details, and it produces sharp images. It's good if you want to watch content with a friend next to you as it has wide viewing angles and good ergonomics that make it easy to adjust. It's also ideal for watching content in bright rooms thanks to its high peak brightness, but it struggles in dark rooms as it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray.
- Sharp text clarity.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Performs well in bright rooms.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible local dimming feature.
The ASUS PG27UQR is impressive for media creation. Its dedicated sRGB mode results in excellent accuracy but also limits the brightness, so you'll need to calibrate the monitor if you want a bright and accurate image. Besides that, its 4k resolution results in detailed images, and its 27-inch screen is big enough to multitask with two windows open. Its good ergonomics are also useful if you need to share your screen with a coworker or client, and it has wide viewing angles that keep the image consistent from the sides.
- Good ergonomics.
- Wide viewing angles.
- 4k resolution delivers detailed images.
- Excellent accuracy.
- Not many extra office features like a KVM switch.
- sRGB mode limits brightness.
The ASUS PG27UQR is decent for HDR. It gets very bright in HDR, but small highlights don't pop against the rest of the image, so some HDR content looks muted. It also displays a wide range of colors, but not all colors are as bright and vivid as they should be. Unfortunately, it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks look gray, and its local dimming feature is terrible as it doesn't improve the contrast ratio.
- 4k resolution delivers detailed images.
- Great HDR brightness.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Terrible local dimming feature.
- Small highlights are muted.
Changelog
-
Updated Feb 04, 2025:
Clarified that the Local Dimming feature can only be disabled in SDR, as it's locked on in HDR.
- Updated Nov 07, 2023: Clarified that the LG 27GR93U-B has lower Input Lag at 60Hz.
- Updated Oct 05, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Sep 29, 2023: Early access published.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 27-inch ASUS PG27UQR, which is part of the ROG Swift gaming lineup. It has a black body, but it's also available as the PG27UQR-W with a white body. While similar monitors are available, for which you can see the differences below, the results are only valid for this monitor.
| Model | Size | Panel Type | Resolution | Max Refresh Rate | VRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG27UQR | 27" | IPS | 4k | 160Hz | G-SYNC Compatible |
| PG27UQ | 27" | IPS | 4k | 144Hz | G-SYNC |
| PG32UQR | 32" | IPS | 4k | 144Hz | G-SYNC Compatible |
Our unit was manufactured in June 2023; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The ASUS PG27UQR is an excellent mid-range 4k gaming monitor with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and smooth motion handling. It competes well with other 4k gaming monitors, and it's competitively priced, so it offers great value against the competition. It's a better choice than the Gigabyte M32U if you need something for gaming at high refresh rates, thanks to its fast response time, but its increased input lag at 60Hz is disappointing if you play games at lower refresh rates. Also, it has fewer productivity features than the M32U or the Gigabyte M27U, so if you need something versatile, those are still better choices. It doesn't have as good picture quality as the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75, but that's a premium monitor that costs more anyway.
See our recommendations for the best 4k gaming monitors, the best 27-inch gaming monitors, and the best monitors for PS5/PS5 Pro.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 S32BG75 and the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQR are different types of 4k gaming monitors. The Samsung is bigger and delivers better picture quality thanks to its Mini LED backlighting, which helps display deeper blacks. The Samsung also lets small highlights get brighter in HDR, so they pop more. The Samsung has a curved screen, while the ASUS has a flat screen with wider viewing angles, so it's the better choice for sharing your screen with others.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 S32BG85 and the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQR are different types of 4k gaming monitors. The Samsung is higher-end with a faster 240Hz refresh rate, and it delivers better picture quality thanks to its Mini LED backlighting that helps it display deeper blacks. The Samsung also lets small highlights get brighter in HDR, so they pop more. The Samsung has a curved screen, while the ASUS has a flat screen with wider viewing angles, so it's the better choice for sharing your screen with others.
The ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQR and the LG 27GP950-B are both excellent 4k gaming monitors. They have many similarities, especially in their performance, but the LG has a lower input lag at 60Hz for a more responsive feel. However, most of their differences are minor, as the ASUS has a more ergonomic stand and better reflection handling, making it the better choice for well-lit rooms.
The ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQR is a higher-end monitor than the ASUS ROG Strix XG27UQR, so it has a few extra features. The main difference is that the PG27UQR has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which the XG27UQR doesn't have, so it can take full advantage of current-gen gaming consoles and modern graphics cards. The PG27UQR also has a more modern look with thinner bezels and a more ergonomic stand. Lastly, the PG27UQR has a slightly higher refresh rate and much better motion handling across its entire refresh rate range.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
