The BenQ MA270S is a high-end 27-inch, 5k monitor. Geared towards Mac users, it sits lower-end than the BenQ PD2730S and competes directly with the Apple Studio Display 2026. It has features to take advantage of the latest MacBook, Mac mini, or Mac Studio, including Thunderbolt 4 support with up to 96W of power delivery and daisy chaining. It also has the ability to sync settings with a Mac, like audio and brightness controls, and it's designed to match the color profile to a MacBook's screen. Plus, it has a KVM switch that makes it easy to change sources and use the same devices on both. It even comes with an ergonomic stand and has a Nano Gloss coating to emulate the glossy coating on Apple's displays. Lastly, it includes HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports alongside a USB hub.
Our Verdict
The BenQ MA270S is mediocre for PC gaming. It has a low refresh rate and bad motion handling, so any fast-moving content is blurry. It at least has VRR support to reduce screen tearing and low input lag for a responsive feel. Unfortunately, it has limited picture quality with blacks that look gray and no local dimming to further improve it. Highlights don't pop in HDR, either.
VRR support.
Low input lag.
Impressive brightness.
Limited 70Hz refresh rate.
Bad motion handling.
Blacks look gray.
No local dimming.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The BenQ MA270S is disappointing for console gaming. It supports any resolution from a modern console up to 60Hz, but it doesn't support 120Hz signals. Although it has low input lag for a responsive feel, motion looks blurry due to its slow response time. It also has limited picture quality with blacks that look gray, no local dimming, and highlights that don't pop.
Low input lag.
Impressive brightness.
Supports all 4k signals up to 60Hz on consoles.
Limited 70Hz refresh rate.
Bad motion handling.
Blacks look gray.
No local dimming.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The BenQ MA270S is excellent for work. Text looks sharp thanks to its 5k resolution and high pixel density. It has a glossy coating that results in clear images, but the downside is that mirror-like reflections can get distracting in sunny rooms. It at least gets bright enough to fight some glare. It also comes with an ergonomic stand that makes it easy to adjust, and it has a large USB hub to connect various devices. This includes Thunderbolt 4 support to make full use of the latest MacBooks, and it has a KVM switch that allows you to change sources and use the same USB devices on both computers.
Impressive brightness.
Ergonomic stand.
KVM switch.
Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Sharp text.
Has mirror-like reflections.
The BenQ MA270S is very good for editing. It comes with an accurate sRGB mode, but it has white balance issues that you need to calibrate to fix. It also displays a wide range of colors, and it has picture modes for different color spaces that you may work with. Plus, its high 5k resolution and high pixel density help result in detailed images. Its glossy coating also provides clear images, but it has noticeable mirror-like reflections. The downside is that blacks look gray in dark rooms, and it doesn't have a local dimming feature to further improve the contrast ratio. Plus, highlights don't pop, so it's disappointing for editing HDR content.
Impressive brightness.
Ergonomic stand.
KVM switch.
Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Accurate sRGB mode.
Displays wide range of colors in any color space.
Glossy coating has clear images.
Blacks look gray.
No local dimming.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
Has mirror-like reflections.
White balance issues out of the box.
The BenQ MA270S has good brightness. It fights glare well in most bright environments, but visibility is still an issue in sunny rooms. It doesn't make highlights pop in HDR, either.
Impressive brightness.
Highlights don't pop in HDR.
The BenQ MA270S has a bad response time. Motion looks blurry at any refresh rate.
Bad motion handling.
The BenQ MA270S has disappointing HDR picture quality. Despite having a good contrast ratio for an IPS monitor, blacks still look gray, and it doesn't have a local dimming feature to further improve the black levels. The monitor also fails to properly display the brightest and darkest colors.
Displays wide range of colors in any color space.
Blacks look gray.
No local dimming.
The BenQ MA270S has good SDR picture quality. It has a good overall contrast ratio, especially for an IPS monitor, but blacks still look gray in dark rooms. It at least displays a wide range of colors in SDR.
Displays wide range of colors in any color space.
Blacks look gray.
The BenQ MA270S has excellent color accuracy. Its sRGB mode is accurate out of the box. However, it has white balance issues that you need to fix with a full calibration.
Accurate sRGB mode.
White balance issues out of the box.
Performance Usages
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the 27-inch BenQ MA270S, which is the only size available. While the results are only valid for this model, there are other 27-inch BenQ monitors geared towards Mac users, which you can see below.
| Model | Resolution | Refresh Rate | Coating | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA270S | 5k | 70Hz | Glossy |
2x USB-A 4x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 HDMI 2.1 |
| PD2730S | 5k | 60Hz | Matte | 3x USB-A 4x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 HDMI 2.1 |
| MA270U | 4k | 60Hz | Matte | 2x USB-A 2x USB-C HDMI 2.0 |
| MA270UP | 4k | 60Hz | Glossy | 2x USB-A 2x USB-C HDMI 2.0 |
Our unit's label indicates it was manufactured in January 2026 in China. We tested it on firmware V18.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The BenQ MA270S is a premium 5k, 27-inch monitor geared towards macOS users. It has features that make full use of the latest Mac computers, like Thunderbolt 4, high pixel density, and the ability to sync settings between the monitor and a MacBook. Its large USB hub, KVM switch, and daisy chaining are also useful if you want to connect different devices or monitors directly to this one. It even comes with a glossy coating, competing directly with the standard glossy coating of the Apple Studio Display 2026. It's more versatile for a multi-device setup than the Apple monitor, thanks to its features, and it costs less as well. This makes it a fantastic choice if you don't need the proprietary Apple monitor to use with your Mac.
However, keep in mind that it has lower bandwidth Thunderbolt 4 ports than the Apple monitor, which is something to consider if your computer supports Thunderbolt 5. Plus, this monitor also has limited picture quality in HDR, as it lacks local dimming, and highlights don't pop like on the higher-end Apple Studio Display XDR.
Also see our recommendations for the best monitors for Mac Studio, the best monitors for Mac mini, and the best monitors for graphic design.
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
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