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We've recently released Test Bench 2.0 for Monitors! Read our new VRR Flicker R&D Article and Pursuit Photo R&D Article to learn more.

AOC CU34G2X Monitor Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Jul 13, 2021 at 09:51 am
Latest change: Writing modified Mar 21, 2024 at 11:48 am
AOC CU34G2X Picture
7.4
Mixed Usage
7.6
Office
7.5
Gaming
7.4
Media Consumption
7.8
Media Creation
6.5
HDR

The AOC CU34G2X is a great ultrawide gaming monitor. It has a 144Hz panel with native FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. It has low input lag, and although it has a quick overall response time, there's visible black smearing, which is typical of VA panels. Speaking of which, it has a high native contrast ratio, but that means it has narrow viewing angles, so it's not ideal for co-op gaming. The 34 inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution help deliver an immersive gaming experience, and it has a fairly aggressive 1500R curve to bring the edges of the screen within your field of vision.

Our Verdict

7.4 Mixed Usage

The AOC CU34G2X is a good overall monitor. It's great for gaming because it has a 144Hz refresh rate, FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility, and low input lag, but there's visible black smearing. It's good for office use or content creators thanks to its large screen and good text clarity, but it has narrow viewing angles. Unfortunately, even though it has a good contrast ratio, it doesn't deliver a satisfying HDR experience because it doesn't get bright enough to make highlights pop.

Pros
  • 34 inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution deliver immersive experience.
  • Tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
  • 144Hz refresh rate with VRR support.
  • Good native contrast ratio.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Noticeable black smearing with fast-moving objects.
  • No local dimming feature.
7.6 Office

The AOC CU34G2X is good for office use. The large 34 inch screen allows you to open multiple windows side-by-side, and it delivers clear text thanks to its high resolution. It's decent to use in a well-lit room, but it doesn't get bright enough to fight a ton of glare. Also, it has narrow viewing angles, so it's not ideal for sharing your screen with others.

Pros
  • 34 inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution deliver immersive experience.
  • Tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
  • Decent reflection handling for a moderately-lit room.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Not bright enough to fight glare from strong light sources.
7.5 Gaming

The AOC CU34G2X is impressive for gaming. It has a high 144Hz refresh rate with native FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility that you can achieve over a DisplayPort connection. It has low input lag and a fairly quick response time, but like other VA panel monitors, there's noticeable black smearing. It's great for dark room gaming as it has high contrast, but it lacks a local dimming feature.

Pros
  • Tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
  • 144Hz refresh rate with VRR support.
  • Low input lag.
  • Good native contrast ratio.
Cons
  • Noticeable black smearing with fast-moving objects.
  • No local dimming feature.
7.4 Media Consumption

The AOC CU34G2X is good for watching multimedia content. The large screen provides an immersive viewing experience, and the 21:9 aspect ratio is good for watching movies. It has a high contrast to deliver fairly deep blacks, but there's no local dimming feature. It's not the best for sharing your screen with a friend as it has narrow viewing angles.

Pros
  • 34 inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution deliver immersive experience.
  • Tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
  • Good native contrast ratio.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • No local dimming feature.
7.8 Media Creation

The AOC CU34G2X is very good for content creators. The large screen space makes it easy to see your entire video timeline without scrolling too much, and the 3440x1440 resolution helps deliver crisp images. It has decent ergonomics if you need to place the screen in an ideal position, but it has narrow viewing angles, making it harder to share the screen with a coworker or client.

Pros
  • 34 inch screen and 3440x1440 resolution deliver immersive experience.
  • Tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
  • Decent reflection handling for a moderately-lit room.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angles.
  • Not bright enough to fight glare from strong light sources.
6.5 HDR

The AOC CU34G2X is alright for HDR. It displays deep blacks with alright uniformity but doesn't have a local dimming feature to further improve it. It also displays a wide range of colors in HDR, but its peak brightness is limited, so highlights don't pop, and colors aren't vivid.

Pros
  • Good native contrast ratio.
Cons
  • No local dimming feature.
  • Low HDR peak brightness.
  • 7.4 Mixed Usage
  • 7.6 Office
  • 7.5 Gaming
  • 7.4 Media Consumption
  • 7.8 Media Creation
  • 6.5 HDR
  1. Updated Mar 21, 2024: Added that the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDM has an even higher Refresh Rate.
  2. Updated Mar 22, 2023: Clarified text throughout as part of Test Bench 1.2, including adding text to the Response Time @ 120Hz box.
  3. Updated Feb 22, 2023: Updated the FreeSync test result in Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) to 'Yes' because it's now officially certified on AMD's website.
  4. Updated Jan 11, 2023: Added text for the macOS Compatibility, PS5 Compatibility, and Xbox Series S|X Compatibility boxes added as part of test bench 1.2.
  5. Updated Jan 10, 2023: Updated to Test Bench 1.2, resulting in changes to the results and scores with the Response Time and Input Lag. Added tests for Console Compatibility and macOS compatibility and made minor changes to other tests, which you can see in our Changelog.
  6. Updated Jul 13, 2021: Review published.
  7. Updated Jul 09, 2021: Early access published.
  8. Updated Jun 29, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Jun 22, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  10. Updated Jun 18, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
  11. Updated Jun 15, 2021: The product has won our suggestion poll, so we'll buy and test it soon.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the AOC CU34G2X 34", which is the only size available for this monitor. There's also the CU34G2, which seems to only be available in Europe, though we don't know for sure.

Model Size Resolution Refresh Rate VRR
CU34G2 34" 3440x1440 100Hz FreeSync
CU34G2X 34" 3440x1440 144Hz FreeSync

If you have one that performs differently from ours, let us know, and we'll update the review. Keep in mind that some tests, like gray uniformity, can vary between units.

You can see the label for our unit here.

Compared To Other Monitors

The AOC CU34G2X is a great gaming monitor that's versatile for other uses too. It's a low-cost option that offers good value, but unless you work in a dark environment, other affordable options get brighter, like the Gigabyte G34WQC

See our recommendations for the best gaming monitors, the best ultrawide monitors, and the best budget monitors.

Gigabyte G34WQC

The AOC CU34G2X and the Gigabyte G34WQC are both great gaming monitors. They have similar features with the same panel type and max refresh rate. The Gigabyte has a quicker response time, but black smear is visible on both. The Gigabyte is better to use in a well-lit room because it has better reflection handling and gets brighter. However, the AOC has four USB inputs, which the Gigabyte doesn't have, and its stand offers swivel adjustments.

Samsung Odyssey G5 C34G55T

The Samsung Odyssey G5 C34G55T and the AOC CU34G2X are both great gaming monitors. The Samsung has a higher 165Hz refresh rate compared to 144Hz on the AOC. The Samsung is a bit better to use in a well-lit room because it has better reflection handling and gets a bit brighter. It also has a much higher contrast, but this can vary between units. On the other side, the AOC has many more ergonomics adjustments, as you can swivel it and adjust the height, which you can't do on the Samsung.

Dell S3422DWG

The Dell S3422DWG is better for most uses than the AOC CU34G2X. While they both use the same panel type, the Dell delivers better motion handling thanks to its faster response time, and it has better picture quality due to its higher peak brightness in SDR and HDR. The AOC has a few minor advantages, though, as it has better ergonomics because it supports swivel adjustment and has better accuracy before calibration.

ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B is a bit better gaming monitor than the AOC CU34G2X. The ASUS has significantly faster response times, but there's noticeable black smear on either due to their VA panels. The ASUS has a 165Hz panel compared to 144Hz on the AOC, and it also gets significantly brighter and has better reflection handling, so it's a better choice for well-lit rooms. However, the AOC has better ergonomics because it has a much wider swivel and tilt range.

Acer Nitro XV340CK Pbmiipphzx

The Acer Nitro XV340CK Pbmiipphzx and the AOC CU34G2X are both great ultrawide gaming monitors. They have different panels with pros and cons. While the Acer has an IPS panel with wide viewing angles and low contrast, the AOC has a VA panel with high contrast and narrow viewing angles. Motion looks smoother on the Acer because it has a quicker response time, too.

LG 34GN850-B

The LG 34GN850-B and the AOC CU34G2X are both great gaming monitors with different panel types. The LG has an IPS panel with wider viewing angles, while the AOC has a VA panel with higher contrast. Motion looks much better on the LG because it has a quicker response time, and it doesn't have black smearing like on the AOC. The LG also gets much brighter, so it does a better job at fighting glare. If ergonomics are important to you, the AOC offers swivel adjustments, which the LG doesn't.

LG 35WN65C-B

The AOC CU34G2X is better overall than the LG 35WN65C-B. The AOC is mainly a better gaming monitor as it delivers better motion handling thanks to its higher refresh rate. Even if you want to use it for office use, the AOC has more USB ports and has Picture-by-Picture and Picture-in-Picture modes, which the LG only has if you download a driver.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved
Yes
Curve Radius
1500R

The AOC CU34G2X has a gamer-oriented design with black plastic and red accents throughout. It has a fairly aggressive curve to help bring the edges within your field of vision. The stand and the screen itself have large footprints, so you'll need a big desk to place the monitor on.

7.0
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is decent. It's made entirely out of solid plastic, and the stand feels stable when making ergonomic adjustments. However, the screen wobbles fairly easily on the stand, and the bottom bezel isn't properly attached to the screen throughout. The controls are really hard to press and even cause the screen to tilt a bit. Also, there are rubber grips at the bottom of the feet that come off easily.

8.0
Design
Ergonomics
Height Adjustment
5.5" (14.0 cm)
Tilt Range
-25° to 2.5°
Rotate Portrait/Landscape
No
Swivel Range
-35° to 35°
Wall Mount
VESA 100x100

The AOC CU34G2X has great ergonomics. You can easily adjust it, except you can't rotate it into portrait mode, but that's normal from an ultrawide monitor. Luckily, there's a cut-out in the stand for cable management.

Design
Stand
Base Width
21.3" (54.0 cm)
Base Depth
10.0" (25.4 cm)
Thickness (With Display)
9.1" (23.1 cm)
Weight (With Display)
18.3 lbs (8.3 kg)

The stand has a large footprint, and there's a fair amount of wobble from the screen. It looks like a tripod stand from the front, but there are two feet in the back.

Design
Display
Size
34"
Housing Width
31.9" (81.0 cm)
Housing Height
14.5" (36.8 cm)
Thickness (Without Stand)
3.9" (9.9 cm)
Weight (Without Stand)
14.6 lbs (6.6 kg)
Borders Size (Bezels)
0.4" (0.9 cm)
Design
Controls

There are five buttons below the right side of the monitor to control the on-screen display. However, they're hard to press.

Design
In The Box
Power Supply
Internal

  • Power cable
  • HDMI cable
  • DisplayPort cable
  • USB-A to USB-B cable
  • User guides

Picture Quality
7.7
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
2,789 : 1
Contrast With Local Dimming
N/A

The AOC CU34G2X has a good native contrast ratio that makes blacks look fairly deep. However, there's no local dimming feature to improve it. Keep in mind that contrast can vary between units.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge

The AOC CU34G2X 34 doesn't have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only, so you can see how the backlight on this display performs and compare it to a similar product with local dimming.

7.0
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene
257 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
265 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
265 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
265 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
265 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
264 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
265 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
265 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
265 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
264 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
264 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000
Minimum Brightness
48 cd/m²

The AOC CU34G2X has decent brightness. It's lower than the advertised 300 cd/m² and may not be enough to fight a ton of glare. We even measured the brightness before calibration and didn't reach the advertised brightness.

We measured the brightness after calibration in the 'Standard' Eco Mode with the Color Temperature set to 'User', and Brightness at its max.

5.7
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
VESA DisplayHDR Certification
No Certification
Real Scene
260 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
258 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
258 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
259 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
259 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
259 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
258 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
258 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
259 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
259 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
259 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000

The HDR brightness is disappointing. It doesn't get brighter than in SDR, and it's not enough to make highlights stand out the way the creator intended. We measured it in the 'Game' HDR Mode and the brightness was about the same with the 'Picture' and 'Movie' modes.

6.4
Picture Quality
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
35°
Color Washout From Right
36°
Color Shift From Left
61°
Color Shift From Right
64°
Brightness Loss From Left
41°
Brightness Loss From Right
42°
Black Level Raise From Left
16°
Black Level Raise From Right
16°
Gamma Shift From Left
18°
Gamma Shift From Right
17°

The AOC CU34G2X has narrow horizontal viewing angles. It's better than most VA panel monitors, so the edges of the screen won't look too washed out if you sit close, and the curved screen helps with this, too, but we don't factor it into the testing. It still may not good enough for sharing your screen with others, though.

5.7
Picture Quality
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
29°
Color Washout From Above
31°
Color Shift From Below
62°
Color Shift From Above
63°
Brightness Loss From Below
32°
Brightness Loss From Above
34°
Black Level Raise From Below
12°
Black Level Raise From Above
12°
Gamma Shift From Below
12°
Gamma Shift From Above
11°

Once again, the vertical viewing angles are disappointing. Although the colors don't shift much, there's still noticeable color washout, and the screen appears dimmer.

8.1
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.639%
50% DSE
0.139%

The AOC CU34G2X has excellent gray uniformity, but this can vary between units. Most of the screen looks fairly uniform, and there's almost no dirty screen effect in the center, which is great. Uniformity is better in near-dark scenes, but there's a bit of backlight bleed near the bottom.

6.7
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
1.491%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The black uniformity is okay. There's significant backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges, but there's almost no blooming around the center cross. Keep in mind that uniformity can vary between units.

7.8
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Pre-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Standard (sRGB)
sRGB Gamut Area xy
95.6%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
4.69
Color Temperature (Avg.)
7,029 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.16
Color dE (Avg.)
3.09
Contrast Setting
N/A
RGB Settings
Default
Gamma Setting
Default
Brightness Setting
80
Measured Brightness
188 cd/m²
Brightness Locked
No

The accuracy before calibration is good. Most colors are only slightly inaccurate, but not enough for most people to tell, and the same can be said about the white balance. Color temperature is on the cool side, but it's still close to the 6500K target. Gamma also follows the target well, but it isn't perfect.

9.6
Picture Quality
Color Accuracy (Post-Calibration)
Picture Mode
Standard
sRGB Gamut Area xy
97.0%
White Balance dE (Avg.)
0.51
Color Temperature (Avg.)
6,494 K
Gamma (Avg.)
2.19
Color dE (Avg.)
0.53
Contrast Setting
50
RGB Settings
50-44-46
Gamma Setting
Gamma 1
Brightness Setting
58
Measured Brightness
101 cd/m²
ICC Profile
Download

The accuracy after calibration is fantastic. Any remaining white balance and color inaccuracies are impossible to spot by the naked eye, and color temperature is extremely close to the 6500K target. Gamma is improved, but some dark and bright scenes are slightly over-brightened.

9.1
Picture Quality
SDR Color Gamut
sRGB Coverage xy
97.2%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB Coverage xy
84.3%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

The SDR color gamut is fantastic. It has near-full coverage of the sRGB color space used in most web content and impressive coverage of the Adobe RGB color space used in photo editing.

9.7
Picture Quality
SDR Color Volume
sRGB In ICtCp
98.8%
sRGB Picture Mode
Standard
Adobe RGB In ICtCp
89.6%
Adobe RGB Picture Mode
Standard

The AOC CU34G2X has a remarkable SDR color volume. It can display colors at a wide range of luminance levels, except for extremely dark colors.

7.8
Picture Quality
HDR Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI-P3 Coverage xy
89.5%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
HDR Game
Rec. 2020 Coverage xy
61.2%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR Game

The AOC CU34G2X 34 has a decent HDR color gamut. It has impressive coverage of the commonly-used DCI P3 color space, but the wider Rec. 2020 is limited.

7.5
Picture Quality
HDR Color Volume
DCI-P3 In ICtCp
76.9%
DCI-P3 Picture Mode
HDR Game
Rec. 2020 In ICtCp
57.6%
Rec. 2020 Picture Mode
HDR Game

The HDR color gamut is okay. It's a limited by the okay color gamut, and even has trouble displaying very dark colors despite its high contrast. It can't display really bright blues either, but that's typical of LED displays.

7.1
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
6.1%
Indirect Reflections
3.4%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.7%

The AOC CU34G2X 34 has decent reflection handling. It performs well in a room with a couple of lights around, but the glare from strong light sources can get distracting.

7.5
Picture Quality
Text Clarity
Pixel Type
VA
Subpixel Layout
RGB

The text clarity is good. Enabling Windows ClearType (top photo) helps improve clarity on diagonal lines, but can make straight lines less bold.

8.6
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit

The AOC CU34G2X 34 has excellent gradient handling, but it's worse than most 10-bit panels. There's clear banding in darker shades, especially with gray.

Motion
8.3
Motion
Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI
100 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over DP @ 10-bit
144 Hz
Max Refresh Rate Over HDMI @ 10-Bit
60 Hz
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC
Compatible (Tested)
VRR Maximum
144 Hz
VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR Supported Connectors
DisplayPort, HDMI
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes

Both FreeSync and G-SYNC work at the full range over a DisplayPort connection, while only FreeSync works over HDMI up to 100Hz. If you're looking for a monitor with an even higher refresh rate, consider the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDM, which has a 240Hz refresh rate.

5.5
Motion
Response Time @ Max Refresh Rate
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Medium
Rise / Fall Time
9.1 ms
Total Response Time
20.3 ms
Overshoot Error
0.0%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
19.7 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
36.3 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
0.0%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
OffChartTablePhoto
WeakChartTablePhoto
MediumChartTablePhoto
StrongChartTablePhoto

The AOC CU34G2X has a poor response time at its max refresh rate of 144Hz. Like most VA panel monitors, there's noticeable black smear due to the slower response time in darker transitions. We recommend using the 'Medium' Overdrive setting because it has less overshoot than 'Strong', leading to inverse ghosting.

5.4
Motion
Response Time @ 120Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Medium
Rise / Fall Time
9.3 ms
Total Response Time
19.9 ms
Overshoot Error
0.0%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
19.9 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
35.3 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
0.0%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
OffChartTablePhoto
WeakChartTablePhoto
MediumChartTablePhoto
StrongChartTablePhoto

The response time at 120Hz is poor. There's still black smearing due to the slow response time if you use the 'Medium' overdrive setting, but 'Strong' has too much ghosting.

4.8
Motion
Response Time @ 60Hz
Recommended Overdrive Setting
Medium
Rise / Fall Time
11.2 ms
Total Response Time
22.4 ms
Overshoot Error
0.3%
Worst 3 Rise / Fall Time
18.0 ms
Worst 3 Total Response Time
37.0 ms
Worst 3 Overshoot Error
3.2%

Overdrive SettingResponse Time ChartResponse Time TablesMotion Blur Photo
OffChartTablePhoto
WeakChartTablePhoto
MediumChartTablePhoto
StrongChartTablePhoto

The response time at 60Hz is bad. Once again, there's smearing due to the slow response time in darker transitions. Like at higher refresh rates, the recommended overdrive setting is still 'Medium', so you won't need to change the setting if the frame rate of your game drops. The 'Strong' setting has way too much overshoot.

Motion
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
Yes
Maximum Frequency
144 Hz
Minimum Frequency
100 Hz
Longest Pulse Width Brightness
211 cd/m²
Shortest Pulse Width Brightness
76 cd/m²
Pulse Width Control
Yes
Pulse Phase Control
No
Pulse Amplitude Control
No
VRR At The Same Time
No

Refresh RateBFI SettingMotion Blur Photo
144HzBoostPhoto
1Photo
10Photo
20Photo
120HzBoostPhoto
1Photo
10Photo
20Photo

The AOC CU34G2X 34 has an optional backlight strobing feature, also known as black frame insertion (BFI). It only works within a narrow range, but it's still a bit customizable. You can control the intensity of it by adjusting the MBR slider, or you can set Overdrive to 'Boost'. You can see photos of the different overdrive settings above.

10
Motion
Image Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz

The AOC CU34G2X has a flicker-free backlight at all backlight levels, which helps reduce eye strain.

Inputs
8.7
Inputs
Input Lag
Native Resolution @ Max Hz
5.1 ms
Native Resolution @ 120Hz
5.6 ms
Native Resolution @ 60Hz
9.6 ms
Backlight Strobing (BFI)
7.4 ms

The AOC CU34G2X 34 has extremely low input lag that results in a responsive gaming experience.

8.4
Inputs
Resolution And Size
Native Resolution
3440 x 1440
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Megapixels
5.0 MP
Pixel Density
110 PPI
Measured Screen Diagonal
34.0"
Screen Area
412 in²

The large 34 inch screen allows you to open multiple windows side-by-side without them being too cramped together.

6.0
Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

Unfortunately, this monitor doesn't work well with the PS5. Although it should work with a 120Hz signal, it doesn't work properly with the PS5 at any resolution at 120Hz. The variable refresh rate feature doesn't work, either. Finally, by default, the monitor stretches the image to fit its aspect ratio, even if the Image Ratio setting on the monitor is set to '1:1'. You have to set it to '27" 16:9' for the image to display properly without being stretched.

8.3
Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

Like with the PS5, there are issues using this monitor with an Xbox Series S or X. Like with the PS5, it stretches the image to fill the 21:9 aspect ratio by default; you have to disable Adaptive-Sync on the monitor to change the aspect ratio to '27" 16:9'. 1440p @ 60Hz is only supported when you use the HDMI Override option on the Xbox.

Inputs
Inputs Photos
Inputs
Video And Audio Ports
DisplayPort
2 (DP 1.4)
Mini DisplayPort
No
HDMI
2 (HDMI 2.0)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
No HDMI 2.1
DVI
No
VGA
No
Daisy Chaining
No
3.5mm Audio Out
1
HDR10
Yes
3.5mm Audio In
No
3.5mm Microphone In
No
Inputs
USB
USB-A Ports
4
USB-A Rated Speed
5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1)
USB-B Upstream Port
Yes
USB-C Ports
0
USB-C Upstream
No USB-C Ports
USB-C Rated Speed
No USB-C Ports
USB-C Power Delivery
No USB-C Ports
USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode
No USB-C Ports
Thunderbolt
No

You can use the USB-B upstream port to connect your peripherals to the USB ports on the AOC CU34G2X.

Inputs
macOS Compatibility

For the most part, this monitor works well with recent M1 Macbooks. The variable refresh rate feature works well, and windows return to their original position when waking from sleep. Like most monitors, windows don't return properly when closing the lid, though, and HDR is washed out and looks strange.

Features
Features
Additional Features
Speakers
No
RGB Illumination
No
Multiple Input Display
PIP + PBP
KVM Switch
No

The AOC CU34G2X has a few extra features, including:

  • LowBlue Mode: Removes blue light to help reduce eye strain.
  • Crosshair: Adds a virtual crosshair on the screen for FPS gaming.
  • Shadow Control: Adjusts the gamma to make it easier to see opponents in shadows.

Features
On-Screen Display (OSD)