ASUS TUF VG28UQL1A monitor review: Crystal-clear 4K with plenty of ports

Price at time of review

$800

HDMI 2.1 gaming monitors are no longer hard to find, but most models are still quite expensive. Asus’ TUF Gaming VG289UQL1A tries to undercut the competition at $799 without sacrificing quality or connectivity. It’s mostly successful, but doesn’t stand out in a crowded crowd.

ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A Specifications and Features

The suggested retail price of the ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is $799. That’s a hefty price tag for a 28-inch monitor, but it’s reasonable to include a 144Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1, and 4K resolution.

• Display size: 28 inches
• Native Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160
• Panel Type: IPS
• Refresh rate: 144Hz
• Adaptive Sync: AMD FreeSync Premium, compatible with Nvidia G-Sync
• Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, Headphone Out
• Stand Adjustment: Height, Tilt, Swivel, Pivot
• VESA Mount: Yes, 100mm x 100mm
• Speakers: yes
• Price: $799 MSRP

Connectivity and compatibility are where this monitor stands out. It offers a total of five video inputs, which is excellent for any price, plus official support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync. This means it works perfectly with any PC or current gaming console.

ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A design: nothing to see here

Despite the name, Acer’s TUF gaming monitor has nothing to do with durability or reliability. Instead, it’s a mid-range gaming monitor lineup focused on value and features. This particular model is more expensive than many in the TUF range, but still a reasonable price for a monitor with its feature set.

The monitor’s charcoal casing, blocky stand legs, and slim bezels create a look reminiscent of a basic office monitor. Flip it over, however, and you’ll notice the distinct circuit-like etched and chrome TUF gaming logo.

Honestly, I think the TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is one of the least attractive monitors in its class. Dell and BenQ’s gaming monitors are better at tossing between sensibility and gaming desire, while Samsung and LG offer more dramatic options.

The stand of the VG28UQL1A can be adjusted for height, tilt, swivel and pivot. While unappealing, the stand keeps the monitor solid and feels rock solid. Includes a 100mm x 100mm VESA mount for adding a third-party monitor stand or monitor arm.

Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A Features and Menus: All Ports

Connections include two HDMI 2.0 ports, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and one DisplayPort 1.4. This is an excellent range of video inputs for a monitor of any price. You can connect your Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and PC at the same time without sacrificing the resolution or refresh rate of any connected device. Plus, you’ll still have two extra HDMI 2.0 ports for connecting the Switch and an extra console or PC.

Includes two USB-A ports for connecting wired peripherals. However, they are located on the rear panel and are difficult to access. They’re only for peripherals that you don’t connect and disconnect very often.

The VG28UQL1A has a powerful menu system. It’s easy to navigate thanks to a logical layout and joystick controls on the lower right side. There are a variety of image quality options to choose from, including a dedicated sRGB mode and a range of precisely positioned gamma presets that are easy to see on gaming monitors.

It also includes a range of gaming-centric features such as a crosshair, timer, FPS counter, and a black equalizer (which brightens dark areas of the screen). I personally don’t use these features, but the crosshair and black equalizer can prove useful for competitive players.

Built-in speakers are standard and more enjoyable than expected. Gamers looking to play short sessions without headphones, or gamers who play less audio-conscious games, may be happy to use the built-in speakers instead of external audio. The speakers are great for podcasting and YouTube.

ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A Image Quality: Sharp, Vivid, but Not Immaculate

Of course, image quality is critical to any monitor, and that’s where Asus shines. The TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A isn’t great, but it does well in most areas.

The brightness of the TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is not an issue. Its maximum SDR brightness of 353 nits isn’t a record, but it’s more than enough to deliver a pleasing, vibrant image even in a bright room. A sunlit window might be enough to trouble this monitor, but if not, it always looks vivid.

The contrast ratio of the IPS display is stable, with a maximum contrast ratio of 1150:1. That’s the high end of what a traditional IPS monitor can offer, and it’s better than the $900 Acer Nitro XV282K, a similar HDMI 2.1 monitor. The display’s contrast ratio barely changes regardless of its brightness level, which is good news if you’re viewing the display in a dark room.

The VG28UQL1A is capable of handling the sRGB color gamut and can also display almost 90% DCI-P3. The monitor’s color gamut matches the Acer Nitro XV282K, and it also syncs with some less expensive monitors, such as the Dell S2721QS. That’s a decent result, but not surprising, and it might disappoint content creators looking to use the monitor for professional photo or video editing as well as gaming.

Color accuracy is where the VG28UQL1A stands out. The average color error for my review sample is 1.03. That’s not as good as the Acer Nitro XV282K, but it’s close, and it beats many other 4K monitors. ASUS also achieved a gamma curve target of 2.2. Content doesn’t look too dark (which might obscure details) or too bright (which might cancel out contrast).

Of course, the sharpness is very good. 4K resolution offers a pixel density of 160 pixels per inch, a big jump from the 105 PPI of a 27-inch 1440p screen. Games look clean, text clarity is excellent, and content creators can preview 4K video at a decent resolution.

I did notice two issues. Brightness uniformity is poor, with a small but noticeable bright spot in the upper left corner that can be distracting in dark games. If I bought this for myself, I’d probably return it with this issue, so Asus could tighten up its quality control. The color temperature is also warm out of the box at 6000K, which skews bright whites towards yellow. It is best to use the default color temperature of 6500K.

Apart from these issues, the VG28UQL1A performs well out of the box. It combines razor-sharp 4K resolution, good brightness, and comprehensive color performance for vivid, detailed, and crisp rendering. Sure, it looks great in games, but also when watching 4K Youtube videos or just browsing the web.

ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A HDR performance: HDR is possible, but lackluster

The Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is an impressive SDR monitor. However, turn on HDR and you’ll see its limitations.

Maximum sustained brightness peaks at 425 nits. That’s okay, but its contrast ratio is reduced to 970:1. Color accuracy is also slightly worse when HDR is on than when it is off. Turning HDR on will definitely brighten the image, but the overall image quality is not as good as when HDR is turned off.

The display’s HDR performance is typical for an IPS display without a Mini-LED backlight. If you want better HDR, you’ll have to upgrade to Asus’ line of ROG monitors, which (depending on the model) deliver 600 nits of brightness and above.

ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A Sports performance: 144Hz as you like

The TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A can reach refresh rates up to 144Hz at 4K resolution through its HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports. This is great news for PC and console gamers alike, as it means you can connect a PC, Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. You can even connect all three at once and switch between them as needed.

Motion sharpness is excellent, especially at high refresh rates. Sharp 4K images show very little ghosting behind fast-moving objects. Fast camera pans retain enough sharpness to make out most objects on screen, although fine details like small text can still be obscured.

Includes AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync support. The monitor allows for adaptive sync at refresh rates ranging from 48Hz to 144Hz. This means that adaptive sync may not work at lower refresh rates, which is a definite disadvantage for 4K monitors. Fortunately, I didn’t notice any sync issues when using the monitor.

in conclusion

The ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A is in many ways a great 4K gaming monitor. It has sharp, accurate images with good contrast and excellent motion clarity. Brightness uniformity is its only weak point. With an MSRP of $799, this monitor is also relatively affordable for a 4K HDMI 2.1 monitor.

There is only one problem. competition. Gamers can choose from a variety of alternatives, including the Acer XV282K, Gigabyte M28U, Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ, and Samsung Odyssey G70A, to name a few. Honestly, these monitors tend to be close enough that the choice usually comes down to price. Gigabyte and Samsung have the upper hand, as each company’s respective 28-inch 4K HDMI 2.1 monitor sells for $649.99.

The strength of the VG28UQL1A is its functionality rather than image quality. It has five video inputs, three of which can handle 4K at 144Hz, plus decent built-in speakers and a robust menu with many quality presets. Not everyone needs these extras, but if you plan to connect three, four or even five devices simultaneously, the VG28UQL1A is the monitor for you.