The ViewSonic XG272-2K-OLED ($899.99) is a pricey 27-inch 1440p gaming monitor that joins the increasingly crowded field of high-performance OLED displays. (Stop me if you’ve heard this list before: a 240Hz refresh rate, excellent color coverage, and a bank-account-deflating price.) This display stands on its own just fine, though, thanks to an attractive design and excellent gaming performance, the latter driven in part by its AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible support. It’s not as capable as our two favorite OLED gaming monitors, the Editors’ Choice-winning Alienware AW3225QF 4K QD-OLED and its 27-inch cousin, nor is it as affordable as some other 27-inch OLEDs. The XG272-2K-OLED is a good gaming monitor in isolation, but it’s not good enough to distinguish itself without a price drop.
Design: A Fresh New Look
Set up on a tabletop in PC Labs, the XG272-2K-OLED immediately drew some interested glances, and for good reason—it bucks the trend of all-black monitors, instead adorned in a sleek white-back chassis accented by RGB gills that bend across its rear face.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
An indentation at the base stores a remote control, which gives quick and easy access to the monitor’s on-screen display (OSD). A traditional control stick lives on the monitor’s underside. While the monitor doesn’t mirror the distinctive finish of the AW3225QF 4K QD-OLED, it still looks awfully nice to my eyes.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The remote control does feel a little cheap, though, especially when compared with the remote controls included with Samsung gaming monitors like the Odyssey OLED G8. In use, it was surprisingly unresponsive, and the sensor, lodged onto the south side of the monitor, felt wobbly and almost insecure.
The port hub is tucked under the monitor’s mid-section, and ViewSonic makes sure you won’t lack any I/O ports. Here, you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 ports, two DisplayPorts, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C connector (with 15 watts of Power Delivery), a USB-B upstream port, and three USB-A ports. This makes the XG272 quite the productivity powerhouse, while HDMI 2.1, which is quickly becoming standard on premium gaming monitors, ensures higher frame rates if the monitor is used with a late-model gaming console. Note that while the USB-C port can act as a DisplayPort input, it doesn’t deliver enough power to charge a laptop.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Like the Asus ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDMG and the Alienware AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED, this 27-inch monitor has a traditional flat screen instead of a curved one. The OLED panel supports a 2K native resolution (2,560 by 1,440 pixels), has a rated 0.02ms response time, and features a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz. Thin bezels frame the screen to maximize screen area.
If you’re new to the OLED world, you should know that this technology outclasses IPS, VA, and TN panels in everything from power efficiency to color gamut support. OLED monitors can display “true” black, which means that the black pixels turn off to create zero-light zones and maximum contrast. IPS has traditionally been the panel tech of choice for gaming monitors, but OLEDs are elbowing into IPS’s market share. Gaming on an OLED monitor means tapping into excellent visuals without sacrificing performance.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Putting the ruler to the monitor, we find that the XG272-2K-OLED measures 22.3 by 23.8 by 8.5 inches (HWD), a smidge smaller than the Alienware 27-Inch 4K Dual-Resolution Gaming Monitor (AW2725QF), but a standard size for 27-inchers. With its stand included, the monitor weighs 22.9 pounds, slightly heavier than the Asus XG27AQDMG’s 20.9 pounds. The monitor offers a 90-degree pivot in either direction and a height adjustment of up to 4.7 inches.
The monitor also includes two 3-watt speakers, which deliver good sound, even when it’s turned up to higher volumes. However, like most internal speakers on PC monitors, they’re noticeably lacking in bass. You’ll have to find a pair of computer speakers or a gaming headset if the onboard sound isn’t up to your standards.
Testing the ViewSonic XG272-2K-OLED: Strong Results All Around
Since the XG272-2K-OLED enters a crowded OLED market, what better way to quantify its value than putting it head-to-head with its competitors? To determine the monitor’s performance capabilities, we tested color gamut, brightness, color accuracy, and contrast ratio using Calman monitor calibration software, a Murideo Six-G signal generator, and a Klein K-10A colorimeter. We also ran the monitor through a gauntlet of games to judge its real-world performance.
In our first test, we measure the monitor’s brightness in its default picture mode with an SDR signal. The XG272-2K-OLED managed an average brightness of 176 nits (candelas per square meter), a lower average brightness than other 27-inch OLEDs, including the AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED (246 nits), the ROG Strix XG27AQDMG (382 nits), the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED (239 nits), and the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED (307 nits).
Moving on to HDR brightness, the ViewSonic XG272-2K-OLED registered 290 nits. Compare that with the MPG 271QRX QD-OLED (456 nits) or the Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED’s 637 nits; the ViewSonic isn’t as bright as its brethren.
We also measured peak HDR brightness of 1,064 nits at a 2% sample size. (We measure sustained HDR brightness at a 10% window size, but to measure peak brightness, we drop the test size down to 2%.) This is in the ballpark of the monitor’s HDR10 rating.
Turning our attention to the monitor’s color-gamut performance, we see that the ViewSonic XG272-2K-OLED is no slouch. It spanned 132% of the sRGB color gamut, 91% of Adobe RGB, and 95% of DCI-P3 in our tests—great results. We’ve also noted the greater-than-100% sRGB result on many other OLED monitors we’ve reviewed. Higher sRGB ratings mean that colors can potentially be oversaturated and can lead to color inaccuracies when viewing sRGB images (especially in applications that don’t support color management). Keep in mind that we are testing under default conditions, which means you can potentially even out some of these numbers by tweaking the settings.
This also applies to color accuracy on the XG272-2K-OLED, which registered a Delta E measurement of 1.8 in our test. The higher the Delta E, the more colors tend to stray from their intended hue. This reading is great for a gaming monitor, but monitors like the MPG 271QRX QD-OLED (1.5) and the AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED (0.5) do report lower values at default settings. However, with further calibration, you can get this number down.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The rated contrast ratio is 150,000:1, which is plenty high enough but still much lower than just about all of the other OLED monitors we’ve reviewed. The contrast ratio indicates the difference in luminance between the brightest white and darkest black that a monitor can produce, which can make a difference in picture quality. It’s a hard metric to evaluate with OLEDs, as contrast ratios don’t often approach OLED maximums in real-world use, which we’ll evaluate in our next section.
Media and Game Performance
Some gamers would argue that the most important part of a gaming monitor isn’t the color accuracy or range but how well it performs. To them, response time is king. To quantify that, we play a handful of games from our library to see if we note any noticeable blemishes, like screen tearing. Usually, we supplement this testing by using our HDFury Diva HDMI matrix, but we weren’t able to get a valid measurement with the Diva on this monitor.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Still, we were able to play plenty of games on it. We broke out the usual suspects: Returnal, Cyberpunk 2077, and Counter-Strike 2, and they all looked great running at 1440p. Games with HDR implementation, like Cyberpunk and Returnal, showcase what this monitor can do. The neon lighting that decorates Night City pops against the screen, and the same can be said of the twisted alien fauna of Returnal.
The screen also supports AMD FreeSync Premium and is Nvidia G-Sync Compatible, which should handle any potential screen tearing. The monitor’s refresh rate caps at 240Hz, a rate that’s becoming increasingly standard in premium gaming monitors like this. It pairs well with midrange battle stations and suits console players who prefer performance over visual quality.
Verdict: Good Enough for Gaming
While it doesn’t do much to outpace any of its competition, the ViewSonic XG272-2K-OLED is still a more-than-competent gaming monitor that looks, sounds, and performs well. Despite its brightness coming in a little lower than we expect from a premium OLED display, it’s still a worthy buy.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
However, for the same price, you can grab our favorite 1440p OLED, the Alienware AW2725DF 360Hz QD-OLED, which offers excellent visuals and supports an even higher peak refresh rate. And if you’re looking to save some cash, the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED, Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG, and Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED all offer a comparable gaming experience for less money.
Cons
The Bottom Line
While it doesn’t top the field in any one way, ViewSonic’s XG272-2K-OLED monitor packs competitive display performance and a sharp OLED screen for gamers aiming at premium 1440p play.
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About Zackery Cuevas
Analyst, Hardware
