ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review

The ViewSonic Elite XG270QC is an unusual gaming monitor in that it’s admirably straightforward. There’s no gimmicks here.. Its curved quad HD screen displays vibrant colors and sharp graphics. Its fast refresh speed lets you take advantage of games with high frame rates. And its abundance of menu options are both useful and intuitive. 

All of these features command a high price of $600, but based on my testing the premium is worth it. In fact, the XG270QC is one of the best gaming monitors (and best monitors in general) around. If you're in the market for a high-end screen that does exactly what it says it will, read on for our full ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review.

ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Price and availability

The ViewSonic Elite XG270QC costs $600. At the time of writing, it's available from both Amazon and Newegg.

ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Design

The ViewSonic Elite XG270QC is not shy about taking up desk space. At 24.2 x 22.5 x 10.4 inches, it's not terribly wide, but it is extremely deep. While you can move the screen up and down a few inches, it will always sit rather high. The bottom line is that unless you have a desk that goes extremely far back, the XG270QC is going to be right in your face, and the top of the screen is going to be just outside of your line of sight. 

It's an inconvenient design, but never veers into outright "obnoxious" territory, because it does at least look pretty refined. The 1500R curved screen has a gentle enough arc to feel immersive without getting overwhelming, and the three-pronged metal stand is both sturdy and stylish.

However, you can move the screen up and down only about six inches and you can't rotate it at all. It doesn't bend very far forward, either, so hooking up inputs is a nightmare.

With a DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, a USB-B port, three USB-A ports and a 3.5 mm audio jack, you should try to get every relevant device hooked up in one go. Once this monitor is set up, you're not going to want to move it.

ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Display

As its name suggests, the ViewSonic Elite XG270QC features a curved 27-inch screen. The resolution maxes out at 1440p, which is good for gaming, but perhaps not as forward-looking as it could be. (Quad HD displays get you better frame rates, of course, but everything from games to streaming media seems optimized for 4K lately, and that trend is likely to continue.) 

From a hardware perspective, the XG270QC's screen has a lot going for it. It reaches an average brightness of 524 nits, which blows past the competition: even the impressive MSI Optix MAG272C maxed out around 224 nits. But at full brightness, the XG270QC hurt my eyes too much to stare at it directly; even at 50%, it still fills a dark room with a luminous glow.

In terms of color vibrancy and accuracy, the XG270QC can display 139% of the sRGB spectrum with a Delta-E of 0.3. (For the latter test, closer to zero is better, so this is very good.) Compare and contrast the MAG272C, which reaches 134% of the sRGB spectrum with a Delta-E accuracy of 0.2. The two screens are similar overall, but the XG270QC's incredible brightness gives it an edge.

ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Gaming performance

I tested the ViewSonic Elite XG270QC with a variety of games, and was pleased with both its solid performance and helpful presets. In Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, I employed the MOBA setting (it's not a MOBA, but RTS is close enough) to brighten the colors and sharpen the contrast a little. My colorful early modern soldiers marched through enemy towns and fired off musket volleys at a satisfying 100+ frames per second.

I had similarly good experiences with the fast and colorful FPS setting for Doom Eternal, the muted and down-to-earth Realistic setting for Shadow of the Tomb Raider and even just the everyday Standard setting for Final Fantasy XIV. While not all presets are created equal (Battle Royale is a little indistinct; Vibrant is way too blue), it's at least a good place to start for gamers who don't feel like programming their own custom settings - although you can do that, too, if you want.

Beyond that, the 165 Hz screen came in handy when I ran some less demanding games, although I found it tough to get beyond 100 frames per second at high settings on my aging gaming PC. Users with more modern rigs should have no problem getting 150 fps frame rates, particularly since the display maxes out at 1440p.

ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Interface

Like most gaming monitors, the ViewSonic Elite XG270QC doesn't have a spectacular interface. But unlike most gaming monitors, the XG270QC's isn't especially frustrating, either. You navigate menus with a central control nub just under the center of the screen, which is infinitely easier than trying to remember the placement of four or five different buttons. From there, you can choose among presets, display options, input select, volume and general settings.

The XG270QC generally doesn't put too many barriers between you and where you want to go. Selecting a preset is as easy as clicking on it. In the display menu, you can modify color and contrast options, as well as limit refresh rates, activate a blue light filter, toggle HDR and so forth. This is also where you activate AMD's FreeSync, which I wasn't able to test due to my Nvidia GPU. (It's a potential benefit for AMD fans, but the monitor still worked fine with Nvidia gear.)

My only complaint is that when using the presets, many options are inaccessible, from color temperature to "view modes" for more specific applications (word processors, movies, etc.). It feels like there should be some sort of middle ground between "the presets handle everything" and "the user handles everything," but the system isn't too onerous to learn, if you take some time with it.

ViewSonic Elite XG270QC review: Verdict

The ViewSonic Elite XG270QC has a lot of benefits, relatively few drawbacks and absolutely no surprises. It's a premium gaming monitor that does precisely what it promises.

As we haven't reviewed another curved quad HD monitor recently, it's tough to say exactly what might make a worthwhile alternative, although the Razer Raptor 27 is similar, and within $100 of the XG270QC's price. Overall, the Elite XG270QC is an excellent gaming monitor for those with deep pockets — and deep desks.