The 43” ROG Strix XG438Q does big-screen gaming with FreeSync 2 HDR at 4K and 120Hz

Games are the most fun when they’re immersive—when they pull you in with rich artwork, detailed environments, and an engaging story. But it’s difficult to suspend disbelief if you’re playing on a slow graphics card and small monitor. Our ROG Strix XG438Q lays the foundation for a riveting experience with 43” of desktop real estate, a 4K native resolution, and 120 Hz refresh rates. FreeSync 2 HDR technology lets you synchronize the monitor’s output to your GPU’s frame rate for stutter-free gaming, while optimized input lag gives competitive gamers a big advantage in timing-sensitive battles.

This is a really, really big monitor

At a certain point, large monitors start looking like small TVs. Despite its 43” form factor, the ROG Strix XG438Q is definitely not a TV.  Loaded with gaming features, it offers a more immersive big-screen experience without sacrificing the high refresh rate and variable refresh tech usually only found in smaller panels.  

The Vertical Alignment (VA)-based LCD panel offers high contrast and excellent color accuracy, and the XG438Q meets VESA’s DisplayHDR 600 specification with 10-bit image processing and 600 cd/m² peak luminance. Support for HDR expands the contrast range and offers deeper blacks and brighter whites for a richer image with more depth than regular SDR. Localized dimming plays an integral role in matching the VESA standard’s black level performance requirements, and 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut quantifies the ROG Strix XG438Q’s color output advantage. While TVs tend to have shiny, reflective screens, the XG438Q features an anti-glare coating to maximize the panel technology’s inherent advantage. Even from up close, you’ll see the same consistent uniformity from one side to the other.

The delay between an input and the signal’s appearance on-screen can be a real problem on monitors and TVs that perform a lot of image processing in the background, so we put a lot of effort into minimizing input lag. Using a monitor-grade TCON helps to lower lag, and the display pipeline is optimized with our GameFast Input Technology so that gamers can see and react to the action on-screen milliseconds faster than their opponents. The ROG Strix XG438Q benefits further from FreeSync 2 HDR support, which lets HDR-enabled games tone map directly to the monitor’s color space, eliminating an intermediate step and its associated latency.

Smooth operator

Great contrast and rich colors are what bring virtual worlds to life, but smooth performance is a must for a truly immersive experience, and pushing high frame rates at 4K is a tough task for anything but the beefiest of GPUs. The XG438Q uses the latest iteration of AMD’s variable refresh rate technology to prevent tearing. The first-generation of FreeSync introduced a variable refresh rate capability that eliminated the screen tearing and stuttering artifacts caused by turning Vsync off or on. Compatible monitors could match their refresh to the graphics card’s frame rate within a pre-defined range, but below the lower threshold of that range, Vsync kicked back in and caused judder.

FreeSync 2 HDR delivers smoother gameplay below the variable refresh range using a feature called Low Framerate Compensation. The LFC algorithm monitors performance and adaptively inserts frames to maintain fluid animation where Vsync would have caused choppy behavior. LFC is great to have, particularly at a demanding resolution like 4K. But a wide variable refresh range between 48 and 120 Hz means you’ll spend most of your time gaming in the ROG Strix XG438Q’s sweet spot, enjoying AMD’s FreeSync technology on your favorite Radeon RX graphics card.

It’s game time

In the heat of battle, our GamePlus Technology keeps you focused with optional overlays of in-game enhancements. With the press of a hotkey, you can get different types of crosshairs to improve aiming in first-person shooters that lack a reticle or don’t allow one when firing from the hip. Other options include a frame rate monitor, an in-game timer for tracking cool-downs, and an alignment tool for multi-monitor setups.

Of course, there’s always the option to view multiple sources simultaneously. The XG438Q supports picture-in-picture mode, with a main screen and inset window, along with a picture-by-picture mode that divides the monitor in half. Three HDMI 2.0 inputs and a DisplayPort interface accommodate your PC and game consoles with connectivity to spare. A pair of 10W speakers pumps out high-quality sound, no matter what devices you attach.

The XG438Q’s 43” is a lot of desktop real estate to take in, especially if you’re two or three feet away. We optimized each display mode for long-term usability, and then had TÜV Rheinland put the ROG Strix XG438Q through its Eye Comfort Certification, ensuring low blue light output and flicker-free operation.

Seeing is believing

Expect the XG438Q to be available in the coming months with additional details and pricing to be announced closer to the release date. In the meantime, we invite you to go hands-on with it at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, NV from January 8-11 at the ASUS ROG suite. The ROG Strix XG438Q will also be shown by appointment at the Trump International Hotel.

ROG announced tons of new tech at CES. Check out this article to see all of our announcements in one place.