So, I bought a LG 27UK650 gaming monitor...
...and here are my eyes-on, literally. This gaming monitor came out earlier this year and for me, here in Norway, I had to buy it as an import purchase from the UK. Although, there have emerged a few, but pricy, full 4K and 1000+ nits HDR monitors, this model aims for a considerably lower price range. Albeit, still expensive, with a less powerful 450 nits HDR maximum.
Does it deliver a good experience for a console gamer like me, wanting the full 4K, low latency and HDR combo, as well as Freesync?
To be short, it's a perfect match for me as a Xbox One X owner and, I imagine, PS4 Pro owners too. The HDR is strong enough when you sit close, as you do a PC monitor, and the Freesync is a great way to experience VRR for Xbox One X owners. Plus, the seriously reduced latency going from a traditional TV screen to a PC monitor is incredible, for those unaware.
Out of the box, the screen sports a super thin frame with a great non-reflective surface, with only a lip of a frame at the bottom. The back panel is white and there's a fairly simple looking silver stand. A power supply and high speed HDMI, both in white, are packed in the box. All the navigation onscreen is done with a single joystick underneath the bottom of the screen.
Setting up the picture is simple as PC monitors aim to output the most straight forward and raw image from your device, key to getting the latency low. All the extra picture effects from traditional TV's add input lag to your games and serve little purpose outside of watching TV shows. Consoles are becoming so powerful and great looking graphically, when it comes to resolution and image quality, they don't need the TV's own enhancements. Perhaps this generation of consoles is the first where you benefit greatly from playing on a PC monitor.
Even on this 27 inch monitor the difference between 1080 and 4K is apparent. Higher resolutions than 1080p look razor sharp and make the distant details pop. This is my first experience with HDR too, as my 4K TV doesn't support it. I'm impressed by the bright lighting and beautiful colours it delivers. Although, it depends on the how each game implements it. Some games look a little overdone with HDR and offer no ways to alter it's brightness sadly.
I prefer the games that let you tweak the HDR to your liking. Forza Motorsport 7, Assassin's Creed: Origins and Gears of War 4 on the Xbox One X all spring to mind as stunning looking HDR expereinces. Even the 1080p experience with Horizon Zero Dawn on the base PS4 showcase fantastic implementation of HDR. Turning it off, in these titles, is like looking at a duller and less colourful version!
As mentioned earlier, another star of the show with this monitor, and most PC monitors in general, is the extremely low latency. While it's been a norm for years for PC gamers to be in the 1ms to 5ms range for latency, it's a huge difference to go from my TV's lazy 40-60ms range to this monitors 5-10ms. Non-HDR mode sets you at 5ms if you choose the fastest setting, while activating HDR, which is conveniently done automatically, will put you in the 10ms "fast" setting. It's a noticeable and responsive feeling playing on such low latency, even for 30fps games that feel sluggish on normal TV's.
The Freesync technology can be activated regardless of HDR. This makes the refresh rate of the screen match the framerate of the game. Variable Refresh Rate, VRR for short, as it's referred too. It's perfect for games that drop below 60fps to feel consistent, and mask framerate drops. Normally, games that hover in the 40-60fps range will feel like they're speeding up and down as the framerate drops and increases, Freesync fixes this. It's a fantastic technology that luckily the Xbox One X supports. I hope to see this technology become a standard in the next generation of consoles and supported by TV's too.
Although, I've mostly tested my XB1X and PS4 with the monitor, I've also given retro consoles a spin with an Open Source Scan Converter (OSSC). This device converts analogue signals to digital ones through a HDMI cable with basically zero addition to input lag. My Mega Drive and PlayStation 1 felt great and the picture looks razor sharp in RGB output from these old classic consoles on the monitor.
I like that I can pivot my screen for Tate modes in old-school shoot 'em ups too, although it sadly pivots the wrong way compared to many old Tate titls, requiring me to disconnect the monitor from the mount and plac it vertically. PC monitors are in general very suitable screens to play old consoles on, as they match the non-existent latency that old CRT's TV's had.
To summarise, if you're in the market for a nice monitor to play your consoles on, and PC games alike, I can recommend LG's 600, 650 and 850 lineup. They're all identical panels with the exact same picture quality, but support a few physical extras for each model. 600 has no pivot stand, no USB/USB-C connectors and no speakers, 650 (my model) adds a pivot stand, while the 850 adds USB/USB-C connectors and speakers. All models have two HDMI 2.2 ports, a Display Port, and a headphone output.
While I mostly would recommend Xbox One X or PS4 Pro owners going for this monitor, I also played the PS4 base model, standard Xbox One games and even a Nintendo Switch on it and they all looked great. It's a nice alternative if you lack the space or money for a large TV and want the latest monitor technology. Plus, that latency is going to impress you.
The biggest negative for PC users is that it has a refresh rate of maximum 60hz. Fine for console players, but PC player have a tendency to prefer 120hz or higher.
For my usage though, it's a nice solution for a smaller form factor and tecnology benefits for gaming.