The title may sound like a BTS song, but that’s exactly what i felt when using the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN monitor. And yes, that is a long name for a product, but it is what it is. A top-tier 25-inch gaming monitor that is capable of 360Hz refresh rate, heavily doused with ROG’s signature gamer-esque design. The 360Hz refresh rate sounds like a big number, impossible even, but does ROG execute it well? Let’s find out, but first, specs.
ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN – Specifications
| Panel Type / Backlight | IPS / W-LED, edge array |
| Screen Size & Aspect Ratio | 24.5 inches / 16:9 |
| Max Resolution & Refresh Rate | 1920 x 1080 @ 360 Hz; G-Sync 1-360 Hz |
| Native Color Depth / Color Gamut | 8-bit / sRGB, HDR10 |
| Response Time (GTG) | 1ms |
| Max Brightness | 400 nits |
| Contrast | 1,000:1 |
| Speakers | None |
| Video Inputs | 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0 |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone output |
| USB 3.0 | 1x up, 2x down |
| Power Consumption | 31w, brightness @ 200 nits |
| Panel Dimensions (WxHxD w/base) | 21.9 x 14.9-19.6 x 9.7 inches (557 x 379-499 x 247mm) |
| Panel Thickness | 2.3 inches (59mm) |
| Bezel Width | Top/sides: 0.2 inch (6mm); Bottom: 0.7 inch (18mm) |
| Weight | 15.6 pounds (7.1kg) |
| Warranty | 3 years |
What’s In The Box?
- Asus ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN
- USB-A to USB-B Upstream Cable
- HDMI Cable
- DisplayPort Cable
- Power Supply
- Power Cable
- ROG Stickers
- User Guide
Design
The ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN is a flat panel monitor that has non of that curved screen thing going on. It has a very heavy gamer design, but of course, in ROG’s signature design language. The stand is height adjustable, so gamers can adjust it according to their preference. As compared to the ROG Strix series monitors, the Swift’s stand does take up a bit more desk space, but it now sits flat on the table. This gives it even more stability, and there’s really just not much wobble at all.
Looking at the monitor bezel, there are three thin bezels on the top, left and right sides, with a thicker bezel on the bottom chin. Round the back, there’s the ROG etched design, and of course the ROG logo itself that’s illuminated with ROG Aura Sync.
The stand also looks huge, but that really helps with the overall stability of the monitor. There’s a cutout towards the bottom of the stand, which allows you to pass and route through cables for better cable management. VESA mounting is supported (100 x 100), but the monitor does not have a quick release feature to easily/quickly remove the stand.
Build quality wise, it is spectacular. Although for the most part the monitor is made out of plastic, but it feels extremely sturdy, and you can’t feel or hear any parts that are loose. For the stand, it has a solid metal base and that heft guarantees the support the bulky monitor needs. Hinges are firm too, and each rotation or adjustment made to the monitor, you’d feel really safe moving them.
Display
The ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN display is a 25-inch IPS panel that has a full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, with a 360Hz refresh rate and support for variable refresh rate, Nvidia G-SYNC, as well as FreeSync technology.
Definitely, the most important thing about this monitor is the fact that it has a 360Hz refresh rate. This results in a clear and smooth motion in fast-moving scenes, with very minimal screen tearing.
The support for G-SYNC and FreeSync also helps offer an almost tear-free gaming experience. Games we tested the monitor on looked great with little to no screen tears. The IPS panel does lack a bit when it comes to contrast ratio, making blacks look somewhat greyish in low light situations.
That being said, the monitor does have great viewing angles with minimal colour distortion. Horizontal wise, colours looked better but from vertical viewing angles, colours do wash out more but nothing too serious. There is a bit of backlight glow too on the top of the monitor, making certain parts look greyish compared to the other parts.
User Experience
I actually really like the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN because of its ergonomics. Despite being such a thick boy, it stands really firmly on my Ikea Fredde table, and adjusting the screen can easily be done with just one finger. Be it in terms of height, swivel, or tilt, everything can be done with minimal effort.
Another part of the whole user experience with this monitor is the 360Hz refresh rate part of it. It’s a whole new level of smoothness, coming from 120, 144, and even 165Hz refresh rate displays. From 165, that’s almost triple the refresh rate speed, and it’s truly something you’ll need to see and experience to believe, or even fathom what I’m saying here.
The monitor stand has a cutout, which is great for cable management. It’s large enough for 4 to 5 cables to pass through. When your cables are sorted and monitor’s height adjusted, all cables sit snuggly under the monitor through the cutout. Round the back, the monitor is VESA 100×100 supported, but there isn’t a quick release feature to remove the stand. So if you’re going to wall mount it, it might be a more semi-permanent thing, depending on whether or not you’re gung-ho enough to remove it.
As for the stand, it does take up quite a bit of desk space, but the feet stands firm on the desk and gives it even more stability. Also on the back, you will find the joystick to control the OSD (on-screen display), along with four other buttons. The key on the bottom toggles power, so be sure to not press it by mistake, then thinking your monitor died. The stick would be your main choice of control, and two of the directions can be set as user shortcuts to whatever display profile preference you may have.
Gaming
The ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN worked right out of the box with Windows recognizing the monitor’s refresh rate straight away. There was no need to toggle anything on the OSD or in software, which is great. G-Sync was also supported, along with AMD FreeSync, but the monitor isn’t certified by AMD as a FreeSync monitor.
Admittedly, most of the time I spend with the monitor is to work on emails, social media browsing (for work, of course), as well as editing documents and video content. But when there’s downtime, I love me some gaming time and that’s when I turn on Genshin Impact, Dota 2, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, and etc. Regardless of what I’m doing on the monitor, work or play, it excelled at both, almost everything.
Image quality was sharp and clear when processing walls of text, and watching videos is an experience because of how much colour the monitor can put through. The monitor has great contrast for daily usage but not so much in the dark because the blacks would end up looking more gray than black. On Windows UI, the monitor looks better in SDR than HDR, so it’s best to leave HDR to gaming or properly encoded video.
The ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN is working together with an Nvidia GeForce RTX3080 Ti, and refresh rate has been consistent around the 260 to 280Hz range. Not quite 360Hz, but you’re going to need a fully decked out PC to achieve that number consistently. The fact that it can keep things stable above 250Hz is already a magnificent sight to behold. I totally forgot that the monitor was only FHD resolution, and there was practically no control lag or motion blur. Asus installed a heatsink in the monitor so there was not much heat generated from the monitor.
Conclusion
Yes, most gamers have been accustomed to 144Hz gaming monitors as they have been more commonplace now in the industry. But the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN is made for gamers who want the ultimate speed in responsiveness and near perfect motion rendering with high refresh rate. Sure, it’s only 1080p, but that’s more than enough to deliver a compelling gaming experience. The feeling is similar to when you first transition from a 60Hz to a 120Hz or 144Hz, except this is 360Hz we’re talking about.
The fact that the monitor also works with Nvidia Reflex makes it even faster. Price wise, yes it is pretty steep, but you do get HDR, amazing image quality, a superb panel, great ergonomics, and the aesthetics to go with all of it. Variable lighting also improves overall contrast to showcase better shadow details in games and movies. This is the only 360Hz refresh rate gaming monitor in the market now, and if ultimate is what you’re going for. I’d say look no further than the ASUS ROG Swift 360Hz PG259QN.
