Acer’s latest game monitors include the first with HDMI 2.1

As the first part of Acer’s announcements at CES 2021, the company shared the launch of three new game monitors in May. In terms of specifications, the flagship product is the new Nitro XV28, a 28-inch 4K monitor with an IPS screen and a 144 Hz refresh rate with FreeSync Premium. It is the first Acer game monitor to use HDMI 2.1 ports, giving it the specs (assuming you are using an HDMI 2.1 compliant cable) to support games up to 4K at 120 frames per second with variable refresh rate (VRR ).

So this is not just a solid option for PC gamers hoping to make the most of their Nvidia RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, it is an option that PS5 and Xbox Series X owners can be equally excited about. In terms of port selection, it has two HDMI ports (both are 2.1), a DisplayPort, a USB-C port capable of charging PD 65 W, four USB Type-A 3.0 ports and one USB Type-B port for power them USB ports.

Acer will sell the XV28 for $ 899, which is certainly not cheap, although it is not uncommon for a 4K screen with fast refresh rates. If you want one that fits on your table, it might be worth it. While it’s hard not to think that, for almost the same price during a sale, you could get a 55-inch Vizio 4K OLED TV that also supports HDMI 2.1 – although there are reports that its announced VRR still doesn’t work. Meanwhile, Acer says the XV28 will have “hassle-free support” for the latest 4K 120 Hz consoles with VRR.

Image: Acer

Acer’s other two monitor ads are no longer accessible, but they do have some cutting edge features missing from the Nitro XV28. The Predator XB27 costs $ 1,099 and features a 27-inch QHD IPS panel with HDR400 capability, the lowest step in the DisplayHDR standard that can reach 400 cd / m2 of maximum brightness – effectively 400 nits, dark enough not to be your choice if you are shopping for HDR. It can operate at a native refresh rate of 240 Hz with overclocking up to 275 Hz and has a response time of 0.5 ms.

It comes with an integrated Nvidia G-Sync module. In addition to the various benefits it brings to maintain its smooth-looking Nvidia GPU gameplay, in this case it allows Nvidia’s Reflex technology that analyzes and optimizes latency in all its connected accessories. This monitor has two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, a trio of USB Type-A 3.0 ports, a single USB Type-A 2.0 port and a USB Type-B port to power the USB ports.

Image: Acer

Finally, the Predator XB32 is a 31.5-inch IPS 4K display compatible with G-Sync (an update from GeForce Experience will make it work better with modern Nvidia GPUs). It has a 144 Hz native refresh rate and also HDR400, if you want that image a little more vibrant in applications that support it. This model will sell for $ 1,199. It has two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, a single USB-C port with 65W PD charging and four USB Type-A 3.0 ports with one USB Type-B port to power them.

Each of them seems like a solid, albeit expensive, choice if you really like games and want features that can increase visual fidelity in different ways. The Nitro XB23 and Predator XB27 are the most attractive on a technical level, each with some great features that differentiate them from what currently exists. However, we do not yet have the complete specification sheets and, as each launch will take place in May, there may be some competitive models on the market by then.