Since the introduction of 4K resolution and HDR to console gaming, gamers have seen their options balloon when it comes to displays. With that in mind, BenQ has expanded its line of gaming monitors with the EL2870U 28-inch 4K HDR Gaming Monitor.

After spending considerable time with the EL2870U it’s easy to see this monitor meeting the needs of almost any gamer, but specifically, it is tailored towards console gaming. With 4K and HDR 10 support, as well as a 60Hz refresh rate, the EL2870U is the perfect option for those gamers who want to take full advantage of their PS4 Pro or Xbox One X consoles.

Those who do prefer PC gaming, though, will find that the BenQ EL2870U monitor is plenty capable of delivering a quality visual experience. With support for DisplayPort input, AMD FreeSync, and FreeSync 2, the monitor will ensure no dropped frames and a crisp picture at even the fastest motion. On top of that, the 1ms response time keeps up with a player’s quick inputs and reduces picture jitter.

Admittedly, BenQ’s 28-inch EL2870U 4K HDR gaming is not meant to replace the large-size 4K HDR TVs but better serves an office or smaller gaming space. At 28 inches, the monitor does well enough to deliver stunning visuals through 4K with or without HDR turned on, but it’s worth pointing out that the larger the display the better the visuals can look. Still, the BenQ EL2870U will impress with rich color reproduction as well as deep blacks and crisp whites.

benq brightness intelligence

Beyond the quality of the picture and display, the BenQ EL2870U monitor offers a few features focused around reducing eye strain and focused on eye care. With a feature called Brightness Intelligence+, the BenQ EL2870U monitor can detect the environment and tailor the display to suit it. So, if you are gaming into the late night, the monitor will adjust for a darker setting to make sure that the potential for eye strain is lower. This BI+ feature also combines well with HDR to help deliver a top quality picture in any setting.

BenQ EL2870U Specifications

benq settings

After testing the BenQ EL2870U monitor on some of the biggest releases of 2019 thus far – games like Anthem, The Division 2, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Devil May Cry 5 – it’s hard not to come away with an easy recommendation. HDR can be hit or miss on games but the 4K resolution always looked stunning on supported games and the colors were vibrant where necessary and exceptionally crisp. Gamers that are looking for a 4K monitor that supports HDR formats and matches up with other monitors in terms of breadth of options (1ms reponse, FreeSync, etc.) have a worthy option in the BenQ EL2870U.

The monitor has performed perfectly in our testing, meeting any need as far as visuals are concerned and supporting a variety of different calibrations and setups. Even when it came to basic word processing, the BenQ EL2870U has a cool feature called Smart Focus that keeps a specific area of the screen bright and dims the rest.

benq monitor angle view

Of course, gaming is going to be a major question for the BenQ EL2870U and while PC gamers will likely want a monitor with a higher refresh rate (BenQ does offer those), console gamers on the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X will want to give this monitor a look. At $399.99 MSRP, The BenQ EL2870U 4K HDR Gaming monitor is well worth the investment.

[NOTE: Game ZXC was provided a review unit for testing purposes]