TL;DR: Save your money and get the ASUS PG27AQDP. This monitor has broken HDR, lower brightness in SDR and HDR, weak color saturation in HDR, no BFI, a less desirable coating, and burn-in protection that can’t be turned off. It is also $100 more than the ASUS and only comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty that may not cover burn-in.
After getting the PG27AQDP first, this model was released a week later, and I decided to get it because I am a total tech member (2-year warranty). The plan was to return the ASUS, which I originally purchased on Newegg, and keep the Sony for the warranty from BestBuy until I found out the Sony is a downgrade in nearly all aspects.
The ASUS is slightly brighter in SDR, but when you turn off the burn-in protection on the ASUS, it is easily 15-20% brighter and more colorful in SDR. You cannot turn off the burn-in protection on the Sony at all; it is hard-locked on, and there are no options for it in the OSD or the Inzone Software. In a side-by-side comparison, the difference is quite noticeable. While features like static taskbar detection should be kept on for monitor usage, options like “Outer Dimming Control,” which dims the edges of your screen and creates a distracting vignetting effect, cannot be turned off. Bright elements in SDR and HDR will only be bright in the center of the screen; at the edges, they noticeably dim, which can be very distracting. “Adjust Logo Brightness” also dims the brightness and color saturation in SDR and HDR, affecting everything—even highlights—which doesn’t make sense. These features can be easily turned off on the ASUS, but not on the Sony. On Sony OLED TVs, you can adjust settings like Adjust Logo Brightness, but not on their monitors?
Regarding HDR, one would expect a company like SONY, a leader in displays and cameras, to excel in this area! Unfortunately, this monitor's HDR performance is well very bad; in a side-by-side comparison with the ASUS, it appears almost like SDR. The advertised “1300 nits” brightness is not achieved. With the latest firmware (M003, currently M004), the Windows 11 HDR Calibration app hard clips at “2550 nits” in all modes, including the “HDR 400 mode,” which shouldn’t exceed 400 nits. No matter the calibration, HDR looks washed out in all modes, losing detail in highlights. The monitor does not even achieve 2550 nits; not even their flagship A95L OLED TV can reach that brightness. It’s puzzling how this monitor was launched with such HDR issues. Working HDR on an OLED is crucial, as it is arguably the main selling point for consumers!
The EOTF also does not track correctly, and it’s evident to the naked eye that something is off—side by side with the ASUS, the Sony appears over-brightened. The HDR implementation is lacking, and colors do not match the ASUS in saturation. The reds appear orange, and golds look yellow on the Sony, which is surprising given they use the same panel. In side-by-side comparisons, this difference is striking. I posted a picture with two red cars from a YouTube video with RTX HDR, and while the camera slightly picks it up, the car on the ASUS is significantly brighter and more colorful than on the Sony. Both are set to “Game HDR,” which should output 1300 nits, with brightness, contrast, and saturation set correctly.
There is noticeable black level raise and posterization on dark scenes in HDR, which is not present on the ASUS. Watching YouTube videos with RTX or native HDR reveals pronounced posterization that is hard to ignore. In dark atmospheric games like Tarkov, using RTX HDR is almost unusable because of these issues.
I also noticed that the coating is worse on the Sony despite it using the same panel as the ASUS. The ASUS appears sharper, less grainy, and has deeper blacks. The black level issue is subtle—around 5-10%—but still puzzling considering both use the same panel, especially with the Sony priced $100 higher. The coating on the Sony is noticeably grainier, similar to cheaper IPS and TN panels. While it’s not a dealbreaker, it is frustrating given the price difference, especially when the ASUS outperforms in nearly all aspects except for the stand and OSD.
Others on Reddit have reported similar HDR issues, so this is not just a problem with my unit. I contacted Sony support about the HDR issue, and they only offered to send me a replacement, despite the fact that the issue isn’t unique to my unit. Interestingly, the agent I spoke with didn’t seem familiar with HDR. Lol.
Can this be fixed with a firmware update? Maybe. But in its current state, I personally cannot recommend this monitor. Considering Sony doesn't offer a true HGIG mode on their flagship OLED TVs (A95L) and often has to implement weird tone mapping, I’m skeptical this will be resolved, though I hope I’m wrong.
Additionally, this monitor lacks BFI, which the ASUS does have. This feature is beneficial for games that can’t reach 480Hz, and using BFI on the ASUS is really nice to have on games like Tarkov for example, which cannot achieve anywhere near 480FPS despite your hardware. While not a dealbreaker, the ASUS being $100 cheaper and having BFI doesn’t help Sony asking 100 extra dollars for their monitor.
The Sony also has unfortunately more dirty screen effect than the ASUS; in dark scenes, the banding is much more apparent. Now this may be unique to my unit only, but I thought I should add it.
The only positive aspect I can mention is that the stand is excellent—perhaps the best I’ve ever used on a monitor (like seriously)—and the OSD/knob is significantly better than that of the ASUS. The “FPS Pro +” feature seems to wash out the image to resemble a TN panel, which can be emulated on the ASUS by playing around with the OSD settings. I also prefer the 24.5 cropped mode on the Sony, as it can be centered at the bottom, making it feel more natural compared to the ASUS.
Finally, the warranty. The SONY warranty is only 1 year, and it does not state that it covers burn-in. In contrast, the ASUS offers a 3-year warranty that clearly covers burn-in. A 1-year warranty for an $1100 OLED monitor is a joke, especially given the price difference. Marketing this to an eSports audience who will likely use the monitor for hours a day at max brightness and color saturation in SDR, particularly with the 1-year warranty potentially not covering burn-in is a little predatory. If you choose to go for this monitor for whatever reason and plan to use it for several years, I heavily recommend getting the Geek Squad warranty.