ViewSonic VX3219 2K PRO Gaming Monitor - Review

The ViewSonic VX3219 2K PRO Gaming Monitor from ViewSonic is, as the name would suggest, a 32-inch gaming monitor with a 2K resolution. The standout features of this monitor are its impressive sub-1 ms MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time) and 165 Hz refresh rate. ViewSonic India just launched the VX3219 2K PRO monitor in the market as part of the VX79 series launch.

Here is our review of the top-of-the-line from the VX79 series, the VX3219 2K PRO monitor.

ViewSonic VX3219 2K PRO Gaming Monitor Specifications

Before we start with the review, here is the specifications table of the VX3219 2K PRO monitor:

Features and Design of the VX3219 2K PRO Gaming Monitor

The MPRT is a technology that improves the perceived pixel response time by strobing the backlight between frames. It can be a hit-or-miss experience depending on whether your brain can perceive that strobing or not. My brain can’t, so my experience overall was quite enjoyable, but be warned that those who are affected by it can experience headaches and other discomforts.

The design of the monitor is very nice, and I like the wide stance of its base along with the angular design. At first, I was disappointed that the stand didn’t feature any adjustment other than tilt, but with time, I realised that the 32-inch panel is just so large that height adjustment proved to be a largely superfluous requirement.

You get a dash of RGB lighting on the back, along with a nifty little pop-out headphone hangar that I appreciated. I was hoping that the RGB array at the back would provide some kind of ambient lighting to reduce eye strain, but sadly, the array isn’t very bright, and its presence is purely aesthetic. Given that it is on the rear, you won’t even notice it in day-to-day use.

The I/O at the rear of the monitor is adequate in that you get support for two HDMI inputs, one DisplayPort, and a 3.5 mm audio out jack. But, the lack of a USB Type-C port and an integrated USB hub meant that my dreams for a one-cable solution for connecting gaming laptops couldn’t be realised. It is worth noting that other gaming monitors offer these features in this price range.

A great gaming experience

Gaming on this monitor, though, is a pleasure. The fast response time thanks to MPRT – again, your mileage may vary depending on your sensitivity to strobing – and that 165 Hz refresh rate meant that I noticed no blur or ghosting in fast-paced games like The Finals and Call of Duty Warzone. I especially loved immersing myself in racing sims (Assetto Corsa Competizione) and flight sims like DCS: World. The large display, especially from a couple of feet away, takes up almost your entire field of view and keeps you immersed.

The resolution of 2560x1440 pixels (2K) on a 32-inch panel is low for productivity and workstation apps like Excel and Photoshop, but it is perfect for gaming and entertainment where the relatively low pixel density isn’t readily apparent.

The caveat here when it comes to response time is that MPRT is a trick to improve the perceived response time and does not provide the same quality as a native 1 ms response time. Essentially, the response time is the time taken for an individual pixel on the display to transition from its current colour to another desired colour. The faster the pixels respond, the cleaner and more accurate your image. You can check the results from the Calibrate Profiler below:

Coming back to MPRT, it tricks our eyes into thinking that the response time is high by rapidly turning the backlight on and off between frames. This essentially flashes a clean image on the screen at a rapid rate but comes at the cost of overall brightness, as the backlight isn’t on continuously.

With MPRT turned on, I measured a maximum brightness of just 200 nits, which is half of what can be expected from any other gaming monitor and far too low for any kind of decent-quality HDR playback. Still, I think the advantages of MPRT, when it comes to playing fast-paced games, do outweigh the loss in brightness. This low brightness is, however, something to keep in mind when considering a monitor with MPRT.

ViewSonic does offer a couple of options to boost pixel response time without MPRT, but I would not recommend these as they cause significant ghosting and smearing artefacts when gaming.

Image quality

Out of the box, the monitor is in need of significant calibration. My sample had a strong red colour cast, and it took a calibration session with an i1Display Pro Plus to fix it. Since most people don’t have access to colourimeters, I also tested the built-in colour profiles and found that the sRGB profile offered the most neutral colour palette.

As mentioned earlier, max brightness with MPRT turned on came in at just 200 nits. Overall, the colour gamut was quite good at 96% sRGB, and colour accuracy after calibration was excellent. Average and max ΔE values – a measure of the colour accuracy of the panel – came in at 0.5 and 1.1, respectively, which means that the colour accuracy of the monitor is superb once properly calibrated. Any ΔE value under 2.0 is considered to be excellent.

Value for money

While officially priced at INR 50,000, ViewSonic states that the monitor should be available for around INR 25,499 to the end user (EUP). That is a significant variation in price and a point of concern in that the monitor is excellent value at INR 25,499 but significantly overpriced at INR 50,000. Assuming that the monitor will indeed be available at around INR 25,499, we would say that this monitor is an excellent value as few in this price range offer a high-quality IPS panel and this feature set.