Acer Nitro XZ2 34 inch Gaming Monitor XZ342CU Review: Money Well Spent for an Ultrawide

The last time we reviewed an Acer monitor, we were impressed by it – as to how well it achieved the price-to-value ratio. This time around, we are here again reviewing another monitor which also has an interesting price tag based on what it offers. That said, find out more if the Acer Nitro XZ2 34 inch Gaming Monitor lives up to its expectation in this review.

Acer Nitro XZ2 34 inch Gaming Monitor XZ342CU Review

Clean Design and a Versatile Build

I appreciate a clean design. Better yet, I appreciate a clean gaming monitor design that doesn’t go over the top and maintains a rather simple and clean look. The Acer Nitro XZ2 34-inch Gaming Monitor looks extremely clean and beautiful every possible way. All you see is a simple black, finish display on the front with close to edge-less bezels. Since it’s a Nitro lineup monitor, expect it to tout the red accent and it does but not so much in your face.

The stem of the stand has this red accent and on the back of the monitor you see the same red accents on either side. So, far I’d say this is tolerable. Now in terms of versatility, Acer made a darn good monitor stand for this one as the height is completely adjustable and you can tilt it up down and sideways. Since it’s an ultrawide monitor, you can’t use it in a vertical orientation but that’s normal. To be frank, this is a well put together monitor. If you do want more versatility – the monitor supports VESA Mount, so, cleaner setup is possible.

The Curve is an acquired Taste, but it grows on you

Curved monitors are catching up regardless of the ratio we get in. But its more common to see a curved ultrawide as the ultrawide aspect of the monitor requires that curve if you are in a tight desk space. I am still not a fan of curved monitor, but I can’t deny that the curved panel grew on me in the past month and more. Going back to my trusty 16:9 flat display gives me some illusion issues but otherwise, it’s nice to have. Until I launch my PS5, and it reminds me why I am not a fan of it because of the black bar and all that.

34” Ultrawide with QHD+ is Sweet

We have seen 32” Ultrawide, but this is quite possibly the first time we are reviewing a 34” Ultrawide. Now the ratio of this monitor is in the 21:9 – Cinemawide ratio. Since it’s an ultrawide, you can see that the monitor has a 3440×1440 ratio – so its not really a QHD but more of a UWQHD as the display has more pixels horizontally.

Acer has equipped with the necessary stuff to make one happy and they sure did make me happy. While this display uses a VA Panel, it does a good job in replicating close to accurate colours. It hits about 400 nits’ peak brightness and for games who need that higher refresh rate, this monitor hits a good 144Hz with 1ms response time respectively.

For many, this just might be the monitor that fulfils their gaming needs and maybe a bit of light editing. In my case, I did use this monitor for editing both photos and videos on Adobe suite – so that was great. If you do look head on, you are fine but once you do move beyond that 178-degree viewing angle mark, you can see it loses the colour which is normal.

Great Set of Input with Auto-Detect

Just like that 32” inch monitor we reviewed which has good amount of inputs, this Acer Nitro XZ2 34-inch Gaming Monitor sure does have all the input to connect all of your devices. It comes with 2x HDMI 2.0 and 1x DP 1.4 with Audio Out as well. On the side of this monitor, you can see it has a boxy module, which initially I thought and got excited that it has extra USB ports via Uplink, but it doesn’t.

Wish the Controls on the Monitor were friendlier

Unfortunately, the controls on the monitor is a bit unfriendly as it uses the older, traditional button kind as compared to the joystick kind which is a lot more easier to interact with. While it may seem like a small thing to worry about, to us its a big deal as the OSD is an important control and you will need it at times. But good to know that you can use the Acer Display Widget to still control the important aspect like brightness and few others. 

Conclusion

There aren’t many cons to say about this monitor because I have to say that this Acer Nitro XZ2 34 inch Gaming Monitor did catch me by surprise as well. Because RM 1,599 – you are looking at a stunning monitor that has no contender in this price point. So, get it while you can because at the time we publish this review, we are seeing price increase which is not a good sign. So, better get to it quick.

We are not one to say that it’s a best product money can buy but, in this case, it’s safe to say that the Acer Nitro XZ2 34-inch Gaming Monitor has such unbeatable price-to-value ratio that you are going to love every bit of money that you spend on it.