Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED review: big things come in small packages

Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED: Two-minute review

The Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED may be definitive proof that esports gamers had it right all along – that when it comes to gaming displays, it's not so much the size as it is the speed (and naturally, the picture quality) that wins the race.

This monitor might not look like much compared to the behemoths that we're being conditioned to want these days. In fact, coming from the 42-inch monitor I was testing prior, I didn't think this was going to satiate my viewing needs. Yet here I am, singing its praises. 

This isn't just a typical gaming display, however. Yes, it's fast, with its 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms GtG response time. Yes, it's crisp and detailed, thanks to its sweet spot when it comes to pixel density (109 PPI, to be exact). And yes, it's got an excellent port selection and great color coverage - content creators will appreciate its 100% Adobe RGB and 98.5% DCI-P3 color gamut. But it's not exactly the first of its kind to offer such things.

What puts this display over the top, beating out many of the best gaming displays - and the best monitors in general, for that matter - on our list, are its glorious OLED panel, which makes those visuals all the richer and more vibrant, and its impressive HDR implementation that's among the best I've seen on a display. 

On a 27-inch monitor that's only 13.9lbs (6.3Kg), that's even more impressive, although Corsair still found other ways to make it a compelling choice. The green packaging the company used here is sure to please users who are concerned about their carbon footprint, while its two-pronged base will appeal to those lacking a lot of desktop real estate.

The panel itself is almost paper-thin, which is nice, but be warned, the stand and mount combination takes up quite a bit of space behind it. I quite like the design - it's a similar aesthetic to that Corsair uses on its other displays - but a thinner profile overall would have been nice too.

At least there's plenty of articulation on the mount, meaning that you can tilt the panel up to 7 degrees down and 15 degrees up, swivel left and right up to 30 degrees, pivot it 90 degrees for portrait mode, and adjust its height up to 100mm. If you're concerned about having the right ergonomics when gaming, this monitor should allow you the best position possible for you.

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You also have all the ports you could possibly need. There's a USB-C port that will let you charge your laptop, two HDMI 2.1 ports for your current-gen consoles, and one DisplayPort. To give you more ports for your peripherals, Corsair even threw in a USB hub with four USB Type-A ports, and this hub works perfectly. To manage them all, there's also a spacious cable management slot built-in on the stand. It doesn't tuck them all away, out of sight, but it does bundle them all together so that your desk is not overrun by them.

Before I move on to performance, I do want to say that the anti-reflective coating on this panel is truly impressive. It's very effective at minimizing reflections so whether you're gaming or working, you're not distracted by them, ruining your experience. There's also a proximity sensor right underneath the OSD buttons, which is a nice touch and makes it so that you're not just randomly pressing on buttons, risking inadvertently changing a setting you didn't want changed.

The Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED may not give you that 4K resolution that everyone seems to want these days, but its 1440p resolution on a 27-inch display gives you a pixel density of 109PPI - the sweet spot for crisp picture quality, and just the ticket, especially when combined with its 240Hz refresh rate, for competitive gamers.

Cyberpunk 2077 and Rocket League both look stunning and just as immersive on this as they would on a larger panel, if not more due to the fast refresh rate. Both titles look sharp, smooth, and super clean on this, made better by its OLED tech that delivers even richer colors.

Of course, non-competitive games, shows, and movies look gorgeous on it too. Hogwarts Legacy, for instance, not only looks vibrant but feels very immersive as well since the 240Hz refresh rate meant that there was zero ghosting - even when I'm spinning the camera around quickly or I'm running around in-game.

They look even better with HDR on. The Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED has one of the best HDR implementations I've seen on a gaming display, with many of the ones I've tested paling (quite literally) in comparison. 

Toggle that HDR on, and you're getting a lot more dynamic range of color in games and shows like Wednesday without ending up with incredibly washed-out visuals. The colors do tend to look less saturated, but not to the extent that it ruins the whole experience. You're still getting that rich experience while gaining back some of the lost details in darker scenes. And, honestly, the difference is night and day.

Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED: Price & availability

• How much does it cost?  $999 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,749 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Woof! That $999 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,749 price tag on the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED is a gut-puncher, especially if you see what this baby can do before you realize how much it’ll cost you. It’s an excellent display. It’s one of the best gaming monitors right now, and you’ll want to take it home. Unfortunately, that steep price tag means it’s not accessible to everyone.

Heck, even the AOC Agon Pro AG274QG is more affordable at $899 / £849. And if you are looking for something much cheaper, the older Samsung Odyssey G7 remains to be a compelling choice, and it’s often discounted at many online retailers. Both displays are 27 inches and have a 240Hz refresh rate like the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED. 

The Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED does have a few advantages over these two rivals, including the fact that it's an OLED panel, and therefore delivers deeper, richer colors.

• Value: 3 / 5

Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED: Specs

Should you buy the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED?

Buy it if...

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Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED: Also consider

Samsung Odyssey G7
The Samsung Odyssey G7 is a fantastic curved gaming monitor with 240Hz at 1440p, giving you speed and glorious resolution in a stylish package to boot.

Read our full Samsung Odyssey G7 review

AOC Agon Pro AG274QG
The AOC Agon Pro AG274QG delivers gorgeous QHD resolution and extremely low latency gaming performance. It's also jam-packed with features.

Read our full AOC Agon Pro AG274QG review

How I tested the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED

• Tested the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED for about a week
• Used it for gaming, work and entertainment
• Tested it with several games, streaming content, and my colorimeter

I used the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 OLED as my PC gaming and work monitor for a few days, spending 8 to 10 hours a day on it. I also made sure to put its biggest features through their paces to make sure they work as they should.

Besides using it with games like Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Rocket League, I also used it to stream movies and shows. Of course, I also checked its color accuracy and coverage using my colorimeter.

I’ve been testing, reviewing, and using monitors for years as a freelance tech journalist and now as one of the Computing editors at TechRadar. My years of experience make me more than qualified to test and vet these devices for you.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

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First reviewed May 2023