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There are some who will tell you that no price is too much to pay for the best gaming monitors on the market. In response, Acer unleashed the magnificent curved Acer XR382CQK gaming monitor on the world some time ago.
At the time of its launch - around three years ago now - everything about this monitor with a 38 inch IPS panel blew customer and critical audiences away. In terms of screen size real estate, image quality, colors, resolution, build quality, refresh rate, and all else besides, monitors didn’t get much better than this.
The only slight downside was the size of the price tag, but this didn’t stop the Acer XR382CQK from becoming an immediate hit ( see other top picks from Acer). It even took home one of the most prestigious gaming awards in 2017, having wowed a panel of judges with a seriously high-quality gaming experience.
Does this mean that the Acer XR382CQK is still a good choice by today’s standards? Does it measure up against comparable curved gaming monitors we reviewed here, or is it just too much to pay for a technology that is already a few years old?
Brief Specs Overview |
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37.5" QHD (3840 x 1600) Curved Widescreen IPS Panel Display with AMD FreeSync Technology |
Response Time: 1ms (MPRT) |
Acer VisionCare Technologies |
1 - USB C Type 3.1 Port (Up) & 4 - USB 3.0 Ports (Down) |
Video Ports: 1 x DisplayPort 1.2, 1 x Display Port Out , 1 x HDMI 2.0 & 1 x MHL 2.1 |
75hz refresh rate |
With 5-millisecond pixel response time |
Ultra Wide Screen |
AMD FreeSync Technology |
Acer XR382CQK Curved: The Official Word
In terms of what Acer itself has to say about the XR382CQK, we’ve extracted a few choice snippets and quotes we’d like to share with you. All of which encapsulate why Acer believes the XR382CQK remains the ultimate choice for high-performance gamers:
A New Angle In Entertainment
"Special features like 100% sRGB and DTS Sound give you the perfect picture and entertaining experience while Picture-in-Picture and daisy-chaining multiple monitors together take your productivity to a new level."
Gaming Luxury
"The Acer XR Series has you covered with the features you need. The 37.5" curved screen and UltraWide QHD (3840 x 1600) resolution make your games more exciting."
No Screen Tearing
"Say 'goodbye' to stuttering and tearing. FreeSync and Adaptive-Sync technologies match the refresh rate of your monitor with your graphics card."
Marvel in Every Angle
"This monitor sports a curved UltraWide QHD display with ColorPlus technology, including 100% sRGB gamut and 6-axis color adjustment."
Curved Immersion - "Plenty of curved screen real estate and a cinematic 21 9 aspect ratio make sure games and movies look as epic as possible." That’s how Acer justifies what is (and will be brought into discussion throughout this review) an ultra-premium, with an ultra-wide gaming screen at an ultra-premium price. As for whether or not it justifies the cash it demands, you have to put it to the test personally to see for yourself.This is exactly what we did, and you’ll find an overview of our key findings and judgments below.
Exterior Design
The first thing that stood out to me about the Acer XR382CQK (apart from its epic size) was the weight of the thing. The Acer XR382CQK curved gaming monitor is heavy - and I mean surprisingly so. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, as it does give the screen, in general, a feeling of build quality and durability.
Plus, it’s not as if you’ll be moving it around a great deal, once you have set it in place.
The overall exterior design is slick and the inclusion of a strip of LEDs underneath the bottom is just awesome. Even if you are not normally into these kinds of gimmicks, you can’t help but love this little added touch. It’s every bit as aggressive as you’d expect a 38-inch monitor to look, making it less of an addition to your desk and more a focal point for the entire room in its own right - don't forget that there are even bigger, 40 inch options, as reviewed in this post.
Display Quality
Tossing the whole price issue to one side for a moment, it’s almost impossible to pick fault with the HDR image quality of the Acer XR382CQK. You’d have to really put it under a microscope to find anything to complain about, which I’m aware plenty of people like to do when penning a review.
Of course, it’s inevitable that anything you run on the screen that isn’t in the same 21x9 aspect ratio will result in black borders on either side. This is the price you pay for a ratio of 21 9 screens and is also inevitable, so it’s far from a point of contention.
Screen Size: Bigger is Better
The monstrous 38” screen (see also 'Best Ultra-Wide Monitor' review) is simply astonishing and provides the kind of real estate needed to do just about anything. From gaming to photo editing to movie production to animation, I honestly cannot see anyone not being completely satisfied with the size of this panel .
As it boasts 3840 x 1600 QHD resolution, the kind of detail it produces is also out of this world. There’s no saturation of colors whatsoever and everything looks breathtakingly real. The blacks are borderline perfect, contrast and brightness are just right and the monitor offers (as usual) a variety of settings and customizable options.
Glare can be a minor issue when operating the monitor in bright and direct light, but not to an extent as to compromise the viewing experience in general. The 2300r curvature helps bring problematic glare under control and makes for a fantastic experience from a wide variety of viewing angles.
Speakers and Sound Quality
This has a tendency to be where the average monitor disappoints. Not that most gamers are reliant on built-in speakers, but it’s nonetheless nice to be pleasantly surprised on occasion. In the case of the Acer XR382CQK, that’s exactly what’s on the cards.
The DTS sound system built into the Acer XR382CQK is exponentially better than you would find in your typical monitor for gaming. It’s not going to blow you away in terms of sound quality and nor can the speakers in the panel rival the immersive sound of a good headset. But when it comes to everyday use, they’re great - just the right amount of punch, bass, and clarity.
Value for Money
Having been around for a good few years now, the price of the Acer XR382CQK has come down significantly over time. It’s still a comparatively expensive curved display - getting a great deal of change out of $1,000 is tricky, unless you happen across a special deal or discount.
But when it comes to monitors of this quality, this is exactly the kind of price you expect to pay. In terms of value for money, it’s right up there with the best alternative options on the market right now. It’s actually priced significantly lower than some screens that don’t offer anything close to these kinds of specifications.
It might be heavier and clunkier than some of its sleek and sophisticated 2021 counterparts, but it continues to give even the most epic gaming screens a serious run for their money.
Acer XR382CQK Ultra-Wide: In a Nutshell…
Personally, I can totally understand how and why many buyers would be put off by a gaming monitor that was officially unveiled in 2017. It’s a black and white issue for a lot of gamers - anything more than a few years old is yesterday’s news and doesn't quite cut it.
Nevertheless, the Acer XR382CQK is a living and breathing demonstration of how the highest-quality technology on the market can and does stand the tests of time. Far from your typical disposable piece of gaming hardware that’s redundant within a year or two, the Acer XR382CQK is still a major contender from a 2021 perspective.
Precisely why it continues to command a relatively high price, which if you ask me personally is a price that is well worth paying!
Acer XR382CQK: Full Specifications Summary |
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LED Backlight |
Anti-Blue Technology |
Flicker-Free |
Inputs: HDMI, 4x USB 3.1, AUX, DisplayPort, USB Type C Port |
75Hz Refresh Rate |
Color: Black |
Viewable Size: 37.5″ Viewable Diagonal Size |
Screen Coating: Anti-Glare |
Screen Size: 37.5″ |
Widescreen: Yes |
Aspect Ratio: 21:9 |
In-Plane Switching (IPS) Support |
Viewing Angles: 178 horizontal/178 vertical viewing angles |
Maximum Resolution: 3840 x 1600 |
Pixel Pitch: 0.229mm |
Response Time: 5ms |
Brightness: 300 cd/m2 |
Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 100,000,000:1 |
HDCP Support: Yes |
Stand Adjustment: Height – Tilt – Swivel |
Built-in Speakers: 2x 7 watt |
Tilt Range: -5 degrees to +35 degrees |
Depth: 12.9″ |
Width: 35.31″ |
Height: 12.17″ |
Weight: 23.61 lbs |
Wall mount: 100mm x 100mm |
Included in the Package:
- Acer XR382CQK monitor
- Power cable
- DisplayPort cable
- HDMI cable
- USB C cable
