- Asus has launched three new monitors using its new built-in air ionizer technology
- Asus claims it removes up to 90% of airborne dust in indoor environments
- One of the monitors is a WQHD ultrawide, which uses a VA panel for better contrast
Asus is shaking things up with its monitors, not only by focusing on high refresh rates and good response times but also by introducing an innovative feature that aims to improve indoor air quality – and it may be something that other monitors should copy.
As highlighted by Notebookcheck, Asus has launched three new monitors under the VU series: the VU249HFI-W (24-inch), VU279HFI-W (27-inch), and the VU34WCIP-W (34-inch WQHD ultrawide), all of which maintain a 100Hz refresh rate and 1ms MPRT response time – but these aren’t just any ordinary monitors – they take advantage of Asus’ new built-in air ionizer design.
Asus claims this removes up to 90% of airborne dust, leading to fresher air which could be highly beneficial for office spaces and gaming setups. This is possible thanks to ‘Innovative Nano-Ion Technology’ that does not require a filter, and instead uses negative ions to eliminate dust, pollen, and allergens – essentially, these monitors will draw air in from their rear to refine your room’s air quality.
Both the VU249HFI-W and the VU279HFI-W use IPS panels, which are bright and designed for greater color accuracy – however, the VU34WCIP-W will use a VA panel, which is better for higher contrast ratios and response times (it’s still 1ms MPRT in this case) including VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) to ensure that the refresh rate matches the frame rate of gaming or video content.
The specifications of these new monitors may not be the best when compared to other high-end displays from Asus, but it’s still good enough to cater to productivity, gaming, and video content uses. It’s also a good way for Asus to test its new technology on a monitor without all the bells and whistles (at a low cost), with hopes that it becomes a newfound success that inspires other manufacturers to follow suit.
Now, just use this technology on gaming monitors, and I’ll be happy
It might be easy to dismiss Asus’ efforts here as simply a gimmick, especially if you’re more excited about improvements in terms of display quality – but I’d argue this is a great innovation.
I’m fully aware that there is a chance it won’t be widely adopted by Asus for its other monitors or by other manufacturers – but this could help reduce the dust buildup I’m sure we all hate with our desktop setups. If this saves me from having to regularly clean my desktop (and the desk itself), then I’d be very interested in using one of these monitors in the future.
Price and availability are currently dependent on your region, but the standout choice for me, the VU34WCIP-W model, is currently available at various US retailers for $359 (around £280 / AU$570).
Ultrawide monitors with 3440×1440 resolutions have always been my go-to for productivity and gaming – and don’t get me wrong, I’d never choose this over my Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED or the PG49WCD super ultrawide monitor Asus sent me for testing, but it has me hoping this can somehow be used for gaming monitors. Let’s just hope the air-purifying quality is good enough (and therefore proves popular enough with consumers) to make that a reality.
