keyword: PS5

mass-effect-legendary-edition-review:-revisiting-the-best-rpg-series-ever-made

Mass Effect Legendary Edition review: Revisiting the best RPG series ever made

(Pocket-lint) – We couldn’t have been more excited when we heard that the original Mass Effect trilogy was to be remastered for a new collection. But must admit to feeling slightly deflated when we realised the games weren’t to be remade completely.

That means, while the graphics and gameplay have undergone extensive tweaking, they haven’t been completely reimagined for modern consoles. After experiencing what’s possible with the superb Final Fantasy VII Remake, that seemed to be a backwards step to us. Initially, at least.

However, just a couple of hours into ME1, we soon realised why the development team decided on a fresh coat of paint and refinements rather than renewal. The trio just wouldn’t be the same games otherwise – unlikely to have retained the character of the originals. Warts and all.

So, in remastering the original Mass Effect games to 4K HDR, adding all downloadable content (DLC) released over the original games’ lifespans, and slathering on some clever technical glue to match it all together, we get the original trilogy at its best. All the while retaining exactly what made them special in the first place.

Plot points

Something that didn’t need refinement is the story. BioWare has always been a master at storytelling and characterisation. Go further into its past and you can see just how well Baldur’s Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic hold up today – purely thanks to their narratives and clever, interwoven scripting.

The latter game was clearly a huge influence on Mass Effect (and itself heavily rumoured for a remaster). However, free from the restraints of the Star Wars lore book, the studio managed to rebottle lightning – several times.

There are many characters you encounter in the Mass Effect games, not least Shepard him or herself – who you play as throughout – but perhaps the most impressive of all is the universe that BioWare created.



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By Rik Henderson
·

It took a blank canvas and built its own sci-fi saga, complete with new alien species, political factions, historical mythos and much more. And there’s nary a trade dispute in sight – well, not one that any of the trilogy is hinged on. It’s so complex and involving, it has inspired comic books, fan fiction, even a whole range of cosplay enthusiasts. It will also grip you from the very start.

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That’s partly thanks to the speed at which the main story thread reveals itself – which we’ll spare you because you’ve either already played the games first time around and know it already, or want to discover for yourself and therefore avoid spoilers. But it’s mainly thanks to the superb dialogue and neatly woven nature of the games across the entire run.

Many games have adopted inter-threading plots and character development over the years, but few do it quite as well as the Mass Effect series. It enables you to take your lead character – whether created from scratch or using presets – from one game to the next after each completion, literally picking up from where you left off. In addition, actions you make in each chapter have ramifications on the next.

EA / BioWare

By the time you get to Mass Effect 3 and, specifically, the ending, you could experience several key differences to someone else’s journey. It feels organic and, for us, still represents many of the studio’s finest moments.

The same is true with character development and relationships in the game. Each main non-playable character (NPC) in the game forms bonds and relationships with your lead character, depending on your conversational and practical choices. That could end in a friendly or romantic bond, or with them keeping you at arms-length. It results in you empathising with each of your in-game team members more so than in most games – role-playing games (RPGs) or otherwise.

When those NPCs are in peril or decisions on their fate are presented you are genuinely moved or troubled. It’s what made Mass Effect so superb in the first place, and continues to resonate now.

Ch-ch-changes

Of course, that can also be said of the original trilogy releases, each of which being still available through backward compatibility (on Xbox and PC, anyway). Of perhaps more interest are the numerous changes and improvements to this collection.

EA / BioWare

As with many repackaged collections of older games, all of the original DLC from Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3 are present – bar one. Pinnacle Station from ME1 is not present, as the version available to BioWare while putting together the Legendary Edition turned out to be corrupt and it couldn’t find the original files.

Still, you get over 40 DLC packs integrated into the games (where possible). That includes promo weapons and armour.

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The games are also presented with a new launcher, with all three accessible from the same screen. On PlayStation all games are installed to be played from the off, on Xbox (the version tested here), you need to download ME2 and ME3 from the launcher itself. This allows you to save disk space when you are only playing ME1.

Once you start the games, you notice a couple of changes to the options. The first Mass Effect has perhaps the biggest alterations, in that it has the options, plus character creation and models of the subsequent titles. BioWare changed a fair bit in the three years between ME1 and ME2, so the later benefits have now been adopted.

EA / BioWare

That also includes combat. The Mass Effect series combines deep, involving dialogue-based storytelling with action combat sequences. These are third-person and generally use a duck-and-cover mechanic. The first game, however, had clunky, under-realised combat that was tricky to use. We went back to the Xbox 360 original to check for ourselves and found that aiming – especially through the sniper rifle – was a twitchy affair. It has been greatly improved now, with the lessons learned for the sequels being implemented.

The look during combat – the user interface (UI)– has also been unified across the series now. However, ME1 still has some unique foibles. There’s unlimited ammo, for starters, with cooldown times for weapons instead. That was ditched later in the series. On the whole though, it has been polished into a more playable form for sure, which is great to revisit.

Another thing that helps is higher frame rate. While the graphics have been made higher-res and new lighting effects added, to suit the 4K consoles especially, enhanced frame rates make the most difference to gameplay. It differs depending on the format, but the games are now playable in up to 60 frames-per-second on consoles thanks to a ‘favour frame-rate’ option. The Xbox Series X even gets up to 120fps.

EA / BioWare

You do have a resolution drop to get the best frame rates, but it’s very much worth it. We’ve been playing the game largely across Xbox Series S and X, which run the game in backward compatibility but somewhat optimised. We favour frame-rate on the S, which gives up to 1440p and 60fps, while we switch to ‘favour quality’ mode on the X for 4K 60fps. Both run beautifully.

If you’re a PC owner with the right spec, you can even get up to 240fps and run the game in an 21:9 aspect ratio, but we haven’t been able to test that ourselves.

Graphically speaking

In terms of the new graphics themselves, there is a marked improvement, naturally, but you will still have to put up with a lot of the shonkiness of the originals.

EA / BioWare

The artificial intelligence (AI) upscaling process used for many of the texture upgrades did a fine job of creating details that were just fuzzy before, while the manual touching-up work produces excellent character models especially.

However, don’t expect a game that looks like Returnal or Miles Morales. It must be remembered that the original games were released between 2007 and 2012 and, while highly polished, they still look dated. Animations especially are janky. But they are liveable too.

Lighting has been greatly improved through, with the first Mass Effect showing the most change. Outdoor scenes are particularly impressive, with great use of lens flare and recoloured vistas that look significantly better than before. Plus, high dynamic range (HDR) has been added for further saturation and contrast boosts.

That’s not to say it’s all good. Sometimes the picture sharpening does the game a disservice. The Normandy (your space craft) can look overlaid onto a background now, whereas its blurriness helped it blend in before.

EA / BioWare

There are also the occasional annoying bugs or glitches – some old, some new. We’ve experienced some texture pop-in when a level loads, scenery clipping, or the odd character jerking about when faced with unsteady terrain. Sometimes team members just steadfastly refuse to follow you until you save and reload. But, there’s nothing that can’t be worked around or overlooked.

In all honesty, the original games had their fair share of caveats too, but we never minded at the time.

Hit the motherload

Another of the more significant improvements that you get with the Legendary Edition is loading times. Anyone who’s had to sit through the Citadel elevator loading issues of the original Mass Effect will understand just how thrilling it is to finally run the game from an SSD (on console).

We can’t comment on loading times for Xbox One or PS4 (or even PS5, as we’ve not played that copy) – although each are meant to be greatly enhanced too – but our experience of loading on both Xbox Series consoles couldn’t have been any better.

EA / BioWare

When stepping into any of the elevators on the Citadel, it is mere seconds before you reach the next area. This used to take a minute or more. In fact, all the clever tricks BioWare added to help alleviate the loading pain – such as in-elevator conversations or tannoy announcements – are now superfluous. You can still listen to them, but a skip option is also available as they are no longer needed to paper the cracks.

The same is true with loading in other areas of each of the games. Space travel, for example, is almost instant. Even the games load superfast at the beginning, once chosen on the launcher.

There are also many other smaller, often imperceptible tweaks (like an increased number of autosave points), so we could go on and on. It’s worth stressing though, that all of these have been made to improve and existing experience, not replace it. And, as life-long game fans ourselves, there is something altogether noble in that.

Verdict

We’ve played several hours of each of the three Mass Effect games in the Legendary Edition, but haven’t yet completed them this time around (we have in the past, a couple of times). However, we think we’ve seen enough to be able to give an honest opinion.

This collection is like a masterwork or remastering of one of the great music albums. It doesn’t go completely to town, or likely far enough for some, but the subject matter has been treated with the reverence it deserves. Let’s face it, you’d be hard pushed to find better scripting or storytelling out there, even in the biggest budget, most modern games. That’s where the Mass Effect trilogy’s real heart lies – and you can slather on as much polish as you like, but that’s what will draw you back.

Newcomers might initially baulk at the in-game visuals and their many caveats, but once the story grips they’ll find themselves as enamoured as we all were first time around. As for the rest of us, this is like revisiting an old friend and regaling memorable tales – all 100 plus hours of them. Wonderful.

Writing by Rik Henderson. Editing by Mike Lowe.

where-to-preorder-the-new-black-and-red-dualsense-controllers-for-the-ps5

Where to preorder the new black and red DualSense controllers for the PS5

With the PlayStation 5, Sony opted for a less traditional color scheme, one that ditched the classic jet-black exterior found on earlier PlayStation consoles in favor of a black-and-white finish. For some, the new exterior was an acquired taste, as was the matching aesthetic found on the accompanying DualSense controller.

On Thursday, however, the company announced two new color schemes for the DualSense — at least for those lucky enough to have landed a PS5 console amid the ongoing supply shortages. Dubbed “midnight black” and “cosmic red,” both controllers offer the same features as the standard DualSense, including a built-in microphone, haptic feedback, and adaptive triggers designed to make games more immersive.

Right now, both are currently available for preorder ahead of their launch on June 18th.

Where to buy the midnight black DualSense controller

Like the standard DualSense controller, the midnight black DualSense will retail for $69.99 at launch. It’s currently available for preorder at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and PlayStation Direct, the latter of which will ship the controller a week ahead of other retailers on June 11th. It’s not an exact match for previous DualShock controllers — the two-tone design features multiple shades of black and subtle gray detailing — but it’s far closer than the current DualSense, which opts for a white-and-black build. If you’ve wrapped your PS5 in Dbrand’s Darkplates, well now you can have a matching controller.

Where to buy the cosmic red DualSense controller

According to Sony, the color palette found on the cosmic red DualSense controller is modeled after the various shades of red scattered throughout the cosmos. That added interstellar inspiration will cost you, however, as the cosmic red edition runs a bit pricier at $74.99. It features a two-tone design like the midnight black DualSense, and it’s currently available for preorder at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and PlayStation Direct.

Like the midnight black model, the red-and-black edition is also slated to ship via PlayStation Direct on June 11th, a week ahead of other retailers.

microsoft-rolls-out-dolby-vision-gaming-test-on-xbox-series-x-and-s

Microsoft rolls out Dolby Vision gaming test on Xbox Series X and S

Dolby Vision gaming is arriving on the Xbox Series X and S for testers who are a part of the Xbox Insider’s “alpha ring” group. This HDR format offers an upgraded set of features like support for dynamic metadata. Microsoft says the feature means “brighter highlights, sharper contrast, and more vibrant colors” in games when you’re playing on a Dolby Vision-compatible TV, offering “better clarity in both light and dark scenes.” The consoles currently support HDR via the less advanced HDR10 standard.

We’ve known Microsoft’s current generation of Xboxes would support Dolby’s HDR standard since before the consoles’ release. Last September, Dolby announced that they’d be “the first consoles to support the Dolby Vision HDR format with dynamic metadata for gaming.” Sony’s PS5, meanwhile, currently does not support Dolby Vision.

Get ready to transform your gaming experience with full-spectrum visuals! Rolling out to Xbox Insiders this week: Dolby Vision for gaming on Xbox Series X|S. pic.twitter.com/iU2RktHvPG

— Larry Hryb ☁ (@majornelson) May 14, 2021

As well as improvements in picture quality, Microsoft says Dolby Vision support should be easier to configure for users. “Dolby Vision games automatically map to any display with Dolby Vision, you’re always seeing the best possible picture available,” the company says. “This means … no more sliders to adjust your picture settings.” However, it advises that testers might need to update their TV’s firmware to take full advantage of the technology.

During an earlier test of the feature in March, Forbes notes that users reported that all HDR games appeared to be outputting in Dolby Vision, rather than needing to specifically support the upgraded format. However, it’s unclear if this will be the case when the feature officially releases. As part of today’s announcement, Microsoft said it will be sharing more about the games that will take “full advantage” of the standard “soon.”

An earlier limited test of the feature got a positive reception. Forbes says alpha testers reported improvements to brightness, black levels, and color saturation in HDR games. At the time the feature seemed to be limited to 60Hz, but Forbes has more recently reported that Dolby is working with TV manufacturers to enable the standard to work at 120Hz.

In order to benefit from the feature, your TV will need to be Dolby Vision-compatible, as an increasing number of 4K TVs now are. But always be careful and check your specs. For example, Samsung — the largest TV manufacturer globally — doesn’t support the format.

Microsoft didn’t provide a timeline for when it expects the feature to roll out to everyone, noting only that it will be available “once we’ve completed testing.”

sony-announces-new-black-and-red-dualsense-controllers-for-the-ps5-you-still-can’t-buy

Sony announces new black and red DualSense controllers for the PS5 you still can’t buy

Sony has announced its first new colors for PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller: a “cosmic red” model that features a two-tone red and black design, and an all-black “midnight black” version that brings to mind the classic PS2, PS3, and PS4 controller designs.

Until now, Sony has only offered the DualSense controller in a black-and-white color scheme to match the PS5 (which features a similar contrasting theme), so the new color options are certainly welcome ones.

The midnight black option is particularly notable: the primarily white DualSense was a big departure for Sony’s designs, which have largely trended toward black and gray consoles and controllers by default for the entire life span of the PlayStation brand. The new black option (technically still a two-tone design, with two different shades of black) is closer to those other controllers, though.

Right now, Sony has only announced new colors for the controller, although the PlayStation 5 console does feature removable face plates — so it’s possible that the company could introduce matching plates for the PS5 sometime in the future. Enterprising companies like Dbrand have already started to fill that gap, though, with their own third-party options.

The two new color schemes should be available to purchase sometime next month (Sony says that dates will be dependent on individual retailers). Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but for reference, the standard DualSense controller costs $69.99.

Of course, all that assumes that you can find a PS5 in the first place — something that Sony admits might be difficult to do until 2022 at the earliest.

sony-has-25-ps5-games-in-the-works,-including-characters-you’ve-never-seen

Sony has 25 PS5 games in the works, including characters you’ve never seen

Sony is apparently looking to release more than 25 PlayStation 5 games under its PlayStation Studios brand. And “nearly half” of them will not be sequels or spinoffs, according to Wired’s interview with PlayStation Studio lead (and former Guerrilla Games managing director) Hermen Hulst.

That could theoretically be a lot more games than the four first-party Sony titles we already know about:

  • Horizon Forbidden West (2021)
  • Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (June 2021)
  • God of War: Ragnarok (2021)
  • Gran Turismo 7 (2022)

Twenty-one additional games could be a huge shot in the arm for the PS5, especially considering how slowly exclusives are trickling out; Gran Turismo has already slipped to next year.

Sony also may not be completely on the hook for producing all of the games that are unaccounted for, though. The PlayStation Studios branding is a bit murky. When it was first announced, Eric Lempel, the head of global marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment, told GamesIndustry.biz that the branding “doesn’t mean that we outright own the developer, but it just means we brought it up as a first-party. In a lot of cases we don’t own the developer.”

Wired specifically name-drops indie games from outside studios partnered with Sony, including the upcoming Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and a game from Haven Studios. It’s unclear whether those and similar titles will be counted toward the more-than-25 figure. Sony didn’t immediately respond to a request for clarification.

Also, if Haven Studios doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because it was just formed in March when noted industry figure Jade Raymond left Google when it shut down its in-house Stadia development studios. That speaks to the idea that we many not be seeing some of these games for quite a while. Hulst did mention that some of the games would be small, however, likely taking less development time. That, along with the fact that many of the games won’t be part of existing franchises, is exciting for non-AAA aficionados like myself and could help relieve worries that it’ll take a decade for all these games to come out.

And while the games may not all be first-party games, that’s not necessarily a bad thing: Returnal was a PlayStation Studios game made by an outside developer, and it’s an example of an original game that’s received a lot of praise since its release.

It’s also worth noting that these games won’t necessarily be exclusive to the PS5. MLB: The Show 21 is a PlayStation Studios game that’s available on Xbox, and Horizon Zero Dawn has gotten a (somewhat troubled) PC port. Sony has also said it’s interested in bringing more of its games to the PC in the future. There are also, of course, games that will come out for PS4 as well as PS5: we know that Forbidden West will be released on the older PlayStation.

Even with all the caveats, it’s exciting to hear that Sony is working on a slate of games for the PS5, likely far beyond what we’ve already heard about. With Sony’s latest earnings report indicating that it’s sold 7.8 million PS5s, there are a lot of customers who will be looking for experiences that justify the cost of the PS5, and it seems like Sony is trying to make sure it’s got its bases covered.

gigabyte-aorus-fv43u-usb-c-gaming-monitor-review:-king-of-the-43-inch-class

Gigabyte Aorus FV43U USB-C Gaming Monitor Review: King of the 43-Inch Class

Our Verdict

The Aorus FV43U misses a couple of things as a TV replacement, but for gaming, it has few equals. A huge and accurate color gamut coupled with high contrast, 4K resolution and 144 Hz makes it a great choice for both PC and console gamers.

For

  • + Class-leading contrast
  • + Huge color gamut
  • + Accurate out of the box
  • + Excellent HDR
  • + Solid gaming performance

Against

  • – No 24p support
  • – No Dolby Vision

Features and Specifications

If you’re looking for a jumbo-sized gaming monitor, there are plenty of routes you can take. There are multiple sizes of ultrawide 21:9 screens ranging from 34 to 38 inches diagonal. Then there’s the mega-wide 32:9, 49-inch genre. Or you can stick with flat panels in the 16:9 aspect ratio and go 32 inches or larger. Many simply opt for a TV, opening up the field to extra large displays that can top 80 inches.

If you want to stick with a desktop configuration though, the 43-inch category is a good choice. It’s large but not so big that you can’t sit close. It’s possible to play from 3 or 4 feet away, see the entire screen, and fill your peripheral vision with the image. And the 16:9 aspect ratio that 43-inch monitors come in means plenty of height, something that ultrawide and mega-wide monitors don’t have.

You can typically put a 43-inch gaming monitor on your desktop for around $1,500. That’s more than many 55-inch TVs but a computer monitor delivers a few things, like DisplayPort and high refresh rates, that consumer TVs do not. The Gigabyte Aorus FV43U makes the comparison a little easier, however, as it’s going for $1,000 as of writing. 

The FV43U is a 16:9 VA panel competing with the best 4K gaming monitors with a 144 Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync, HDR and a quantum dot backlight that’s specced to reach 1,000 nits brightness. It also delivers decent sound from its built-in speakers, thanks to multiple sound modes. Let’s take a look. 

Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Specs 

Panel Type / Backlight VA / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size & Aspect Ratio 43 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate 3840×2160 @ 144 Hz
  FreeSync: 48-144 Hz
Native Color Depth & Gamut 10-bit (8-bits+FRC) / DCI-P3
  DisplayHDR 1000, HDR10
Response Time (GTG) 1ms
Brightness 1,000 nits
Contrast 4,000:1
Speakers 2x 12w
Video Inputs 1x DisplayPort 1.4 w/DSC
  2x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB-C
Audio 2x 3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.0 1x up, 2x down
Power Consumption 54.3w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions 38.1 x 25.1 x 9.9 inches
WxHxD w/base (967 x 638 x 251mm)
Panel Thickness 3.5 inches (88mm)
Bezel Width Top/sides: 0.4 inch (10mm)
  Bottom: 1 inch (25mm)
Weight 33.8 pounds (15.4kg)
Warranty 3 years

By starting with a VA panel, the FV43U is already ahead of many premium gaming monitors that rely on lower contrast IPS technology. Most IPS monitors are specced for around 1,000:1 contrast, while the FV43U boasts 4,000:1 on its sheet and topped that dramatically in our testing with SDR and extremely when it came to HDR. HDR is aided by the monitor’s 1,000-nit backlight enhanced by a quantum dot filter for greater color volume, which our testing will also confirm.

Video processing leaves nothing under the table. The FV43U is one of the few 4K displays that can run at 144 Hz. It manages this over a single DisplayPort cable using Display Stream Compression (DSC). That means it can process 10-bit color, though it uses Frame Rate Control (FRC) to achieve this. FreeSync operates from 48-144 Hz in SDR and HDR modes. G-Sync also works with the same signals as verified by our tests, even though it’s not Nvidia-certified. (You can see how by checking out our How to Run G-Sync on a FreeSync Monitor tutorial). 

Peripheral features include two HDMI 2.1 ports, which support console operation, namely the PS5 and Xbox Series X, with variable refresh rates up to 120 Hz. The monitor’s USB-C port accepts Ultra HD signals up to 144 Hz. This is common among USB-C monitors as USB-C can replicate DisplayPort functions, but you’ll need a graphics card with USB-C, of course. The monitor’s USB-C port also allows for KVM switching (allowing you to control multiple PCs with a single keyboard, monitor and mouse) through additional USB 3.0 ports.  

Assembly and Accessories 

Two solid metal stand pieces bolt in place on the bottom if you set up on a desktop or entertainment center. Wall mounting is supported by a 200mm lug pattern in back. You’ll have to source your own bolts which should be part of any bracket kit. 

Product 360

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Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Remote (Image credit: Gigabyte)

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Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Side (Image credit: Gigabyte)

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Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Back (Image credit: Gigabyte)

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Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Top (Image credit: Gigabyte)

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(Image credit: Gigabyte)

From the front, the FV43U looks like any modern television with a narrow bezel around the top and sides and larger bit of molded trim across the bottom. The Aorus logo and a power LED are visible in the center. The stand puts the panel a bit less than 3 inches from the table, so it’s a good height for a desktop if you plan to sit around 4 feet back. The anti-glare layer is more reflective than most smaller screens, so plan placement accordingly if you have windows in your room.

A joystick for controlling the on-screen display (OSD) menu joystick is prominently situated on the panel’s bottom center but the easiest way to control the FV43U is with its tiny remote. It only has a few keys but they’re enough to zip through the OSD, change inputs and control the gaming features.

The back is where you’ll find most of the styling elements. Two slanted shapes are rendered in shiny plastic, along with an Aorus logo in the center. The rest of the finish is matte and features some brushed textures. Angles and straight lines are the order of the day with a generous grill at the top for heat dissipation. Speakers fire from the bottom vents and deliver 12W apiece (more on that in the Hands-on section). 

The input panel is on the right side which makes it easily accessible. You get two HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort 1.4 and a USB-C, which also supports 144 Hz and Adaptive-Sync. The HDMIs are limited to 120 Hz but support Adaptive-Sync and 4K resolution, making it fit for console gaming.

OSD Features

The OSD looks just like the menu found in all Aorus monitors but you can make it larger so it can be more legible from across the room.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Gaming sub-menu has everything needed for competitive gameplay. At the top is Aim Stabilizer Sync, which is a backlight strobe for blur reduction. It’s one of the rare implementations that can work in concert with Adaptive-Sync, and it manages to do this without reducing brightness too much out of the box (of course, you can always turn the brightness up).

Black Equalizer makes shadow detail more visible; Super Resolution adds edge enhancement (not in a good way), Display Mode changes the aspect ratio and Overdrive offers four options. Balance is the best one, as it has good blur reduction, no visible ghosting and allows you to toggle Adaptive-Sync on or off.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The Picture menu offers an extensive array of image modes (eight, plus three custom memories), along with color temp and gamma presets and something we normally see only on professional screens: selectable color gamuts. You can choose between Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, sRGB or Auto, but in our tests, Auto did not automatically switch the color gamut for different signal types. That means that if we wanted to watch SDR content in the sRGB it’s made in, we had to select the gamut manually. 

You also get Local Dimming, which increases contrast significantly. It makes the picture very bright as well, but highlight and shadow detail remain solid, so it is perfectly usable. However, we recommend leaving it off unless your room has a lot of ambient light because you can’t reduce brightness when it’s on. If you prefer a Low Blue Light mode for reading, that feature is in the OSD too.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

A single press of the large button in the center of the remote’s nav pad brings up a quick menu. Pressing left opens the Aorus dashboard, which can display your PC component’s internal temperatures and fan speeds. You’ll need a USB connection for this, but most motherboards will transmit the information to the FV43U.

A right press brings up Game Assist, which offers timers, counters, refresh rate info and aiming points. You also get a single cross in the OSD and can create additional reticles if you download the Aorus desktop app. Additionally, the OSD offers alignment marks in case you plan to set up additional FV43Us in a multi-screen configuration. Now that would be super cool! We’re thinking ultimate desktop flight simulator.

Gigabyte Aorus FV43U Calibration Settings 

The FV43U comes set to its Green (yes, that’s the term used in the OSD) picture mode. It has nothing to do with the color green but is fairly accurate out of the box – enough to make our Calibration Not Required list. But if you’re a perfectionist and want to tweak the image, choose the User Define color temp and adjust the RGB sliders. Gamma presets and color gamut options are also available. For the full native gamut, choose Auto or Adobe RGB. Either will deliver just over 100% of DCI-P3 coverage. sRGB is also very accurate, but we found it better to choose the sRGB picture mode rather than the sRGB gamut mode. Below are our recommended calibration settings for SDR on the Gigabyte Aorus FV43U.

Picture Mode Green
Brightness 200 nits 13
Brightness 120 nits 4
Brightness 100 nits 2 (min. 89 nits)
Contrast 50
Gamma 2.2
Color Space Auto or Adobe
Color Temp User Red 100, Green 97, Blue 99

When HDR content is present, there are four additional picture modes available: HDR1000, HLG, Game and Movie. HDR1000 is the most accurate, but locks out all image controls. Game and Movie allow for brightness and contrast adjustments and toggling and local dimming. We’ll explain that in more detail in the HDR tests. 

Gaming and Hands-on 

A question that should be answered when one considers buying a 43-inch gaming monitor is, will it function as a TV? Since some FV43Us will wind up in living rooms or entertainment centers, it’s important to know whether it can play well with things like disc players or streaming boxes.

There is no internal tuner so technically, the FV43U is not a TV. But its HDMI 2.1 inputs can accept input from any cable or satellite receiver, as well as a 4K disc player or streaming box like Apple TV. We tried a Philips BDP-7501 player and an Apple TV source. SDR and HDR10 signals were supported fine with one omission, 24p. Film cadences are present on any Blu-ray and in many streamed shows and movies from streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime (in addition to 50 and 60 Hz). The FV43U converted these streams to 60 Hz, which caused a bit of stuttering here and there. It wasn’t pervasive, but we occasionally saw artifacts. Note that the FV43U, like most computer monitors, doesn’t support Dolby Vision. We’ve only seen a few pro screens that includeDolby Vision. 

As a monitor for controlling Windows, the FV43U was a joy to use. With its vast area, we could clearly view four or five documents simultaneously. Sitting about 4 feet back, the pixel structure was invisible, but if we sat closer we were just able to see the dots. Color, meanwhile, was beautifully saturated, great for watching YouTube and browsing the web. If you want perfect accuracy for web browsing, the sRGB mode is available with a few clicks of the remote.

Gaming is also a blast with a screen this big. SDR games like Tomb Raider rendered in vivid hues with deep blacks, bright whites and superb contrast. The large dynamic range and accurate gamma mean that you’ll see all the detail present in the original content. That lends a realism seen on only the very best computer monitors.

HDR games, like Call of Duty: WWII, also showed tremendous depth on the FV43U. We played exclusively in the HDR1000 picture mode because of its very accurate luminance and grayscale tracking. The FV43Us large color gamut was put to good use here. It was readily apparent in skin tones and natural earth shades, like brown and green. That, coupled with nearly 39,000:1 contrast, made surfaces and textures pop with a tactility that we’ve only seen from premium screens like the Acer Predator CG437K or the Asus ROG Swift PG43UQ (both go for $1,500 as of writing). Without a full-array local dimming (FALD) backlight like that Acer Predator X27 and Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ have, the FV43U doesn’t quite make the very top tier of the best HDR monitors. But it comes awfully close to their image quality while delivering a lot more screen area.

The monitor’s two 12W speakers deliver sound that’s better than what you’ll hear from smaller monitors with much more bass and overall presence. Five audio modes help you tailor sound to your preference. If you’d rather use your best gaming headset, there’s a 3.5mm jack and an additional analog output for external systems.

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