When it comes to gaming monitors, the competition has never been more ruthless. There are many brands that promise the best and most advanced display’s, but few deliver on every feature in a way that earns the CGMagazine seal of approval. This is the mindset I had when I first sat down with the HUAWEI MateView GT, but I was blown away. From work, to the latest games, this 34-inch curved display quickly became my favourite monitor of 2021.
When I first heard HUAWEI had a gaming monitor slated for launch before the end of the year, I was skeptical. While the brand is known for their high-end tech, I have seen very little in the way of gaming up to this point. Putting those reservations aside, I was excited about diving in and seeing how this display compares to everything else on the market. The spec sheet on paper is enough to make even the most skeptical gamer take notice.
Boasting a 34-inch curved 3440×1440 ultrawide display, with a 165Hz refresh rate, this felt like the ideal choice on paper to play this year’s latest AAA releases. Combine that with a 4000:1 contrast ratio, a built-in sound bar on the base with coloured lighting, a minimalistic design, and a microphone with noise-cancelling functionality built in, it was clear HUAWEI is taking the gaming market seriously.
When it finally arrived, and we unboxed the MateView GT, I was immediately impressed by the look and feel of the monitor. HUAWEI put a lot of time and care into the build and the design of the display. It looked fantastic when we first unboxed it, and even better when we finally got it all plugged in and running with the latest games. Testing the monitor with our office gaming build with an Nvidia RTX 3070, we put the monitor through its paces, testing it in desktop, media and gaming use cases to get the full picture of what the monitor could do.
“…the HUAWEI MateView GT would be a great choice for gamers, especially at its $749 price point”
I appreciate HUAWEI opting for a 1440p resolution, especially with the current GPU shortage. This is the sweet spot to experience all a game has to offer, while not needing a best of a PC to get it running. While I feel more of the living room experience is fantastic at 4K, it is not needed as much when you are only a few feet away from the screen. It also ensures you can use the screen when not playing the latest and greatest without hurting your eyes in the process.
The 165Hz with AMD Freesync technology in toe means things look good without the worry of screen tearing as you push games as far as you can. Everything felt buttery smooth, from CS: Go, to Fortnite, delivering stunning visuals at frame rates that allowed the Nvidia RTX 3070 to show what it actually can do. I am baffled when a company releases a display without AMD Freesync, especially a modern display. Thankfully, HUAWEI took note of past brand’s mistakes and delivered the features that matter.
The monitor has a slew of gamer centric features if you dive into the easy-to-use menu, making it possible to change the colour settings, monitor modes, along with the option, fun, on-screen crosshair that can help in games. While it may seem like a minor point, the way HUAWEI streamlined the menu experience, all with an easy-to-use control system, made the often tedious task of adjustment as painless as possible. Even the placement of the controls—under the HUAWEI logo at the front—was a great move, making the blind search for controls a thing I did not need to worry about, at least while testing the MateView GT.
If that were all there was, the HUAWEI MateView GT would be a great choice for gamers, especially at its $749 price point, but thankfully there is more that makes this display a great all around option. For designers, creators, or even streamers, there is a need for colour accuracy, and clarity. This is why I appreciate how the MateView GT boasts a 90 percent DCI-P3 wide colour gamut. Working in the Adobe suite felt great, with the massive widescreen screen real estate working well for both games and content creation.
The MateView GT also features a stand that looks great, and includes a fantastic soundbar and microphone array. While it may not seem that important, especially when many gamers use headphones when in a match, in testing, I was blown away by the soundbar. It was easy to use, sounded fantastic, and was heads and shoulders above most audio solutions monitors on the market feature. The colourful volume bar was a great touch that added to the experience, and overall, it felt like a great option to include.
I will say this is also my biggest gripe about the design. Although I love the sound bar, and feel it is a great way to eliminate many additional wires current PC setups may require, it was not amazing for cable management should you not use wireless accessories. It is hard to hide wires when there is a big soundbar taking up a big area of your desk.
“The MateView GT blew me away…”
Also, while the stand does allow you to move the display up and down, along with tilt based on your needs, it does not have any way to swivel, so you will be stuck using the MateView GT directly where you place it down. Although this is a minor issue, especially for a display this large, it could be something to consider if you have an odd desk configuration.
The MateView GT blew me away, especially for a first attempt at the gaming space. For the price and the features it brings to the table, there are few displays that can compare. The 34-inch curved display is impressive, and it will look good on any gamer or creative desk, delivering clean lines and stunning visuals. The added features, such as a 165Hz refresh rate and built-in soundbar, make it an ideal option for anyone looking for an upgrade.
HUAWEI has outdone themselves, making a display that has all the features gamers and creatives crave in a display. There are a few features I would love to see in future iterations, but these are minor in an overall fantastic experience. As it stands, if you are looking for a new monitor, the HUAWEI MateView GT blows away the competition.
