It's not every day one gets to experience a well-known brand with unblemished integrity return with a remarkable product from seemingly out of nowhere. Having delivered several of the world's first iterations from years past, RCA has made one powerful reemergence with a new line of products built for the gamer in all of us. Meet RCA's Evolution Premium, a gaming monitor like no other.
Stacked with an elongated list of stellar specs and features, the Evolution Premium proves to be no slouch whatsoever. Its 2560 by 1440p QHD IPS display is phenomenal to look at, leveraging 240 Hz, 1ms gray to gray, and 300 nits of brightness for an unparalleled range of image quality and adaption. At 27", the RCA Evolution Premium also isn't unnecessarily large, weighing little more than 10 lbs for easy setup.
Over the past two weeks, I've put the RCA Evolution Premium to the test. Whether it be gaming or video editing, it made short work of any function I threw its way. Experiences like Alan Wake 2, Armored Core 6, and Cyberpunk 2077 were hard to put down, most especially due in large part to that 240 Hz refresh rate. It's kitted out with both Variable Refresh Technologies of G-Sync and FreeSync, so you won't have to worry about compatible components for impeccable quality.
I/O is also quite thorough. The monitor features two HDMI ports, two USB-A ports, one DisplayPort, and an additional type C port for charging at up to 90W. Its thin bezel design makes it easy to get lost within the worlds on screen, plus (unlike most similarly-priced PC monitors) it comes equipped with speakers - though they unfortunately aren't the best part of the experience.
Additional features on the Evolution Premium are RGB lighting on the back, on-screen crosshairs for balanced aiming in FPS games, HDR-10 support, and a color gamut of 95% DCI-P3. It pulls out all the stops and isn't hampered by an extremely high price tag, sitting at a mere $430 for probably the best value on the market currently.
It's hard to find any real major complaints, aside from the aforementioned speakers, but I must say the included stand could be a bit better designed. It sports two dual legs that jut out in the front and a back supporting leg, all of which can be difficult to properly position on one's desk, especially a smaller one with limited real estate. Fortunately, it does have mounting capabilities but I would like to see an improvement on the stand for those who don't have the means of buying an additional monitor stand.
I also notice these three white globs of light on the bottom of the screen. They're only noticeable when the screen is on but completely black. It's sort of a nitpick, as it doesn't detract from the overall performance or experience itself, but is something I noticed that could be cause for concern later down the line.
Besides those issues, though, the RCA Evolution Premium does not disappoint. Whether it's being used as a full-on gaming screen with a PC or gaming console, or as a multi-tasking video editor, the Evolution Premium is a hard bargain to pass up on, especially given its price point. Buying into the RCA ecosystem will also ensure you don't need an accompanying speaker or sound output device.
RCA's VP of its monitor division, Andrew Spence, made it quite clear in the press release announcing the new products just how important this lineup will be long term. While the Evolution Premium does have incredibly minor setbacks, it delivers where it most counts and ensures your playthroughs are visibly crisp, serene, and well over 60 fps (that is, of course, if you have a powerful enough PC for such a job).
You don't have to lock yourself into the Premium either, as RCA launched a slimmed-down version at just $300. The Evolution Select shares almost identical specs with its premium brethren, except for a 165 Hz refresh rate. What's not to love? For me, the Evolution Premium will most certainly be my go-to video editing companion, as colors and performance are unmatched at this level.
I'm most excited to see where RCA's Evolution line takes the firm next. As an avid video editor, I'm quite jazzed to see potential future 4K offerings and the like, showing just how far the firm has come since its delivery of the world's first color televisions all the way back in 1953.
