The new Acer Nitro PG1 is the first portable monitor I actually want thanks to 4K resolution and up to 144 Hz refresh

I've reviewed a fair few portable monitors in my day. But none have I ever desired. Until now. The new Acer Nitro PG271K looks like it might be a tiny bit brilliant thanks to a combination of 4K res, slick looks and high refresh, though there is a slight catch.

The basics involve a 27-inch IPS with 3,840 by 2,160 pixels. Most portable monitors are 1080p, which is pretty horrible in of pixel density. So, that's win number one right there.

It also s a 144 Hz refresh, though there's a proviso. It'll only do 72 Hz at native 4K. The 144 Hz applies to 1080p. That's a little bit of a pity.

As ever with an Acer product, nailing down the details is a little tricky. Our understanding is that there's mini-HDMI and USB-C connectivity. It's unclear how the display is powered, however.

Is it via USB-C, perhaps? An external power supply? Maybe a battery? The latter seems unlikely given the price is set at EUR 499 or £429. Tariffs aside, we'd expect a price around $500.

That's appealing for such a capable portable . It also looks pretty fantastic, with super slim bezels on three sides of the display and a kick stand.

Acer isn't quoting sizes and weights, but those bezels will certainly minimise proportions and also help keep the mass under control. We think it comes with a carry case and generally looks like it could be fantastic for adding proper usable screen real estate to a gaming laptop.

For games where frame rates matter, you could go 1080p and 144 Hz. Where visual detail rules, switching to 4K and a lower refresh works well in the context of a laptop with limited GPU power compared to a desktop. You won't be hitting 240 fps with a laptop GPU, in any case, is the point.

Obviously you're still making compromises compared to a full desktop display. And in this age of OLED, the IPS monitor will have poor contrast and HDR performance, not to mention slower response.

But then a portable monitor based on one of those new 27-inch 4K OLEDs would surely be $1,000-plus. So, there's clear value on offer here, despite the limitations.