Asus ROG invited me down to the Silverstone Circuit last week to check out its upcoming OLED gaming monitors, the ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ and PG42UQ. After spending some time playing games on the displays in a typical gaming desk scenario and seriously cool Vesaro racing sim setup, I’m really excited to see them hit the market and get into the hands of gamers.
Both the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ and PG42UQ appear to be worthy contenders for the title of best gaming monitor, but I’ll need to get them in for review before I can say for sure. That said, what I do know with a good deal of certainty is that both of these displays will offer a greater gaming experience than their LCD competitors and smart TV counterparts.
As you might expect from an OLED panel, both of these displays boast all the benefits you’d expect from the technology, including per pixel dimming for a staggeringly high contrast ratio and lightning fast 0.1ms response time. However, Asus ROG has pushed the PG48UQ and PG42UQ even further, breaking the 120Hz refresh rate ceiling typically found on other OLEDs to a new overclocked high of 138Hz.
This is made possible by the included DisplayPort 1.4 port, which is complemented by a suite of two HDMI 2.1 and a further two HDMI 2.0 inputs. So, you can enjoy the PG48UQ and PG42UQ at their best, with a 4K resolution and 138Hz refresh rate, by connecting them to your gaming PC, but they’re also capable of making the most of any consoles too. AMD FreeSync Premium and G-Sync Compatible certification make an appearance too, so you can enjoy tear and stutter free gameplay.
As someone who switches between a 55-inch LG CX OLED TV and a 27-inch LCD gaming monitor, I find myself most drawn to the 42-inch PG42UQ. While I believe the larger PG48UQ would make a wonderful replacement for a television, I think it’s simply too large to comfortably sit up close to on a gaming desk, hence my preference. I wasn’t able to crack out any testing equipment during my time with them, but Halo: Infinite and Project Cars 2 both felt and looked fantastic on these displays.
Something I wish that I was able to get a better look at during my time with the PG48UQ and PG42UQ was their HDR performance. Asus claims both monitors are capable of hitting a peak brightness of 800 nits thanks to their custom passive heatsink. This combined with the inky blacks of their OLED panels should lead to a fantastically dynamic and vibrant image in a dark environment. This isn’t with all the settings cranked to gaudy levels like you’d see in a shop display, either, as each model comes factory calibrated with a Delta E of less than two for pin sharp colour accuracy.
Other features include a uniform brightness toggle, which decreases peak brightness for a more comfortable viewing experience when expanding the likes of web pages or file explorer tabs. Both the PG42UQ and PG48UQ also include what Asus ROG describes as a “unique panel sub-pixel layout” that should mitigate any distracting fringing on text elements. The monitors will also automatically turn off when you shut down your PC, something TVs don’t currently do.
One feature I’m not entirely sold on is the anti-glare micro-texture coating. From what I could tell, it admirably serves its purpose of reducing glare and reflections, that’ll prove a boon to anyone using it in a bright room. However, I generally much prefer a glossy finish for better perceived saturation and prefer to game in a dark room. As such, I’ll need to save my final opinion on this when I get my hands on a review unit.
There’s no word on a release date just yet, but Asus has confirmed UK pricing, with US to follow soon. The ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ will cost £1,400 GBP while the larger PG48UQ will set you back £1,500 GBP.