Asus says its ROG Swift OLED series gaming monitors, first seen at CES 2022, are now available. There are two models: the 42‑inch ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ and the 48-inch ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ. Whichever model you choose, you will have a monitor sporting a 4K flat panel using the latest OLED technology, a custom heatsink for prolonged life and performance, great color, contrast and brightness specs, plus gamer-pleasing refresh rates and response times.
Not all OLED panels are created equally, and Asus ROG is keen to emphasize that its 42- and 48- 4K OLED screens use the latest tech available for greater efficiency and brighter visuals. Additionally, the technically minded may be interested to hear that these gaming screens use “a sub-pixel layout that provides extreme levels of detail and clearly-defined text to upgrade the viewing experience.”
Gaming products are typically high performance, and with monitors, that means high refresh rates and low response times. These G-Sync compatible OLED panel monitors boast up to 138 Hz refresh rate when overclocked and response times as low as 0.1ms (GtG). Unfortunately, such fast performance causes the driver circuitry to generate heat, so to extend the life of these monitors and ensure they perform smoothly when under stress for extended periods, Asus leverages a custom heatsink design.
Some gaming monitors seem to sacrifice other image quality specs to get things running as fast as possible, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. As well as the punchy contrast that is a common quality of OLED, rated at 1,200,000:1 here, these monitors have 98% DCI-P3 color gamut and Delta E<2 color. These true 10-bit color panels also support HDR10.
Asus has decided to eschew the typical glossy finish we often see with OLED panels and go for a “special anti-glare micro-texture coating.” As usual, this coating is said to reduce ambient environmental reflections and distractions, but some people don’t like the graying / misting this type of finish creates.
Given that these are high-end gaming monitors, they offer DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1 ports with 48 Gbps bandwidth, and two HDMI 2.0 ports, plus a USB hub and tripod socket atop of the monitor. Both the 42- and 48- inch designs also feature built-in speakers by Harman Kardon, with a 2.1 setup of twin 10-watt speakers at the front plus a 15-watt woofer.
We don’t have US pricing at the time of writing but have spotted the 42-inch version for sale in Taiwan for the equivalent of $1,299 and expect the 48-inch model to be about $1,499.
If you are n the market for a 4K gaming monitor and for some reason the Asus ROG Swift OLED monitors aren’t for you, take a look at our Best 4K Gaming Monitors for PC 2022 guide featuring our 12 potent picks.
