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I used to call OLED computer monitors "unicorn" because I wasn’t sure they would ever exist. Now they do, and we’re seeing models that fit on a desk and can serve as workday tools and entertainment machines. The issue has been size, with early examples being 48 inches or more, which is often too big. 42 inches makes more sense and 27-inch models have been announced. I look forward to checking them out soon.
As an OLED fan, I want them to succeed. The image quality of even an average OLED far exceeds that of the best premium LCDs. There are some great Mini LED screens out there, but OLED has an optical quality that is simply unmatched.
The Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ advances the state of the art. Not only is it a practical size for many people, but its performance also makes it suitable for nearly any task required by a computer monitor. You can eliminate the multi-screen setup if you want and just have one of them in front of you. Three or four documents easily fit in a readable size. You can sit close enough to scale fonts to 150% and still not see the pixel structure. And its image quality sports deep contrast and fatigue-free viewing for long sessions.
Gaming on an OLED has yet to be anything but incredible for me. The PG42UQ’s motion processing is superb, with flawless Adaptive-Sync, a quick 138 Hz refresh rate and no need for overdrive or backlight strobing. With low input lag, gamers of all skill levels will have a great time.
The PG42UQ has the best sound quality I’ve experienced outside of a large-screen TV with a soundbar like Philips’ 559M1 or HP’s Omen X Emperium 65. Asus has taken full advantage of the extra internal space to fit quality speakers that deliver clear sound and solid bass.
The only thing that could use a tweak is HDR color, specifically red. I noted some under-saturation in testing, and I could see that in content, it had a tad less punch than the Aorus FO48U and Alienware AW3423DWF. Otherwise, the image quality is stunning. For SDR material, there is nothing to complain about, thanks to its infinite contrast and super-accurate color that doesn’t require calibration.
The Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ is a significant step in the right direction for desktop OLED monitors. It’s an addictive pleasure to use for gaming, movies and work. If you want a jumbo screen on your high-end desktop, you should definitely check it out.
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