Asus ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ review 2024: gaming excellence

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The previous month has been an exciting moment for the gaming monitor market, with brand new product lines hitting the market from companies such as ASUS, Corsair, and LG. Robert Barnes and Carmelia Derby went to Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, back in August to check out these new devices, and now, a few of weeks later, we have the new ASUS PG48UQ in the office for a closer look at it. The ASUS ROG PG48UQ is not your typical gaming monitor; its feature list is the kind of thing that would make a die-hard fanboy squeal with delight.

This is truly a marvel to see thanks to its breathtaking OLED panel, big 48-inch form factor (although a 43-inch model is also available), and 4K resolution. In addition to this, the panel has a response time of 0.1 milliseconds from grey to gray and a refresh rate of 138 hertz that can be overclocked. The panel is additionally stacked with cooling at the rear, which allows for the risk of panel burn in to be eliminated. Additionally, it has an IO suite that is larger than those found on most motherboards. In addition to that, we’ve put together an entire gaming rig using this display.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ Specifications

The Asus ROG Swift PG48UQ is a gaming monitor that was designed with the intention of bringing the benefits of large OLED screens, which have been available in the smart TV market for some time now, to the market for gaming monitors.

Specification	Details
Screen Size	47.53 inches
Size (Dimensions)	1068 x 266 x 686 MM
Weight	16.2 KG
Resolution	3840 x 2160
Refresh Rate	138 Hz
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4 DSCx 1, HDMI (v2.0)x 2, HDMI (v2.1)x 2, Earphone jack : Yes, USB Hub : 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
	Check Price

Design and Features

Given that this is a 48-inch monitor, it should come as no surprise that the PG48UQ has a relatively large footprint. Extremely large. It has dimensions of 1068 by 686 by 266 millimeters and weighs a massive 16.2 kg. You need to decide where you’re going to put one of these things before you go out and buy it. Because you have to sit a minimum of 1.5 meters away from a 48-inch monitor for it to not seem uncomfortably close to you, this size monitor is simply too huge for the majority of home-office or study settings.

You may get a better notion of how the PG48UQ will dominate its environment by creating a virtual image of it using the Instagram link that Asus provides on its website. This shows that Asus is well aware of this fact, since the company acknowledges it by providing the link.

In spite of its enormous dimensions, the PG48UQ maintains a wonderfully low profile. The display has a thickness of only 4 millimeters, while the housing that encloses the electronics, input/output ports, and heat sink measures only 40 millimeters from back to front. The display bezels measure 10 millimeters on all sides, although they are virtually invisible in respect to the total surface area of the panel.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ Review: Image Quality

OLED designs are able to generate a picture quality that is far higher than that of non-OLED televisions, which is why OLED televisions are superior. Incorporating 4K into the equation is the first step toward achieving the holy grail of image quality, which involves striking a delicate balance between the amount of light that each pixel receives and the number of pixels that are used to create the high resolution. When combined with technologies such as Ray Tracing, the potential for these designs to produce high-quality images is unrivaled by any other. The sole drawback, which is shared by all innovative forms of technology, is the price, which is something that will be discussed in greater depth later on in this review of the PG48UQ.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ Review: Performance

The PG48UQ outperforms almost every other game monitor on the market. It does a great job in every way that matters, from its lightning-fast response times to its excellent SDR and HDR features.

The PG48UQ’s OLED screen, which has one of the fastest response times in its class at around 0.1ms, makes it perfect for playing the best PC games. Better yet, it achieves this level of responsiveness with no ghosting at all, whether you’re gaming at its full 138Hz refresh rate or at a lower rate. This is something that even the best IPS and VA screens have trouble doing.

The picture quality is also great, thanks to the PG48UQ’s 4K resolution and per-pixel local dimming, which make it possible to have almost unlimited brightness and perfect black levels. This makes SDR content and games look better, but it takes HDR gaming to the next level by keeping high amounts of detail in both bright and dark areas without blooming.

Final Thoughts

The ASUS PG42UQ is a great game screen. It has a reaction time that is almost instantaneous, which makes motion look very smooth. It also has low input lag with high-frame-rate signals, but it gets worse with 60 fps signals, so it isn’t great for some console games. Speaking of which, its HDMI 2.1 speed lets it get the most out of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and its VRR support keeps the screen from tearing. Lastly, it’s great for games in dark rooms because it shows deep blacks without blooming.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ Review: The good and The bad

Because of its nearly infinite contrast ratio and perfectly uniform black, the picture quality is excellent, especially in dimly light environments. This is due to the fact that complete black uniformity is achieved.

Questions and Answers