Asus ROG Swift PG48UQ aims to bring the charms of large OLED panels to the gaming monitor market that the console space has long enjoyed thanks to smart TVs. It does this brilliantly and inkyly, as you’d expect from a product in its price range.
I’ve been using the PG48UQ every day for a few weeks and already tried out this giant monitor at a preview event earlier this year. After spending more time with this device, I am very excited about the future of the gaming monitor market as I believe OLED technology will soon change our expectations of consumer displays.
I’m actually very impressed with the PG48UQ, but it doesn’t live up to the shameless recommendation. It has the specs and performance to rival even the best gaming monitor, but there are a few things you need to know about it before you get your hands on it.
Advantage
- 4K resolution with 138Hz refresh rate
- Local dimming per pixel for excellent contrast
- 0.1 ms response time with no ghosting
- Surprisingly good speakers
the least
- Risk of permanent exhaustion
- Matte anti-reflective coating
Design
What stands out about the PG48UQ is its size. This 47.5-inch OLED panel is the largest screen I’ve ever used on my desk, taking up all the space my two 27-inch monitors once took up. However, the change requires some effort, since it weighs 22.7 kg. So I recommend getting another set of hands to set it up safely. However, when it’s all put together, it’s definitely a sight to behold.
The PG48UQ’s metal stand has almost as much room, almost as wide, as the screen itself. I usually hate this approach, but its legs are wide enough that it’s not too intrusive, and it does a good job of dampening any wobble. I would have preferred the monolithic design you’ll find on similarly specced smart TVs like the LG C2 though, but at least Asus has included VESA mounting bracket.
There’s no trace of RGB LEDs on the PG48UQ, save for the ROG logo serving as a power indicator, but unsurprisingly, that’s something that can’t be customised. The same symbol sits loud and clear on the back of the monitor, like a nifty heat sink, but I guess that’s not so much a functional choice as an aesthetic one.
The PG48UQ makes cable management easy with routing channels near the display inputs and a hole in the base for gaming keyboard and mouse support Admittedly, I wish the power connector was much closer to the rest of the monitor ports for added convenience. The included plinth is nice and long, so no problem here, it’s just that you need to determine the width of the screen during installation.
The PG48UQ’s design has a quality worthy of a cutting-edge display. While I prefer slimmer, professional-looking screens, I give Asus credit for not going overboard with its jagged angular aesthetic and pushing the price even higher with unnecessary extras like RGB LEDs.
The functions
I usually describe a gaming monitor’s speakers as a largely unnecessary feature, but the PG48UQ’s are a cut above the crap found in other models. This cabinet’s sound package consists of two 10-watt speakers and a 15-watt woofer, and together they deliver surprisingly powerful sound performance. To be clear, they don’t rival the best gaming headsets when it comes to sound quality despite being made by the well-known Harmon Kadon brand, but they’re by no means an unnecessary addition.
The PG48UQ has a multitude of ports, including a built-in four-port USB hub with five display inputs. While four HDMI ports and a DisplayPort connection are pretty flexible, most people will want to go with the latter to retain the best picture quality. However, if you have one of the better Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 or AMD Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards, HDMI will work just as well. Just be careful which HDMI you connect to, as both 2.0 ports work at a maximum of 4K/60Hz.
Whichever port you plug your gaming PC into, you’ll be able to use the PG48UQ’s variable refresh rate support. The monitor supports Nvidia G-Sync, but the screen offers a tear-free experience on GPUs of all brands and classes.
You have several options for controlling the OSD, either using the joystick below the PG48UQ’s power indicator or using the included remote control that is powered by two AAA batteries. Personally, I prefer to use the latter because it’s much more intuitive and quicker to navigate through menus, and it also feels pretty good in the hand.
To enable PG48UQ 138Hz refresh rate, you need to enter OSD menu and enable it manually, otherwise it will be locked at 120Hz. It’s in these menus that you’ll also find image presets and image controls for things like brightness and contrast, plus the usual smorgasbord that I’m sure no one uses, like the built-in crosshair.
Asus ROG also includes some screen protection controls to reduce the risk of screen burn-in, which is an unavoidable downside of OLED panels. I highly recommend not messing with any of them as they have no noticeable negative impact on image quality and only serve to extend the life of the monitor.
Performance
Simply put, the PG48UQ’s performance leaves much of the gaming monitor market behind. It absolutely excels in every category where it matters, be it blazing-fast response times or exemplary SDR and HDR capabilities.
The best PC games play amazingly well on the PG48UQ thanks to its OLED panel, which offers best-in-class response times approaching 0.1ms. Plus, it hits that level of responsiveness without any noticeable ghosting, whether you’re gaming at or below the full 138Hz refresh rate, which even the best IPS and VA panels struggle to keep up with.
Image quality is also fantastic, thanks to the PG48UQ’s 4K resolution and pixel-by-pixel local dimming, for near-infinite contrast and perfect black levels. While this helps improve the look of SDR content and games, it takes HDR gaming to the next level by maintaining high detail in highlights and dark shadows without blurring.
Color fidelity buffs like me will be happy to know that Asus ROG respects creativity and pre-calibrates every PG48UQ. The company includes a color calibration test report in the little bag that comes with all the monitor cables, and my tests show them to be accurate.
It’s not precise, but it’s close enough that further professional calibration will only result in marginal improvements. For the best picture quality, I’d recommend sticking with the “Racing Mode” picture preset for gaming and “sRGB” for everything else.
My only complaint about the PG48UQ’s stellar level of performance is Asus ROG’s decision to apply a matte anti-reflective coating to this screen. While typical of many gaming monitors, OLED smart TVs generally opt for a glossy solution that brings out the characteristic inky black the panel technology is known for.
Like all OLED screens, the PG48UQ works best in dark environments and it’s hard to tell the difference between it and the LG CX Smart TV. However, in low to high lighting conditions, I prefer the bright look of my TV, as blacks appear deeper and colors are more saturated due to less washed-out reflections.
Verdict
The Asus ROG Swift PG48UQ is a fantastic gaming monitor in almost every way if you can find it in your setup, and of course, afford it. At $1,499 / £1,499 it’s not cheap and is quite expensive compared to the 48-inch LG C2, which can usually be found for a lower price.
There’s also a 42-inch PG42UQ model available for Asus ROG which will set you back just over $1399 / £1399 and is probably the model you’d go for if you had the option. Otherwise, the Alienware AW3423DW could be an interesting alternative.
Asus ROG Swift PG48UQ
OLED technology helps this monitor outshine the competition with excellent gaming performance, but keeping it within your budget or putting it on your desk can be a challenge.
Source : PC Gamesn
