ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP  Monitor Review

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has a sleek design with a gamer-oriented look. It's mainly gray and silver, with some black accents throughout. It has various RGB lighting zones, including on the back and below the stand. The stand has pins that attach to the monitor to transfer power for the lighting, and you can detach the cover at the bottom of the stand. You can also see the bottom of the stand without the cover.

The build quality is fantastic. It's well-made, and there aren't any significant construction issues. The stand features a metal base and a plastic pillar, supporting the monitor well with minimal wobble. There isn't any noticeable fan noise or coil whine either, even after long periods of use.

The ergonomics are mediocre. While it offers the most common ergonomic adjustments, the range for each is limited. It's fine if you need to adjust it for yourself, but it can be more difficult to share your screen with someone sitting next to you. The stand features a cutout for cable management.

The tripod stand has a wide footprint, so you'll need a big desk to place it on, and it holds the screen well.

This ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has a joystick and two buttons to control the on-screen display and power the display on and off, and they feel good to use.

• HDMI cable
• DisplayPort cable
• USB-B cable
• USB-C cable
• Power cable
• Power brick
• Documentation
• Stickers
• VESA mounting bracket
• Accessory bag
• Bottom light accessories

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has a near-infinite contrast ratio, as its WOLED panel can turn individual pixels on and off. It displays deep blacks next to bright highlights in dark rooms.

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP doesn't have a backlight, so it doesn't require a local dimming feature. However, with a near-infinite contrast ratio, there isn't any blooming around bright objects, and it's the equivalent of a perfect local dimming feature. We still film these videos on the monitor so you can see how the screen performs and compare it with a monitor that has local dimming.

Settings

• Game Visual: User Mode (after calibration)
• Uniform Brightness: Off
• Brightness: 100
• Auto Logo Brightness: Off
• Screen Saver: Off
• Screen Move: Off

The SDR brightness is decent. While it doesn't get bright enough to fight intense glare, it's fine if you have a few lights around. You can also check out the LG 27G850A-B if you want a 4k, 240Hz Dual-Mode monitor that gets brighter.

If you turn Uniform Brightness 'On,' then the brightness is lower but more even, as you can see below:

• Real Scene: 265 cd/m²
• ABL: 0.001

Settings

• HDR Setting: Console HDR
• Adjustable HDR: On
• Brightness: 100
• Uniform Brightness: Off
• Auto Logo Brightness: Off
• Screen Saver: Off
• Screen Move: Off

The HDR brightness is decent. It gets bright enough to make smaller highlights pop, but it can't sustain this brightness with larger highlights, so they don't stand out as much. It follows the PQ EOTF curve well, and there's a sharp roll-off at peak brightness, so highlights get as bright as possible.

You can also see the results in the 'Console' mode with Uniform Brightness on and off, as well as 'DisplayHDR True Black 400' below:

Additionally, you can see how similar the PQ EOTF graphs of 'Console' and 'True Black 400' HDR Setting are with Uniform Brightness 'Off' below:

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has amazing gray uniformity. However, like any OLED, there are thin gray vertical lines in dark scenes, but you won't notice them unless you look for them.

The black uniformity is fantastic, with a uniform black level across the entire screen.

The accuracy before calibration in the 'sRGB Cal Mode' is great. The color temperature is warm but still close to the 6500K target. The white balance is decent, and while the colors are a bit oversaturated, they're quite accurate. Gamma doesn't follow the target curve well, as most sections of scenes are too dark.

The following settings are locked out in 'sRGB Cal Mode':

Locked-out Settings

• Shadow Boost
• Uniform Brightness
• Contrast
• All Color Settings
• ELMB
• Aspect Control
• Blue Light Filter

If you want to access these settings, then you need to use another mode with worse color accuracy, like 'User.'

The accuracy after calibration is fantastic, and you won't notice any issues. The 'User' picture mode is equally accurate in the standard 4k @ 240Hz mode and the 1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost mode.

The SDR color gamut is superb. It displays all colors in the common sRGB color space and a wide range of colors in Adobe RGB. That said, some colors are off in Adobe RGB, as it oversaturates reds, and greens are inaccurate.

The HDR color gamut is fantastic. It displays most colors in the common DCI-P3 color space, though a more limited range in Rec. 2020, and colors other than white are fairly accurate.

If you're running the latest firmware, you can calibrate the monitor in HDR with settings such as color temperature, brightness, saturation, contrast, 6-axis saturation, and VividPixel.

The HDR color volume is good. It displays dark colors well, but it doesn't display bright colors as vividly as QD-OLED displays.

The horizontal viewing angle is outstanding. Although it technically isn't perfect, you visually won't see any inconsistencies when viewing from the sides or if you sit close to the screen.

The text clarity is fantastic. Fringing is very minimal and isn't visible to some. This is at least partly due to the monitor's RGWB subpixel layout. These photos are in Windows 10, and you can also see them in Windows 11 with ClearType on and with ClearType off.

1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost

The text clarity looks worse when Frame Rate Boost is on, as this mode has a 1080p resolution. The text looks clearer in the 'Fill Up' mode than in the '27" Simulation' or '24.5" Simulation' modes.

The direct reflection handling is good. It absorbs and spreads light out like a typical matte coating, while having mirror-like reflections. That said, if you prefer a WOLED monitor with a glossy coating for a clearer image, check out the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWMG instead.

The monitor does a good job at retaining low black levels in a bright room. They don't rise much, but you still need to use it in a dark room to get perfect black levels.

This monitor reflects some light back, but it isn't distracting. It has some direct reflections, while also spreading the rest of the light out, so glare can be somewhat of an issue in sunny rooms.

While the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has superb gradient handling, it causes very dark grays to appear black below a certain threshold level. It is possible to fix this by changing the Shadow Boost setting, though doing so causes bright grays to appear white. You can see how different Shadow Boost settings affect the black levels below:

This monitor has two distinct operating modes: a standard 4k @ 240Hz mode and a 1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost mode. Both modes support 10-bit color at their maximum refresh rate with Display Stream Compression (DSC) over DisplayPort, but it has a DSC Support setting that you can use to disable DSC if you prefer not to use it. 

The max refresh rate with DSC off depends on the connection and the mode that you're in. Below you can see the max refresh rate with 8-bit, RGB signals with each connection type and mode.

4k @ 240Hz Standard Mode

On top of FreeSync and G-SYNC compatibility, the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP also supports HDMI Forum VRR. You can also see the results with Frame Rate Boost 'On':

4k @ 240Hz Standard Mode

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has outstanding motion handling across its entire refresh rate range with VRR enabled in both standard mode and Frame Rate Boost mode. CAD remains low throughout, and there's minimal blur with fast-moving objects.

1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost Mode

We've included sequence graphs above, so you can see more about how quickly the monitor transitions to the next frame at different refresh rates.

The refresh rate compliance is outstanding. Its near-instantaneous response time means it makes full-color transitions before drawing the next frame.

4k @ 240Hz Standard Mode

The CAD at the maximum refresh rate in both standard and Frame Rate Boost modes is outstanding. It displays fast-moving objects as intended, and motion is extremely sharp.

1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost Mode

4k @ 240Hz Standard Mode

1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost Mode

4k @ 240Hz Standard Mode

The CAD at 120Hz is incredible in both standard and Frame Rate Boost modes. Pixels transition to their target RGB level almost instantly, so there isn't any blur trail or noticeable inverse ghosting.

1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost Mode

4k @ 240Hz Standard Mode

1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost Mode

4k @ 240Hz Standard Mode

The CAD at 60Hz is incredible in both standard and Frame Rate Boost modes. Pixels transition colors almost perfectly, and any noticeable blur is persistence.

1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost Mode

4k @ 240Hz Standard Mode

1080p @ 480Hz Frame Rate Boost Mode

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has an optional black frame insertion feature to reduce persistence blur, but it only works with fixed 120Hz signals. You can adjust the brightness with it on, but if you set USB-C Charging to '90 W,' it has a maximum brightness of 62 cd/m².

Unfortunately, the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has distracting VRR flicker with changing frame rates when OLED Anti-Flicker is off. It's most noticeable in dark scenes, and while it isn't so bad in brighter scenes, you can still see it in dark shadows. This doesn't happen if your PC can maintain fairly consistent frame rates.

The monitor's OLED Anti-Flicker minimizes VRR flicker by reducing the refresh rate range at which VRR operates. While this introduces some stuttering, it significantly reduces VRR flicker on 'High,' as you can see in the table below:

The backlight isn't technically flicker-free because it has a slight dip in brightness that corresponds to the refresh rate.

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP has very low input lag for a responsive feel. Additionally, its OLED Anti-Flicker feature doesn't increase input lag.

This monitor has even lower input lag at its highest refresh rate of 480Hz in Frame Rate Boost mode, though input lag increases substantially at 120Hz and 60Hz. BFI doesn't work when you select the '24.5" Simulation' mode. You can see the input lag below in the monitor's three Frame Rate Boost modes:

This monitor's native resolution is 4k. However, when used in Frame Rate Boost mode, its maximum resolution is 1080p. You can use this mode in three views: 'Fill Up,' 27" Simulation,' and '24.5" Simulation.' The 'Fill Up' mode has the sharpest image, with the other modes looking worse.

These results are with Frame Rate Boost turned off.

The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP works well with the Xbox Series X|S, except you need to use the console's HDMI override setting for 1440p @ 60Hz to work, which disables VRR. The Xbox doesn't support HDR with 1080p or 1440p signals, so that isn't an issue with the monitor. These results are with Frame Rate Boost turned off.

The ASUS ROG Swift PG32UCDP has an optical audio output. This means you can connect a compatible audio source and send digital audio signals to it, producing higher quality audio than if you were to use the 3.5 mm analog audio output.

The DisplayPort Alt Mode on the USB-C port allows you to connect a compatible laptop to display an image from it and charge it at the same time. There's a USB-C Charging setting where you can choose between 65W and 90W of power delivery.

This monitor works well with macOS. When using a MacBook, windows return to their original position when reopening the lid or waking the laptop up from sleep except with HDMI 2.0, where closing the lid doesn't always migrate windows. HDR colors don't look washed out, and VRR works well. Additionally, the maximum resolution/refresh rate is only available over USB-C if you set Type-C Bandwidth to 'USB 2.0.'

The ASUS PG32UCDP has several features, including a custom heatsink and a KVM switch. The KVM switch allows you to use the same keyboard and mouse with two different sources, and it works well as it automatically switches when you change inputs. It has other extra perks, some of which you can read about below:

• Aspect Control: You can use this setting to change the aspect ratio, including decreasing the image size to simulate a 24.5 or 27-inch screen size.
• Shadow Boost: Adjusts gamma so that you can see opponents better in dark scenes.
• GamePlus: Includes different gaming features like an FPS counter, crosshairs, sniper mode, stopwatch, and timer.
• Lighting Effect: Controls the RGB lighting on the back of the monitor and the stand. You can also download Armoury Crate to control this.
• Low Blue Light Filter: Removes blue light to help reduce eye strain.
• Proximity Sensor: Turns the display off if it detects you're away from the monitor for longer than the preset time and resumes normal brightness if it detects activity again.

Like most OLED displays, there are also a few settings to help reduce the risk of burn-in, which you can find in the Screen Protection section of the OSD.

• Auto Logo Brightness: Dims static logos that are on the screen, like if you're watching TV.
• Pixel Cleaning: This feature calibrates burn-in issues that may occur. It happens after you turn off the screen and takes about six minutes to finish. There's also a setting to remind you to turn off the monitor so it can perform the cycle.
• Screen Move: Moves the image by a few pixels to one side to help reduce the risk of burn-in.
• Screen Saver: Automatically dims the screen when there's inactivity.