The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ is an OLED gaming monitor that's part of ASUS' ROG Swift gaming lineup. It's a 42-inch model that sits alongside the ASUS PG48UQ, essentially a larger 48-inch model. Unlike smaller TVs that are popular to use as monitors, like the LG 42 C2 OLED, this has features that are more typical of monitors, like a DisplayPort input, an overclockable refresh rate, a USB hub, and a stand that offers tilt adjustments. It also has features to take full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and variable refresh rate (VRR) support to reduce screen tearing.
Note: We originally tested the review with firmware V032, which has since been pulled from ASUS' website. While the results are still valid for most of the review, we retested the HDR performance with firmware V040, which was released in July 2023 and fixes previous issues in HDR that you can read about in the Color Gamut section.
Our Verdict
The ASUS PG42UQ is great for mixed usage. It's mainly designed as a gaming monitor, and it's fantastic for that, as it has a 138Hz max refresh rate, FreeSync and G-SYNC VRR support, and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for console gaming. It also has low input lag with high-frame-rate signals and quick response time for smooth motion. Its picture quality is incredible if you want to use it for watching movies or shows, as it displays deep blacks, and the black uniformity is perfect. It's also great for content creators and decent for office use thanks to its large screen, wide viewing angles, and amazing reflection handling, but the text clarity is just okay.
- Large 42-inch screen.
- Amazing reflection handling.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Perfect black levels.
- Not bright enough to fight glare in SDR.
- Stand only offers tilt adjustments.
- Text clarity is just okay; some issues due to RWBG subpixel layout.
The ASUS PG42UQ is decent for office use. With a large screen, there's plenty of space to open multiple windows at once, but it also decreases the pixel density, and the text clarity is just okay. Although it doesn't get bright enough to fight intense glare, the reflection handling is amazing, and it's still a good choice for rooms with a few lights around. It also has wide viewing angles, meaning the edges of the screen don't look washed out if you sit too close.
- Large 42-inch screen.
- Amazing reflection handling.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Not bright enough to fight glare in SDR.
- Stand only offers tilt adjustments.
- Text clarity is just okay; some issues due to RWBG subpixel layout.
The ASUS PG42UQ is fantastic for gaming. It has a near-instantaneous response time that makes motion look extremely smooth. It also has low input lag with high-frame-rate signals, but it increases with 60 fps signals, so it isn't ideal for some console games. Speaking of which, it takes full advantage of the PS5 and Xbox Series X thanks to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and it also has VRR support to reduce screen tearing. Lastly, it's fantastic for dark room gaming as it displays deep blacks without any blooming.
- Outstanding motion handling.
- FreeSync VRR and G-SYNC compatibility.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for console gaming.
- Perfect black levels.
- Input lag increases with 60 fps signals.
- No BFI feature to reduce persistence blur.
The ASUS PG42UQ is incredible for consuming multimedia content. With a 4k, 42-inch display, it's essentially a small TV, making it a great choice for small spaces and dorm rooms. The picture quality is fantastic, especially in dark rooms, thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity. It also has wide viewing angles that make the image remain consistent from the sides, which is great if you want to watch content with a few friends around.
- Large 42-inch screen.
- Amazing reflection handling.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Perfect black levels.
- No blooming around bright objects.
- Not bright enough to fight glare in SDR.
The ASUS PG42UQ is great for content creators. The 42-inch screen is big enough to view your entire workspace at once with multiple windows open, but the text clarity is just okay, and not all programs support its RWBG subpixel layout, so text looks blurry with those. It also has great accuracy before calibration in SDR, but some colors look oversaturated. It has wide viewing angles if you need to share your screen with someone else, but it has limited ergonomics as you can't swivel it.
- Large 42-inch screen.
- Amazing reflection handling.
- Wide viewing angles.
- Great accuracy before calibration.
- Not bright enough to fight glare in SDR.
- Stand only offers tilt adjustments.
- Text clarity is just okay; some issues due to RWBG subpixel layout.
The ASUS PG42UQ is incredible for HDR if you update it to the latest firmware. It displays deep and inky blacks in dark rooms and doesn't have any blooming around bright objects, either. It gets bright enough for highlights to pop against the rest of the image and displays a wide color gamut in HDR, but not all colors are accurate as it has some tone mapping issues.
- Perfect black levels.
- No blooming around bright objects.
- Good HDR brightness.
- Need to update to latest firmware for the best HDR performance.
Changelog
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Updated Dec 17, 2024:
Corrected the Base Depth measurement to 10.0" (25.5 cm).
- Updated Aug 09, 2023: Updated to firmware V040, which was released in July 2023. The update fixes all issues in HDR that were previously reported, and the image no longer looks washed out, as explained in HDR Color Gamut.
- Updated Jul 20, 2023: Clarified that the audio output is a combo jack and is used for the Optical Digital Audio output.
- Updated Jun 27, 2023: Corrected an error in Video And Audio Ports to say that the HDMI 2.1 ports are HDMI 1 and 2, which are down-facing.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 42-inch ASUS PG42UQ, which is part of ASUS' ROG Swift lineup alongside the 48-inch ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG48UQ. Both monitors are nearly identical, except the 48-inch model has an extra USB port, but other than that, both sizes will perform the same.
| Model Code | Size | Resolution | Max Refresh Rate | USB-A Ports |
| PG42UQ | 42" | 4k | 138Hz | 4 |
| PG48UQ | 48" | 4K | 138Hz | 5 |
Note 08/09/2023: We originally tested the monitor with firmware V032, which has since been pulled from ASUS' website due to HDR and power issues. However, ASUS released a firmware update (V040) in July 2023 to fix the HDR issues, which we retested. HDR now looks fine and isn't washed out like on previous firmware versions, which you can read more about in the Color Gamut section.
Our unit was manufactured in June 2022; you can see the label here.
Popular Monitor Comparisons
The ASUS PG42UQ is a fantastic OLED gaming monitor with more monitor-oriented features than if you were to get a TV as a monitor, like the LG 42 C2 OLED. It gets brighter than some other similarly-sized OLEDs too, which is great if this is the size you're looking for, but there are some issues you need to watch out for, and you need to update it to the latest firmware for the best HDR performance.
See our recommendations for the best 4k monitors, the best 4k HDR monitors, and the best gaming monitors.
The Sony 42 A90K OLED and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ are both 42-inch OLED displays with a few differences. The Sony is a TV, so it has more built-in features like a smart system and image processing, but the ASUS is a monitor with a USB hub and a DisplayPort input. In terms of picture quality, they're very similar, but the ASUS gets brighter in HDR.
The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ and the LG 48GQ900-B are both OLED monitors with different screen sizes and have many similarities. One difference is that the ASUS gets brighter in HDR, but you need to update it to the latest firmware to get the best HDR performance.
The LG C2 42 OLED and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ are both 42-inch OLED displays with a few differences. The LG is a TV, so it has more built-in features like a smart system and image processing, but the ASUS is a monitor with a USB hub and a DisplayPort input. In terms of picture quality, they're very similar, but the ASUS gets brighter in HDR; you just need to make sure it's updated to the latest firmware for the best performance.
The Gigabyte AORUS FO48U OLED and the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ are both OLED monitors with a few differences. While the ASUS has a smaller screen with higher pixel density, the text clarity is just okay between each. They have different screen finishes, with the Gigabyte having a glossy screen and the ASUS having a matte screen, which reduces direct reflections but introduces haziness to the image. The ASUS also has a slightly faster 138Hz refresh rate than the Gigabyte.
We buy and test more than 30 monitors each year, all of which we purchase ourselves, without cherry-picked units or samples. We put a lot into each unbiased, straight-to-the-point review, and there's a whole process from purchasing to publishing, involving multiple teams and people. We do more than just use the monitor for a week; we use specialized, custom tools to measure various aspects and deliver objective, data-driven results. We also consider multiple factors before making any recommendations, including the monitor's cost, its performance compared to the competition, and whether it's easy to find.
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