Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM Review: A 32-inch OLED Display that's Razer-Sharp
Photo: Matthew Smith
Yep, it looks stunning
The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM's greatest strength is evident the moment you unbox it and turn it on. It delivers superb, spectacular, jaw-dropping image quality.
The monitor’s 3rd-generation QD-OLED panel (QD stands for Quantum Dot and it's produced by Samsung) can reach deep, inky black levels, which in turn makes its contrast incredible, providing a sense of realism and immersion. Color performance is excellent too, with top-notch color accuracy and a very wide color gamut that spans up to 98% of DCI-P3. The monitor's image is saturated and punchy right from the start, so there’s no need to adjust or calibrate the monitor's image quality if your goal is fantastic visuals in your favorite AAA games.
However, if you are looking to dig into your settings, ASUS provides a good range of adjustments for color saturation, color temperature, and gamma, so you can tailor the image to your preferences. Content creators will find this useful, as it can help ensure that colors will be consistent, no matter where they’re being shown. ASUS also includes a “uniform brightness” mode that prevents the brightness fluctuations that can sometimes occur with OLED monitors.
The monitor's maximum SDR brightness is about 293 nits, which is not bad for an OLED monitor, but some Mini-LED monitors can get brighter, especially with HDR content.
Peak clarity
What sets the PG32UCDM apart from previous OLED monitors is its clarity. The monitor offers 4K resolution across a 32-inch panel and taps a new generation of Samsung's QD-OLED technology with an improved sub-pixel layout.
The advantage lies not in what you will notice, but in what you won't notice. Many prior OLED monitors had issues with odd pixelation or coloration around small fonts and icons. These issues were less obvious in PC games but could be distracting on the Windows desktop. The PG32UCDM resolves these issues and looks incredibly crisp no matter how the monitor is used.
This clarity also extends to motion. The monitor has a 240Hz refresh rate, which is remarkable when paired with its 4K resolution. This refresh rate provides fluid gameplay and enhances motion clarity in fast-paced games, which helps gamers identify objects and details that would otherwise be obscured. No more getting sniped from around a corner -- you’ll see them as soon as they see you.
The OLED panel also contributes to the monitor’s excellent motion clarity. OLED technology is capable of pixel response times as low as 0.03 milliseconds. By comparison, most monitors with an IPS panel have a response time of around 1 millisecond. OLED’s lower response time means each pixel can change color more quickly, which reduces motion blur. The PG32UCDM’s clarity can’t match a 500Hz monitor, but it comes close to the performance of previous 360Hz displays.
Photo: Matthew SmithUSB-C? Check!
Flip the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM around and you'll find ample connectivity options including an USB-C port with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and 90 watts of Power Delivery. That’s particularly welcome on a gaming monitor, as it gives you even more connectivity options.. The monitor also has two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4. Crucially, all available video inputs support the monitor’s maximum refresh rate and resolution.
ASUS provides USB-A downstream ports -- essentially a USB hub for the back of your monitor -- for connecting wired peripherals, but note there's not a similar feature for USB-C, which is a standard some other monitors have adopted.
You should also make sure you have room for the sizable monitor stand. While it provides plenty of ergonomic adjustment, its wide footprint might not be suitable for smaller desks.
If your desk can fit it, however, the design is attractive with slim bezels, a thin profile, LED accent lighting, and nicely textured materials that look premium. It’s a premium monitor, and absolutely looks the part.
Verdict
The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is an excellent display for gamers who demand the best motion clarity and image quality possible (and are willing to pay for it). It’s not an exaggeration to say the PG32UCDM’s image quality is among the best ever achieved.
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