ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP Lightning Review: Damn Near Perfect

ASUS sent over the ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDP to my lab for review. After using this gaming monitor as my daily driver for several months, I dread the day I have to return it to the brand.

What Am I Looking At?

Honestly, the PG32UCDP feels like a carry forward of last year’s PG32UCDM, with some expected differences. For starters, the display panel is WOLED, and not QD-OLED. As to why ASUS decided to switch out for WOLED, my guess is that it’s because the panel technology is cheaper.

Assembling the monitor is, as always, an out-of-the-box experience literally – a snap here, a couple of screws there and presto, it’s done. The party piece of the PG32UCDP is that it is a dual mode monitor, meaning you can set it to 4K with a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz or FHD with double the refresh rate at 480Hz.

Beyond that, you pretty much get the same 10-bit HDR colour, 99% DCI-P3 colour accuracy, and Vesa DisplayHDR 400 True Black certification. Also, at 32-inches (31.5-inches, if you’re being anal about it), it is, in my opinion, the right size for any desk, mine included.

Ports-wise, you’re looking at the same 90W USB-C PD charging port, plus the same number of DisplayPort and HDMI ports with the PG32UCDP.

What’s Good About It?

Because it’s an WOLED monitor, you can expect all those deep, inky blacks all across the panel, A4 paper whites on the contrast, and a slightly broader colour palette. And while modern hardware can easily accommodate the 4K resolution and the high 240Hz refresh rate, most of the titles I play on the PG32UCDP don’t necessarily hit those numbers.

The controls, as with all of ASUS’ ROG Swift monitors, are simple to understand and navigate. There’s also the multiple screen caring features – NVIDIA G-Sync Compatibility, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, ELMB, and OLED care for good measur.

What’s The Catch?

Truly, there’s little I can call out about the performance of this gaming monitor. At this point, one of my gripes is the fact that ASUS decided to go with three-pronged stand, rather than a flat base. I get that this is likely due to the ROG Swift lineup being front-heavy in particular but personally, having a flat base like the XG27AQDMG is still infinitely better than this setup.

It’s also more expensive than the PG32UCDM at an SRP of RM8,799. That’s a lot for a monitor that isn’t even offering a QD-OLED panel but I guess the dual mode function is what drives up the price.

Should I Buy It?

If I didn’t have any impulse control, at its asking price, it is the closest thing to the perfect gaming monitor I’ve used, to date. Realistically speaking, however, and if you’re still intent on paying the premium for one of ASUS’ Swift PG series gaming monitors, you could hardly go wrong with last generation’s PG32UCDM.

Photography by John Law.