Asus is gearing up to release its first gaming monitor to support HDMI 2.1, which boasts enough bandwidth to display up to 4K resolution at 120 frames per second when connected to a compatible Windows PC, Xbox Series X, or PS5. The ROG Swift PG32UQ is, according to Asus, the world’s first 32-inch HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor, and both of its HDMI ports support the latest standard.
Connecting via DisplayPort 1.4 allows this monitor to display 4K at a 144Hz refresh rate on PC if you have components capable enough to soar that high. For this feature, Asus credits a technology called Display Stream Compression (DSC) that compresses UHD streams without a perceptible drop in visual quality.
Like the Acer Nitro XV28 announced last week, the ROG Swift PG32UQ won’t ship until sometime in Q2 2021. Asus hasn’t shared a price for this model, but don’t expect anything under $899 — that’s Acer’s price for the smaller 28-inch Nitro XV28. Both have a 4K 144Hz IPS panel with a 1ms response time, but the Asus device might end up being the preferred choice among PC gamers since it has a bigger screen with Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. (The XV28 has FreeSync Premium.)
Asus says the Swift is currently undergoing the certification process, but at launch, it should be compatible with Nvidia’s variable refresh rate mode to eliminate screen tearing and artifacts.
The ROG Swift PG32UQ supports HDR 600, allowing it to reach 600 cd/m2 peak brightness. That’s a bit brighter than the aforementioned Acer Nitro but still comparatively dim next to many other HDR-ready displays. The display is factory-calibrated for color accuracy, with full coverage of the sRGB gamut and 98 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut.