ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG Review – Sharpness And Speed

Unboxing

Inside this beige-colored box packs ASUS’s latest display technologies in the form of ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG. The special sauce we’re talking about here is dual-mode displays, where panels can switch between higher resolution or faster refresh rates. Best of both worlds, essentially.

Here are the full list of items included in the box:
– Warranty card
– Setup guide
– Regulatory and safety notices
– ROG sticker pack
– Cleaning cloth
– DisplayPort cable
– USB-A to USB-B upstream cable
– 240W DC power adapter
– AC (C13) power cable (Type G, UK / Malaysia)
– AC (C13) power cable (Type I, Australia / New Zealand)
– Stand base
– Stand strut
– VESA adapter mount
– ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG main unit

Notably, the monitor is given a beefy 240W power adapter, though we highly doubt it demands this much power – ASUS lists the power consumption as 44 watts (we assume typical), and it’s very unlikely that cooling up to 240W of heat output is possible without some form of active cooling. It’s possible this is simply pulled from the parts bin since this power adapter is the one you’ll see bundled with ROG laptops.

Walkaround

The ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG comes with a new look mimicking that of the premium ROG Swift OLED line, and I personally am a big fan of this redesign. The stand base also has a cleaner look, although it retains the same level of articulation capabilities as before. Functionally, the stand continues to feature a tripod socket for cameras, and a generously-sized cable management channel.

Speaking of generous, the monitor features plenty of I/O options. On the left, there are two HDMI ports along with a DisplayPort input, and the fourth input comes courtesy of the USB-C port on the right side. Unfortunately, laptop connecting to it will require separate power source, as this port only provides 15 watts of power. Next to it you get a USB-B upstream port splitting the bandwidth into three USB-A ports.

The control buttons feature a center joystick flanked by two paddle buttons, and on the opposite site, there is a proximity sensor hidden next to the ROG insignia used for user detection – this is to turn off the display to preserve the OLED panel’s lifespan when the user is away from the screen. If you unbox it for the first time, you’ll see a sticker reminding user to clean the sensor before use (and it’s a good idea to clean up occasionally to prevent dust buildup too).

When connected to power, the rear lighting will activate even when the display is off, while the RGB logo up front activates when the display is turned fully on. The new design also gives you the perspective on the sheer thinness of OLED panels when viewed at an angle.

Specifications

ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG

Full specifications available on product specifications page.

Display Panel Type	31.5″ flat OLED
Display Surface Type	Anti-reflective glossy surface
Native Resolutions	3840 x 2160 (16:9, 4K), 140 PPI 1920 x 1080 (16:9: Full HD), 70 PPI
Refresh Rates	4K: Max. 165Hz 1080p: Max. 330Hz
Pixel Response Time	0.03ms
Gamut Coverage	99% DCI-P3 (Delta-E <2)
Color Depth	10-bit (1.07B colors)
HDR Support	HDR10
Brightness	Typical brightness not listed 1300 nits (HDR peak, APL unspecified)
Contrast Ratio	1,500,000:1
Viewing Angle (CR≧10)	178°(H) / 178°(V)
Variable Refresh Rate Support	AMD FreeSync Premium Pro NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible
Display Certifications	VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 TÜV Flicker-free TÜV Low Blue light (Hardware Solution)
I/O	1x DC-in 2x HDMI 2.1 1x DisplayPort 1.4 DSC 1x USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode, 15W Power Delivery) 1x USB-B upstream port 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) Type-A (4.5W) 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) Type-A (7.5W) 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
KVM Switch	Yes
Onboard Speakers	None
Power Consumption	44W
Stand Articulation	Tilt: +20° ~ -5° Swivel: +15° ~ -15° Pivot: Not supported Height Adjustment: 0~80 mm
VESA Mounting	100 x 100 mm
Dimensions & Weight	Monitor only: 714 x 430 x 71 mm, 4.5kg Monitor with stand: 714 x 579 x 274 mm, 7.3kg

Performance

Brightness Uniformity

Measuring OLED panel brightness can be a bit tricky, since peak brightness varies depending on how big the area of bright spots is illuminated. Here, we measure XG32UCWG in two modes: standard, and uniform brightness mode. We measure 5×5 grid, which registers around 400 nits in standard mode when only one box of pixels is illuminated (or around 4% APL); using uniform brightness mode the panel registers around 220-230 nits, which can be insufficient if the ambient environment is particularly bright.

Color Gamut

Color Gamut Measurement	Gamut Coverage	Gamut Volume
sRGB	99.9%	141.6%
Adobe RGB	87.9%	97.6%
DCI-P3	93.6%	100.3%

Measuring the panel’s color gamut gives us 93.6% of DCI-P3 coverage, slightly less than the claimed 99% figure; the panel is still capable of displaying plenty of colors, including the full range of sRGB (the monitor even has a dedicated sRGB mode for creators as well). On that note, the OSD offers plenty of color-related controls to fine tune the calibration if needed, although unlike professional ProArt monitors, you don’t get individual factory color calibration reports with these models.

Pixel Response

As with all OLED panels, the pixel response are instantaneous – that means motion is extremely clear under fast moving pixels. You won’t see overdrive modes typically found in IPS, VA or TN panels, and the only motion-related feature is ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur) that uses BFI (black frame insertion) to further cut down motion blur at the cost of flickering and lower brightness. Granted, this feature is reserved for the most competitive players, which the XG32UCWG under Frame Rate Boost mode will happily provide 330Hz of refresh rate (at 1080p resolution) for.

The Good

The ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG is one of the very few monitors you can buy today with dual-mode capabilities – that means you get the sharpness provided by the 4K resolution, further bolstered by the low-reflection glossy panel that offers superior sharpness over anti-glare matte displays; on the opposite end, the FHD 330Hz mode provides better responsiveness with OLED’s near-instantaneous pixel response time beneficial for competitive gamers. As a bonus benefit of OLED technology, the monitor design is very sleek with a sturdy build to match.

This monitor also comes with a great amount of options, accessible via the OSD onboard and – more conveniently – ASUS’s own DisplayWidget Center app. If you stick to onboard menu though, the controls are still relatively easy to operate. On the subject of convenience, I/O options are abundant, with four display inputs and additional USB ports for connecting peripherals (i.e. cameras mounted on top of the stand).

The Bad

Two notable things to point out for the XG32UCWG: if you use uniform brightness mode for better brightness consistency, the relatively low 230-nit brightness we measured (which is largely a limitation of the panel) may struggle in brighter environments, although you still get the benefit of OLED’s impressive contrast. Additionally, if you connect to the monitor via the USB-C port for laptops, be sure to connect to a separate power source – the 15W PD is good for smartphones (i.e. Samsung DeX), but certainly not sufficient to keep laptops charged.

Verdict

Finally, let’s address the pricing. We don’t have any local pricing information given by ASUS Malaysia at this time, but this exact model currently sells for $999 (~RM4,211) apiece in US, and it’s a steep-ish price tag considering a similar model, the ROG Strix OLED XG32UCG with IPS panel but retains the same dual-mode capabilities, costs slightly less than RM3,000 right now (though it’s also one of the cheapest monitors to support this feature). Still, if you are willing to invest in a dual-mode OLED monitor today, the ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG will be a decent choice.

Special thanks to ASUS Malaysia for providing the ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG gaming monitor for this review.