Gigantic monitors like the Samsung Odyssey Ark tend to grab the headlines, but the truth is that very few of us will actually buy one, either out of basic frugality or just the fact that it would crack our desk in half from the weight alone. The latest Asus gaming monitor might be a relief in that regard. The ROG Swift PG38UQ is a 38-inch 4K monitor with a standard flat panel and 16:9 aspect ratio. That means it’ll fit on even a small desk, so long as you don’t have a massive gaming rig or other monitors fighting for space.
The PG38UQ (spotted by KitGuru) has good specs, but it’s not shooting for the moon or asking for a second mortgage. With an IPS screen panel and 1ms response time, it’ll give great color quality even if it can’t match the vibrance of the latest OLED screens, and 144Hz of refresh rate means it’s ready for the latest games on both consoles and PCs. With double HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4, it can pull double duty as either a large PC monitor or a smaller game-friendly television with the included remote (though you’ll probably want to add a sound bar instead of going with the built-in 10-watt speakers). Four USB-A ports make it easy to attach accessories while keeping ports on your main PC free.
Further reading: The best gaming monitors
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Asus
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The display is compatible with Nvidia G-Sync (even without the extra hardware) and AMD Freesync Premium Pro, on top of an impressive 98% DCI-P3 color range and certification for VESA DisplayHDR 600. There are also a couple of creature comforts, like the GameVisual software that lets you adjust picture settings with mouse input instead of clunky OSD buttons, and a space under the stand for easy cable routing. One of the USB ports is even top-mounted for easy access to a webcam.
How much will the PG38UQ cost, and when can you buy it? Unfortunately Asus hasn’t said yet, beyond a Q3 release. But based on the $1000 price tag of the PG32UQR, with similar specs, a slightly smaller screen, but a more expensive quantum dot panel, I’d expect it to be around the same or slightly less.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.