Asus has launched what are hopefully going to be the first of many more 42-inch and 48-inch OLED gaming monitors with 4K resolution. 

The newly unveiled Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ and PG48UQ OLED gaming monitors were first announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, They’re designed to compete with other specialised gaming monitors that also use OLED display technology - something many gamers prefer because they present more realistic graphics with darker darks and superior contrast

The ROG Swift monitors, as their names suggest, are available in 42-inch and 48-inch sizes and boast an impressive array of features and what is said to be the more enhanced OLED Evo display panel, which is brighter than standard OLED. 

While it is possible to connect a regular OLED TV such as the LG G2 to your PC or games console, Asus reckons that its displays are designed as monitors from the ground up, and therefore much more suitable for the purpose. For instance, they come with anti-glare coating on the display, plus a custom-built heatsink that’s designed to combat any overheating issues that may arise from prolonged use of the OLED panels. The heatsink is said to reduce the temperature of the display by 8%, ensuring greater longevity compared to any OLED TV that’s used for the same purpose. It will also help to prevent burn-in during marathon gaming sessions, the company claims. 

Feature-wise, the monitors offer two HDMI 2.1 ports (48Gbps) that support Auto Low Latency Mode and Variable Refresh Rates, plus two regular HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 and a USB hub, with built-in speakers. Asus also highlights a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10 support (but no Dolby Vision), 900 nits peak brightness, a 0.1ms true response time, 10-bit colour and pre-calibrated colours (Delta E < 2). The monitors are also compatible with Nvidia G-Sync, and there’s the option to adjust the aspect ratio to 24, 27 or 34-inches if you prefer. 

Added to that, Asus points out that unlike QD-OLED monitors that have triangular pixels, the ROG Swift monitors have a conventional RGB stripe pixel layout that ensures better-defined text and objects with no fringe artifacts. 

Asus refers to the ROG Swift as the world’s first 42-inch gaming monitor, though it will soon be joined by rival products from the likes of Acer, Dell Alienware, LG Electronics, MSI and Philips. 

Both of the monitors are available to pre-order in the U.K. now, priced at £1,399 and £1,499 respectively, with availability in other countries to follow.