OLED gaming monitors are finally having their day in the sun, and ASUS is making sure there’s no shortage of options. The Asus ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG has landed in Australia with a $2,299 AUD sticker, but here’s the twist: it’s not the only 32-inch 4K OLED ASUS is selling. There’s also the XG32UCWMG, which bumps the refresh rate to 240Hz at 4K, while the UCWG model I’ve been living with is capped at 165Hz in 4K (and 330Hz in FHD).
Confused? Well to make things even more interesting, there’s the PG32UCDM and its QD-OLED panel with better overall feature set costing just $100 less. And what about the XG32UCDS which is practically identical to the XG32UCWG with a regular WOLED panel but costs a whopping $500 less? Yeah, so why should anyone get the XG32UCWG?
Design & Build
ASUS’s design language is unmistakable—think angular, aggressive, and unapologetically gamer. The glossy finish on the XG32UCWG is a genuine showstopper, delivering a clarity and colour pop that matte panels can only dream of. Reflections? Surprisingly well-controlled, thanks to an anti-reflective coating that actually works in my fluorescent lit dungeon. The bezels are so thin you’ll forget they exist, and the panel itself is impossibly slim, save for the necessary bulge on the back.
The stand is a triumph of compact engineering. It’s 45% smaller than previous ROG models, yet rock solid and fully adjustable for height, tilt, and swivel. It doesn’t hog desk space, which is a blessing for anyone juggling a keyboard, mouse, and a few too many coffee cups. Assembly is idiot-proof, and ASUS even throws in a microfiber cloth and a cable pouch—small touches, but appreciated. If you care about aesthetics, this monitor will make your setup look like it belongs on the cover of PC Gamer.
Ports and Features
Connectivity is generous, but not without its quirks. You get DisplayPort 1.4 (DSC), two HDMI 2.1 ports, a USB-C PD port, and a handful of USB-A ports. But let’s talk about that USB-C: the XG32UCWG offers a measly 15W Power Delivery. That’s not just disappointing—it’s confounding. The PG32UCDM, for less money, gives you a full 90W USB-C, which can actually charge your laptop. Here, you’re lucky if your phone stays alive. For a flagship monitor in 2025, this is borderline unacceptable.
No built-in speakers either. Some will care, some won’t, but for $2,299, it feels like ASUS is nickel-and-diming. The OSD is excellent, and ASUS’s DisplayWidget Center lets you tweak settings from your desktop, which is a huge win. The GamePlus suite is here, with crosshairs, timers, FPS counters, and sniper modes for the competitive crowd.
Dual mode is on board, too—4K at 165Hz or FHD at 330Hz. If you’re an esports nut, it’s a dream. Personally, I never used it—I’m here for the 4K glory, not 330Hz at potato resolution. If ASUS dropped dual mode and shaved a few hundred off the price, I’d be happier. Actually, they already did — that’s the Strix XG32UCDS that’s almost $500 less albeit not TrueBlack. For most, 4K/165Hz is the sweet spot. If you really want 240Hz at 4K, there’s also the sister version — the XG32UCWMG but you’ll pay extra for the privilege.
Panel & Performance
This is where the XG32UCWG flexes its muscles. The TrueBlack Glossy WOLED panel is a revelation—deep blacks, vibrant colours, and a clarity that makes every game look freshly painted. But what exactly does TrueBlack Glossy mean, and how does it compare to traditional WOLED and QD-OLED panels?
Traditional WOLED panels are known for their deep blacks and vibrant colours, but they often use a matte finish that can diffuse light, slightly muting colours and reducing perceived sharpness. QD-OLED panels, like those found in the PG32UCDM, use quantum dots to boost colour vibrancy and brightness, but sometimes struggle to maintain pure blacks in brighter lighting situations, occasionally showing a faint purple tint.
TrueBlack Glossy WOLED, as seen on the XG32UCWG, pairs the OLED’s legendary black levels with a glossy finish that amplifies colour purity and sharpness. The gloss lets light pass through with less diffusion, so colours appear more vivid and blacks more bottomless. If you’ve ever seen an LG OLED Evo AI C5 TV—the gold standard for home cinema—you’ll know the kind of jaw-dropping impact I’m talking about. The XG32UCWG brings that same cinematic punch to your desktop, with HDR peaking at 1,300 nits and SDR plenty bright for Aussie daylight. Compared to the PG32UCDM’s QD-OLED, which is excellent but can sometimes show a purple tint in the blacks under certain lighting, the TrueBlack Glossy panel just looks richer and more lifelike.
The response time is a ludicrous 0.03ms GtG, and motion handling is flawless. G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro keep things tear-free and smooth, and ASUS’s Extreme Low Motion Blur tech works as advertised. The Clear Pixel Edge algorithm means text is crisp, with none of that annoying colour fringing you see on older OLEDs. Whether you’re grinding through CyberPunk 2077’s stunning Night City or just working in MS Excel, it’s a pleasure. Text clarity is perfect with no color fringing which makes reading text heavy documents a pleasure.
Gaming
Let’s get to the fun bit—actual gaming. Firing up Cyberpunk 2077 on this thing is like plugging your eyeballs straight into Night City. The neon-soaked streets, the rainy reflections, the pitch-black alleyways—they all look absurdly rich and alive, with a sense of depth and realism that just doesn’t happen on lesser panels. Doom Eternal? The XG32UCWG turns every hellish corridor into a retina-searing light show. The response time and motion clarity mean you can whip your view around at demon-slaying speed and never see a hint of blur. It’s buttery smooth, pulse-quickening, and honestly, a little addictive.
And then there’s Hollow Knight Silksong—yes, I dabble when I’m feeling masochistic, and yes, it’s glorious. The inky blacks and vibrant character animations practically leap off the screen. The vast kingdoms of Pharloom come across like a living painting; every delicate particle effect and shadowy nook feels like it was drawn just for this monitor.
But if 4K at 165Hz is too slow or too demanding for your rig, then a quick flick of a switch activates Dual Mode for twitchy shooters like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 or Marvels Rivals. Dropping down to 1080p at 330Hz, the boost in smoothness is immediately apparent. It’s like the game is anticipating your every move, with zero perceptible input lag and a level of fluidity that makes even the sweatiest multiplayer lobbies feel just a bit more manageable.
Is it necessary? For most, probably not—but if you’re an aspiring esports pro or just love flexing on your mates, it’s a blast to try. As I already said, I don’t play twitch shooters and prefer rich, detailed narrative gaming so the Dual Mode is lost on me. I also don’t like the drop in clarity when moving to 1080p but that’s just me.
Burn-In Protection
OLED burn-in paranoia is still a real thing in 2025 for whatever reason which is why ASUS is throwing the kitchen sink at it. The XG32UCWG packs a ton of protection features like pixel cleaning routines, pixel shifting, logo dimming, taskbar detection, and the new Neo Proximity Sensor. In theory, the sensor blanks the screen when you leave, protecting against burn-in. In practice, it’s a bit finicky—I found myself waving at the monitor like an over-caffeinated wizard just to get it to wake up after going to sleep while I’m sitting right in front of me. Sometimes it’s too sensitive, sometimes not enough. It’s clever, but far from perfect.
So yes, ASUS’s OLED Care Pro suite is comprehensive, and there’s also a three-year warranty in the unlikely event that some burn-in occures which is a reassuring nod to longevity. If you’re worried about burn-in, this is about as good as it gets in 2025 but also, don’t abuse your monitor and you’ll never have an issue.
Verdict
So, is the TrueBlack Glossy XG32UCWG worth the extra $500 over the XG32UCDS? Uhm, no. The XG32UCDS gives you a WOLED, slightly wider colour gamut, and a far superior 90W USB-C PD port. But the XG32UCWG’s glossy panel is genuinely better for clarity, colour pop, and black depth, especially in normal lighting. If you’re a stickler for perfect blacks and want the kind of cinematic puwwnch you’d expect from a top-tier OLED TV, this is the monitor to buy.
The lack of speakers and the pathetic 15W USB-C PD are hard to swallow—especially when the PG32UCDM nails that part. The dual-mode feature is great for comp players, but if you’re like me and live for 4K gaming, you’ll never touch it. The Neo Proximity Sensor is clever but needs refinement. But these are nitpicks in what is, honestly, as close to perfect as OLED gaming monitors get right now.
If you want the best-looking panel, can live without speakers, and don’t need to charge your laptop, the XG32UCWG is a no-brainer. But if you want more utility out of your monitor besides gaming, and don’t care about TrueBlack Glossy, the cheaper XG32UCDS is the better buy. If you want the most feature complete monitor, the PG23UCDM is worth forgoing the TrueBlack Glossy panel.
As for the XG32UCWG, as gorgeous as TrueBlack Glossy is, it’s not enough of a flagship to justify it’s hefty price.
Asus ROG Australia kindly loaned the XG32UCWG to PowerUp for the purpose of writing this review.
