ASUS OLED PG42UQ V40 Firmware Best HDR & SDR Settings Guide
Last updated on May 12, 2024
The new ASUS Rog Swift PG42UQ OLED firmware is out, V40 (aka Version 40). So far, I think this is the best iteration of the firmware.
Table of Contents
PG42UQ V040 HDR Performance Results
I haven’t had any weird black screens like a lot of us were experiencing with V037. Color reproduction in HDR is much better than V037 & V033, but it isn’t perfect. Colors are deeper and richer than before but still require an increase in vibrance. I do feel the brightness has gone down a little bit, but it isn’t that noticeable.
Color Tones are Still Off
My first problem with V40 (and with previous firmware versions), are the surplus of red tones/lack of blue tones. Whites look too beige due to too much red tones being present. I am not sure why ASUS likes the warm tone so much, to me it doesn’t look good. Looks even worse if you are wearing protective blue-light eye gear…
Color Saturation Better but, Still Needs Adjustment
Second, color saturation is still low. Don’t get me wrong, it is much better than any other PG42UQ firmware version, but it still misses the mark and, could use an increase of roughly 21%. I can’t help but wonder how the color adjustment process works when ASUS is creating drivers. I am planning to reach out to them, so I will keep you posted on that.
Guide to Improve PG42UQ HDR Setting
Fortunately, there is a fix for the two issues above. While we all wish we didn’t have to make adjustments to our PG42UQs, I feel it is an acceptable trade-off to have to not switch between SDR and HDR modes. This is especially true if you are using NVIDIA Surround, since color space & refresh rates can be affected when switching between HDR and SDR. Far more annoying to check settings refresh rates and settings every time than, to put 10-15 mins into the settings below; and then 1-5 mins every time NVIDIA drops a new GPU driver. (Sorry to AMD users, I don’t have another system for testing with AMD card, yet.)
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Without further ado, Let’s get started!
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Best PG42UQ HDR & SDR Settings Firmware V40
If you want to get the best colors out of your PG42UQ, I suggest you follow the guide below. It will correct the beige-whites and enhance color saturations issues. But before we get to that part, you need to make sure all other settings are configured correctly. If you have completed some of the steps below, you can skip them, but I highly recommend you complete them in the order (With exception to Installing the Display Driver.).
Step 1: Update Your PG42UQ to Firmware V40
- Download PG42UQ Firmware V40 here (USA Site)
- Follow the instructions on how to install the PG42UQ firmware here. (Skip “step 3” on the linked page, since you already downloaded V40). For the rest of the guide on the linked page, replace “V033” with “V40”. After you complete the firmware update, come back to this guide and move onto the next step.
- **IMPORTANT** Be sure to precisely follow the firmware update instructions. Mistakes here could result in the firmware installing incorrectly and is attributed to “false positive” installations and poor monitor operation.
Install PG42UQ Display Driver for Windows 10/11
Step 2: Download and Install PG42UQ Display Driver
- Go to the following link for directions on how to download and install the display drivers in Windows for your ASUS OLED PG42UQ. The picture below is an example of what the settings look like. After you complete the display driver installation, come back to this guide and move onto the next step.
Adjust Windows Display Settings HDR for SDR Content
Step 3: Windows Display Settings HDR-SDR Content Brightness
- Follow this guide here to adjust the brightness of SDR content when in HDR mode. After completing the HDR-SDR Content Brightness, come back to this guide and move on to Step 4. (See picture below for example)
Download and Install Windows 11 HDR Calibration App
Step 4: Install Windows HDR Calibration App
- Download and Install Windows HDR Calibration APP
- Start Menu-> Search: Microsoft Store
- Microsoft Store Window->Search->Windows HDR Calibration App->Get
- Run Windows HDR Calibration App (**Note** The HDR settings on the PG42UQ Monitor for this guide is set to “ASUS Gaming HDR”)
- Before you run the app, make sure HDR is turned on in Display settings->HDR.
- Run Windows HDR Calibration app and follow the app instructions.
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NVIDIA Control Panel Digital Vibrance & Color Adjustment
Step 5 (LAST STEP): Adjust Color & Color Saturation in NVIDIA Control Panel for ASUS PG42UQ OLED V40 Firmware
- Use the instructions on the linked page to navigate the NVIDIA Control Panel for the best HDR settings for PG42UQ. Before proceeding, please make sure you are using the correct values for NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Replace the values on the linked page with the values BELOW.
- The values below are broken up into NVIDIA Driver Versions. Make sure you use values that corresponding to your NVIDIA Driver Version. (Sorry Team Red, hope to have settings in the future)
- The color correction values below are for Firmware V40 ONLY.
- IMPORTANT: If you plan to frequently switch between SDR and HDR, I recommend using the Recommended Vibrance setting or lower. This will prevent your SDR content from being oversaturated.
NVIDIA Control Panel Adjustment Values for PG42UQ V40
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NVIDIA Game Driver Version 552.22 & 552.44 (Current – 05/09/2024) – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 57% – 64% (Recommended: 60% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 53% (Recommended: 50% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.98
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.05
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 551.86 & 551.76 – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 60% – 70% (Recommended: 63% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 53% (Recommended: 51% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.98
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.03
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 551.52 & 551.61 – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 60% – 68% (Recommended: 63% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 55% (Recommended: 51% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.99
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.04
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 551.23 (01/24/2024) – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 61% – 71% (Recommended: 65% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 55% (Recommended: 51% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.99
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.04
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 546.65 (01/17/2024) – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 63% – 73% (Recommended: 69% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 58% (Recommended: 52% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.99
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.04
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 546.33 (12/12/2023) – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 64% – 76% (Recommended: 71% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 58% (Recommended: 54% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.99
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.02
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 546.29
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 64% – 76% (Recommended: 71% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 58% (Recommended: 54% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.99
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.02
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 546.17
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 70% – 80% (Recommended: 76% HDR)
- SDR 54% – 61% (Recommended: 58% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.99
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.02
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 546.01
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 66% – 73% (Recommended: 69% HDR)
- SDR 52% – 59% (Recommended: 56% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.99
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.02
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 545.92
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 71% – 82% (Recommended: 76% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 57% (Recommended: 55% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.97
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 57%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.03
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 545.84
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- HDR 75% – 84% (Recommended: 79% HDR)
- SDR 50% – 57% (Recommended: 55% SDR)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.97
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 55%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.03
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 537.58
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- 69% – 77% (Recommended: 71%)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.96
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 52%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.03
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 537.42 & 537.34
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- 69% – 77%. (Recommended: 71%)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.96
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 55%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.03
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 537.13 – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- 71% – 79%. (Recommended: 76%)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.98
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 55%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.03
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 536.99 – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- 62% – 73%. (Recommended: 69%)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.98
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 52%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.03
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 536.67 – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- 54% – 64%. (Recommended: 59%)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.99
- Step 3 Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.02
NVIDIA Game Driver Version 536.40 – NVCP Settings
- Step 1 Digital Vibrance
- 62% – 69%. (Recommended: 65%)
- Step 2 Red Channel
- Brightness = 47%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 0.97
- Step 3” Green Channel
- Brightness = 50%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.00
- Step 4 Blue Channel
- Brightness = 52%
- Contrast = 50%
- Gamma = 1.02
I knew it that I can find the latest update here!
Thanks for your effort.
I’m gonna try V040 firmware.
BTW, I have a question about installing the PG42UQ display driver.
If I enable Nvidia surround, do I need to install the driver again? Or I just install driver for each monitor seperately?
Glad you thought of WiredColony :D. So to answer your question, you don’t need to reinstall the display driver. It should already be using it before Nvidia Surround. Also, the saturation appears to have changed over a bit of time. I think it is back to V037 levels of saturation but, no black screens. Nonetheless, definitely worth using V40.