LG UltraGear Dual-Mode 4K OLED (32GS95UE-B) Review

Introduction

Buying tech often involves compromise – whether it’s on budget or features. But invest in the LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B and compromise doesn’t really come into the equation.

That’s because LG’s display employs a future-proofed feature called Dual-Mode that gives you two high-end screens in one.

By default, the LG is a 32-inch 4K display at 240Hz, which is perfect for lavish single-player games. But tap one button and it’ll switch into its esports mode, which drops the resolution to 1080p and the diagonal to 24-inch or 27-inch while zipping the refresh rate up to a mighty 480Hz.

While no rival offers this feature at these speeds, the LG still has plenty of competition for the title of best gaming monitor. There’s the incredible Samsung S32G80SD, which deploys 32-inch Quantum Dot OLED tech for $1199/£1099, and the sleek Philips Evnia 32M2N8900 ($869/£870) and its similarly impressive tech.

Design

• Plenty of adjustment options and a robust body
• USB, HDMI and DisplayPort, but no USB-C or KVM
• RGB-LEDs at the rear

You wouldn’t know that the UltraGear is innovative when you look at it – this is a surprisingly mature design, and speaks to the kind of screen that can hold its own in an office as well as a LAN party.

The display rises from a flat pentagonal plastic base and the display attaches using an unfussy stand with a simple cable-routing hole.

It’s a robust bit of kit, with hardly any movement, and at 9kg and 266mm from front to back it’s sizeable but not egregiously large or heavy. And there’s no noise from any of the internal components or fans.

LG’s panel has swivel, tilt and height adjustment, with portrait mode pivoting and 100mm VESA mounting all supported. That’s fine, but if you need lots of adjustment then every rival offers more generous movement dimensions.

The only real bit of gaming pizzazz comes at the rear, where you’ll find a U-shaped RGB LED light. It’s got a few presets and isn’t bright enough to deliver room-illuminating effects, so it’s a bit redundant.

At the rear you’ll find two HDMI 2.1 ports, so this screen works well with consoles, alongside a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, two USB 3.0 ports and an audio jack. But that’s it for ports – it’s disappointing that there’s no USB-C. There’s no KVM switch, either, which would have been a welcome addition given the dual functionality of this screen.

Nevertheless, this is a robust, unfussy panel that’s easy to use. But bear in mind that most rivals have more movement, and the Philips is more generous for connectivity thanks to USB-C with power delivery.

Image Quality

• 4K Dual-Mode operation with 240Hz and 480Hz options
• Incredible OLED quality in SDR and HDR
• Fast, smooth and crisp – perfect for gaming

The LG’s spec list is top-tier. For starters, that dual-mode operation that balances 4K/240Hz and 1080/480Hz operation is smart. The addition of 24-inch and 27-inch screen sizes at 480Hz means fewer head movements during esports, which means faster responses and better results, and crisper visuals than stretching 1080p over 32-inch

It’s also a step ahead of the Alienware AW2725QF, which has dual operation but on a 27-inch diagonal and with a peak of 360Hz.

Dual-Mode is impressively slick: it switches over in a few seconds, the OSD updates to reflect the new refresh rate and resolution, and you’re ready to go.

In addition to its dual-mode operation, the LG uses an OLED screen – which means its colour and contrast quality easily outstrips anything that you’ll see from an IPS or VA panel.

Top it off with the 0.03ms (GTG) response time, VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification and you’ve got an enviable spec list.

In 480Hz mode the LG is sensational: crisp, fast and flawless, with all the speed you need to keep up with esports. There’s no discernible difference between the LG and the 540Hz rate found on a few high-end esports displays.

Response times are fantastic, too. That 0.03ms GTG figure translates to a real-world result of 1.9ms, which is great – not the best on the market, but fast enough to keep up with any game. If you want the most responsive and effective esports play possible, there’s not much better.

While there is a little input lag at low refresh rates, we’d be surprised if anyone runs this display at those speeds anyway.

Switch to 240Hz and you’re going to have a good time. It’s still easily quick enough to handle any top-tier single-player game, and the higher resolution adds clarity and detail.

No matter which mode you use, OLED delivers. The LG’s colours are rich, vibrant and striking, with bold shades at the high end and deep, absorbing blacks at the bottom of the range.

Switch to HDR mode and those colours still look fantastic, with immersive, bold tones and a clear boost to contrast.

Test results back up our real-world impressions. The LG produced 100% of the sRGB colour space at a whopping 125.5% volume, which explains those bold colours – and it produced 97.4% of the DCI-P3 space and 96% of the Adobe RGB range, which means the LG is a viable option for content creation.

The panel’s sRGB Delta E of 2.9 is rock-solid – easily good enough for gaming and most content, at least – and it was more accurate in DCI-P3 mode, which bodes well for creative tasks. Hardware calibration is supported, too, using LG’s Calibration Studio app.

In SDR mode the LG’s brightness of 277 nits is fine, and in HDR mode it delivered a momentary peak of 1146 nits before settling to 654 nits. They’re great results for most situations, but that SDR mode means the LG will struggle with extreme glare – so be careful of where lights sit in your environment.

Unsurprisingly, these results compare well to other displays. Our gaming favourite, the AOC Agon Pro AG276QZD, is brighter but poorer in other areas, and its increased brightness won’t make a big difference in everyday use. The LG beats the Philips in every department, and Samsung’s display offers similar quality but is no better than the UltraGear.

Software and Features

• Genuinely impressive speakers – they’re loud, clear and detailed
• A fine on-screen display with joystick navigation
• No remote control included

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the UltraGear’s impressive features stop with Dual-Mode and the OLED panel, but that’s not the case – because LG has packed in some decent audio kit, too.

The Pixel Sound feature essentially means that the LG’s two 10W speakers, which include DTS Virtual X technology, sit behind the panel and direct sound through the screen. That contrasts well with many other displays, which push sound downwards.

The result is tremendous sound. The LG produces loud, bold, and detailed audio that’s easily good enough for gaming and media. If we’re being nitpicky, the middle of the range is a bit crushed in all modes. In the default Game Mode the bass is a bit heavy, but Entertainment has better balance.

These are excellent monitor speakers, and miles better than those in any rival. For PC and console gaming and media they’re superb – closer to TV speakers than traditionally tinny monitor hardware.

Elsewhere, LG’s panel packs a reasonable on-screen display. It looks slick and has all of the usual options, like preset modes and settings to preserve the health of the OLED panel, and the joystick around the underside of the screen is fine.

It’s a shame no remote control is included, though, but there is a Windows app that can be used for firmware updates and basic settings tweaks.

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