Review: HP Omen Transcend 32

When HP delivers its first 32-inch OLED gaming monitor, they don’t do it half-heartedly. The Omen Transcend 32 combines some of the best of QD-OLED technology with thoughtful features for both gaming and office work.

With 4K resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate, you get both razor-sharp image quality and lightning-fast motion. Best of all, you get both excellent gaming performance and neutral colour reproduction for creative work.

Functional design and construction

The HP Omen Transcend 32 has a traditional black look with a white backplate that can look a little dull. But the monitor exudes quality with a sturdy base that offers unrivalled flexibility. You can adjust the height by up to 25 cm, turn the screen sideways, tilt it and even rotate it 90 degrees to a vertical position.

Being able to flip the screen vertically is a definite plus for developers and others working with long documents, as well as portrait photographers.

A clever detail is the magnetic headphone loop, which can be easily clicked into place on the left side of the screen. The external power supply, on the other hand, is an annoyance – a 2kg brick that takes up unnecessary space.

Impressive connectivity

The HP monitor is generously equipped with ports: two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4 and two USB-C, one of which supports DisplayPort and 140W power supply. That’s enough power to charge even demanding gaming laptops. The USB hub includes two fast USB-A 3.2 ports and a simpler USB-A port for mouse and keyboard.

A useful feature is the dedicated KVM button next to the power switch. With a single press, you can switch which computer will use the connected keyboard and mouse – perfect for those who switch between work and gaming computers.

Premium image quality

The HP Omen Transcend 32 uses a third-generation QD-OLED panel from Samsung Display, and it’s nothing short of amazing. The display delivers a deep, rich black level with perfect contrast and vibrant colours.

What sets the HP Omen apart from the competition is the colour balance right from the start. In Adobe RGB mode, the monitor delivers a remarkably neutral image with a colour temperature close to the ideal 6,500K. Where Philips Evnia leans towards red, HP hits the mark right away.

The new subpixel structure of the third-generation QD-OLED also makes text look sharper with smaller text borders. Coupled with the 4K resolution, the result is crystal clear.

The screen achieves a brightness of around 160-170 nits with 100 per cent white screen, which is typical for OLED. In HDR mode with small bright areas, it can reach 400 nits. It’s not as impressive as mini-LED displays, but the contrast is far better.

Excellent gaming performance

With a refresh rate of 240 Hz and a response time of 0.03 ms, this is a lightning-fast monitor. Movements are silky smooth and I don’t notice any input lag. In fast-paced games like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant, this will be a clear competitive advantage.

The monitor supports both Nvidia G-Sync Compatible and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, so you get smooth performance no matter what graphics card you have. With 4K resolution, you’ll need one of the most powerful graphics cards to fully utilise 240 Hz. Like a powerful gaming PC with RTX 5090, but even with a more moderate graphics card, 240 Hz provides smooth motion in less demanding titles or when you reduce the resolution.

Compared to the competition

The HP Omen Transcend 32 faces stiff competition from Philips Evnia 32M2N8900, Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDP and Samsung Odyssey G8 (G80SD), among others.

Compared to the Philips monitor, HP offers better colour balance right from the start, a more flexible stand with vertical position, more powerful USB-C charging (140W vs. 65W) and the useful KVM function. In return, Philips has an integrated power supply, a more elegant design and Ambiglow backlighting.

Compared to Asus’ WOLED display, the HP has an advantage with slightly more vibrant colours, but Asus boasts higher brightness and also the option of 480 Hz in Full HD. The Asus has a slimmer and more elegant look, but cannot be angled vertically.

Price-wise, the HP Omen is definitely on the higher end and is more expensive than all three of the aforementioned competitors. Of them all, I personally prefer the Asus ROG monitor, not least because it renders text even better.

Conclusion

The HP Omen Transcend 32 is an impressive monitor that combines brilliant image quality, lightning-fast response time and smart features for both gaming and productive work.

The minor weaknesses, such as the external power supply and high price, do not prevent the Omen Transcend 32 from being among the best gaming monitors on the market. This is the monitor for those who value both technical performance and practical functionality and who are not afraid to pay a little extra for quality.