OLED Monitors Are Winning The Hearts Of Gamers And Creators As Shipments Skyrocket
It was not all that long ago when you could bemoan the lack of OLED monitor options, with a comparatively small list of models that would shrink even further if leaving out exorbitantly priced displays. Well folks, as Bob Dylan famously said, the times, they are-a-changin', and in a good way. OLED monitor shipments are on a rapid rise as more display makers hop on the bandwagon.
According to the folks at the market research firm TrendForce, numerous gaming brands are "aggressively launching new models" to ride the OLED wave. Due in part to this, the firm is projecting that OLED monitor shipments will reach 1.44 million units by the end of 2024.
Granted, that's not a ton in the grand scheme of things—LCD is still king, as far as market penetration goes—but it represents a significant 181% year-on-year growth rate "with strong growth expected to continue in the coming years."
What does this mean for consumers? From our own vantage point, we would expect for OLED pricing to come down as competition ramps up. We've already seen this to an extent, both within the monitor landscape and especially in the realm of big screen TVs. OLED displays still generally command a premium, but it's a more accessible technology these days than in years past. We also reckon that concerns over burn-in are waning, as monitor makers implement increasing protections and better warranty terms.
The market research firm also notes that OLED penetration is set for a boost with the infiltration of newer 31.5-inch models. Additionally, as part of the aggressive push by monitor makers, we'll see companies "focusing on product differentiation and improved specifications."
MSI gets props for its "aggressive expansion" into OLED territory, which the firm notes "has resulted in substantial growth in overall monitor shipments." Likewise, MSI's OLED shipments are expected to increase at the fastest rate of all players.
That said, Samsung unsurprisingly owns the largest share of the OLED monitor market at 31%, followed by LG at 19%, ASUS at 14%, Dell at 14%, MSI at 11%, Gigabyte at 3%, and all others combining for 8%.
"QD-OLED monitors are set to dominate the market, driven by Samsung Display’s aggressive production ramp-up and multiple brands introducing QD-OLED models. QD-OLED’s share of total OLED monitor shipments is expected to rise from 53.5% in 2023 to 73% in 2024. In contrast, WOLED’s market share is forecast to decline to 26%, with RBG OLED accounting for just 1%," TrendForce says.
It's interesting that TrendForce uses the term 'aggressive' so often in its forecast—no less than three times out of five paragraphs, by our count. It speaks to the confident expectation that OLED will continue to increase its presence, even as technologies like mini LED offer competition in the premium display space.
We should also note that there are several OLED monitors currently on sale. Some of them include the following models...
- 49" Samsung Odssesy G93SC OLED (Dual QHD, 240Hz): $949.99 (41% off)
- 27" Samsung Odyssey G6 (QHD, 360Hz): $699.99 (22% off)
- 34" Innocn OLED (1440p, 175Hz): $549.99 (21% off) + 5% off coupon
- 34" LG 34GS95QE OLED (WQHD, 240Hz): $796.99 (39% off)
- 27" ASUS ROG Swift 27 OLED (1440p, 240Hz): $699 (13% off)
- 27" MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED (1440p, 240Hz): $629.99 (10% off)
- 34" Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED (WQHD, 165Hz): $801.99 (11% off)
We'll be curious to see how pricing looks in the months ahead if the projected OLED monitor growth comes to fruition.
