As OLED technology increasingly finds its way into laptops, desktop monitors are poised to join the trend, according to a report from TrendForce, an Asian market analysis firm. The report predicts that the OLED display market will see a staggering 181 percent increase in unit sales in 2024, with estimates suggesting 1.44 million displays sold. This growth reflects a shift in consumer preferences and technological advancements that make OLED a compelling choice for various applications.
Despite this forecast, OLED displays currently constitute a small segment of the overall monitor market. IDC estimates that total PC monitor sales will reach approximately 125 million units in 2024, with gaming monitors expected to see growth from 16 percent of total sales in 2023 to around 20 percent in the coming year.
So, what makes OLED displays a preferred choice for many? Traditional monitors rely on LED backlighting to illuminate pixels, which can lead to difficulties in achieving true blacks and even lighting across the screen. For example, when depicting a dark scene, if one pixel is lit while another nearby is supposed to be dark, the image quality can suffer, especially in visually demanding scenarios like space imagery.
OLED technology revolutionizes this by allowing each pixel to emit its own light, meaning individual pixels can be completely turned off. This results in richer blacks and a higher contrast ratio, which is crucial for both gaming and creative work where color accuracy is paramount. With laptop manufacturers already offering OLED screens with refresh rates exceeding 100Hz, desktop displays are starting to catch up to these high-performance standards.
According to TrendForce, Samsung is projected to remain the leading supplier in the OLED monitor space, accounting for 31 percent of the market. Following closely are LG (19 percent), Asus (14 percent), and Dell (14 percent). Notably, Asus is expected to invest significantly in high-end OLED production, while MSI is anticipated to capture a larger share of the market as it ramps up its offerings.