Have we reached the tipping point for OLED PC monitors? Sales grew by 121% in the first quarter of the year compared to the previous year, according to market analyst TrendForce. These numbers are set to go up by 52% in the next quarter. And that’s on top of last year’s explosive 300% growth.
Of course, OLED monitors are currently but a tiny fraction of the entire monitor market, with predicted sales of around 1.3 million units this year. But PC manufacturers are making a beeline for this segment. Samsung, for example, recently launched its 2024 Odyssey OLED gaming monitor lineup. I’m testing the flagship OLED G8 now (review to come soon), and I’m impressed by the design and the performance. The South Korean tech giant may have arrived to the OLED scene later than rival LG, but it has quickly gained market share with competitive pricing.
As a fan of the picture quality produced by OLED TVs in movies, especially the deep blacks and outstanding contrast, I had briefly entertained the idea of using a 42-inch LG OLED TV for my PC a couple of years ago. But there were several downsides, from the amount of desk space required to the clarity of text on OLED TVs.
The latest OLED monitors, though, seem to have fixed these issues. Compared to earlier OLED monitors, the new ones come in more palatable sizes (27 to 32 inches), have significantly reduced — but not eliminated — the text fringing issue, and introduced new features to protect against burn-in. The latter, especially, is a major concern with OLED monitors due to static elements like the taskbar. The MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED monitor that I tested recently (see below) comes with such OLED care features.
Now, there are still some issues to iron out, such as VRR flicker. Not to mention that OLED monitors remain much more expensive than their LCD counterparts. But there’s no doubt that there’s growing momentum for these monitors, and prices will dip further with more players in the market (economies of scale etc). OLED monitors simply look better, and they are getting better. Perhaps it’s time to consider one for your next monitor upgrade.
In our reviews this week, we looked at MSI’s latest QD-OLED monitor, Asus’ new gaming true wireless earbuds, and Xiaomi’s flagship smartphone.
With a 360Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 ports, and VRR support, the MSI MPG 271QRX QD-OLED is a compelling option if you’re shopping for a premium gaming monitor. Visuals are excellent, as you’d expect. And there are so many gaming-related settings that it feels almost overwhelming.
The Asus ROG Cetra True Wireless Speednova may be built for gaming — it has a 2.4GHz dongle to minimise latency — but it’s equally adept at music playback. Audio quality is on par with the first-generation AirPods Pro, while its noise cancelling is decent, too. And of course, it excels for games, with negligible audio lag.
The Leica-powered Xiaomi 14 Ultra is, unsurprisingly, a great camera phone, thanks to a large sensor, a variable aperture lens, and an optional photography grip accessory. It really shines for black-and-white photography, producing images with very nice shadows and contrast. Night shots are also great, though the zoom isn’t as good as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.