In a market where laptop displays increasingly feature OLED technology, a new report suggests that desktop monitors are set to follow this trend. According to a recent analysis by the Asian firm TrendForce, the unit sales of OLED displays are anticipated to skyrocket by 181 percent in 2024, reaching an estimated 1.44 million units. This surge is expected to mark a significant turning point in the display market, which has traditionally been dominated by LCD technology.
Despite this impressive growth, OLED displays still represent a small fraction of the total display market. As reported by IDC, total PC monitor sales are projected to hover around 125 million units in 2024. Within this landscape, gaming monitors are gaining traction, with their market share expected to rise from 16 percent in 2023 to 20 percent in 2024.
So, why are OLED displays gaining popularity? Traditional monitors utilize a single LED backlight or microLEDs to illuminate pixels, which often leads to challenges in achieving uniform lighting. For instance, if one pixel is meant to be dark, the neighboring pixel’s brightness can compromise the display’s overall performance, particularly in dark scenes, such as starry nights.
In contrast, OLED technology allows for individual pixel lighting, enabling pixels to be turned completely off when representing black, resulting in true blacks and enhanced contrast ratios. This characteristic makes OLED displays particularly appealing for creative professionals working in image and film production, as well as for gamers who demand the highest visual quality.
Moreover, laptop manufacturers have started pushing OLED refresh rates beyond 100Hz, a trend that is gradually extending to desktop monitors as well. TrendForce predicts that Samsung will maintain its position as the leading supplier of OLED monitors, capturing 31 percent of the market share, followed by LG (19 percent), Asus (14 percent), and Dell (14 percent). Asus is expected to heavily invest in high-end OLED production, while MSI aims to increase its market share significantly in the coming years.
