Samsung preps cheap OLED gaming monitors to speed up the transition from LCD

Samsung already holds 71% of the OLED monitor market, but it wants to increase shipments by 50% this year, planning to sell over 2 million units with its QD-OLED panel technology.

It cites robust market success for its new 27-inch Odyssey G8 G81SF 4K monitor with Gen 4 OLED panel and the highest, 166ppi pixel density in the category.

Samsung expects an even stronger demand when a 27-inch QHD (2560x1440 pixels) Odyssey G6 G60SF with 500 Hz refresh rate hits the shelves next quarter. It calls the 2025 G60SF OLED monitor a "game changer" as it would bring the fastest refresh rate from such a panel.

Samsung will lower the price of its OLED monitors

Samsung is so convinced in the superiority of its QD-OLED monitor screen technology that it plans to facilitate the transition from the ubiquitous LCD panel by lowering the price of its OLED monitors. According to Brad Jung, Vice President and Head of the Large Display Marketing Team at Samsung Display:

The technological shift from LCD to OLED in the monitor market is expected to accelerate further, driven by the differentiated image quality and technological superiority demonstrated by QD-OLED. We will introduce various innovations and products to meet the expectations of our customers as quickly as possible.

For gamers, Samsung will introduce midrange and even cheap budget OLED monitors, though it didn't specify which of its current high-end OLED gaming monitor specs it intends to compromise with to reach a lower price point.

The 27-inch Samsung Odyssey QD-OLED G6 gaming monitor with 360 Hz refresh, for instance, can now be had at 22% off, or $699 over at Amazon, for instance. Still, a popular 27-inch LCD gaming monitor like the Acer XV272U goes for a third of that pricing there, so Samsung has a long way to go in lowering its OLED gaming monitor prices in 2025.

The only hint that it drops is in the statement that "the company plans to enter the mid-to-low price range in addition to its existing high-end offerings" when talking about its "gaming lineup" of monitors with high refresh rate.

"Samsung Display plans to strategically expand its product lineup in both consumer and business sectors to meet high market demand and enhance its market influence," continues the display maker.

For an OLED gaming monitor to become really popular and sell in high volumes, it will have to somehow slot in the $300-$400 price range, though, and Samsung is yet to announce such models.