High-End Gaming Monitors Sell Out as OLED Demand Surges from Samsung and LG

Premium gaming monitors priced over 2 million won are selling out rapidly, reflecting a vibrant market driven by increasing demand for performance over price, particularly in refresh rates, response times, and image quality that can determine game outcomes.

In this competitive landscape, Samsung and LG are vying for market leadership by emphasizing high-performance features such as 6K ultra-high resolution and OLED technology.

According to the electronics industry on August 11, LG Electronics' 39-inch 'LG UltraGear Evo AI OLED Gaming Monitor,' launched in May, sold out within 16 minutes of its initial release. The additional stock that arrived at the end of last month was also confirmed to be sold out in about two weeks. Despite its high price of around 2 million won, demand surged, prompting LG to initiate further production, with plans to supply additional units starting in September.

LG is enhancing the performance of its gaming monitors. Earlier this year, the company introduced its premium 'UltraGear Evo' lineup featuring AI technology, which includes on-device AI capabilities such as '5K AI Upscaling' to enjoy all content at 5K clarity. According to market research firm IDC, LG's gaming monitor brand 'UltraGear' achieved a 29.3% market share in South Korea in the first quarter of this year, ranking first.

Samsung Electronics is also strengthening its gaming monitor lineup by promoting ultra-high resolution. The company unveiled four new models of the 2026 Odyssey gaming monitors, including the industry's first 32-inch 'Odyssey G8' that supports 6K ultra-high resolution. The OLED product range has also expanded, with the 27 and 32-inch 'Odyssey OLED G8' supporting 4K resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz. The 32-inch OLED G7 features a dual mode that allows switching between 4K at 165Hz and FHD at 330Hz. Samsung will showcase the Odyssey G8 and other models at Gamescom 2026, the world's largest gaming exhibition, in Cologne, Germany, targeting global gamers.

The push by Samsung and LG for high-performance gaming monitors is driven by a rapid shift in premium demand towards OLED in the monitor market. Consumers who do not prioritize performance tend to choose low-cost LCDs, while those seeking high-performance products are increasingly skipping mid-range LCDs in favor of OLEDs, highlighting a clear market polarization.

According to market research firm Omdia, the share of LCD monitors priced between $600 and $800 plummeted from 16% in 2022 to just 2% last year. Similarly, the share of LCD products priced over $800 dropped from 16% to 4% during the same period. In contrast, the share of OLED monitors priced over $800 surged from 1% to 20%. Gaming monitors are emerging as a new demand source for OLED, surpassing stagnant TV and smartphone markets.

The competition among finished product manufacturers is also extending to the panel market. Samsung Display and LG Display, which dominate the OLED market for monitors, are engaged in a technological competition for gaming panels, focusing on ultra-high refresh rates and resolutions. According to Omdia, Samsung Display held a 70.7% market share in the monitor OLED market by revenue in the second quarter of this year, while LG Display accounted for 29.3%.

Samsung Display is expanding its quantum dot (QD)-OLED gaming monitor lineup. Recently, it introduced a 31.5-inch quantum dot-OLED monitor that simultaneously achieves 4K UHD resolution and a 360Hz refresh rate, with a maximum of 680Hz in FHD. Earlier this year, it began mass production of a 34-inch 360Hz quantum dot-OLED featuring a 'V-Stripe' pixel structure, supplying it to global monitor manufacturers.

LG Display is also competing with its high-performance gaming OLED panels. Its 27-inch DFR (variable refresh rate and resolution) OLED panel offers an industry-leading 720Hz refresh rate in high refresh rate mode and can achieve QHD resolution with a 540Hz refresh rate in high-resolution mode. A representative from LG Display stated during a conference call for the second quarter earnings report, "We plan to strengthen our high-value product lineup, including gaming OLED monitors, and expand shipments in line with the accelerating shift from LCD to OLED in the monitor market."