Best OLED Display for Gaming Revealed

Purchasing my first OLED TV, the LG E8 55-inch back in 2019, just before the world went into lockdown, was an unforgettable experience. It became the ideal companion during isolation. Initially, my understanding of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology was superficial. I knew it utilized self-lit pixels, unlike the backlit LCD displays, achieving infinite contrast. However, diving into games like Final Fantasy XV and The Last of Us Part II on this screen was a revelation. It was like reliving nostalgic dreams in real-time. Naturally, I couldn't stop at the E8.

A few years later, I upgraded to the LG C2 65-inch TV. Since then, I've reviewed numerous devices with OLED displays and discovered that not all OLED screens are the same. In fact, they don't even use identical technology. You might ask, "How many types of OLED are there?" Well, there are quite a few, but the three you really need to know about are WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED.

WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED: How They Work

OLED technology has been around for decades, with companies from Kodak to Mitsubishi experimenting with it. It wasn't until LG introduced its OLED TVs in the early 2010s that the technology gained mainstream popularity.

LG's version of OLED is known as WOLED (White OLED). Although LG markets it simply as OLED, wanting to be synonymous with the technology, WOLED uses a white OLED layer with an RGBW color filter. This approach mitigates the issue of different degradation rates among red, green, and blue emitters, which can accelerate burn-in. However, it introduces other challenges, like imbalanced brightness and reduced color volume. Higher-end WOLEDs attempt to address this with Micro Lens Array technology, focusing light more effectively.

In 2022, Samsung introduced QD-OLED (Quantum Dot OLED), which replaces the white OLED layer with a blue one, which then hits a quantum dot layer. These quantum dots absorb and convert the light, preserving brightness and delivering vibrant colors without losing any of the backlight.

AMOLED, on the other hand, adds a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer, allowing faster pixel activation but at the expense of OLED's iconic "infinite" contrast.

WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED: Which Is Better for Gaming?

Choosing the right OLED technology for gaming depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you're looking for a straightforward answer, QD-OLED is generally considered the best. However, there are scenarios where WOLED or AMOLED might be preferable.

AMOLED displays are commonly found in smartphones and laptops due to their flexibility, high refresh rates, and excellent viewing angles. They are less ideal in direct sunlight due to lower peak brightness, and you often have less choice in the type of OLED on smaller devices.

For gaming monitors and TVs, you have the option between WOLED (marketed as OLED) and QD-OLED. WOLED can achieve high brightness, particularly with whites, but loses some brightness with colors due to the RGBW filter. QD-OLED, with its quantum dot technology, offers superior overall brightness and color vibrancy.

In environments with significant glare, WOLED holds up better. I've noticed that the darkest parts of my WOLED TV remain black, while my QD-OLED monitor shows a purplish tint in similar conditions. This is because Samsung removed the polarizing layer from QD-OLED displays to boost brightness, which also increases reflections.

In theory, QD-OLED displays offer better color and brightness, but in highly reflective spaces, WOLED screens are less distracting. However, the actual quality of any display depends largely on its specifications, and generally, the more you spend, the better the display will be.

The Future of OLED Is PHOLED

Beyond WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED, another type of OLED technology is PHOLED (Phosphorescent OLED). It uses phosphorescent materials, offering higher luminous efficiency than fluorescent ones. The challenge with PHOLED has been the shorter lifespan of its blue component, but LG has recently announced a breakthrough in this area, dubbing it "Dream OLED."

While PHOLED TVs are not imminent, we can expect to see this technology in smartphones and tablets in the near future.