OLED monitors spent their first years as premium flagships with a small share of the market. By 2026 they had become a fast-growing part of the PC gaming display market, with shipments nearly doubling year over year and a standard 27-inch 1440p format at the center of that growth.
Below is what the shipment data shows, why the 27-inch QHD model became the volume product, and what a buyer should check before paying OLED prices.
Trend Signal
82/100 Strong momentum
- Emerging
- Rising
- Mainstream
- Peaking
- Cooling
Shipments up 98% year over year in the second quarter of 2026
TrendForce counted OLED monitor shipments up 26.1% quarter over quarter and 98% year over year in 2Q26, after 2.735 million units and 92% growth in 2025.
Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored
By the numbers
- 2.735MGlobal OLED monitor shipments in 2025, up 92% year over yearTrendForce
- +98%Year-over-year growth in global OLED monitor shipments in 2Q26TrendForce
- 21.86%Share of Steam users on a 2560×1440 primary display, August 2026 surveyValve
- $999.99Samsung US launch price of the 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 (QHD, 500Hz), Aug. 12, 2025Samsung Newsroom US
The shipment numbers behind the trend
TrendForce counted 2.735 million OLED monitors shipped worldwide in 2025, a 92% increase, driven by fourth-quarter promotions and demand for 27-inch 240Hz QHD models. The pace held into 2026: shipments rose 78% year over year in the first quarter despite an 11% seasonal drop from the prior quarter, then rose 26.1% quarter over quarter and 98% year over year in the second quarter.
In March 2026, TrendForce forecast 51% shipment growth for the full year. Even at that pace OLED is a small slice of all monitors: in August 2025, TrendForce projected OLED at around 2% of the overall monitor market for 2025 and said penetration could reach 5% within three years.
| Period | OLED monitor shipments |
|---|---|
| Full year 2025 | 2.735 million units, up 92% year over year |
| First quarter 2026 | Up 78% year over year, down 11% from 4Q25 |
| Second quarter 2026 | Up 98% year over year, up 26.1% from 1Q26 |
| Full year 2026 forecast | Up 51% year over year |
Growth near 100% a year on a small base: OLED is still early in the monitor market.
Why 27-inch 1440p became the volume model
The growth is concentrated in one format. TrendForce identified 27-inch 240Hz QHD models as a key driver in 2025 and called 27-inch QHD the dominant segment in the second quarter of 2026. That matches what PC gamers run: in Valve’s August 2026 Steam survey, 21.86% of users had a 2560×1440 primary display, second only to 1920×1080 at 50.52%.
Launch prices show how far the range stretches. Samsung launched the 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 (QHD, 500Hz) at $999.99 in August 2025, and in May 2026 priced its new Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SH, 4K, 240Hz) at $1,099.99 for the 27-inch model and $1,299.99 for the 32-inch. At the entry end, TrendForce said AOC/Philips used aggressively priced entry-level 27-inch QHD models to drive volume in the first quarter of 2026.
Refresh rates keep climbing at the top. TrendForce highlighted an ASUS 34-inch gaming monitor at 360Hz among first-quarter 2026 launches, and Samsung’s 500Hz 27-inch model shows how far the high end has moved.
More brands, more panels
Supply opened up. TrendForce credited an “increasingly abundant supply of QD-OLED panels” for first-quarter 2026 growth, and said improved panel supply let emerging brands expand shipments faster. AOC held 8.6% of second-quarter shipments, ahead of LG.
ASUS has led TrendForce’s shipment rankings since the third quarter of 2025. Samsung’s share fell to 13.1% in the second quarter of 2026, a decline TrendForce tied to its gradual withdrawal from the Chinese market.
The regional mix was expected to shift too. TrendForce projected in August 2025 that North America’s share of OLED monitor shipments would fall from 44% in 2024 to 33% in 2025, as uncertainty over U.S. tariffs was expected to push brands toward Europe and China.
| Brand | 2025 share | 2Q26 share |
|---|---|---|
| ASUS | 21.6% | 23.1% |
| Samsung | 19.3% | 13.1% |
| MSI | 13.1% | 12.8% |
| LG Electronics | 12.6% | 8.4% |
| Dell | 9.9% | Not in top five |
| AOC | Not in top five | 8.6% |
Burn-in and the fine print
OLED’s known weak point is image retention from static content such as taskbars and game HUDs. Makers now build in mitigation: Samsung says its OLED Safeguard+ technology uses a dynamic cooling system to protect the screen from image retention, while noting that feature availability varies by model.
Protection features and warranty terms are not uniform across brands, or even within one brand’s lineup. Before buying, read the warranty page for the exact model and confirm whether burn-in is covered, for how long, and whether the maker expects its panel-care routines to stay enabled.
- Match the panel to your use: long desktop sessions with static windows are a harder case for OLED than games and video.
- Check the warranty for explicit burn-in coverage on the model number you are buying.
- Leave the maker’s panel-care features, such as pixel refresh, switched on unless the manual says otherwise.
Treat burn-in coverage as part of the price.
Who should buy now
The case is strongest for a PC gamer on a 1440p setup who plays mostly games and video, can use a 27-inch screen, and has a graphics card that can drive high frame rates. That is the format with the most models, the most competition and the lowest entry prices.
The case is weaker for someone who spends most of the day in spreadsheets or code, or who needs the lowest price per inch. PC hardware prices are rising overall: the BLS index for computers, peripherals and smart home assistants was 8.4% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier. In our read, waiting for OLED monitors to get much cheaper is not a safe assumption in that environment, even with more panel supply.
What to watch next
- TrendForce’s third-quarter 2026 OLED monitor shipment figures, and whether year-over-year growth stays near 100%
- Holiday pricing on 27-inch QHD OLED models as more brands compete in the segment
- Burn-in warranty terms on new models from ASUS, Samsung, MSI and LG
Where to start
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OLED monitor formats compared on the things that differ
| Product type | Good fit for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| 27-inch QHD OLED gaming monitor | Fits 1440p gamers on a mainstream GPU | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| 34-inch ultrawide OLED gaming monitor | Fits racing, flight and other immersive games | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor | Fits 4K gaming and sharp text | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
Product types that fit the trend described above, not tested models. Check the exact listing before you buy. How we pick them.
27-inch QHD OLED gaming monitor
Where to look: Amazon
TrendForce calls 27-inch QHD the dominant OLED monitor segment. Start here unless you need 4K or an ultrawide.
- Most models and competition
- Aggressively priced entry models
- Less sharp text than 4K
- Burn-in terms vary by model
34-inch ultrawide OLED gaming monitor
Where to look: Amazon
TrendForce said ultrawides made up 40% of LG’s OLED monitor shipments in 1Q26. Confirm your games support the aspect ratio.
- Wide field of view
- Established format at LG
- Needs more GPU power than 1440p
- Not every game supports ultrawide
32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor
Where to look: Amazon
Samsung launched its 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SH, 4K 240Hz) at $1,299.99 in May 2026. Most useful for a screen split between work and play.
- Sharper text for work
- 4K at 240Hz on current models
- Highest prices in the category
- Needs a high-end GPU for high frame rates
More: Gaming and Entertainment trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.
Sources
- Global shipments of OLED monitors surge 92% in 2025 — TrendForce
- Global OLED monitor shipments rose by 78% YoY for 1Q26 — TrendForce
- Global OLED monitor shipments grew 26.1% QoQ in 2Q26 — TrendForce
- Gaming demand to drive 86% YoY growth in OLED monitor shipments in 2025 — TrendForce
- Global OLED monitor shipments surge 65% YoY in 3Q25 — TrendForce
- Steam Hardware and Software Survey, August 2026 — Valve
- Samsung Launches World’s First 500Hz OLED Gaming Monitor and New Odyssey G7 Lineup, Aug. 12, 2025 — Samsung Newsroom US
- Samsung launches next-gen Odyssey, ViewFinity, MovingStyle and Essential monitors, May 19, 2026 — Samsung Newsroom US
- OLED monitors and OLED Safeguard+ — Samsung US
- CPI: Computers, peripherals, and smart home assistants, 12-month change — Bureau of Labor Statistics
Questions readers ask
Are OLED gaming monitors selling well in 2026?
Yes. TrendForce counted OLED monitor shipments up 78% year over year in 1Q26 and 98% in 2Q26, after 2.735 million units and 92% growth in 2025.
What size OLED gaming monitor is most popular?
The 27-inch QHD format. TrendForce called it the dominant segment in 2Q26, and 21.86% of Steam users ran a 2560×1440 primary display in the August 2026 survey.
How much does a 27-inch OLED gaming monitor cost?
Launch prices vary widely. Samsung launched its 500Hz 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 at $999.99 in August 2025 and priced its 2026 27-inch 4K 240Hz Odyssey OLED G8 at $1,099.99 in May 2026. Store and retailer prices change often, so compare current listings.
Do OLED monitors still get burn-in?
Burn-in remains a risk with static content, which is why makers add mitigation such as Samsung’s OLED Safeguard+. Samsung notes that features vary by model, so check the warranty for burn-in coverage on the exact model.
