OLED Monitor shipments saw a 78% year-over-year increase in Q1 2026

It looks like OLED monitors are flying off shelves at a pace that would have seemed unthinkable just a couple of years ago. According to the latest research from global market intelligence firm TrendForce, global OLED monitor shipments soared 78% year over year in Q1 2026. That said, shipments dipped 11% on a quarter-over-quarter basis compared to Q4 2025.

That drop is largely seasonal, and part of it is down to the aggressive promotional campaigns at the end of last year that pulled forward a chunk of demand. For context, full-year 2025 OLED monitor shipments already posted a 92% year-over-year increase, with roughly 2.7 million units shipped globally.

So what is actually fueling this kind of growth? A few things have clicked into place at the same time. Burn-in concerns that kept many gamers on the sidelines have largely faded after real-world durability tests have proven modern OLED panels can take a beating. Prices have also come down significantly, and the 27-inch QHD format running at 240Hz is now the sweet spot that checks all the boxes for gaming performance and value.

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A huge part of the supply-side story is QD-OLED. Quantum Dot OLED panels layer a quantum dot film over an organic LED base to significantly boost brightness and color volume compared to standard WOLED panels. TrendForce identifies the increasingly abundant supply of QD-OLED panels as the key catalyst for Q1 2026 growth, as it has enabled newer market entrants to ramp up volumes and fill gaps that previously did not exist.

On the brand side, ASUS held the top position in Q1 2026 with a 24% market share. Its strength comes from a wide and well-differentiated product lineup, including a new 34-inch gaming monitor running at 360Hz and a 16-inch portable OLED launched in the first quarter. Samsung followed in second with 16.4%, backed by its own in-house QD-OLED panel supply and exclusive models like the 27-inch QHD 180Hz Odyssey.

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The third and fourth positions saw aggressive competition. MSI barely beat out AOC/Philips by just a fraction of a percent, landing at 12.2% versus 12.1%. MSI got there by expanding across commercial and gaming segments simultaneously, while AOC/Philips went hard on aggressively priced 27-inch QHD models to drive volume. LG rounded out the top five at 9.1%, with ultra-wide formats making up around 40% of its OLED shipments in the quarter.

Looking ahead, TrendForce had already projected another 51% jump in total OLED monitor shipments for 2026 before this Q1 data came in, and these numbers suggest that trajectory is well on track. Safe to say, if you are still gaming on an aging TN or VA panel, this is the time to make the jump to OLED.