Acer has just launched two new QD-OLED gaming monitors, including one that uses Samsung Display’s all-new 32-inch 4K 240Hz panel.
The Acer Predator X32 X2 (pictured) and the Predator X27U X1 will go on sale in Europe in the summer, and are the first new QD-OLED gaming monitors to officially launch this year. As such, it's looking likely Samsung Display will beat its rival LG Display in bringing its new panels to market first.
We’re expecting to see the first WOLED gaming monitors that use the new Primary RGB Tandem panel launch this year too, but so far there have not seen any official launch announcements.
The Acer Predator X32 X2 features Samsung Display’s 32-inch QD-OLED panel and offers 4K resolution with a 240Hz refresh rate and 16:9 aspect ratio, plus support for HDR.
Meanwhile the Acer Predator X27U X1 (below) is a more affordable offering, featuring a 27-inch QD-OLED panel with 1440p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. Both products come with multiple HDMI 2.1 ports and DisplayPort 1.4 connections, and feature an "ergonomic" design that allows them to be tilted and swiveled around, with the height adjusted to the user’s heart’s content, allowing them to get everything just right.
In addition, Acer said the new monitors feature BlueLightShield Pro technology to help prevent eye fatigue that often occurs during marathon gaming sessions. There’s also Picture-in-Picture functionality, enabling gamers to multitask, increasing the versatility of the displays.
Acer said the Predator X32 X2 will cost around 1,199 euros (around £1,003) when it launches in Europe in August, while the Predator X27U X1 will cost around 699 euros (£585) when it goes on sale in June.
Although we still have to wait a while, there’s reason to think Acer’s new monitors might be best-sellers this year, for in related news, Samsung Display has said it’s planning to ramp up production of its QD-OLED monitor panels this year.
With Omdia predicting OLED monitor sales to rise 35% this year, Samsung Display is determined to carve out an even bigger piece of that market, and will increase production by 50%, it said last week.
Samsung Display already has a commanding lead in the OLED monitor industry, with a 71.2% market share, according to Omdia. LG Display’s WOLED panels account for the rest. Both companies supply their panels to Asus, Acer, Dell, MSI and others brands, and their parent companies Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics also sell their own OLED monitors.
It’s not surprising that Samsung Display wants to step things up, for the transition from LCD to OLED monitors has been accelerating in recent years. The company has quit making LCD panels altogether, as the newer technology provides some major improvements, in terms of both picture quality and speed.
This year, Samsung is planning to launch its first 500Hz QD-OLED monitor panel, which is set to be mass produced starting in the first half of the year. In addition, it’s also going to expand beyond the gaming niche, producing lower-cost QD-OLED monitor panels that will be used for media, work and design-related applications. It will also launch more affordable QD-OLED panels for mid-to-low range price monitors.
