I clearly recall purchasing my first OLED TV, an LG E8 55-inch model, back in 2019 just before the world went into lockdown. Let me be honest: it was the perfect companion for that period of isolation. At the time, I didn't fully grasp what OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology entailed. I understood that, unlike LCD screens with a backlight, OLED uses self-emitting pixels to achieve infinite contrast. But it wasn't until I dove into the vibrant world of Final Fantasy XV and traversed the scarred landscapes of The Last of Us Part II that the realization struck. This was what it felt like to experience a nostalgic, fever-dream memory in real-time. Naturally, my journey didn't end with the E8.
A few years later, I upgraded to a 65-inch LG C2 TV. Since then, I've reviewed numerous devices with OLED displays and learned a crucial fact: not all OLED screens are the same. In reality, they don't even all use the same underlying technology. You might be asking, "Just how many types of OLED are there?" The answer is, quite a few. But for most consumers, only three truly matter: WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED.
WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED: Understanding How They Work
OLED technology has existed for decades, with companies from Kodak to Mitsubishi exploring different iterations. It wasn't until LG launched its OLED TVs in the early 2010s that the technology truly entered the mainstream.
LG's specific implementation is called WOLED (White OLED). The company doesn't typically use this term in marketing, preferring to position itself as synonymous with OLED itself. But what exactly is WOLED? As mentioned, OLED eliminates the need for a backlight by using self-lit pixels, delivering infinite contrast and vibrant colors. A core challenge, however, is that the organic compounds in red, green, and blue emitters degrade at different rates. This differential aging accelerates the potential for permanent image retention, commonly known as burn-in.
WOLED addresses this by employing a pure white OLED layer combined with an RGBW color filter. Imagine all those self-emitting pixels—they are no longer individually colored but are instead white. This light then passes through the color filters. However, this approach has drawbacks. Shining a light through a color filter inevitably results in some brightness loss. This can lead to imbalanced brightness levels and reduced color volume. (Higher-end WOLED models attempt to mitigate this with Micro Lens Array technology, which places thousands of tiny lenses over each pixel to focus and maximize light output.)
A newer solution emerged in 2022: QD-OLED (Quantum Dot OLED), pioneered by Samsung. QD-OLED replaces the white OLED layer with a blue one. This blue light then strikes a layer of quantum dot color converters. Unlike a traditional filter, quantum dots absorb the light and re-emit it at specific colors. This process is more efficient, converting the blue light into red or green with minimal loss, preserving brightness and color purity.
AMOLED occupies its own niche. It is structurally similar to WOLED but incorporates a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer for more precise control over each pixel's electrical charge. This allows for faster pixel response times, which is crucial for smooth motion. However, this often comes at the cost of slightly elevating black levels, slightly diminishing the "infinite" contrast that is a hallmark of other OLED types.
WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED: Which Is Superior for Gaming?
Choosing the right OLED technology for gaming depends on your specific environment and preferences. For a straightforward answer: QD-OLED generally offers the best performance. However, there are scenarios where WOLED is preferable, and others where AMOLED is your only option.
Let's start with AMOLED, given its unique position. AMOLED panels are predominantly found in smartphones and laptops, rarely in TVs due to higher costs. The technology is physically flexible (used in foldable devices), adaptable to various screen sizes, and offers high refresh rates with excellent viewing angles. For smaller devices, you often don't get to choose the OLED type—the display is just one component of the overall design. (Ironically, despite being designed for portable use, AMOLED screens can struggle with visibility in direct sunlight due to lower peak brightness.)
For dedicated gaming monitors and TVs, the choice is typically between WOLED (often marketed simply as OLED) and QD-OLED. WOLED panels can achieve extremely high brightness levels, but this peak brightness is primarily in white highlights. As noted, the RGBW color filter absorbs some light, resulting in reduced brightness for colored objects. Consequently, QD-OLED displays generally provide a brighter overall image with more saturated colors, thanks to the more efficient quantum dot layer.
But let's revisit the white OLED layer in WOLED. My own OLED TV is in a living room opposite windows, dealing with significant glare. Yet, the dark areas of the screen remain a deep, convincing black. My QD-OLED monitor on my desk, however, does not maintain the same black level under glare; it exhibits a subtle purplish tint. This is because, to boost brightness, Samsung removed a polarizing layer from QD-OLED displays that traditionally helps mitigate reflections.
In terms of pure color vibrancy and peak brightness, QD-OLED displays have a technical advantage. However, in a brightly lit or reflective room, WOLED screens are far less prone to distracting glare. It's important to note this is a generalization. Actual display quality is heavily influenced by specific panel specifications and manufacturer tuning. Ultimately, budget plays a key role—as a general rule, spending more typically yields a better-looking picture.
That said, the choice between QD-OLED and WOLED may not be the final word for long.
The Future of OLED Is PHOLED
Several OLED variations exist. One promising type is PHOLED (Phosphorescent OLED), which utilizes phosphorescent—rather than fluorescent—materials to convert electrical energy into light. The historical challenge has been that the blue phosphorescent emitter has a much shorter operational lifespan compared to red and green, which made full-color PHOLED panels commercially unviable.
However, LG recently announced a breakthrough in blue PHOLED durability and is preparing for mass production. LG brands this technology "Dream OLED" because phosphorescence can achieve near 100% internal luminous efficiency, vastly superior to the ~25% efficiency of fluorescent materials. This means a future PHOLED TV would be significantly brighter while consuming less power.
Unfortunately, PHOLED televisions won't be arriving imminently. Consumers will likely get their first look at this technology in smartphones and tablets before it scales to larger screens.
