OLED displays with up to five times better lifespan may be on their way sooner than you think, thanks to a manufacturing breakthrough

HardwareGaming MonitorsOLED displays with up to five times better lifespan may be on their way sooner than you think, thanks to a manufacturing breakthroughWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 G93SC

OLED gaming monitors in the very near future could well be substantially better than those in current use, if the claims of a display manufacturer are to be believed. Applied Materials' new manufacturing process, called MAX OLED, is purported to result in up to three times more brightness and a lifespan five times better than current production methods.

Apart from their high prices, there are a couple of things that have always put me off getting an OLED monitor. First of all, they’re not very bright compared to a decent IPS display and while that’s fine in a darkened gaming den, it’s less convenient in a bright office.

Secondly, there’s the ever-present worry over pixel burn-in. However, according toApplied Materials' press release(viaFlatpanelsHD), these could be things of the past if the likes of Samsung and LG adopt its new manufacturing process, called MAX OLED.

Rather than using masks to mark out where the OLED materials get deposited on the glass substrate, the primary base for the display panel, Applied is using a proprietary system to place individual red, green, and blue pixels as required. The upshot is that the pixels themselves can be larger (thus emitting more light) and more tightly packed together (improving pixel density).

Samsung is apparently one of the first big companies to sign up for MAX OLED so there’s a good chance that we’ll see gaming monitors, using panels made via the new process, quite soon.

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While I suspect that none of this is cheap to buy and thus the price of the resulting display will be fearsomely expensive, I am encouraged that genuine progress is being made at making OLED displays brighter and longer-lasting. Now I just need a MAX CASH production system for my bank account so I can save up to buy one, when they eventually come to light.

Best gaming monitor: Pixel-perfect panels.Best high refresh rate monitor: Screaming quick.Best 4K monitor for gaming: High-res only.Best 4K TV for gaming: Big-screen 4K PC gaming.

Best gaming monitorBest high refresh rate monitorBest 4K monitor for gamingBest 4K TV for gaming

Best gaming monitor: Pixel-perfect panels.Best high refresh rate monitor: Screaming quick.Best 4K monitor for gaming: High-res only.Best 4K TV for gaming: Big-screen 4K PC gaming.

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