I’m calling it: 2024 is going to be a big year for QD-OLED

There's little doubt that 2023 was the year that AI tech burst into the mainstream but I've got an inkling that 2024 might see QD-OLED monitors get a similar sort of glow-up.

At this point, there's one very safe prediction you can make about CES in Las Vegas. There's going to be a LOT of products that either integrate or feature some sort of generative AI. LLMs like ChatGPT took off in a big way over the last twelve months and there is no shortage of businesses looking to take advantage of that trend.

Look past that smokescreen of hype, and you'll probably see a lot of QD-OLED monitors. These high-end displays might not match Apple's Studio Display pixel-for-pixel but they are a lot cheaper. It's a mouthful of an acronym but QD-OLED monitors are exactly what they sound like. You get both the brightness benefits of the same Quantum Dots found in the likes of Samsung QLED TVs and the crisper contrasts seen in LG OLED ones and you get it in a form-factor factor that's a little less living room and more designed for a desktop.

If you're looking for a sign of what to expect, look no further than the new MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED monitor.  This one features a 49-inch OLED curved screen with a 32:9 aspect ratio and DQHD resolution. Past those picture specs, the display also boasts a 0.03ms GtG response time, 144Hz refresh rate and a VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification.

The above is far from the first or only QD-OLED gaming monitor around, but expect it to be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to CES 2024. Back in December 2023, Samsung started talking up its upcoming slate of QD-OLED gaming monitors and with the biggest week in consumer electronics just a week away it's only a matter of time before more brands start to do the same.

The biggest names in the PC and gaming monitor space tend to move as a pack when it comes to adopting technologies like QD-OLED, so Alienware's days as the go-to for the glitziest gaming monitors are probably numbered. If that increased competition eventuates, it probably means cheaper and better prices for consumers.

The QD-OLED monitors of last year were still aimed firmly at early adopters, but this year's crop is primed to appeal to a much wider audience. Even if 2024 might not be the year everyone buys a QD-OLED monitor, it's probably going to be the year that more and more consumers and businesses start to seriously consider it.