Gaming Monitor Demand to Slow Growth in 2025, but OLED Models Won’t Notice

In 2025, the gaming monitor market, which includes models with refresh rates above 144 Hz, will slow down. According to TrendForce, shipments of LCD panels in this segment will increase by only 5%, reaching 34 million units, compared to 32.42 million in 2024. At the same time, OLED panels will show growth of 40%, but the technology’s cost reduction will slow down.

Image source: Alex Abazis / Unsplash

The main factors of the slowdown are the lack of significant demand drivers and the decrease in profitability of mass models. If in previous years the market was stimulated by the development of eSports and the release of expected gaming projects, then in 2025 such events are not expected, which will weaken consumer activity. In 2024, the main factor in the growth of the LCD gaming panel market was the strengthening of the positions of Chinese manufacturers.

HKC, CSOT, and BOE have all increased shipments to boost profitability, taking advantage of the surge in demand for gaming monitors: HKC increased shipments by 50%, CSOT by 40%, and BOE by more than 20%. The launch of Black Myth: Wukong in late 2024 has also helped, driving sales, especially in the Chinese market. However, no such growth catalysts are expected in 2025, leading to a slowdown in shipments and a change in strategy for LCD gaming panel makers.

LCD gaming panel shipments are growing at a much slower pace, with growth slowing to 12% in 2024 after 49% in 2023 and expected to be 5% in 2025. Image source: TrendFor

Intense price competition remains a major issue in the LCD gaming panel market. 165Hz models, which dominate the mass market, are losing profitability due to constant price cuts. This is forcing manufacturers to gradually reduce the production of such models to minimize financial risks. Unlike its competitors, HKC continues to aggressively expand its market presence and increase its share, while other companies prefer a more cautious approach to supply, fearing demand instability.

In contrast to the LCD segment, the OLED gaming monitor market showed rapid growth in 2024, with global shipments increasing by 132% compared to 2023. The main reason was the mass production of 27-inch and 31.5-inch OLED gaming panels, which did not begin until late 2023. Thus, in 2024, the market was still in its early stages, and the sharp growth was driven by active supply expansion. An additional factor was Samsung Display’s (SDC) strategy of deliberately reducing prices, stimulating demand and increasing supply volumes.

OLED gaming panel shipments grew rapidly in 2023–2024 (312% and 132%, respectively), but growth is expected to slow to 40% in 2025. Image source: TrendForce

Despite rapid development, in 2025 the OLED gaming panel market will enter a phase of stable growth, and the rate of increase in supplies will decrease to 40%. Manufacturers will focus on maintaining the premium positioning of OLED technology, which will lead to a slowdown in the rate of price reduction. Unlike the LCD segment, where competition forces companies to reduce margins, in the OLED category, manufacturers strive to maintain high profitability by adhering to a conservative pricing strategy.