I vividly remember purchasing my first OLED TV, the LG E8 55 inch, back in 2019, just before the world went into lockdown. It turned out to be the perfect companion for isolation. Initially, I wasn't fully aware of the wonders of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology. I knew it used self-lit pixels instead of a backlight like LCD displays, which results in infinite contrast. But after immersing myself in the stunning visuals of Final Fantasy XV and navigating through the dark, gritty landscapes of The Last of Us Part II, I experienced a nostalgic, dream-like immersion in real-time. Naturally, I didn't stop at the E8.

A few years later, I upgraded to the LG C2 65-inch TV. Since then, I've reviewed numerous devices with OLED displays and discovered that not all OLED screens are created equal. In fact, not all OLED displays use the same technology. You might be curious about the types of OLEDs out there. While there are many, you should focus on three key types: WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED.

WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED: How They Work

OLED technology has been around for decades, with companies like Kodak and Mitsubishi experimenting with various iterations. It wasn't until LG introduced its OLED TVs in the early 2010s that the technology gained mainstream popularity.

LG's version of OLED is called WOLED (White OLED). Although LG doesn't use this term in its marketing, preferring to brand itself as synonymous with OLED, WOLED uses a pure white OLED layer with an RGBW color filter. This approach mitigates the issue of burn-in, which occurs due to the different deterioration rates of red, green, and blue emitters. However, this method has its own drawbacks, such as imbalanced brightness and reduced color volume. Higher-end WOLEDs attempt to address this with Micro Lens Array technology, which uses thousands of microlenses on a single pixel to focus light.

In 2022, Samsung introduced QD-OLED (Quantum Dot OLED), which replaces the white OLED layer with a blue one that hits a layer of quantum dot color convertors. Unlike the RGBW filter, quantum dots absorb light, converting blue into red or green without losing any backlight, resulting in more vibrant colors and brightness.

AMOLED stands in its own category, similar to WOLED but featuring a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer. This layer helps control the charge of each pixel, allowing for faster activation. However, this comes at the expense of OLED's iconic "infinite" contrast.

WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED: Which Is Better for Gaming?

Choosing the right OLED technology for gaming depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you're looking for a straightforward answer, QD-OLED is generally the best choice. However, there are scenarios where WOLED or AMOLED might be more suitable.

Let's start with AMOLED, which is primarily used in smartphones and laptops. These displays are less common in TVs due to their high cost. AMOLED offers flexibility, making it ideal for foldable devices, and it supports high refresh rates and better viewing angles. However, AMOLED displays struggle in direct sunlight due to lower peak brightness.

For gaming monitors and TVs, you have the option of WOLED (marketed simply as OLED) or QD-OLED. WOLED can achieve high brightness, particularly with whites, but loses some brightness across its colors due to the RGBW filter. On the other hand, QD-OLED displays deliver overall brighter visuals and bolder colors because the quantum dots absorb rather than filter light.

In my living room setup, where my OLED TV faces windows, WOLED's ability to maintain true black levels despite glare is a significant advantage. In contrast, my QD-OLED monitor on my desk shows a purplish tint in similar conditions, as Samsung removed the polarizing layer to boost brightness, which can increase reflections.

While QD-OLED generally offers superior color and brightness, WOLED can be less distracting in highly reflective environments. Remember, however, that the actual quality of these displays depends on their specifications. As a rule, the more you invest, the better the visual experience you can expect.

However, QD-OLED and WOLED may not be the only options for much longer.

The Future of OLED Is PHOLED

There are various types of OLED technologies, including PHOLED (Phosphorescent OLED), which uses phosphorescent materials instead of fluorescent ones to convert energy to light. The challenge with PHOLED is that the blue component has a significantly shorter lifespan than green and red, rendering the panel nearly unusable.

Recently, LG announced a breakthrough in blue PHOLED technology, paving the way for mass production. LG refers to PHOLED as "Dream OLED" due to its 100% luminous efficiency, far surpassing the 25% efficiency of fluorescence. This means PHOLED TVs will be brighter and more energy-efficient.

Although PHOLED displays won't be available in TVs for some time, we'll likely see them in smartphones and tablets sooner rather than later.