When I purchased my first OLED TV, the LG E8 55-inch model back in 2019, right before the global lockdown, I had no idea it would become my perfect companion for isolation. Initially, my understanding of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology was superficial. I knew it used self-lit pixels, unlike the backlit LCD displays, which promised infinite contrast. But it was while immersing myself in the visually stunning worlds of Final Fantasy XV and The Last of Us Part II that the true potential of OLED hit me. It felt like living through a nostalgic fever dream in real time. Naturally, my journey with OLED didn't stop with the E8.

A few years later, I upgraded to the LG C2 65-inch TV, and since then, I've reviewed numerous devices equipped with OLED displays. It's become clear that not all OLED screens are the same. In fact, the technology varies significantly across different types of OLED displays. You might be curious about how many types of OLED exist. While there are several, the three key types you should focus on are WOLED, QD-OLED, and AMOLED.

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

OLED technology has been around for decades, with various companies from Kodak to Mitsubishi experimenting with it. However, it wasn't until LG introduced its OLED TVs in the early 2010s that the technology became mainstream.

LG's version of OLED is known as WOLED (White OLED). The company doesn't explicitly market it as such because LG positions itself as the leader in OLED technology. But what exactly is WOLED? As mentioned, OLED eliminates the need for a backlight by using self-lit pixels, resulting in infinite contrast and vibrant colors. However, the compounds used in red, green, and blue emitters degrade at different rates, accelerating the risk of burn-in.

WOLED addresses this by using a pure white OLED layer with an RGBW color filter. Instead of individual red, green, and blue pixels, you have white pixels filtered through RGBW. This approach, however, introduces its own challenges. Imagine shining a spotlight through various color filters; some colors will appear brighter than others, leading to imbalanced brightness and reduced color volume. Higher-end WOLED models attempt to mitigate this with Micro Lens Array technology, which enhances light focus through thousands of microlenses per pixel.

In 2022, Samsung introduced QD-OLED (Quantum Dot OLED), a promising alternative. QD-OLED uses a blue OLED layer instead of white, which then interacts with quantum dot color converters. Unlike the RGBW filter, quantum dots absorb light and convert it into red or green without losing the backlight's intensity.

AMOLED stands in its own category, similar to WOLED but with a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer that controls pixel charge, allowing for faster pixel activation. This comes at the expense of OLED's renowned "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 recommendation, QD-OLED is generally the best option. 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. Due to its cost, you won't often find AMOLED in TVs. AMOLED is flexible, making it ideal for foldable devices, and offers high refresh rates and excellent viewing angles. However, it struggles in direct sunlight due to lower peak brightness, which is ironic given its prevalence in mobile devices.

For gaming monitors and TVs, you typically choose between WOLED (often just marketed as OLED) and QD-OLED. WOLED can achieve high brightness levels, but this is mostly limited to whites because the RGBW filter causes a loss of brightness across other colors. Conversely, QD-OLED provides brighter overall visuals and more vibrant colors since quantum dots absorb rather than filter light.

In my living room, where my OLED TV faces windows and thus experiences glare, the darkest parts of the screen still appear black. However, my QD-OLED monitor on my desk does not achieve the same effect against glare, showing a purplish tint instead. This is due to Samsung's decision to remove the polarizing layer from QD-OLED displays to increase brightness, which unfortunately increases reflections.

While QD-OLED technically offers superior color and brightness, WOLED is less distracting in highly reflective environments. Remember, though, that display quality ultimately depends on specifications. Generally, higher-priced models will offer better visual performance.

However, WOLED and QD-OLED might not be the only options for long.

The Future of OLED Is PHOLED

There are various types of OLED, including PHOLED (Phosphorescent OLED), which uses phosphorescent materials to convert energy into light more efficiently than fluorescent materials. The challenge with PHOLED has been the significantly shorter lifespan of its blue component compared to green and red, making the technology less viable for long-term use.

Recently, LG announced a breakthrough in overcoming the blue PHOLED challenge, paving the way for mass production. LG refers to PHOLED as "Dream OLED" due to its 100% luminous efficiency, which is four times that of fluorescent technology. This means PHOLED TVs will be brighter and consume less power.

While we won't see PHOLED in TVs for a while, we can expect to see this technology in smartphones and tablets in the near future.