TCL is prepping 700Hz OLED gaming monitor panels for 2028
TCL is reportedly aiming to challenge LG and Samsung in the OLED gaming monitor market. Research firm Omdia indicates that the company is working on 32-inch and 34-inch OLED panels capable of reaching an impressive 700Hz refresh rate. Production is expected to commence in 2028 at TCL's upcoming Gen 8.6 facility in Guangzhou, China.
Inkjet printing vs. Vacuum Thermal Evaporation
A major technical shift in TCL's strategy is the manufacturing method. While LG Display and Samsung Display primarily utilize Vacuum Thermal Evaporation (VTE), TCL is focusing on inkjet printing technology. This process involves spraying organic materials onto the panel, much like a standard paper printer.
This method is expected to significantly impact production costs. Omdia data suggests that inkjet printing could offer 30–35% cost savings compared to conventional fine metal mask (FMM) OLEDs. Furthermore, TCL claims a material utilization rate exceeding 90%, which helps reduce organic material waste during the manufacturing process.
Performance and Resolution Ambiguities
A 700Hz refresh rate would result in a frame latency of approximately 1.43ms. To put this in perspective, a standard 120fps signal renders a new frame every 8ms. Such speeds would allow competitive gamers to fully leverage the near-instantaneous pixel response times of OLED technology (0.03ms).
However, the specific resolution at which this 700Hz rate will be available remains unconfirmed. Previous industry examples show that extreme refresh rates often require significant resolution scaling (such as dropping to 720p). Additionally, it is unclear whether these panels will adopt an RGB Stripe subpixel layout, which is essential for eliminating color fringing and improving text clarity compared to standard layouts.
The broader OLED market is seeing rapid expansion, with Omdia forecasting 7.5 million panels in 2027. As manufacturing costs decrease, experts anticipate that mainstream OLED monitors could approach the $300 price point by 2027, potentially making them the standard choice for gamers.
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