LG is planning to launch its smallest-ever consumer OLED panel — measuring just 20 inches — by the end of 2022.

That was the word from LG Display vice president Kang Won-seok during a recent forum hosted by the Korea Display Industry Association, South Korean tech news site The Elec reports.

The smaller OLED panel is intended for consumer monitors like those used in gaming.

Kang said for panels in this specialised segment, the company was prioritising fast response times and was developing a curve-adjustable OLED technology.

That would allow gamers to change the curvature of the screen to their specific preference or when playing different types of games.

For example, a curved screen might be preferred for better immersion in first-person multiplayer shooters, but can make the image look distorted in high-fidelity story-driven single-player games that emphasise visuals.

Kang added that LG’s white OLED tech was the only display type that could be curved, as it only uses one substrate.

As The Elec pointed out, this was an apparent jab at Samsung’s newer QD-OLED tech, which uses two glass substrates.

LG has been making small OLEDs for other devices for several years, including watches, laptops, and smartphones.

But its smallest TV with an OLED panel is the 42-inch LG C2.

While it might make for a great size for console gamers who tend to play sitting on a couch a few metres away, it is too big for PC gamers that typically sit at a desk a few centimetres away from their monitor.

It also has a relatively high input lag of 13ms compared to the sub-5ms available on many high-end gaming monitors. That makes it less than ideal for competitive, fast-paced gaming.

Ars Technica said Kang’s statement that the panel would be ready by the end of the year likely means LG will make it available to monitor manufacturers by that time.

Therefore, it could still be months into 2023 before the first OLED monitors hit store shelves.

OLED panels could substantially improve the colour depth and contrast on gaming monitors.

Most of today’s popular gaming monitors use LCD panels with LED backlighting — older technology susceptible to backlight bleed and offers comparatively low contrast ratios.

In addition, only a few monitors can deliver fully-fledged High Dynamic Range, a  key feature of bright OLED panels.

computer monitor curved monitor gaming monitors Kang Won-seok LG LG Display OLED pc gaming

Comments section policy: MyBroadband has a new article comments policy which aims to encourage constructive discussions. To get your comments published, make sure it is civil and adds value to the discussion.

Which printer brand do you use at home?