QD-OLED Generations Infographic and FAQ

Introduction

We get a lot of questions about QD-OLED panels – which generation panel does x monitor use? When can we expect to see a new panel of x size? To answer these common questions we’ve written a short guide and FAQ here, and provided a handy infographic so you can cross-refer any QD-OLED monitor you might buy with the associated panel from Samsung Display to figure out which generation it is.

QD-OLED Monitor Panel Generations Infographic

Here’s our handy infographic reference table showing all of the QD-OLED monitor panels produced to date. You can cross refer the spec of any QD-OLED monitor with this table to figure out which generation panel is being used. Just check the size, resolution and refresh rate and you should be able to work out which panel generation is used.

Over the years the technologies and features of these panels have changed as generations have progressed. You can find a lot more info about the different generations and their features and benefits in our detailed article here. Please note that the generation naming scheme has been dropped by Samsung Display as of this year (2025) and so “Gen 4” is our naming scheme for this year’s panels. These are fundamentally different to last year’s Gen 3 and so we feel the distinction still works well.

FAQ

This display manufacturer says their screen is a different generation to what you have listed?

One of the most important things to note here is that we are referring to the generations of QD-OLED panels produced by Samsung Display. This is Samsung Display, the panel manufacturer, as opposed to Samsung Electronics the TV/monitor manufacturer. Samsung Display produce ALL the QD-OLED technology monitor panels, and those are used widely across the monitor market by loads of different display manufacturers like MSI, Asus, Gigabyte, AOC, Samsung Electronics and others.

You may sometimes see those display manufacturers refer to a generation on their website, and this doesn’t always line up with the generations of panels we’ve listed here. This can get really confusing if this happens, but sometimes those display manufacturers are referring to their monitor generations, not the generation of the panel they’re using. For instance you may see a display manufacturer release different monitors using the exact same panel in consecutive years, labelling them as different generations of their monitors, despite the fact that the underlying panel they’re using is the same and therefore from the same generation.

Is there a 32″ sized Gen 4 QD-OLED panel?

At the moment there is only a single 32″ (well, 31.5″ to be precise) QD-OLED panel being produced which is from Samsung Display’s 3rd generation from 2024. There is NO newer 4th Gen panel of this size at this time, and so all 32″ QD-OLED monitors you can find will be using this same underlying Gen 3 panel. See the above FAQ point if you see any display manufacturer referring to any other generation.

Are all the 34″ ultrawide QD-OLED panels Gen 1?

No. While the sub-pixel layout has remained unchanged (still with a “diamond shape” since the original 2022 panel was produced), there’s been two different generations of their 34″ ultrawide QD-OLED panel so far. The first Gen 1 panel was produced in 2022 and offers a 175Hz max refresh rate, being used in a wide range of monitors launched in the early days of OLED monitors (e.g. the Dell Alienware AW3423DW was the first to market).

In 2024 Samsung Display updated the 34″ panel to offer a higher 240Hz refresh rate, but also importantly this was part of their 2nd Generation. This included an updated EL 2.0 material and other features that should help improve longevity and make the panel more robust. The sub-pixel shape remained the same though which often causes confusion with the original Gen 1 panel. You can read more about the changes in technologies in our article here, but as well as the higher refresh rate this 2024 panel did provide an update from Gen 1 to Gen 2 technologies.

When can we expect a newer 34″ ultrawide panel refresh?

What if you want a newer 34″ panel though? We know that Samsung Display are planning to develop a new 34″ ultrawide panel with a 3440 x 1440 resolution, 1800R curvature and an increased 360Hz refresh rate. This should feature their latest EL 3.0 material as well, and would therefore make it a Gen 4 panel in theory, or perhaps newer if other changes are made by the time it’s produced.

We can’t share further details at this time, but we are expecting some further positive changes and updates with the new panel as well. Take that as a teaser for now but we’re definitely excited for this new panel. Timelines are not firm at this stage and there’s no word yet on any monitor releases using this new panel, but hopefully we will see more news, specs and information towards the end of 2025 on this. As soon as we have anything further we can share publicly with you all, we will.

You can find more information and demos of this future 34″ ultrawide QD-OLED panel in our video here.

Are 5K2K resolution QD-OLED panels being produced?

Nothing has been announced or mentioned at this time from Samsung Display. We know LG.Display are producing a range of ultrawide panels in various sizes with this 5120 x 2160 resolution, so hopefully in time we will see Samsung Display offer something from their QD-OLED technology too. At the moment they only produce 34″ ultrawide and 49″ super ultrawide panels of this technology, so it remains to be seen whether they explore any additional ultrawide sizes like 38″, 39″ or 45″ for instance.

Our best estimate for a higher resolution ultrawide QD-OLED panel would be a 34″ panel at some point, as they’ve already proved they can produce panels with the required pixel density (~163 PPI) and beyond. There is no firm information at this stage, but we would be surprised to see any other ultrawide sizes explored at this time.

When are higher pixel density 5K panels coming?

We know that Samsung Display have an upcoming 27” 5K resolution (5120 x 2880) panel planned for the future with a super high ~220 PPI pixel density and a 120Hz refresh rate. This will be a 4^th Generation QD-OLED panel (or newer if things change by the time it’s produced), using the company’s latest EL 3.0 material which offers improvements in brightness and efficiency.

The prototype panel was on show at Computex 2025 next to this year’s 27” 4K panel, and while that already has a very sharp and detailed image, the 5K panel does offer something even better. It looked crisper and more true to life, while also being visibly brighter thanks to the newer gen panel and enhanced brightness capabilities. This panel will fit well with MacOS thanks to its 5K resolution and retina-ready pixel density.

Despite some initial reports at CES around timelines, Samsung Display told us that it’s only in development stage at the moment and there are currently no firm timescales at all. More news of course as and when we get it.

What about other panel sizes?

What about other panel sizes such as 24″ for competitive and esports gaming? Or unusual but popular LCD sizes like 38″ 24:10 aspect ratios? We’ve not had any information from either Samsung Display or LG.Display about any OLED panels of these sizes at this time, but we have fed back to various display manufacturers where we see demand and potential market gaps, and we know they have in turn been discussing these requirements with the panel manufacturers. Hopefully we will see further variety in the future, and a lot has changed in the short 3 years OLED monitors have been around already.

Will Samsung Display fix the issues with raised blacks that affect QD-OLED panels?

This is a long-standing challenge with QD-OLED panels and something we explored in detail in our article here. We have talked with Samsung Display on several occasions about this challenge, they’re certainly aware of it and are actively exploring solutions and improvements. No firm info at this time, but we will provide updates as and when we hear more.

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