Industry Recovery And Renewed Momentum

Global desktop monitor shipments reached 133.4 million units in 2025, according to a report from Omdia, marking a 4.3% year-on-year increase as the market continued recovering from post-pandemic disruptions. The latest figures also reflect changing consumer demand, with monitors increasingly positioned as high-value devices across both gaming and professional environments traditionally dominated by laptops.

The Ascendancy Of Gaming Monitors

Gaming monitors remained the main driver of market growth during 2025, with global shipments rising to 41 million units, representing annual growth of 50.2%. According to Omdia, the segment now accounts for 31.1% of the total desktop monitor market following eleven consecutive quarters of expansion. Hidetoshi Himuro said gaming monitors are expected to continue evolving alongside advances in CPUs, GPUs, and increasingly demanding gaming content. Himuro also noted that the launch of next-generation graphics hardware, including NVIDIA RTX50 Series, is expected to support further demand for high-refresh-rate displays.

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Technological Innovations And Market Projections

Industry projections indicate gaming monitor shipments could increase further to 43 million units in 2026 as manufacturers continue improving performance and cost efficiency. Demand is increasingly centred around displays offering refresh rates above 120Hz, while OLED-equipped monitors are gaining market share due to advances in display quality and response times. Companies, including Samsung and LG, continue expanding OLED offerings through technologies such as QD-OLED and WOLED.

Addressing Industry Challenges

Despite strong growth, premium OLED monitors remain relatively expensive because of high manufacturing costs, limiting accessibility for more price-sensitive consumers. The industry also continues addressing concerns related to OLED burn-in, even as display technologies improve through ongoing technical refinements. At the same time, semiconductor supply constraints and geopolitical tensions continue creating uncertainty around production timelines and pricing across the broader hardware sector.

Market Implications And The Future Of Display Technologies

Analysts additionally point to growing demand for dual-mode gaming monitors, which allow users to switch between high-resolution and high-refresh-rate settings depending on usage needs. Benjamin Tan said the continued expansion of esports is driving demand for performance-focused hardware, particularly monitors offering refresh rates between 240Hz and 360Hz alongside response times of 1ms or lower.

As manufacturers continue investing in premium display technologies, including Quantum Dot OLED, future market growth is expected to depend on both technological innovation and improving affordability for consumers. Lower pricing for high-specification 27-inch models is also expected to support broader adoption across the gaming monitor segment.