Samsung may finally bring OLED to the most popular esports size. Industry reports suggest the company is preparing a 24.5-inch (marketed as 25-inch) OLED gaming panel with a potential launch window in the first half of 2026, aiming squarely at players who prefer compact, fast 1080p displays.
Why this matters
– OLED has largely been limited to 27 inches and above, keeping prices high and leaving the beloved 24–25-inch segment to IPS, VA, and TN panels.
– A 25-inch OLED would blend the deep blacks and near-instant response of OLED with the sharper pixel density of 1080p on a smaller screen, a sweet spot for competitive play.
– Esports and budget-conscious gamers overwhelmingly favor 24–25 inches for cost, desk space, and clarity. A native OLED option in this size could be a game-changer.
What to expect if the rumors hold
– Size and resolution: 24.5 inches at 1920×1080, ideal for competitive titles where visibility and speed matter most.
– High refresh: Targets reportedly fall between 300 and 360 Hz, promising ultra-smooth motion without the price premium of bleeding-edge 500 Hz models.
– OLED advantages: Perfect blacks, sky-high contrast, superb motion clarity, and effectively instant pixel response—all in a form factor that fits more setups.
Price outlook
– The OLED market has been trending down in price, with many 1440p 240–360 Hz OLED monitors now hovering around the mid-$500 to mid-$600 range.
– If production scales and yields improve, a 25-inch 1080p OLED could realistically arrive around the $300–$400 mark over time, even if first-wave models land a bit higher.
A few caveats
– Timelines and specs can change. Until Samsung formally announces the panel, treat the release window and refresh-rate targets as provisional.
– While 500 Hz OLED displays exist at higher resolutions, they’re extremely expensive and impractical for most gamers’ hardware; a 1080p 300–360 Hz OLED strikes a smarter balance of speed, clarity, and cost.
Bottom line
A 25-inch OLED gaming monitor from Samsung would hit a long-requested sweet spot: esports-ready speed, OLED image quality, and a size that makes sense for 1080p. If the first-half-of-2026 launch window holds, competitive players and budget-minded enthusiasts could soon have a compelling new default for their next upgrade.
