Summary of Key Points
This news report focuses on the display panel industry and highlights three main aspects: First, the e-sports monitor market exhibits a divergent trend, with mature markets experiencing decline while emerging markets show growth, despite overall global sales remaining relatively stable. Second, the panel industry as a whole is facing challenges due to weak demand and declining shipments, with e-sports monitors serving as a relatively stable segment. Third, e-sports monitors have become a testing ground for new technologies such as high refresh rates and printed OLED displays, while other niche markets like TVs and in-vehicle displays also remain stable.
1. E-Sports Monitors: Mature Markets Cool Down, Emerging Markets Take Over Growth
In the first five months of this year, sales of e-sports monitors in China decreased by 12% year-on-year, but the penetration rate (the proportion of e-sports monitor users among all monitor users) increased, indicating that although fewer people are purchasing them in mature markets, the remaining users are more inclined to choose e-sports monitors. In contrast, emerging markets such as South America, Middle East and Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe saw sales increases of 28%, 13%, and 11%, respectively. The reason is simple: these regions are actively developing their e-sports industries, hosting competitions, and building dedicated venues, which naturally leads to an increased demand for professional displays. Overall, global e-sports monitor sales this year have been roughly the same as last year, showing stability.
2. The Panel Industry Under Pressure, with E-Sports Monitors Acting as a Stabilizer
The entire display panel industry is struggling this year. Market research firm Omdia has revised its forecast for global panel shipments from a 6% decline to a 12% decrease, and even the shipment area has shifted from a 1% increase to a 1% decrease, particularly for smartphone panels, which are expected to see a 12% reduction in shipments. The main reasons are rising prices of memory chips and raw materials, as well as decreased consumer demand for smartphones and laptops. In this context, e-sports monitors have managed to maintain relatively stable sales, making them a positive outlier within the industry.
3. E-Sports Monitors as a Testing Ground for New Technologies: High Refresh Rates and Printed OLED
E-sports enthusiasts have high demands on their equipment, so manufacturers are testing the latest technologies first on e-sports monitors. For example, TCL CSOT has introduced a professional e-sports monitor for professionals, featuring a "high-migration-rate oxide backplane" and "fast-response liquid crystal materials," which result in faster refresh rates (up to 1000Hz) and eliminate screen lag during gaming. Additionally, TCL CSOT and MSI have collaborated to develop the first consumer-grade printed OLED e-sports monitor. Printed OLED technology involves using printers to apply light-emitting materials onto panels, making it more suitable for large screens. This technology offers higher resolution and lower power consumption but is not yet widely adopted; e-sports monitors represent the first step in its entry into the consumer market.
4. The Expansion of Printed OLED to the Consumer Market: Mass Production and Cost Reduction are Key
For printed OLED to become commercially viable, two issues need to be addressed: mass production and cost reduction. The consumer market is more sensitive to price and supply stability compared to specialized markets like medical displays. TCL CSOT is collaborating with multiple brands to test printed OLED versions for laptops and monitors, with products expected to be launched this year. Their printed OLED production line in Guangzhou will begin operations in the fourth quarter of next year, and costs are expected to decrease as production scales up.
5. Other Stable Niche Markets: TVs and In-Vehicle Displays Remain Unaffected
Apart from e-sports monitors, TV and in-vehicle display markets are also relatively stable. The reason is that these products contain less memory, which means they are less affected by rising storage costs. Although overall panel shipments are declining, the total shipment area remains largely unchanged. For instance, TV panels are becoming larger, and there is growing demand for in-vehicle displays (such as those in new energy vehicles for infotainment systems and dashboards), so the total area of these panels has not changed significantly.
In summary, although the panel industry is facing challenges, niche markets like e-sports, TVs, and in-vehicle displays are holding their own. New technologies are also being implemented through e-sports monitors, and the industry may find new growth opportunities through this differentiation.