Samsung Display partners with 6 global brands to promote QD-OLED in China
An internet cafe bearing QD-OLED certification in Changsha, China / Courtesy of Samsung Display
Samsung Display is joining hands with six global monitor brands to promote its quantum dot organic light-emitting diode (QD-OLED) technology at internet cafes across China, seeking to expand its presence in the world's largest gaming market.
The company said Thursday that it is working with AOC, ASUS, HKC, MSI, TitanArmy and ViewSonic to designate selected internet cafes, locally known as i-cafes, as official QD-OLED certified venues. The initiative marks the first collaboration of its kind between a display manufacturer and the i-cafe industry.
Under the program, venues must have at least 30 QD-OLED monitors installed to qualify for certification. Samsung Display provides promotional materials, including certification signs, standing banners, keyboard and mouse pads and interior decorations.
The company said it had designated 10 venues in major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, as of October, and plans to expand the network to 60 by year-end.
China's i-cafes are a major sales channel for gaming OLED monitors, accounting for approximately 30 to 40 percent of sales. They also allow consumers to experience high-performance displays firsthand. According to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of i-cafes increased 17 percent to approximately 97,000 in 2025, from 83,000 a year earlier.
Venue operators have reported positive responses, particularly among younger customers and first-person shooter gamers, citing QD-OLED's sharp picture quality and clear visibility in dark gaming environments. Premium seats equipped with the monitors have become so popular that they sometimes fill up before regular seating areas.
China's gaming market has approximately 680 million users. According to market research firm IDC, gaming monitor sales more than doubled to 11.12 million units in 2025 from 4.93 million in 2023. Sales of self-emissive gaming monitors surged approximately 22-fold to 560,000 units over the same period.
QD-OLED combines true blacks and high contrast enabled by self-emissive technology with the rich colors and wide color gamut of quantum dots. Its response time of approximately 0.03 milliseconds also makes it suitable for fast-paced competitive gaming.
Samsung Display is expanding its gaming partnerships globally. At gamescom 2026, it collaborated with CAPCOM, KRAFTON and CD PROJEKT RED to showcase major titles on QD-OLED displays. It also plans to begin mass production of 24.5-inch full HD QD-OLED panels for eSports and FPS gaming by year-end.