LG and Samsung announce new TV OLED panel tech cranking out 4,500 nits of brightness, however don't count on something like that for PC screens
Each Samsung and LG, the 2 large makers of OLED screens that go into TVs and screens, introduced new panel know-how at CES 2026 with 4,500 nits of peak brightness. Query, will that tech seem in a PC monitor any time quickly?
The reply is sure and no. Sure, the applied sciences seen within the new panels are headed for PC screens. However, no, you may’t count on to see PC screens something like that shiny.
As for LG, it introduced its newest Tandem WOLED tech at CES, additionally topping out at 4,500 for peak HDR brightness, although it did not point out full-screen brightness efficiency.
It is presently not totally clear what the specs can be for this know-how when translated to PC screens. LG has additionally introduced a slew of recent OLED screens at CES, branded UltraGear Evo. However not solely is it not totally clear how they relate to the TV panel era introduced at CES, for now LG is just saying that they’re VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 licensed.
That normal requires full-screen brightness of 300 nits, one thing which the very newest LG monitor panels already obtain. My understanding is that peak HDR brightness for the brand new era will edge as much as 1,500 nits. Full-screen will most likely be within the area of 350 nits.
The place issues get difficult with LG panels issues its new RGB-stripe panels. These screens eliminated the white subpixel and so really supply decrease peak brightness scores. Once more, we do not but know the way extensively LG goes to use RGB-stripe tech to its monitor choices. However for now it is only a single 27-inch 4K panel mannequin.
However talking of monitor panels, why precisely are they a lot dimmer than their TV equivalents? There are a number of identified causes, identified knowns in Rumsfeldian phrases, and sure some unstated identified unknowns that will turn out to be higher understood over time, after which probably some unknown unknowns that we’ll by no means find out about.
Within the first class, there’s pixel density. On the subject of the bigger panels that go into TVs and screens, versus OLED panels in telephones and laptops, that are a totally totally different species, smaller pixels are dimmer pixels. And PC screens usually have a lot smaller pixels than TVs.
Subsequent up up is use case. PC monitor are way more more likely to be known as on to show static content material, just like the Home windows taskbar, as an illustration. And static content material is extra problematic in relation to burn-in. So, PC screens are calibrated extra conservatively to stop burn in.
CES 2026
Meet up with CES 2026: We’re on the bottom in sunny Las Vegas protecting all the most recent bulletins from a few of the largest names in tech, together with Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Razer, MSI and extra.
Falling into the identified unknowns class is how TV and monitor panel techs evaluate, generationally and by way of know-how. The 2 panel lessons do not map completely to one another. A latest instance is the brand new RGB-stripe tech which is monitor particular. However lengthy story quick, there are technical variations between the panel varieties that designate a few of the brightness hole, even when it is not at all times apparent what they’re.
Past all that, the hole between 4,500 nits for the brightest TVs and 1,500 nits for the brightest screens continues to be completely large and, personally, I am not completely positive why that is the case, even bearing in mind all of the identified knowns and identified unknowns. Maybe sooner or later, we’ll discover out.
Within the meantime, there are nonetheless some actually thrilling trying new OLED screens at CES. As for which is probably the most thrilling, that is a topic for a separate story. However this is a touch. It is a kind of new LG UltraGear Evo fashions.
Finest gaming screens 2026