Feature: Displays
New applications like Metaverse will also further increase interest around VR headsets
[Image Julien Tromeur for Unsplash] LCD or OLED – which technology
benefits gaming the most? By Dr. Franky So, Chief Technology Officer, NextGen Nano
O
ver the last festive season, the gaming industry saw sales double or even triple according to market research firm, NPD Group. With new
devices like the Nintendo Switch OLED and Oculus Quest 3 incroporating organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, many consumers are now considering the benefits the transition from liquid crystal display (LCD) to OLED could bring. Te difference between OLEDs and
traditional LEDs extends far beyond the semiconductor material used in fabrication. Te organic compounds used in OLEDs are capable of self-illumination, rather than relying on an LED backlight shining through a liquid-crystal layer. Tis not only makes OLED displays slimmer and more lightweight than their LED counterparts, it also makes them energy efficient since their pixels can be
30 March 2022
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
turned on and off individually. Manufacturing OLEDs also consumes
less energy than LCD manufacturing. Te deposition of LED films in LCDs requires a much higher temperature, around 400- 800o
C, as the inorganic materials need to
form crystals. Tis contrasts OLED films, where deposition requires only 100-300o Benefits such as these in light technology
C.
has led many to believe that OLEDs are the future, especially in the gaming industry.
Why choose an OLED ? If we take the new Nintendo Switch OLED as an example, although the resolution remains the same at 1280 x 720p, gamers will still see improvement. On an LCD screen when the pixels turn off, a dark grey colour shows rather than a true black, which lowers the contrast of the display. Furthermore, the need for a constantly activated backlight in LCD screens consumes a lot of energy.
Each pixel of an OLED display can be
turned off, which gives a true black look, resulting in higher contrast and lower energy consumption. Tis is also reflected in the battery life; with the same battery, a 7-inch OLED screen has an operating life as a 6.2-inch LCD screen. OLED screens also look more vibrant
for gamers, because of the rich colours natural to organic emitters and their higher contrast.
The challenge of burn-in Some consumers have raised the problem of burn-in, which happens through the slow degradation of pixels, seen as an intrinsic problem of OLEDs. Te OLED display’s ability to activate each pixel individually means the working time of any two pixels can be very different, which can lead to some dying earlier than others – the downside of a true black screen. Although manufacturers won’t be able
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