OLED monitors have been at the top of the gaming display pyramid, but that doesn't mean the technology is perfect yet. All OLED panels suffer from lower brightness levels than LCDs, burn-in is an ever-present concern, and the HDR experience is inconsistent between models. Tandem OLED was unveiled as the next big innovation in OLED technology, and we're now seeing some excellent displays from the likes of LG, MSI, and Asus. I'm excited about this next stage of OLED monitors because tandem OLED looks like a big step toward removing the imperfections of OLEDs.

Breaking the OLED brightness barrier

Let there be... more light

If you have an OLED monitor, or have been researching before buying one, you probably know that OLED monitors suffer from inferior brightness levels when compared to LCD or Mini-LED displays. This is because the organic LEDs in them can either get intensely bright or last for longer. This trade-off forces manufacturers to limit the full-screen brightness on OLED displays, despite these monitors being able to reach 1,000 nits of brightness in smaller screen windows.

This is where tandem OLED offers the biggest upgrade over current OLEDs. By using a modified emissive layer structure underneath — 4 or 5 layers instead of 3 — tandem OLEDs can produce a brighter image, much brighter than current 3rd-gen WOLED panels. Some of the latest 4th-gen tandem WOLED monitors promise around 500 nits of full-screen brightness. Real-world tests have shown this number to be around 330 nits, which is still a huge upgrade over the 260 nits of full-screen brightness of 3rd-gen WOLEDs. Peak brightness has also gotten a huge bump on tandem OLEDs — some models have crossed 1,200 nits in real-world testing.

Tandem OLED screens have been used in iPads before, but they've only recently started to arrive on gaming monitors this year. This technology signals even brighter OLED monitors in the future, and customers won't have to pay a bomb for them either, considering one of Asus' tandem OLED models, the ROG Strix XG27AQWMG, retails for only $700.

Quieter and more energy-efficient

Who needs a noisy monitor?

OLED monitors can get pretty hot. The reason their full-screen brightness is low is to avoid the otherwise intense heat from degrading the self-emitting pixels faster than what's deemed reasonable. This is why many OLED monitors have dedicated cooling hardware inside them, which can often get pretty audible. The benefit of tandem OLED displays is that, despite being brighter than current OLED alternatives, they actually consume less energy.

This seeming contradiction is resolved when you consider that each layer of a tandem OLED monitor needs to get less bright (individually) to achieve the overall high brightness levels of the display. Although the energy savings are significant only in bright full-screen conditions, the added benefit of having a quieter display is a welcome bonus. I certainly don't want to be distracted by an annoying hum coming from my monitor instead of my PC.

Improved color gamut coverage

A better HDR experience

Another advantage that these new tandem OLED monitors have over current-gen WOLEDs is wider coverage of the DCI-P3 and Rec. 2020 color gamuts. While the average DCI-P3 coverage of existing WOLEDs is around 97%, a tandem OLED monitor can offer nearly 100% coverage. The same number for the Rec. 2020 (or BT.2020) gamut is around 85% compared to the previous 72% on 3rd-gen WOLEDs.

Combined with higher brightness levels, a better color volume will improve the HDR experience in tandem OLED displays. While it's especially better for professionals who need color-accurate displays, almost everyone will benefit from a wider color volume. WOLEDs have generally shown slightly inferior color vibrance compared to QD-OLEDs, but tandem OLEDs are sure to close that gap significantly.

Reduced risk of burn-in

Addressing the elephant in the room

Although burn-in isn't as big a concern in OLED monitors as it used to be, it's still on consumers' minds when contemplating buying an expensive monitor. OLED burn-in is something that will eventually happen — it's not a question of "if." OLED protection measures like pixel refresh and pixel cleaning help delay that eventuality, but tandem OLED addresses the problem at the core. By stacking multiple emissive layers, it reduces the wear on each of them, prolonging the lifespan, and delaying burn-in.

Some manufacturers promise 60% more lifespan for tandem OLED displays, but that claim can't be tested right now. The fact is, though, that tandem OLED monitors have managed to increase full-screen brightness, reduce power consumption, and delay pixel degradation and burn-in at the same time, which is no mean feat. Things are only going to get better with the next-gen models coming out later this year, and in the near future.

Tandem OLED is a leap forward for OLEDs

There are few downsides to owning an OLED display, but they are enough to cause worry in the minds of consumers. Inferior brightness, burn-in risk, and subpar text clarity have been the major concerns for OLEDs, but tandem OLEDs seem to have found the answer to the first two, at least. By stacking multiple layers together, these displays offer increased brightness levels, more vibrant colors, and a longer lifespan. I'm looking forward to experiencing one of these models — if only they could get more affordable soon.