"Targeting i-Cafes, a Mecca for Chinese Gamers"... Samsung Display First to Introduce 'QD-OLED Certified Venues' in the Industry

Establishes footholds at 10 venues in cities including Beijing and Shanghai
Chinese internet cafes account for 30-40% of gaming OLED sales

Samsung Display said on Nov. 5 that it will partner with six global monitor manufacturers to launch a promotion designating local internet cafes (i-cafes) in China as "Quantum Dot Organic Light-Emitting Diode (QD-OLED)" certified venues.

Six global brands are participating in the collaboration: AOC, ASUS, HKC, MSI, Titan Army and ViewSonic. This is the first time a display panel manufacturer has established a direct partnership model with local internet cafes.

Interior of an internet cafe (i-Cafe) in Hangzhou, China, designated as a Samsung Display QD-OLED-certified store. Samsung Display

Certified venues will be selected from stores that have installed at least 30 QD-OLED monitors. Selected stores will receive certification signs featuring the official QD-OLED logo, X banners, dedicated keyboards and mouse pads, and interior decor. Samsung Display completed the setup of 10 venues by the end of October, focusing on major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. It plans to expand the total number of certified venues to 60 by the end of the year.

Internet cafes in China are a key distribution channel, accounting for about 30-40% of local sales of gaming OLED monitors. They are considered a leading venue where consumers can try high-performance gaming monitors firsthand. Their numbers are also growing rapidly, driven by recent upgrades to facilities and rising PC specifications. According to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of local stores increased 17%, from about 83,000 in 2024 to about 97,000 last year.

Local customers have also responded enthusiastically. QD-OLED monitors are highly popular among young customers and first-person shooter (FPS) gamers. Their strengths include vivid colors and high visibility against dark backgrounds. Since dedicated zones were introduced, premium seats equipped with QD-OLED monitors have continued to draw strong demand, selling out before regular seats.

China's gaming market is also growing rapidly. The country has about 680 million gamers, making it the world's largest gaming market by player count. According to market research firm IDC, shipments of gaming monitors in China rose about 2.2-fold, from 4.93 million units in 2023 to 11.12 million units last year. Over the same period, shipments of self-emissive gaming monitors surged about 22-fold, from 25,000 units to 560,000 units.

Jung Yonguk, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategic Marketing at Samsung Display's Large Display Business, said, "This QD-OLED certification promotion will be an important opportunity to show Chinese gamers that QD-OLED is a display technology optimized for high-spec gaming monitors. We will continue to strengthen QD-OLED's position in the premium gaming display market through a range of local marketing activities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.