Samsung Unveils 55-Inch Gaming Monitor 'Odyssey Ark' Priced Around 3 Million KRW
Odyssey Ark Features 1000R Curvature, 165Hz Refresh Rate, and Vertical Screen
LG to Launch Gaming Monitor with OLED Panel in May
Gaming Monitor Market Shows Strong Growth... Premium Competition Ongoing
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Pyeonghwa] Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are competing by consecutively launching premium products in the gaming monitor market, which is showing solid growth. Following LG Electronics' introduction of a gaming monitor equipped with an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel, Samsung Electronics released a 55-inch large-screen product priced in the 3 million KRW range. Both companies have ambitions to expand their influence in the global market.
On the 16th, Samsung Electronics held a media briefing at the Taepyeong-ro Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, unveiling its next-generation gaming screen, the 'Odyssey Ark.' The Odyssey Ark is a premium gaming monitor featuring a 55-inch large screen with a 1000R curvature. It supports high-spec games with Quantum MiniLED-based 4K resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate. Another feature is its ability to stand vertically and support triple split screens. The domestic retail price is 3.4 million KRW.
Samsung Electronics emphasized that the maximum size for a gaming monitor that can be enjoyed on an 80-centimeter (cm) long desk is 55 inches when introducing the Odyssey Ark. They expressed confidence that the Odyssey Ark will be the optimal choice for gamers in their 20s and 30s who simultaneously engage in gaming, internet browsing, and content viewing through the large screen, thereby creating new demand.
Earlier, LG Electronics launched three new gaming monitor models in May. These products are also high-priced, exceeding 1 million KRW. Among them, the top-tier model (48GQ900) is the first LG Electronics gaming monitor to feature an OLED panel. An LG Electronics official stated, "Since gaming is an important keyword for our premium target, we are introducing related monitor products as premium."
Samsung Electronics holds the position that its products have many advantages in competition with LG Electronics. At the briefing, Jung Gang-il, Executive Director of Samsung Electronics' Visual Display Business Division, explained, "The demand for competitors' OLED products generally involves bringing the form factor used in TVs directly to gaming. The Odyssey Ark shown today was entirely newly created exclusively for gaming, and all functions are optimized for gamers to enjoy at their desks, so it has many strengths."
The gaming monitor market is also actively participated in by PC companies such as Acer, Dell, and Jooyontech. The fierce competition among many companies is due to 'solid demand.' Unlike PC-related products, which experienced a boom due to non-face-to-face demand but recently faced sluggish demand, the demand for gaming products has steadily increased. This is thanks to the continuous release of high-spec games, which has increased the demand for gaming monitors that provide a smooth gaming environment. Since gaming monitors are high-performance premium products, their high profitability has also influenced the market. Display industry players such as Samsung Display and LG Display have also identified the gaming monitor market as a key market for the second half of this year.
According to market research firm IDC, the global gaming monitor market size grew from $1.84 billion (approximately 2.4168 trillion KRW) in 2018 to $6.25 billion (approximately 8.2094 trillion KRW) in 2021. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) reached 35.8%. IDC expects gaming monitor shipments to exceed 20 million units for the first time this year and projects the market to grow to 23.5 million units by 2025. As of 2021, the global market share rankings are ▲Samsung Electronics (17.5%) ▲ASUS (12.4%) ▲LG Electronics (11.9%).
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