Thinking of finally upgrading your TV but are stumped by all the confusing lingo and terminologies? We’re here to help.
If you’ve been shopping around for a new TV then you’ll undoubtedly have come across the terms OLED and QLED. But what’s the difference between the technologies and which should you go for?
We explain everything you need to know about the differences between OLED and QLED below, including what they mean and which one will likely suit your home and needs the best.
To assist you further, make sure you visit our best TV and best cheap TVs guides as we’ve collated the most impressive screens we’ve reviewed in 2025. Plus, if you’re hoping to nab a Black Friday bargain, our own TV Expert Kob Monney has shared his tips on what you need to consider before making the investment.
What’s the difference between OLED and OLED?
We’ll begin by explaining what OLED is. Short for Organic Light Emitting Diode, OLED displays are made up of individual pixels that each generates its own light and colour, rather than relying on backlight.
As each OLED pixel works independently, this typically results in a more precise image and stronger contrast levels, especially when displaying darker scenes.
QLED stands for Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode, and is a variation on an LED display. However, the key difference between the two is that they use quantum dots whereas a normal LED doesn’t.
Quantum Dots are an array of slightly different sized nanocrystals that each produce different wavelengths (colours) when light is applied to them. As each dot focuses on one colour, each one offers more precise shading and stronger brightness than a traditional LED. They are also more efficient at absorbing and emitting light, meaning they can also reduce energy consumption.
QLED vs OLED picture quality
When it comes to image quality, both QLED and OLED displays can hit high levels of brightness.
QLED TVs often offer higher peak brightness for less than an OLED TV. The Samsung Q80D QLED, for example, can hit 1000 nits of brightness for less than £1000. OLED displays can also push past 1000 nits, but OLED TVs are more expensive to make and tend to cost more than QLED TVs.
The biggest advantage of an OLED TV is that it offers ‘perfect’ blacks. Since every pixel is illuminated individually, it is possible to have a pitch black pixel next to a bright white one, offering deeper blacks, higher contrast and better sense of brightness across the screen.
The benefits become apparent with HDR content as bright highlights can shine without compromising the dark areas around them. There’s no greying over of dark elements and no distracting blooming or striping around bright elements, both of which can be experienced with LED TVs.
By being able to illuminate specific pixels also allows OLED displays to reveal subtle shadows and details even in the darkest corners of the picture. These self-emissive pixels also enable wider viewing angles than those on QLED TVs, allowing people to sit at wider angles without losing any significant colour or contrast information from the picture.
Because QLED TVs are brighter than standard LED ones, they offer more lifelike colours with HDR content. While QLED TVs can’t often reach the same contrast that OLED ones can, they can deliver bolder, more vibrant colours as opposed to OLED’s richer, more saturated colours.
Is OLED better for gaming?
Aside from the differences in image quality, both TVs also offer their own advantages as gaming TVs.
OLED TVs are better at handling motion thanks to how quickly the image refreshes (i.e. updates) itself, which makes them ideal for fast-paced action games.
The contrast and black-levels also make OLED displays better for traversing darker environments in-game as it’s easier to pick out subtle details in the shadows.
QLED TVs, meanwhile, can offer a higher brightness, which can be beneficial for gaming in the daytime. And as we’ve mentioned previously, they’re less susceptible to suffering from burn-in or image retention.
Is OLED or QLED better?
There are undoubtedly pros and cons to both OLED and QLED displays. Firstly, while QLEDs typically deliver better colour volume than OLEDs, the latter can handle true blacks and contrast better. That’s because OLEDs don’t use a backlight, which means there’s no light leakage or blooming which QLEDs can suffer from.
In addition, QLED TVs are basically immune to image retention or burn-in that can affect OLED TVs. As an overview, image retention refers to static elements within an image that remain on the display for temporary periods of time, say a news ticker or the scoreboard in a football match. Burn-in, on the other hand, is more severe and will leave the “ghost” of an element permanently on your screen.
If you’ve been affected by image retention or burn-ins before, and are nervous about it happening again, then a QLED display is a safer option. Having said that, OLED TVs are much less susceptible to the phenomena than before, and there are ways to manage burn-in and image retention on an OLED.
Essentially, whether OLED is better than QLED comes down to what you want from a TV.
If you’re looking for the best in contrast and HDR, along with wider viewing angles and don’t mind spending a bit more, OLED is the way to go.
However, QLED screens can offer a brighter, more colourful performance at less expensive prices; though they’re not as good at delivering perfect blacks like OLED. Nevertheless, they’re a good choice for those who want to spend less.
