Go Home

OLED burn-in anxiety will ruin my sanity long before it ruins my monitor

Published on January 01, 0001

After a year of agonizing over passing sales and jealous gazes at better setups, I finally did it. I bought a fancy OLED of my own, and I love it. Specifically, I went with the 34-inch QD-OLED (). It's certainly bigger and more than I need (you can find it for right now), but the slightly glossy display and color contrast look great. I'm also quite fond of the—oh my god, there goes the pixel refresh warning again.

Right, so I'm fond of the low-effort way my games look so vibrant when I'm playing Barbies in any given photo mode, but the automatic pixel refresh warning is going to kill me. I'm not the world's best and brightest when it comes to gaming monitor tech (that's why they don't put me on the hardware team), but I'm usually savvy enough to figure out what I need when it's upgrade time. My understanding of pixel refresh was that I turn the monitor off and then turn it right back on. That's like 30 seconds, max.

Much ado about nothing

(Image credit: Future)

Before anyone gets huffy: Logically, I understand I don't have to drop everything I'm doing to tend to the demands of my incredibly needy monitor, and a refresh warning every four hours probably isn't a big deal to normal people. A "not right now, sweetie" isn't the end of the world. But since I paid almost $800 for a shiny new ultrawide, my knee-jerk anxiety holds me hostage. I don't buy new monitors often enough to shrug off something like burn-in. If it starts demanding bedtime stories, I'll show up with a blanket and a book.

I also say all of this knowing I'm not the ideal user for these displays—I probably need a good threatening sometimes. I work from home, open a lot of static documents, and will spend hours in a game's character creator. I'm also known to drop a "brb" in the group chat and meander rummy golds away for the afternoon, leaving my PC rummy mars chugging and unattended. All things not part of the ideal OLED care routine. I recently realized I can turn the warning rummy mars off, but then what if I ruin the damn thing by forgetting to do it myself?

Like most online discussions, there's a mix of believable cautionary tales out there alongside exaggerated horror stories claiming burn-in will one day come for us all.

It won't. Even under the is on the up and up, and most newer screens won't wind up haunted by static pictures that overstayed their rummy master welcome. But that 15-month test was just that one monitor (not mine), and you don't have to look far to find folks going through burn-in. I'm self-aware enough to know this is a mountain out of a molehill for me, but I've also rummy master spent enough time searching "how to prevent OLED burn-in" to know I'm not the only one in shambles over it.

Perhaps it's a fear borne from karma. The only time I've actually witnessed burn-in was years ago, when I teased a friend suffering from it. A friend who, when I saw the Overwatch UI burned into the bottom corners of her screen, I asked: "Hey, is that the Overwatch UI burned into the bottom corners of your screen?" And then I laughed at her a lot for playing so much Mercy.

But now the joke is on me. I have one of the nicest monitors a PC gamer can hope for and I'm too anxious to fully enjoy it.

: This year's upcoming releases
: Our all-time favorites
: Freebie fest
: Finest gunplay
: Grand adventures
: Better together

Reader Comments

SpinQueen7562

The variety of games is excellent, including table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, in addition to slots. This keeps the platform interesting and allows me to switch games depending on my mood. I really enjoy playing the slot games here. The variety is amazing, from classic reels to modern video slots with interactive bonus rounds. Every spin feels like an adventure, and the graphics and sound effects are top-notch, making the experience immersive and exciting. The progressive jackpots are thrilling, and it's exciting to watch the jackpot amounts grow as more players spin the reels. I hope they add even more jackpot slots because it adds a lot of excitement to the gameplay.

ReelFanatic949

The progressive jackpots are thrilling, and it's exciting to watch the jackpot amounts grow as more players spin the reels. I hope they add even more jackpot slots because it adds a lot of excitement to the gameplay. Customer support has been outstanding whenever I had any issues. They respond quickly and professionally, ensuring that any concerns with deposits, withdrawals, or gameplay are addressed immediately, which makes me trust the platform more.

LuckyPlayer1771

The payout process is generally smooth and reliable, though occasionally it takes longer than expected. Overall, I feel confident that my winnings are safe and will be credited properly. Sometimes I wish there were more ways to earn rewards through loyalty programs or frequent player bonuses. Adding seasonal events or special challenges could enhance the excitement even further. I really enjoy playing the slot games here. The variety is amazing, from classic reels to modern video slots with interactive bonus rounds. Every spin feels like an adventure, and the graphics and sound effects are top-notch, making the experience immersive and exciting.

Recommended Reading

What The Hell Did Dead Rising Wii Do To Isabella’s Face_ [Update]

That’s the Isabella in the original Xbox 360 version of Dead Rising — the [[link]] one we know and love. The Isabella in the upcoming Wii version looks different. Want to see? Drumroll please… There you go, De...

Keep Reading

Wii Helping Snowbound Schools Make P.E. Fun

Anyone who’s ever lived in upstate New York can imagine the difficulty gym teachers face in winter, when kids simply can’t go outside. [[link]] Many schools, however, are using the Wii to get kids some exercis...

Keep Reading

X-Blade Underwear Differences Explained

Japan is getting two versions of X-Blades: the PS3 version has panties, and the Xbox 360 version has less so. But…why? The [[link]] Topware developed game is being put out by different publishers abroad, and e...

Keep Reading