Himax Technologies, Inc.

Timing Controller (Tcon)

Himax anticipates Q1 2026 Tcon sales to decline by a single-digit quarter over quarter, primarily due to the absence of ASIC Tcon shipments to a leading projector customer that occurred in the prior quarter. The sequential decline also reflects a moderation in automotive Tcon shipments following several quarters of solid growth, which Himax views as normal seasonality rather than a change in underlying demand. For the full year 2025, Himax’s automotive Tcon sales still grew approximately 50% year over year. Backed by hundreds of secured design wins, this momentum provides a strong foundation for sustained growth. Tcon for monitor, notebook and TV products is expected to increase sequentially in Q1, primarily a result of customers replenishing inventory for high-end products.

Meanwhile, head-up displays (HUDs) are poised to become a central element of next-generation smart cockpits, a trend clearly highlighted at CES, where numerous panel makers and automotive names, equipped with Himax’s IC solutions, showcased their latest trendy and innovative HUD concepts. HUD for automotive is rapidly evolving from simple text and symbols to high-brightness, high-contrast, AR-enriched visuals integrated into automotive displays. This shift is driving demand for sophisticated Tcon technologies, an area where Himax holds a strong leadership position in automotive display Tcon solutions.

To address this trend, Himax introduced a multifunctional integrated Tcon featuring the industry’s first full-area selectable local de-warping capability, combined with Himax’s market-leading local dimming and on-screen display (OSD) technologies, offering the flexibility to meet diverse design and cost requirements while simplifying overall system integration. This new Tcon continues to deliver exceptional contrast performance while effectively eliminating the “postcard effect” in HUDs, a common issue caused by light leakage in conventional TFT-LCD panels. Himax’s industry-leading OSD function is also integrated, ensuring that critical safety information remains visible even when the main system is powered down, thereby enhancing overall driving safety.

The new Tcon solution supports a broad range of HUD architectures, including Windshield HUD, Augmented Reality HUD, and Panoramic HUD. Multiple customer projects are already underway with leading panel makers and Tier 1 players, reflecting strong market recognition of Himax’s advanced HUD Tcon technology.