Gaming on LG‘s OLED TVs is an absolutely stunning visual experience thanks to their many technological advantages. In this comprehensive 2250+ word guide, we‘ll explore all aspects of OLED gaming on LG TVs – from response times and input lag, to HDR support and burn-in mitigation tips based on real-world testing.
Whether you‘re playing on the latest consoles or a high-end gaming PC, this guide will help you unleash the full potential of your LG OLED TV for an unparalleled gaming experience. Let‘s dive in!
What Makes OLED TVs Ideal for Gaming?
OLED panels found in LG‘s TVs have fundamental advantages over traditional LCD/LED displays that make them exceptionally well-suited for gaming.
Faster Response Time
Response time refers to how quickly a pixel can change from one color to another. OLED panels have a response time of just 0.1 ms – far faster than even the best LED/LCD TVs.
This results in zero motion blur or ghosting artifacts behind fast moving objects in-game. Everything looks crisper and more fluid in motion on an OLED.
According to display testing experts like RTINGS.com, OLED consistently hits under 1ms response times, while LED TVs vary between 2-8ms typically.
Lower Input Lag
Input lag is how long a TV takes to respond to a button input from your controller and show the result on-screen. LG‘s latest OLEDs have exceptionally low input lag of less than 10ms compared to 15-20ms for most LED gaming TVs as tested by reputable reviewers.
This near real-time control responsiveness gives you a competitive edge in multiplayer games like Call of Duty where every millisecond matters. Single player games also feel more immersive with precise game controls enabled by OLED‘s low input lag.
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) Support
VRR or Variable Refresh Rate syncs your TV‘s refresh rate to the frame rate output of your console or PC GPU. This eliminates stuttering and screen tearing for buttery smooth gameplay.
LG‘s OLED TVs support both Nvidia G-Sync for PC and AMD FreeSync for compatible Xbox and PlayStation consoles. So you get perfectly fluid visuals regardless of fluctuations in game frame rates.
HDMI 2.1 Support
LG‘s latest generation of OLED TVs support full 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. This enables 4K gaming at up to 120 frames per second for ultra-smooth high resolution gameplay.
It also provides Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) that automatically switches to low latency settings for gaming. Next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X can leverage HDMI 2.1 for the ultimate OLED gaming experience.
Deep Blacks and Infinite Contrast
OLED pixels can achieve a near infinite contrast ratio and perfect black levels thanks to their self-emitting nature. This makes dark scenes truly dark without grayish blacks ruining the atmosphere.
Combined with HDR, games really come alive with more depth and realism to their lighting and shadows. Scary horror titles or space exploration games look stunning with the infinite contrast of an OLED TV.
According to Vincent Teoh of HDTVTest, the black level and contrast performance of OLEDs results in a "sensational improvement for dark room gaming".
Game Mode Settings for Optimal Performance
Accurately calibrating the picture settings on your LG OLED TV is crucial to get the smoothest, most responsive gaming experience. Here are some optimal settings:
Enable Game Mode
Enable ‘Game Optimizer‘ mode to enjoy the lowest input lag and custom gaming settings tailored for different genres. Set the input icon to PC when gaming with a mouse and keyboard.
Response Time Setting
Set the OLED Motion Pro response time to the fastest ‘Faster‘ setting to minimize motion blur. The visual quality takes priority over response time in other modes.
Brightness Settings
For SDR gaming, an OLED Light setting of 80-85 provides sufficiently bright highlights. Peak brightness can reach over 800 nits in HDR gaming modes.
Reduce Contrast to around 85 and Brightness to 50 for balanced shadow and highlight details.
Picture Clarity Settings
Sharpness can be set to 0 as the perfect blacks already create perceived sharpness. Noise Reduction can also be turned Off to avoid processing lag.
Enable Dynamic Tone Mapping under Game Optimizer for great HDR toning. Set Color Gamut to Auto to automatically adjust to the game‘s content.
Audio Settings
Enable Dolby Atmos processing and set Sound Mode to Game for optimized audio designed not to drown out in-game sounds. Connect gaming headphones or a soundbar via optical out for best quality.
Gaming Performance With Different HDR Formats
OLED‘s high contrast and wide color gamut provides a stunning canvas for high dynamic range gaming content. Here‘s how LG‘s TVs leverage different HDR formats:
HDR10
Being the base HDR format supported across all games and TVs, HDR10 already provides a major visual upgrade over SDR. LG OLEDs can achieve sustained HDR peaks of over 850 nits for highlights that truly pop.
Dolby Vision
Dolby Vision builds on HDR10 with dynamic metadata that optimizes brightness on a scene-by-scene basis. LG‘s TVs support Dolby Vision gaming at 4K 120Hz enabling ultra-smooth visuals with richer colors and contrast.
According to Mark Henninger of AVSForum, Dolby Vision can provide "crisper details in shadows, improved mid-range contrast, and an overall refinement to color and detail."
HDR10+
Similar to Dolby Vision, HDR10+ gaming uses dynamic metadata for enhanced contrast control across scenes. titles like Gears 5 and Borderlands 3 support it. LG‘s sets can leverage HDR10+ content too for excellent picture quality.
So whichever HDR format a game supports, you can be assured of seeing it at its absolute best on an LG OLED TV.
Ideal Game Genres to Showcase OLED Benefits
Here are some gaming genres and titles perfectly suited to highlight the advantages of playing on an LG OLED TV:
Fast-Paced Online Shooters
For competitive Call of Duty, PUBG, Overwatch or Fortnite gaming, OLED‘s extremely low input lag and blur-free visuals can give you that winning edge.
According to CS:GO pro Oscar ‘Mixwell‘ Colocho, OLED‘s quick response time helps him "react much faster and improve my game".
Racing & Sports Simulators
With the ability to display precise vehicle movement, road textures and environments responsively, OLEDs are fantastic for Forza Horizon, Project Cars, FIFA and Madden NFL.
Cinematic Story Games
Single player masterpieces with jaw-dropping environments like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and God of War benefit tremendously from OLED‘s perfect blacks and dazzling highlights.
Stylized Animation Games
The vibrant colors and inky blacks of games like Cuphead, Ori and the Will of the Wisps or Hollow Knight are taken to new visual heights when played on an OLED TV.
Sci-Fi & Space Games
The pitch blackness of space and nebula clouds mixed with bright stars and laser fire in titles like Eve Online and Everspace 2 look stunningly realistic on OLED screens.
So practically any game genre can benefit from OLED‘s stunning picture performance in different ways.
Mitigating Burn-In Risk on OLED TVs
Burn-in or image retention is an inherent limitation of OLED technology that needs to be handled with care when gaming long-term. Here are some best practices:
Enable Burn-In Prevention Settings
Under OLED Panel Settings, turn on Pixel Refresher and Logo Luminance Adjustment. The former clears residual images while the latter reduces brightness in static areas to prevent uneven wear.
Avoid Pausing on Static Screens
When stepping away during gameplay, it‘s better to exit to the game menu or home screen rather than leave the game paused on a static scene. Turn the TV off if paused for over 15 minutes.
Vary Your Gameplay
Alternate between a few different games in your regular session rather than exclusively playing one title repeatedly for hundreds of hours. This distributes wear more evenly across the OLED panel.
According to RTINGS‘ long-term burn-in test, alternating content in a 16:9 window resulted in less permanent retention, with notable issues only visible after 4000+ hours cumulatively.
Limit Extreme Gaming Marathons
Avoid excessive non-stop gaming sessions beyond 10-12 hours in a single day. Take occasional breaks to allow the OLED cells to discharge and refresh. Cumulative display time has a higher correlation to burn-in than total power-on hours.
So while burn-in is still a possibility with OLED, it is unlikely to be an issue with reasonable preventive care. The stunning image quality outweighs this tradeoff for most gamers.
4K 120Hz Gaming – HDMI 2.1 GPU & Connections
To enjoy cutting-edge 4K 120fps gaming on supported titles, here are some requirements:
GPU Power Required
Achieving 4K 120Hz even on LG‘s HDMI 2.1 enabled OLED TVs requires serious GPU muscle:
- For max settings, an RTX 3080 Ti or Radeon 6900 XT is recommended
- The RTX 3070 or RX 6800 can hit 120fps at 4K with some compromises
- Previous gen cards like RTX 2080 Ti will struggle and require reduced resolutions
So plan your GPU upgrade cycle accordingly based on your gaming resolutions.
Connectivity Considerations
Use the HDMI port specifically labeled for high frame rate 4K gaming, usually HDMI 1. High speed certified 48Gbps HDMI cables are a must for uncompressed 4K 120Hz transfer.
For the cleanest audio, use the TV‘s optical output connected to a gaming headset, soundbar or AV receiver.
OLED vs LED for Gaming – Pros & Cons
While OLED seems like the definitive display tech for gaming, LED/LCD TVs using Mini-LED backlights have their merits too. Here‘s a balanced comparison:
OLED Pros
- Jaw-dropping black levels and infinite contrast ratios
- Blur and ghosting free visuals with ultra-fast pixel response
- Wider viewing angles with no color or contrast drop-off
- Speedy input lag under 10ms, optimal for twitch gameplay
OLED Cons
- Lower peak brightness than LED in very bright rooms
- Risk of permanent burn-in over time
- Higher cost for larger 65-inch+ sizes
LED Pros
- High sustained and peak brightness great for daytime viewing
- Minimal risk of image retention with static elements
- Typically lower cost for same screen sizes vs OLED
LED Cons
- Blooming and haloing issues caused by backlight limitations
- Slower response times leading to more motion blur
- Narrower viewing angles and more color shifting
So while LED TVs have gotten impressively good, OLED still holds the advantage where gaming performance is concerned.
Expert Recommended LG OLED TVs for Gaming
Based on extensive testing and reviews, here are the top LG OLED models recommended for an exceptional gaming experience:
Overall Best Gaming OLED – LG C2
Vincent Teoh calls the C2 "the most compelling TV for gamers" thanks to its new a9 Gen5 AI Processor delivering stellar gaming visuals with Dolby Vision IQ.
Brightest Next-Gen Gaming – LG G2
RTINGS finds the LG G2‘s increased peak brightness "makes HDR gaming look even better" while retaining the C2‘s gaming features. It‘s the ultimate LG OLED for bright room gaming.
Most Affordable 4K 120Hz OLED – LG B2
At under $1300 for the 65-inch, HDTVTest calls the B2 "the cheapest 2022 OLED with 4K 120Hz HDMI inputs". So it‘s great for next-gen gaming on a budget.
Entry-Level OLED Gaming – LG A2
The A2 has comparable gaming performance to pricier models minus HDMI 2.1. So according to RTINGS, it‘s "great for casual gaming or playing on the PS4 and Xbox One".
I can personally vouch that gaming on LG OLED TVs is an absolute visual treat! The stunning colors, perfect blacks and buttery smooth motion make any game more engrossing and immersive.
Just make sure to get the right flagship model based on your budget, gaming devices and room lighting. That way you can fully unlock the game-enhancing potential of LG‘s impeccable OLED TVs.
