LG's latest series of OLED TVs launched at CES 2025, and we took an early look at these highly anticipated sets at a behind-closed-doors demo, just before they hit the show floor of the Las Vegas Convention Centre. We've already shared our thoughts on the mid-range C5, which is already one of the most anticipated TVs of 2025, but what about its big brother?
If anything, the G5 is the more exciting of the two, with its new panel architecture that's set to take OLED brightness to a whole new level. That's right, MLA is officially out of the picture after its brief yet much-loved two-year stint in the spotlight. It's all about 'four stack' OLED in 2025, and the G5 isn't the only TV using it – check out our hands-on with the Panasonic Z95B.
Enough talking about other TVs though, we're here to share our thoughts on the LG G5, so what do we think so far? A quick reminder that, as with all of our hands-on reviews, this is not our final review of the G5 – that will come later when it lands in our dedicated testing room.
Price
It's early days for the G5, so pricing and availability is currently unknown. We anticipate a Spring 2025 launch, and going off the G4's pricing, we could expect an RRP of around £3299 / $3299 / AU$5299 for the 65-inch model; providing there are no increases or decreases in price.
The TV is set to come in six screen sizes, which is a notable increase from last year. That's because LG will launch a 48-inch G-series OLED for the first time, alongside the usual 55-, 65-, 77-, 83- and 97-inch models. However, there is a catch, and it's quite a big one if you're looking at the smallest or largest versions of the G5. Neither will be quite as bright as the core 55- to 83-inch models, as neither will feature the new tandem OLED panel.
Build
It's slightly tricky to determine the design of the G5 as the model we saw was affixed to a wall with the Zero Gap Wall Mount. It sat flush against a wooden wall display stand, and looked sleek and low profile to our eye, with a super thin design and sharp bezels surrounding the display. Speaking of the wall mount, it's been reported that the G5 won't be offered in an "S" variant as was seen with the G4 – that means LG won't be releasing it bundled with a tabletop stand, and those wishing to use a stand will have to purchase it separately.
We did get to see LG's new Magic Remote in action, which trades a number pad for a smaller, sleeker and more AI-focused design. It features an AI shortcut button which will allow you to speak to the TV's built-in AI chatbot, which can troubleshoot issues with your TV and help you amend settings. Unfortunately, this remote will not be coming to the UK due to an apparent regulations issue; but it will come to the US and other selected regions.
Features
LG tends not to cut corners with its OLED TVs, and the G5 is no exception. It features the latest panel technology from LG Display, which swaps the Micro Lens Array (MLA) panel structure from the G3 and G4 TVs for a new four-stack OLED panel, which sandwiches red and green OLED layers between two blue OLED layers. But what does that mean for picture performance?
One word: brightness. LG claims that the G5 is three times brighter than the upcoming B5. Presuming that the B5 doesn't feature a brightness upgrade over last year's B4, then we could see a peak of 1800 nits for the G5 in an accurate picture mode (such as Filmmaker Mode), which is a substantial upgrade over the 1500 nits of the G4. LG also says that for full-screen brightness (ie a pure white picture that fills the entire display), we can expect a 40 per cent brightness increase over last year's model.
LG is attributing some of these upgrades to its new Brightness Booster Ultimate engine, which will reportedly deliver both higher brightness and more vibrant colours – two things we can certainly get behind.
As expected, the G5 is set to be practically unrivalled in the gaming department, with four full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets that support up to 4K/165Hz signals with VRR and ALLM. Console gamers will, of course, only experience 120Hz maximum refresh rates, but PC gamers with capable rigs can experience the full 4K/165Hz.
LG is sticking to its guns for HDR support, too, with HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision all on board. HDR10+ is absent, which should come as no surprise when we remember that it's backed by Samsung. Dolby Atmos is supported, too, over HDMI eARC or through the TV's speakers, which once again feature support for Virtual 11.1.2 channel upmixing.
Running the show is LG's latest Alpha 11 Gen 2 processor, which will power some of the new AI features, such as the new AI chatbot. Furthermore, LG demonstrated a voice recognition feature which will intelligently switch profiles based on who is speaking into the remote's microphone, meaning each TV user can access their personalised content suggestions quickly and easily.
Finally, we have webOS 25 serving as the TV's operating system, which will support a wide range of streaming and gaming applications, with Xbox Game Pass cloud streaming coming to LG TVs for the first time, too.
Picture
Just to repeat what we said earlier, these are not our final impressions of the LG G5 OLED TV, as testing conditions were by no means ideal. A swanky hotel conference room is no match for our dedicated AV testing space, so we'll reserve judgement for when we get our review unit of the TV and compare it directly with rival models. The content on show didn't do many favours for the G5 either, as LG opted to loop trailers for Apple TV+'s Wolfs and the upcoming F1 film.
Even with these constraints, the G5 looked rather impressive, with glowing neon lights and the glints of light reflecting off a Formula 1 car popping with an extra touch of vibrancy. Colours also appeared rich, but it was tricky to glean much else from the G5's picture performance.
Taking a look back at the 2024 G4 OLED, we praised its excellent contrast and motion handling, so we hope to see LG continue these highlights on its latest model. We're also eager to test the G5's brightness credentials with some high-nit content, though that will unfortunately require us to watch Pan again.
Sound
We'll keep the sound section short and sweet; LG opted to hook all of its OLED TVs up to soundbars during our demonstration, meaning we didn't get to listen to the G5's built in speakers at all. Is that because we critiqued the G4's sound performance due to middling dynamics, a lack of weight and noticeable sibilance? We can't say for certain.
To be fair to LG, the G4 was an improvement over the G3, thanks to its improved bass control and better object tracking sound (with the AI mode switched on), so if LG continues this trend then the G5 could well be a better-sounding TV than it's predecessor.
Only time will tell, so check back for our full review to find out what the G5 scores in the sound department.
Early verdict
It's too early to make a call on the G5, but signs are pointing towards another very capable flagship OLED TV. It promises to be brighter and bolder than its predecessor, and the new screen size will certainly appease gamers and those who want the latest and greatest features in a smaller package.
That being said, we hope LG rethinks its decision not to bundle in a stand, and seeing two screen sizes not receive the new four stack OLED panel is frustrating.
We'll have to wait until our full review to decipher whether LG has struck gold yet again, as the legacy of G-series OLEDs before this is nothing short of spectacular.
MORE:
Check out LG's full 2025 OLED TV lineup
And read our LG C5 OLED TV hands-on review
As well as our Panasonic Z95B hands-on review