LG’s TVs, especially its OLED models, have already earned a reputation for being arguably the best TVs around when it comes to supporting gaming as well as video use.
That hasn’t stopped the brand from looking for even more reasons to tempt gamers to buy its TVs, though, leading to the announcement today that LG TVs are about to get two significant new gaming services.
First, the NVIDIA GeForce NOW service that’s been available on LG TVs since 2020 is getting an upgrade on some models that will enable it to support 4K graphics at frame rates up to 60Hz. In fact, the 4K NVIDIA experience is available now on the following 2023 LG TVs: The Z3, G3, C3, B3, and A3 OLED series, as well as the QNED85 and QNED80 QNED (Mini LED) TVs, and the 86NANO77, 86UR9000 and 86UR8000 LCD series.
Boosteroid is the latest cloud gaming service to become available directly through LG TVs.
PHOTO: LG
LG also confirmed in its announcement today, though, that GeForce NOW’s 4K iteration will additionally be coming to select LG 2022 models (an exact list of the lucky sets has yet to be released) via a firmware update set to roll out “at a later date”.
The GeForce NOW service has been available in full HD resolution on LG TVs running webOS webOS 5.0 and higher since 2020, but provided you’ve got a broadband connection that’s up to the job and an eligible model, the shift to a 4K experience can have a transformative effect on your gaming experience.
Among the titles stated as being playable in 4K resolution via LG’s updated GeForce NOW app are Cyberpunk 2077, No Man’s Sky and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.
NVIDIA GeForce Now is found within the Game ‘quick card’ LG has introduced to its 2023 TVs as part of a campaign to make it easier for users to quickly track down the content they want to watch or play.
Why are LG TVs better for gaming?
How to optimise your LG TV for gaming?
PaCheck your console/PC first
We’ll begin with the console/PC to make certain the whole lot is equipped to go on that side. There’s solely so tons a TV can do if it’s no longer already in sync with the gaming unit.
But earlier than we get started, you’ll want a HDMI cable that helps the HDMI 2.1 standard. That need to come in the container with the today’s PlayStation and Xbox consoles and gives the ‘fatter’ facts pipeline wanted for the cutting-edge HDMI standard.
The PS5 bears no help ALLM or VRR, so for the former you may additionally want to dive into the settings to manually prompt LG’s Instant Game Response mode if the show doesn’t function the motion by way of default.
For the Xbox Series X/Series S, head to Settings > General > TV and Display options > 4K TV details to check which features the TV is compatible with (given its LG, that’s likely all of them). Head to Refresh Rate setting in the Display column and change it to 120Hz if you intend to play compatible 120Hz games.
In the same settings area, shuffle over to Video Modes in the Advanced column, and there you’ll find various options for enabling Auto Low Latency Mode, Variable Refresh Rate and Dolby Vision HDR on the console. Tick those check boxes and you’re on the way.
For Windows 10 PCs, head towards Settings > Gaming and then toggle on Game Mode if your PC supports it.
Once all that’s done, it’s time to turn your attention to your LG TV.
Customise with the Game Optimiser
New for 2023 is the Game Optimiser hub, which corrals the gaming features into one place. Head to the revamped menu within the webOS 6.0 interface, pick Settings and open the Game Optimiser menu to view the features you can customise.
Latency on the LG TVs we’ve tested at 1080p/4K resolutions have maintained a consistent baseline of 12.5ms. That’s fast, though not class leading. Nevertheless, LG claims that this speediness comes with no reduction in image quality, an issue that does afflict LCD LED TVs, which alter backlight control and colour performance to reach lower latencies.
You can further reduce input lag by choosing the Prevent input delay (input lag) setting. Presenting the option of Standard or Boost, by selecting Boost, that reduces the input lag by matching the frame rate of the LG TV to the frame rate of the console for speedier response times.
Other customisable features extend to Game Genre. Here you can refine latency and performance to match the genre of the game (Standard, RPG, FPS etc). If you press the ‘back’ button on the Magic remote during a game, the Game Optimiser menu appears as a pop-up for a quick and easy tweaking of settings.
If you need to peer into the shadows to see the whites of your enemy’s eyes, you can adjust the amount of detail visible in the darker areas of the image with the Black Stabiliser feature. The White Stabiliser achieves the opposite effect, adjusting the detail in the brighter parts of an image.
To VRR or not to VRR?
That box in the Game Optimiser menu where it says VRR & G-Sync? That’s for optimal picture quality. With VRR enabled – that’s the display matching the frame rate output of the console – screen tearing (ugly ‘creases’ in the image) is reduced and judder (a stuttering visual effect) is minimised.
For compatible PC games, the N-Vidia G-Sync support performs several things (HDR picture quality, latency, 120Hz support) to improve the overall visual performance and responsiveness from your controller. The same applies to toggling on AMD FreeSync Premium and having both means you’re covered across the PC gaming ecosystem if you’re using your LG TV as a gaming monitor.
Brightest whites, deepest blacks
One other thing to note is HDR. Dolby Vision for Gaming is currently in alpha testing for the Xbox Series consoles, and uses metadata from the game to produce a dynamic HDR performance on the fly for best image quality at any moment.
The other HDR format LG TVs support is HGiG. This is the opposite of Dolby Vision for Gaming, offering a non-dynamic performance.
The aim with HGiG is to create a more predictable and consistent performance no matter what TV you use. Once the console has understood the HDR characteristics of your LG TV’s display, all HDR games in your library will correspond to that level of performance, displaying the game as the developer intended it to be seen.
To choose the HGiG option, head to the HDR Game picture mode and look for the Dynamic Tone Mapping setting. There you’ll be given the choice of ‘On’ (wherein the TV itself determines how bright and dark the image should be); ‘Off’ and HGiG.
Which offers the best performance? You can experiment but given HGiG HDR is a series of guidelines backed by LG, Samsung, VIZIO, TCL, Microsoft, Google, and Sony, you can safely assume this is how they want the game to be represented.
So that’s what you need to know to get your LG TV into tip-top fighting shape for gaming. With the wide range of features LG TVs offer, whether you’re a PC gamer or a console fan, you have plenty of options for getting the best performance possible.
Quick Summary:
LG’s TVs, especially its OLED models, have already earned a reputation for being arguably the best TVs around when it comes to supporting gaming as well as video use.
Boosteroid is currently the world’s largest independent cloud gaming provider, boasting more than four million users across the world.
LG also confirmed in its announcement today, though, that GeForce NOW’s 4K iteration will additionally be coming to select LG 2022 models (an exact list of the lucky sets has yet to be released) via a firmware update set to roll out “at a later date”.
Stay tuned to get more updates
