LG OLED TVs just leapfrogged its rivals for gaming — here’s why

LG C1 OLED TV
(Image credit: LG)

Update: LG OLED TVs now have native support for Google Stadia, giving gamers a compelling reason to now try the game streaming service. 

LG's line of OLED televisions continue to dominate our best TV roundup year-over-year, and for good reason. The picture is stunning and the company has done an excellent job of rolling out new features through software updates. And for Xbox Series X and PC owners, LG OLEDs area about to get a lot better. 

LG has announced, as reported by FlatpanelsHD, that starting today (June 23), firmware version 3.15.27 will roll out for the C1 and G1 2021 OLED models. The new feature will enable Dolby Vision at 120Hz, which will not only make gameplay look vibrant and rich, but buttery smooth as well. The company is hoping that a beta update will release for other 2021 models within the next month. 

Luckily, users of the 2020 CX and GX OLEDs will also see the Dolby Vision 120Hz update as well, but it will come sometime later this year. 

As for 2019 models like the OLED C9, an LG representative told FlatplanelsHD that it's "looking into" the possibility of bringing the feature over. 

The new update will also include more color options (purple, orange, green) for the Game Optimizer menu. It's a small touch, but doesn't hurt. A new Game Dashboard menu for webOS 6.0 will also be incoming, with more optimizations. Gamers also won't have to manually switch between AMD FreeSynch and Dolby Vision. The update will allow both features to remain on at the same time. 

At the moment, the Xbox Series X will be the only console to support this feature. The PS5 still does not support Dolby Vision, only HDR. Sony has said that Dolby Vision support will come via a future software update. The Dolby Vision 120Hz feature is already available for Xbox Insider testers as part of the invite-only Alpha Ring program. 

This feature obviously is not exclusive to LG. FlatpanelsHD reached out to both Sony and Panasonic regarding Dolby Vision 120Hz support. Sony said it has no plans to announce anything at the moment, while Panasonic said its 2021 models do not support Dolby Vision 120Hz due to hardware limitations. 

Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.