CES is the place to see the cutting-edge of technological advancement and, this year, Micro RGB is going to take center stage.
They're fast becoming the talking point of every major brand, each of which is now chasing the other in an attempt to be the first to bring truly color-rich TVs to market, particularly at a reasonable price. And what better place to show off their new designs than CES 2026, the worldwide stage of innovation?
What is Micro RGB or RGB Mini-LED?
Make no mistake, "Micro RGB" and Micro LED are fundamentally different technologies despite their similar-sounding names. Once considered OLED killers due to their enhanced contrast and wide viewing angles, Micro LED TVs have since fizzled out, due largely to their exorbitant price tags.
Micro RGB TVs don't use self-emissive LEDs or offer perfect black levels like Micro LED TVs, but are being marketed as the next big thing in TVs for their excellent color performance.
Micro RGB TVs, on the other hand, don't use self-emissive LEDs or offer perfect black levels like Micro LED TVs, but are being marketed as the next big thing in TVs for their excellent color performance.
So-called "true color TVs," otherwise known as Micro RGB or RGB Mini-LED TVs, are built on an LCD panel that uses an advanced RGB LED array backlight. In almost every way Micro RGB TVs are an evolution of Mini-LED TVs, boasting far better color accuracy and volume. The representation shown above is one of the best visualizations, highlighting how Mini-LED TVs use a white/blue light versus Micro RGB TVs that use much smaller RGB LEDs packed with color.
The two Micro RGB TV variants recently announced by LG and Samsung measure less than 100μm (that's under 100 microns). Essentially, they're nearly microscopic in scope, making them far smaller than even Mini-LEDs, hence "micro" in the name.
While it's not quite as on-the-nose as I might like, "Micro RGB LED" is probably the best way to think of them: microscopic LEDs that combine red, green, and blue hues in one tiny package. Hisense uses particularly apt terminology in naming them "RGB Mini-LED TVs," though its iteration uses slightly larger LEDs than LG or Samsung's Micro RGB models. (Again, this can lead to plenty of confusion, but they’re still largely the same technology.)
Here's a broader breakdown of what to expect from each company and what they are calling their version of "true color TVs.”
The many names of perfect color TVs
There are plenty of different names for this era of pure color TVs, none of which are entirely clear. Fortunately, Samsung and LG have made things a little easier with slightly similar titles, but not every company is moving with the "Micro RGB" movement.
It’s important to note that, while they might have different names, they largely share the same major benefits: superior brightness to OLEDs, "100% of the BT.2020 Gamut" (though this is something that's up for debate), and longer lifespans.
For clarity's sake, here's what every company is calling their version of true color TVs:
- LG: Micro RGB evo
- Samsung: Micro RGB
- Hisense: RGB Mini-LED (TriChroma RGB previously)
- Sony: True RGB
- TCL: TBD
- Panasonic: TBD
Although they all have different names, most Micro RGB technologies are largely similar across brands. As already mentioned, Samsung and LG's Micro RGB designs are built with ultra-tiny red, green, and blue LEDs that produce incredibly high color volumes that most traditional LEDs can't match. (LG simply can't let go of its "evo" nomenclature, either.)
Unlike the others listed above, Hisense was the first to bring the technology to the consumer market with its 116UX TriChroma Mini-LED TV, which debuted at CES 2025. Hisense would eventually rename the technology to RGB Mini-LED TV, and it's betting big on the display type.
According to Sarah Larsen, who spoke with Managing Editor Kate Kozuch in an exclusive interview with Tom’s Guide, value is what sets Hisense apart from the rest. Larsen sees Hisense’s value prop as a gateway to its success in 2026, noting that shoppers are more likely to buy "our RGB versus the other RGB option...because the price point is much more attainable." It’s unclear how much Hisense RGB TVs might cost, but they will definitely give Samsung and LG a run for their money.
Sony's True RGB TVs, a name it trademarked in 2025, are also believed to use a very similar technology to the ones listed above. While we’ve only gotten a small taste of the prototype at an event held in Tokyo nearly a year ago, Sony’s True RGB TVs may be second to none.
This is largely predicated on the fact that Sony's picture processing and engineering are typically at the forefront of the industry, offering unparalleled performance for cinematic immersion. But, we’ll just have to wait for CES 2026 before we can make any more assumptions about what Sony’s True RGB TVs bring to the table.
TCL and Panasonic are the only two TV makers to not officially announce any RGB Mini-LED or Micro RGB TV model yet. Given that TCL will be in attendance at CES and Panasonic is skipping the trade show this year, it seems likely we’ll get to see TCL’s iteration fairly soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if TCL CSOT has a Micro RGB design of some sort waiting in the wings.
2026 is the year of Micro RGB TVs
Micro LED TVs, 8K TVs, curved TVs, even 3D TVs all had days in the spotlight, but quickly faded. Now, it’s Micro RGB’s turn.
Many of the most exciting TV technologies have long faded due to the nature of their exorbitant price points or middling performance gains. Micro LED TVs, 8K TVs, curved TVs, even 3D TVs all had days in the spotlight, but quickly faded. Now, it’s Micro RGB’s turn to see if it can completely revolutionize our home displays.
Unlike those other TV technologies listed above, Micro RGB TVs could be a major game changer given their underlying value. In the right hands, the new display technology could make cinematic experiences look even truer to real life.
Ready to see what's coming next? CES kicks off January 6, and stick with Tom’s Guide as we’ll be covering all the exciting advancements from the show floor.
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