The Best Gaming TV I’ve Ever Owned, Period

So, I bought a 77-inch LG G3 almost exactly a year ago for a cool $4,300 (on sale!) and have been using it as my main gaming display ever since. It is, hands-down, the best gaming screen I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing on. Gather around, gamer children, and let me tell you why that is, precisely.

Let’s start at the beginning. I had the TV professionally wall-mounted, which LG seems to encourage with the inclusion of its flush wall bracket, though the hardware is also VESA-compatible if you want to use your own bracket. The unit didn’t even come with a standard panel stand—the intention here is clearly tech as hanging art, but assumingly leagues better than the Samsung Frame, which I haven’t personally used, but I’ve read mixed reviews.

Now, I purchased a bunch of high quality, in-wall HDMI and ethernet cables to use with the LG G3, as I wanted to complement the flush-art nature of the TV by concealing and routing all of its wired connections behind my wall. Otherwise, all the cables would dangle out of either the side or even the bottom of the panel, something that is unacceptable (insert Lemongrab reference here).

I had the installers cut holes in the drywall to reroute the new cables so they fed out like snakes right behind my mammoth wooden entertainment hub, which in turn connected the TV’s four separate HDMI 2.1 4K (and 1440p) 120Hz ports and single ethernet jack on the back of the LG G3 to all my consoles, eARC receiver and router. This includes a docked Nintendo Switch OLED, PS5, Xbox Series X and a Sonos Arc. I also had the professionals install a power outlet right behind the panel, so that even the power plug/cable isn’t visible.

The good news? My LG G3 looks extremely clean with all the wires hidden. The bad news? Because I bought such nice in-wall rated cables, the TV pushes out a bit from the wall, despite having special recessed routing built right into the plastic housing backside. The wires are simply too thick, but realistically, it’s only maybe an inch of added space we’re talking about. For most intents and purposes, the TV looks flush to the naked eye, and my eyes is arguably naked, so yeah. I’m just glad I had the pros install this, because the LG G3 is heavy, and probably way more delicate than I’m willing to risk with these clumsy gamer hands!

Bottom line is that the LG G3, with its brushed metal framing and inky black screen, looks astounding after being wall-mounted, and that’s before you even turn the thing on. It’s like a levitating glass portal to another dimension. A very pricey dimension, assuredly, but still. Not as pricey as the recently released LG G4, which I haven’t tried yet. One day soon, hopefully.

In terms of gaming, LG’s high-end TV supports the usual suspects: NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and VRR, plus Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision for Xbox Series X. Games on the LG G3 are noticeably low-latency (sporting a purported 0.1ms response time through the baked-in Gaming Mode) stutter-free and slippery smooth, like what I imagine Astro Bot’s factory fresh head to feel like. Playing games on the LG G3 simply feels incredible—instant, responsive and snappy.

There’s also the TV’s little purple gaming overlay that pops up when you press the settings button on the cursed remote during gameplay. It shows the current FPS, VRR status, low latency status and other helpful tidbits that you can either observe or tweak if need be.

Four HDMI 2.1 ports is rather fantastic, by the way, but is it greedy to want a fifth these days? Five ports would allow me to, on top of all the mainstream consoles and eArc sound system, keep my gaming PC connected to the LG G3 as well. No worries, I suppose, as there’s always external HDMI switches to consider. I’m sure an extra port is coming at some point to these premium televisions, although it appears even the newer LG G4 only has four HDMI 2.1 ports, too.

Visually, video games are a monumental, endless treat on the G3’s slick OLED panel, which shows off those deep, rich blacks that OLEDs are famous for. This is not only my first LG television, but also my first proper large OLED display, and man, what a difference it makes in gaming. Everything is just so robust and vivid, possibly helped along by the newer tech inside the G3 called MLA, or micro-lens array, exclusive to LG sets like this one.

Compared to older LG OLEDS, the LG G3 is supposedly 70% brighter, and based on my experience with the display without any direct comparison, I can only attest to the general impression it makes. Colors simply jump off the screen, and details within games are sharp and striking. You can see it in the thumbnail; even retro title screens look like coloring book pages come to life. Don’t even get me started on meatier stuff like Cyberpunk 2077, Diablo IV or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Reflections, I’ve found, are…okay, more than manageable, really. You can clearly see reflections of other lights in my gaming room via the Jet Moto photo I uploaded, although to be fair, it’s just the old-school aspect ratio wreaking havoc in this particular instance. In typical, widescreen, 4K modern gameplay, I’m pressed to notice any serious reflections, even though they are somewhat present if you look hard enough. Obviously, gaming in a bright room makes things more challenging.

I will say I’m still paranoid about OLED burn-in, though the screensaver always kicks on and does its job when I forget about the TV, as does the built-in display refresh process, more occasionally. But there’s a little problem here, which is that the blacks are so good on the LG G3 that my brain will often think the TV is off when it’s in fact running the aforementioned screensaver, and I’ll accidentally leave the set on overnight or while I’m out running errands. I need to look into auto-off settings to assuage my annoying forgetfulness.

So yeah, gaming is downright brilliant on the LG G3. On the contrary, however, what do I not like about my beloved OLED? Mostly the Magic Remote, which acts like a janky Wii controller and I absolutely hate it. It’s not very accurate, and clicking the finicky scroll wheel to choose menu options is abysmal. I additionally think the general UI of the LG G3 is pretty slow and clunky, which is par for the course on most current TVs, unfortunately. Manufacturers keep packing these sets with spiritual processors and software hubs from the year 1992. God knows why.

Overall, in terms of gaming performance, the LG G3 is pretty much the gold standard for TVs in my opinion, minus some hardware nitpicks. These days, you can buy the 77-inch model for slightly cheaper than I did, because the LG G4 has taken over the hearts and minds of eager enthusiasts. That said, it’s still an expensive investment, but if you want the best of the best for your PS5 and Xbox Series X, you can’t get much better.