When it comes to finding the best TV for gaming, few options can beat LG’s OLED TVs. We’ve reviewed several of them over the years, with the LG G2 being one of our top-rated products. These TVs have everything the modern gamer wants: plenty of HDMI 2.1 ports, 120Hz refresh rate, ALLM, VRR, G-Sync, and near-instantaneous response time. However, that kind of performance comes at a significant cost, with the cheapest 42-inch C2 OLED costing a whopping $2,299.
LG knows this, and midway through last year, they introduced a more budget-friendly option: the CS 65 OLED, which retails for $2499. How did they manage to lower the price when the similarly sized C2 OLED Evo costs almost $2000 more? Simple: they swapped out the new OLED Evo panel that lacks the C2’s Evo technology – and the 20% brightness boost that comes with it. So, yes, the CS is not as bright, but does that mean you get a severely compromised experience? Absolutely not!
In fact, after living with the CS for a couple of weeks now, I honestly don’t see why anyone wouldn’t opt for this cheaper model and save a ton of cash for other things — like a soundbar (which you will need).
LG CS 65 OLED Review
The CS is not a mainstay of the LG OLED lineup. It’s a special model that only exists in the UK, France, and Australia and most definitely won’t be making a comeback in 2023’s lineup. The closest thing to the CS will be the LG B3 OLED. The CS shares all the goodness from the C2 line to which it’s closely affiliated sans the OLED Evo panel. That means you get the same Alpha a9 Gen 5 processor, 4 full HDMI 2.1 ports, and all the gaming features and Game optimizer. In short, the CS almost looks and feels identical to its pricier C2 and G2 siblings. That’s what I call a good deal.
In terms of design, the CS looks identical to the C1 from last year with an impossibly thin frame (it’s thinner than an iPhone 14), the same pronounced booty for the electronics, ports, and classic brushed metal stand that keeps the massive 65” panel from wobbling on your stand. You can, of course, VESA mount the TV for a cleaner setup too.
Connectivity is still top-notch with four HDMI 2.1 ports — one of which is eARC — three USB ports, optical out, and Ethernet LAN port. The Magic remote returns with all its handy tricks for navigating the WebOS 22 that the CS runs on, but I have to say, the design is really old at this point. Yes, it’s comfy, but it looks so cheap and plastic for a TV that costs over $2000. And why LG, am I still using AAA batteries in 2023?
WebOS is pretty much a well-known quantity at this point. It’s evolved from the much more stylish origins of edgy tiles along the bottom of the screen. Now, it’s just as generic as Google TV or Roku, with its three-tier layout of tiles. The biggest one is for Ads, the second for trending content, and the third smaller one for your installed apps. Scroll one step further down, and you get the Home Dashboard, which allows you to see all your connected devices in one place. That includes smart home devices as well as those directly connected to the TV.
One of the best features of LG TVs is, of course, the Game Optimizer, which is a special interface accessible once the TV is connected to a gaming console or PC. This allows you to change various specific settings like you would on a gaming monitor, as well as see how your connected device is performing in terms of framerates.
I had my PlayStation 5 hooked up to the CS and finished my playthroughs of Horizon Forbidden West using the games optimized settings that allowed for buttery-smooth gameplay and incredibly beautiful graphics. Returnal with it’s dark and gloomy biomes with bioluminescent plants shining in the dark and vast number of glowing enemy bullets filling the screen looks and feels phenomenal on the CS.
Additionally, being an OLED means games look insanely good on the CS. Thanks to those self-lit pixels, the CS achieves perfect blacks that LCDs and Mini LEDs can’t achieve. Add dynamic tone mapping and HDR, and games just shine. Sure, the limitations of the OLED do come into play because of its lower brightness compared to Mini LED. Nevertheless, HDR content looks stunning, in large part thanks to the perfect contrast that separates the dark areas from the bright ones. And unlike other panels, there’s not even a hint of blooming or halo effects.
Even outside of gaming, the CS offers plenty for the movie lover thanks to support for Dolby Vision HDR and IMAX Enhanced format. My household is mainly team Disney Plus just because of the Mandalorian, and watching these shows in their true beauty is breathtaking. The CS offers several picture profiles to choose from, including the film-accurate Filmmaker and ISF Expert modes.
Once again, though, the dimmer panel may be an issue, especially if you do a lot of media consumption during the daytime or in a room with bright lights. However, that can easily be fixed by just closing your blinds and turning off the lights. It’s better than being in a cinema, and since OLEDs don’t emit any of that harmful blue light, your eyes won’t get strained.
Sound on the TV is good too, helped in great part by LG’s AI Sound Pro engine, which makes a huge difference. The sound is crystal clear with excellent staging and bass that transcends the super thin nature of the TV. Like picture, you also get a ton of Audio profiles to play with but letting the AI handle things is the best way to go.
Ultimately though, the 40W speakers just aren’t capable of delivering true Dolby Atmos surround as advertised on the box. For that, I highly recommend shelling out for one of LG’s soundbars because the TV has a neat trick where it can use both the TV speakers and soundbar to create some amazing sound.
Should You Buy It?
Absolutely yes. While the CS is a special edition model and unlikely to be available much longer, that also means it will be available at deep discounts, making it one of the best bang-for-buck OLED TVs. There are some competitors like the Hisense X9 that are similarly priced, but we haven’t tested that to compare — especially with the gaming features. So, while the CS doesn’t have the much brighter OLED Evo panel, that is in no way a reason to pass on it. For the average consumer, the CS OLED is everything you need and nothing you don’t. Sure, $2000 isn’t exactly budget, but compared to its pricier siblings and the value you get, I think it’s a better option for most couch gamers out there looking for a big screen OLED. Bravo, LG.
