At CES 2021, LG Display announced that it intended to produce a 42-inch OLED TV panel sometime in 2021. You weren’t alone if, like me, you got really excited, and also expected one of these more compact OLED panels to have already launched. That’s not happening this year, according to sources speaking to The Korea Economic Daily, who say that the launch of LG’s planned 42-inch OLED TV has been pushed to 2022 instead, alongside the new 2022 TV lineup and debut at CES 2022.
The delay doesn’t seem to have been caused by issues with production, according to The Korea Economic Daily. While its sources expected LG to launch the 42-inch in the second half of 2021 following mass production of the panels, they say the company switched the launch window to “maximize its marketing efforts rather than unveiling it later this year.”
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Compared to LG’s entry-level A1-series OLED TVs that have 60Hz displays, LG is apparently angling this new 42-inch model to fit in with its other high-end OLED TVs, like the OLED G1 evo and C1 lineups, despite its smaller size.
If all of this pans out, it’ll ideally have a 120Hz refresh rate display with multiple HDMI 2.1 ports that allow 120 frames per second 4K gameplay (in games that support it) on PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X. It should also support variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low-latency mode, which are features that can make gaming look and feel smoother and more enjoyable. Though, with specs like that, I wouldn’t expect this to be a particularly affordable TV. The current 48-inch C1 was originally priced at $1,499.99 (but can currently be purchased for $1,299.99), so this smaller one will hopefully cost a little less.
At 42 inches, this OLED panel isn’t going after the average TV viewer. This size straddles the line between TV and gaming monitor, and it seems ideal for gamers with desk space — and disposable income — to spare. There are plenty of big gaming monitor options north of $700 that offer competitive specs like HDMI 2.1 ports and VRR, but none that have a panel that can compete with the rich contrast, color accuracy, and brightness of an OLED. Well, except for Gigabyte’s $1,500 Aorus FO48U gaming monitor. Okay, the $2,500 curved Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 is rad, too.
The Verge has reached out to LG for confirmation of this alleged delay, and whether it can confirm if the TV will appear at CES 2022 next year.