LG C5 OLED48C5 review: A perfect 48-inch TV for demanding gamers

A TV is usually a living-room centrepiece, a family purchase that everyone gathers around to enjoy. But the gamers in your household will want to smuggle the LG C5 OLED48C5 into their gaming dens and claim it as their own. While other manufacturers often compromise on their smaller form factors, LG has delivered a masterclass with killer gaming specifications in this 48-inch powerhouse.

It’s not a huge leap in performance over the C4 era displays at this size, and you’ll still need to do some out-of-the-box tweaking to its image presets. But, even with some audio compromises, this feels like a screen purpose built for solo gaming on, just as much as it is for the family movie night. Here’s 5 key things to know about the 48-inch LG C5 OLED.

LG C5 OLED48C5: In short…

• Excellent contrast and detail
• Four HDMI 2.1 ports with one eARC
• VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming support
• Alpha 9 Gen 8 processor
• webOS 25 with Xbox streaming app
• Available now, priced £1,499 RRP

1. Design, Build and Core Features – Refinement Over Reinvention

At first glance, the LG C5 OLED48C5 looks very familiar, and that’s largely intentional. LG hasn’t attempted a radical redesign for this generation of its C-series OLEDs, instead opting for a refined, proven formula. The slim panel, minimal bezels and understated central stand give the TV a premium appearance that fits easily into most living spaces, whether placed on a cabinet or wall-mounted. Build quality is reassuringly solid, with no sense of corners being cut despite the relatively compact 48-inch size.

Under the hood, the C5 continues to use LG’s WOLED panel technology rather than the brighter (and now retired) MLA, or QD-OLED alternatives found in more expensive models. There’s no heatsink either here, which does limit peak brightness compared with flagship OLEDs, meaning the screen’s brightness is tuned more conservatively to avoid burn-in.

One of the most impressive aspects of the C5’s feature set is its connectivity. All four HDMI inputs are full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, supporting 4K resolution at up to 144Hz. This is a standout specification, particularly in this size and price category, and makes the TV extremely flexible for anyone running multiple top-tier gaming consoles alongside streaming devices or Blu-ray players. Support for VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming is present across all ports, which is something many competitors still struggle to match.

Processing duties are handled by LG’s Alpha 9 Gen 8 processor. This brings updated AI-based picture and sound processing, improved upscaling of lower-resolution content, and more nuanced HDR tone mapping. The TV supports HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision, but, as with previous LG OLEDs, HDR10+ is not included. A Samsung standard, it’s unsurprising, but its growing popularity makes it a notable omission.

2. Picture Quality – OLED Strengths With A Few Caveats

When it comes to picture quality, the LG C5 successfully delivers what you would expect from a modern OLED TV: deep blacks, excellent contrast and strong overall clarity. In darker scenes, the TV excels, producing inky blacks without crushing shadow detail, allowing subtle textures and gradations to remain visible. This gives films and high-quality TV dramas a cinematic look that LCD-based TVs often struggle to replicate.

Out of the box, however, the default picture modes can be a little overenthusiastic. Colours may appear warmer than strictly accurate, and highlights can sometimes look slightly pushed. Switching to Filmmaker Mode or making modest adjustments brings the image much closer to reference standards, revealing a more balanced and natural presentation — even if that mode leans a little cool.

Colour reproduction is generally rich and engaging. Bright scenes benefit from strong vibrancy, while more muted sequences retain a pleasing sense of realism. That said, the C5 isn’t entirely flawless. In certain challenging scenes, such as complex skin tones or very bright HDR material, the TV can occasionally look a touch flat. These issues are subtle rather than glaring, and many viewers may never notice them, but they do prevent the C5 from being class-leading in absolute picture fidelity.

Motion handling is another area where setup matters. With LG’s motion processing enabled at default levels, fast movement will look artificial. Once adjusted, however, motion becomes impressively smooth without introducing excessive soap-opera effect or unwanted artefacts. Sports broadcasts and action films both benefit from a bit of careful tuning away from the presets.

Overall, the C5’s picture quality is consistently impressive and often excellent, even if it stops just short of being truly best-in-class.

3. Gaming Performance – The C5 At Its Best

Gaming is where the LG C5 OLED really shines. LG continues to position its C-series OLEDs as gaming-friendly displays, and the C5 may be one of the strongest examples yet, especially at this size. While a 42-incher is perfect for a superlative desktop gaming set-up, one of these in your gaming nook will make you the envy of your pad-pawing mates.

Four HDMI 2.1 ports capable of 4K at up to 144Hz is a huge advantage. Whether you’re connecting a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, gaming PC or all three at once, the TV handles them effortlessly. Variable Refresh Rate support reduces screen tearing, while Auto Low Latency Mode ensures the TV switches automatically into its most responsive gaming mode when a console is detected.

Input lag is extremely low, making gameplay feel immediate and responsive. Fast-paced shooters and competitive multiplayer titles benefit particularly from this, while more cinematic single-player games take advantage of the TV’s strong contrast and HDR performance.

Dolby Vision gaming support further enhances the experience on compatible Xbox titles, offering richer HDR visual, fuss-free. LG’s Game Optimiser menu also provides a convenient hub for adjusting gaming-specific settings, allowing players to fine-tune performance without diving through multiple sub-menus.

For gamers looking for a premium 48-inch TV that can double as both a console and PC display, the C5 is among the best options available.

4. Smart TV Platform – Feature-Rich But Slightly Dated

LG’s webOS 25 smart platform powers the C5, and it remains one of the most comprehensive smart TV systems on the market. Major streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and YouTube are all present, with broad support for 4K and HDR formats.

This version of webOS introduces additional gaming-focused features, including an Xbox cloud gaming app and Bluetooth controller pairing, making it possible to stream games directly to the TV without a console — a boon for the gaming-curious.

Navigation is generally smooth and responsive, though the interface can feel a little busy at times. LG’s emphasis on content recommendations and promotional tiles may not appeal to purists who prefer a cleaner home screen.

The Magic Remote remains a divisive feature. Some users appreciate its pointer-based navigation, while others find it less intuitive than traditional button-based remotes. Compared with newer minimalist remotes from rival brands, it does feel slightly dated, even if it remains functional.

Despite these minor criticisms, webOS remains a strong smart TV platform overall.

5. Sound Quality – Boost With A Bar

If there’s one area where the LG C5 clearly falls behind its visual performance, it’s sound quality. The built-in 2.2-channel, 40W speaker system is competent but unremarkable, particularly given the TV’s premium aspirations.

Dialogue is generally clear, but the soundstage lacks width and depth. Effects and music can feel compressed, and there’s little sense of directionality or immersion. LG’s AI Sound modes attempt to improve things, but they often add an unreal quality to sound, rather than genuine enhancement.

Bass is limited, as expected from a slim OLED design, and action scenes lack the weight and impact needed to truly impress. While the audio is serviceable for casual viewing, it doesn’t match the quality of the picture.

For anyone serious about home cinema, a soundbar or external audio system is strongly recommended to unlock the TV’s full potential, but remember — with a low-profile base, you’re going to need a slimline bar should you want to avoid obscuring the screen itself.

Final Verdict

The LG C5 OLED48C5 is a refined, highly capable OLED TV that plays to LG’s traditional strengths. Its picture quality is consistently strong, its gaming performance is particularly outstanding, and its feature set is among the most generous in its class. While it doesn’t dramatically improve on its predecessor and has clear weaknesses in audio performance, it remains one of the most well-rounded 48-inch OLED TVs available.

For viewers seeking a compact premium OLED that excels with films, TV shows and games alike, the C5 is an easy recommendation — provided you’re willing to pair it with external audio to complete the experience. If you want a premium 48-inch OLED for movies, series and serious gaming, it’s very hard to go wrong.

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