BERLIN – I vividly remember being wowed by LG's rollable OLED display prototype at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, but the company's latest TV innovation may just top that.
At IFA 2022, LG showed off the 42-inch OLED Flex (model LX3) gaming TV, which can transform from a flat screen to a curved one and back again with the press of a button. At LG's booth, which takes up a full wing at the Berlin Messegelände exhibition grounds, LG set up an actual arcade, where visitors can try the OLED Flex with games like Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, and more.
The TV has already garnered plenty of headlines for its unique morphing abilities, so I was eager to check it out for myself. Watch the video below to see it in action.
You can adjust the curve of the TV, up to 900R, with a remote, or by using a multi-directional button beneath the display. The LG OLED Flex has three primary curvature modes: Standard (flat, 0% curve), Curvature Mode 1 (50% curve), and Curvature Mode 2 (100% curve). You can also fine-tune the curvature, dialing it up or down in 5% increments, meaning it offers a total of 20 different curvature levels.
I had some difficulty figuring out how to use the multi-directional button on the TV to adjust the curvature while testing it here at IFA, but I think with a bit of practice this wouldn't be an issue. An LG spokesperson at the booth told me that it's a lot easier to adjust the curvature with the remote, but they didn't have one on hand for me to try.
In any case, I spent about 15 minutes testing the LG OLED Flex, repeatedly switching it between the three curvature modes, and making fine-tuned adjustments. This feature worked flawlessly: the TV always quickly responded and had no problem morphing between curvature levels. It was absolutely trippy to see the TV bend itself from a flat screen to a curved one right before my eyes.
LG has not yet announced pricing nor availability details for the OLED Flex, but we can only imagine it won't come cheap. Whether its unique morphing abilities are actually useful to gamers, instead of just a fun gimmick, is debatable.
PCMag's home entertainment expert Will Greenwald tells me that the OLED Flex's morphing abilities might appeal to those who like to switch between racing games (which can feel more immersive with a curved screen) to strategy titles (for which you might prefer a flat screen), but that's a pretty specific demographic.
"Gamers using a [curved] screen as a desktop monitor can find them more immersive, especially ultrawide screens for games that support it, and flat screens can be better for general work outside of gaming, but at its heart it's still a gimmick to switch between them when you're going to get used to either one," Greenwald said.
Most of the visitors to LG's arcade seemed more interested in gaming than fiddling with the curvature of the display. Everyone I saw playing Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite had the OLED Flex set to some degree of curvature, which no doubt offers a more immersive gaming experience than the flat Standard mode. If you prefer a curved screen for gaming, you can probably save some money by purchasing a one that doesn't change curvature at the press of a button, but we'll reserve final judgement of the LG OLED Flex until we hear pricing details.