LG's New OLED Wallpaper TV at CES 2026: A Game Changer

I was quite fond of my high-quality OLED TV, especially given that its price was significantly slashed last holiday season. It offers remarkable contrast with deep blacks and vibrant colors, plus it has adequate performance features for my occasional gaming sessions.

However, my perspective shifted after setting eyes on LG's new Wallpaper TV at CES 2026. Although I'm exaggerating a little—since exaggeration seems to come naturally when you're in Las Vegas—the sheer thinness of just 9mm captured my attention and held it.

This Wallpaper TV signifies a comeback in the trajectory of the Korean tech giant, with its original version unveiled in 2017. Since those days, the industry, including LG, has generally leaned more towards enhancing performance and screen quality, and less on achieving ultra-thin profiles.

Part of the allure is in observing the TV from the side, which required close-up inspection to grasp its sliver-like thickness.

Yet, it's more than just the aesthetics this year. LG boasts that this model almost quadruples the brightness of usual OLED screens, owing to its new Brightness Booster Ultra technology, anticipated to be in all premium models for 2026.

Another feature is its low-reflectance coating, diminishing glare and unwanted reflections. Although the demonstration booth wasn't extremely bright, I noticed that spotlight reflections were well-diffused during darker scenes. This feature deserves to become a standard.

An additional convenience is the Zero Connect Box, which simplifies the management of inputs and outputs, particularly when wall-mounted. It supports lossless 4K audio and video transmissions up to 10 meters away, a feature validated through extensive testing in our laboratories.

On the technical front, the system is driven by a novel A11 AI Processor Gen 3. Noteworthy improvements include enhanced AI capabilities for restoring natural details, better image sharpening, more responsive voice recognition, and compatibility with both Gemini and Copilot smart assistants. Users can even choose their preferred AI for interacting with.

In terms of gaming, the Wallpaper TV doesn't fall short. It offers an impressive 165Hz refresh rate at 4K, an ultra-fast 0.1ms response time, and is compatible with NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium. It's satisfying to see such advanced specs paired with an impressive design.

Though LG has yet to disclose pricing or release dates for the Wallpaper TV, it's likely to command a hefty price tag, reminiscent of previous high-end models. Given its innovative design, substantial pricing is expected.