I tested the LG G6 OLED TV side-by-side with the G5 in our testing rooms—and the difference is clear

The LG G5 is one of 2025's best OLED TVs, earning a full 5 stars in our review for its excellent picture quality, superb gaming performance and its newfound brightness, so its successor had some big shoes to fill. We fully reviewed the LG G6 and it's a more than worthy successor to the G5. Not only does it introduce an even brighter primary RGB tandem OLED 2.0 panel, but it makes subtle refinements in the right areas, mostly. Naturally, I decided to compare the two TVs side-by-side for people who were deciding whether to spend more on the G6 or saving some money on the G5. Here's what I thought. With its new panel, the G6 gets a real brightness boost over the G5. I measured its peak HDR brightness in Filmmaker mode at 2475 nits, a nice jump over the G5's 2268 nits. This means brighter scenes and peak highlights on screen have more punch and more shine, which I especially found when viewing scenes with bright whites in, such as snow. The G6 also gets a substantial full screen brightness boost. Its measured HDR full screen brightness was 456 nits, compared to the G5's 331 nits. This means brighter daytime scenes have more punch, but it's also better for viewing in bright rooms, keeping clarity even when light is flooding over the screen. Another area the G6 really steps up over the G5 is in its reflection handling. The G5 was prone to mirror-like reflections when viewing in bright conditions, but the G6 has a seriously effective anti-reflection layer that I'd argue makes it the best OLED for bright rooms, dethroning last year's Samsung S95F. We'll see how this year's Samsung flagship will fare later. From when I first saw the G6 and G5 side by side at an event, I noted that the G6's don't look as bright. When I asked LG about this it confirmed it was by design, as it was favoring accuracy over brightness after feedback from creators. I can confirm this is the case, and it's actually to the G6's benefit. Watching La La Land, colours seem more authentic on the G6 while also looking richer. In some scenes the G5s look much brighter and don't feel quite as accurate, although they still have a lovely vibrancy. In the Sound of Music, the greens of the fields and the blues of the skies again look more accurate on the G6, delivering a better tonal balance. Colour banding is an interesting area however. LG's OLEDs have struggled with their colour banding in the past, and initially the G6 seemed to have improved that. A scene from the Green Knight in HDR10 shows better gradation of a large red area over the whole screen with fewer blocky rings of colour present. It's a clear step up over the G5. However, in Dolby Vision, the G6 shows signs of banding as well in fact the G5 arguably performs better in Dolby Vision at the time of recording still for overall color accuracy and reproduction overall the win goes to the G6 which is no easy feat as the G5's colors are also excellent as you'd expect for two OLED TVs both the G6 and G5 have excellent contrast scenes from the Batman and Dark City where lamps cut through dark surroundings show excellent balance with bold highlights however once again the G6 looks more refined. Contrast looks more authentic during those dark scenes, with a slightly better balance between the light and dark tones. Shadow details also stronger, with more objects legible in dark scenes, and black tones look more accurate. They sometimes looked a little raised on the G5 in pitch black viewing conditions. While I preferred the G6 in a lot of tests, when you're planning to buy affects what TV I I recommend. Right now, a 65-inch G6 at launch costs $3,399 or £2,999, while a 65-inch G5 costs you around $1,949 or £1,999. Now, the G6 is an upgrade, but it's not four figures worth of upgrade. When the G6's prices start dropping, that's when it'll be worth it. But if you're looking for the best bang for your buck right now, easily the G5. Got any questions about the LG G6 or G5? Let us know in the comments below.