LG OLED Flex 42 review

Gaming monitors are traditionally flat or curved but what if they could be both? The new LG OLED Flex is the answer to that question. This 42-inch TV can transform into a curved display at the touch of a button—while playing the most over-the-top but weirdly appropriate THX-like sound effect.

It can go from flat to a 900R curve in just a few seconds thanks to built-in motors meaning no scary manual bending like the flawed Corsair Xeneon Flex. Even better, you can choose the extremity of the curve; up to 20 stops so you can really dial in what works for you. Additionally, you aren’t limited to the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio so you can effectively transform this monitor into a 27-inch esports monitor or a 38-inch 21:9, curved ultrawide.

LG is asking for $2,499 (£2,699, AUD $4,999) so you can have the pleasure of flexing on your mates… pun fully intended. That’s a lot. A similarly sized OLED Evo C3 would cost you just $1,299 for pretty much the same TV minus the curves. That’s over a $1000 difference!

But, what that means is that the Flex comes with LG’s top TV features—Super bright OLED Evo panel with 4K resolution, 120Hz refresh, 1ms response, wide color gamut, ALLM, VRR, Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync support. You also get support for Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, and HLG with Dynamic tone mapping. The Flex adds an anti-reflective coating for a better viewing angle, a USB hub for your peripherals, and of course, that curving panel.

You also get a 40W front-firing speaker system that delivers some very good sound with support for virtual Dolby Atmos—definitely better than any gaming monitor I’ve used. There’s also a new in-built noise canceling microphone for your Zoom calls.

The Flex also comes with the α9 Gen5 AI Processor to handle all the AI smarts that make everything look and sound phenomenal on this TV. HDR shines thanks to those perfect contrast and extra brightness that the OLED Evo tech offers. You also get LG’s WebOS system and the ability to run all the usual streaming apps like Netflix and Disney+. Navigating the OS is smooth and fluid thanks to the tried and true Magic Remote.

That’s all the TV stuff though, and it’s worth noting that this isn’t really a gaming monitor; so no DisplayPort or the ability to be controlled by your computer. That said, it does have four HDMI 2.1 ports that all support 4K 120Hz, and one with eARC support.

The Flex has a beefy stand that houses the motors that allow it to curve on demand. Since it’s designed for your desk, it also allows for some minor height and tilt adjustment. Obviously you can’t VESA mount it but the stand thankfully doesn’t occupy much space on your desk and it even has some RGB backlighting that can get quite bright.

Bear in mind that at 42-inches, you will definitely need to sit back a ways while gaming if you don’t want to get a headache. Something about the fast motion and being so close. But like I said, you can reposition and change the view port to your hearts content; as long as you don’t mind the black pillars reminding you how much space you’re wasting.

The Flex includes a USB hub on the stand’s base that allows your peripherals to work with the TV itself or a connected PC. LG supplies a USB-to-USB Type-A cable in the box and there’s a special Switching Hub button on the base that lets you swap operating modes.

LG’s excellent Game Optimiser dashboard is here and it works just as well as on other LG TVs. The addition of screen aspects to it is a welcome feature for different types of gaming. Note that if you play Valorant at 300fps, this might not be the monitor for you, however. But playing Destiny 2 Crucible was buttery smooth and gorgeous on this large display. It’s single player titles like Dead Space Remake and Assassins Creed Mirage in glorious 4K HDR that are a perfect showcase for what the Flex can really do.

So the LG OLED Flex definitely ranks as my favorite BFG display experience so far and one of the best 42-inch gaming monitors. While it is definitely big for a desk at 42-inches, it’s still far more practical than the 55-inch Samsung Odyssey Ark. What’s more, the flexibility to change form factor and aspect ratios gives the benefits of both flat and curved monitors.

But there’s still one huge problem and that’s price. At $2,499, you aren’t getting much more than what the cheaper 42-inch OLED Evo C3 offers. I get that curving an OLED ain’t cheap but I’m not convinced the extra $1500 is worth it. I absolutely love the OLED Flex and am loath to let it go. Nobody needs this but it certainly is an awesome flex.