Samsung S95F vs LG G5: Which Flagship OLED Should You Buy? (2026)
The two best TVs of this generation, head to head. Samsung’s QD-OLED chases the bright room; LG’s RGB Tandem OLED chases peak picture and Dolby Vision. We own the LG G5 — and every measurement on this page is still cited to the named lab that recorded it.
If you’re spending flagship money on an OLED in 2026, it comes down to these two. The Samsung S95F is a QD-OLED with a matte Glare Free 2.0 screen — TechRadar’s TV of the Year 2025 and the default pick for bright rooms. The LG G5 is LG’s new RGB Tandem OLED — the panel we chose for our own living room, in both 65" and 83". They are closer in raw performance than any spec sheet suggests, and the honest answer hangs on three things: your room’s light, your HDR library, and your ports. This page settles it at 65 inches — the size where the labs actually measured both — with every figure cited to the named source that recorded it.
Neither of these TVs is a mistake — they are the two best panels of the generation. Buy by room and library, not by brand:
The core trade-off: S95F = the bright-room, wide-couch pick. G5 = the Dolby Vision, max-bandwidth pick. On blacks, refresh rate, port count and input lag they are effectively tied — the table below shows exactly where each figure comes from.
Head-to-head: every spec, cited
Compared at 65 inches — the size the labs measured on both sides (and a size we genuinely own on the LG). Superscripts map to the numbered sources at the end of this page. Where a figure was measured on a different size or in a specific picture mode, the cell says so — we never average across modes or labs.
| Spec | Samsung S95F (65") | LG G5 (65") | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panel technology | QD-OLED, matte finish¹ ³ | RGB Tandem OLED¹ ⁷ | Tie — two different routes to flagship |
| Peak HDR brightness — same lab, same size | 2,138 nits (Tom’s Guide, 10% window, 65")¹ | ~2,295 nits (Tom’s Guide, 65"; over 2,400 in its brighter modes)¹ | LG G5 |
| Peak brightness — other labs | ~2,089 (AVS Forum, Filmmaker 10%, 65")² · 2,132 (TechRadar, Filmmaker, 55" unit)³ | ~2,400 sustained 10% (RTINGS, tested on 65")⁴ · 2,268 (TechRadar, Filmmaker, 65")³ · 2,268–2,520 range across cited labs¹ ³ ⁷ | LG G5 (slight) |
| Black level | 0 nits — infinite contrast¹ ⁵ | 0 nits — infinite contrast¹ | Tie |
| Screen finish / glare | Matte Glare Free 2.0 — cuts ambient reflections up to ~85%³ | — (not stated by our cited sources; see our hands-on note below) | S95F |
| Viewing angle | Wide ~178° — QD-OLED is the widest panel type⁴ | — (not stated by our cited sources) | S95F (only cited figure) |
| Color accuracy | Delta-E 1.2 — “best color accuracy of any television we’ve tested to date” — Tom’s Guide¹ | CNET Labs Award — Best Color Accuracy (2025)⁸ | Tie — each holds a color title |
| Dolby Vision | No — HDR10+ only; Xbox falls back to HDR10¹ ⁶ | Yes (+ HDR10, HLG; no HDR10+)³ ⁴ — DV also confirmed by Tom’s Guide / PC Guide¹ ⁷ | LG G5 |
| HDMI 2.1 ports | 4 — inputs measured at 40Gbps, not the full 48¹ ⁵ | 4 — full 48Gbps ports¹ | LG G5 (bandwidth headroom) |
| Max refresh rate | 165Hz — 4K/120 console, 4K/165 PC¹ ⁴ ⁶ | 165Hz¹ ⁴ | Tie |
| Input lag (mode-labeled — we never average) | 9.5ms at 4K/120 (Tom’s Guide)¹ · ~5ms with 120Hz VRR, ~10ms without (RTINGS)⁴ | ~9ms (Tom’s Guide, 65")¹ · 9.2ms (TechRadar)³ · on the 83": 9.2ms Boost / 12.9ms standard, Bodnar 4K/60¹ ³ | Tie — both effectively instant |
| VRR | G-Sync Compatible + FreeSync Premium Pro, ALLM, Game Bar⁴ ⁶ | FreeSync + G-Sync¹ | Tie |
| Major awards | TechRadar TV of the Year 2025³ | CNET color-accuracy award⁸; TechRadar’s 83" hands-on: “bright enough to make projectors feel obsolete”³ | Tie |
| Sizes | 55/65/77/83" — but the 83" is WOLED, not QD-OLED¹ | Compared here at 65"; we own the 65" and 83" | — |
| Typical price | ~$2,200–2,500 at 65" (as stated on our 60-inch guide; moves daily) | Prices move daily — check the current listing | — |
- The cleanest row is the same-lab one: Tom’s Guide measured both TVs at 65 inches — ~2,295 nits (G5) vs 2,138 nits (S95F)¹. Every other brightness figure comes from a different lab, window or mode, so we label each cell rather than declare a single “winner number.”
- The HDR-format split is a genuine fork: the S95F is HDR10+ only — no Dolby Vision, and an Xbox falls back to plain HDR10 on it⁶ — while the G5 plays Dolby Vision but not HDR10+⁴. Check which format your library actually uses before you pick.
- Port bandwidth is the sleeper spec: both TVs give you four HDMI 2.1 ports at 165Hz, but FlatpanelsHD measured the S95F’s inputs at 40Gbps where the G5’s are full 48Gbps ports¹ ⁵ — irrelevant to consoles, real to 4K/165 PC pushers.
- Where a G5 cell says “not stated,” that’s deliberate: our cited sources publish no G5 viewing-angle or screen-finish measurement, so we leave the cell honest rather than invent one. Our hands-on impressions are below — clearly labeled as ours.
Per-cell sources: [1] Tom’s Guide · [2] AVS Forum · [3] TechRadar · [4] RTINGS · [5] FlatpanelsHD · [6] What Hi-Fi? · [7] PC Guide · [8] CNET — full citations in the Sources box at the end. “Edge” calls are use-case judgments from those cited figures, not an in-house lab ranking.
Picture quality: brightness, blacks & color
Start with what’s tied: both panels turn pixels fully off, so black level is 0 nits with effectively infinite contrast on both sides¹ ⁵. From there the G5 takes the brightness rows. In the only same-lab, same-size pairing our sources publish, Tom’s Guide measured the G5 at ~2,295 nits (and over 2,400 in its brighter picture modes) against the S95F’s 2,138 nits¹. The cross-lab picture agrees without being identical: RTINGS sustained ~2,400 nits on the G5’s 10% window⁴ and TechRadar recorded 2,268 in Filmmaker mode³, while the S95F’s other figures land at ~2,089 (AVS Forum, Filmmaker 10%)² and 2,132 (TechRadar, on a 55" unit)³. Different labs, different windows — which is exactly why we show every bar labeled above rather than crowning one number.
Color is the fun one: both TVs hold a color-accuracy title. Tom’s Guide measured the S95F at Delta-E 1.2 and called it the “best color accuracy of any television we’ve tested to date”¹; the G5 carries the CNET Labs Award for Best Color Accuracy (2025)⁸. Nobody buys the wrong TV here. Edge: LG G5, on brightness alone.
Bright rooms & glare: the S95F’s ace
The single biggest daily difference between these two isn’t nits — it’s the screen surface. The S95F’s matte Glare Free 2.0 finish cuts ambient reflections by up to ~85% per TechRadar³, which is why it’s our sports pick and TechRadar’s TV of the Year: lamps and windows stop being mirror images. Add QD-OLED’s wide ~178° viewing angle (RTINGS calls it the widest panel type)⁴ and the S95F is built for the sun-lit family room with a wide couch.
Our cited sources publish no equivalent reflection or viewing-angle measurement for the G5, so the table leaves those cells empty rather than guessing — but we can speak to living with it, and we do just below. If direct window glare is your room’s defining problem, the matte S95F is the safer pick; that’s the honest read. Edge: Samsung S95F.
Most of this page we assess from cited lab data — that’s the only honest way to compare a TV we own against one we don’t. But the G5 half is first-hand: we own LG’s flagship G-series OLEDs — the 65" and 83" G5 — and have lived with them for a year. The brightness genuinely startles in a daylit room — every bit what the lab figures (2,268–2,520 nits)¹ ³ ⁷ suggest — and what spec sheets undersell is the clarity and motion: fast pans and 4K/120 gaming stay razor-sharp. To be equally fair to the other side: we have not had the S95F in our room, so every S95F figure on this page is cited to the named lab that measured it — nothing more, nothing less.
Gaming: ports, bandwidth & lag — mode by mode
On the headline specs this is a dead heat: four HDMI 2.1 ports and a 165Hz ceiling on both (4K/120 for consoles, 4K/165 for PC)¹ ⁴ ⁶, with full VRR stacks on each side — G-Sync Compatible + FreeSync Premium Pro with ALLM and Samsung’s Game Bar on the S95F⁴ ⁶, FreeSync + G-Sync on the G5¹. Input lag is a tie once you keep the modes straight, which we insist on: the S95F measures 9.5ms at 4K/120 (Tom’s Guide)¹ and ~5ms with 120Hz VRR engaged, ~10ms without (RTINGS)⁴; the G5 measures ~9ms (Tom’s Guide)¹ and 9.2ms (TechRadar)³, with the 83" logging 9.2ms in Boost / 12.9ms standard on the Bodnar 4K/60 meter¹ ³. Those are different meters and different signals — comparing a 9.5 to a 9.2 across labs is noise, and we won’t pretend otherwise. Every figure is effectively instant in play.
Two cited splits actually decide it. Bandwidth: the G5’s four ports are full 48Gbps (Tom’s Guide)¹, while FlatpanelsHD measured the S95F’s inputs at 40Gbps⁵ — meaningless for a PS5 or Xbox, meaningful if you chase uncompressed 4K/165 from a PC. HDR in games: the S95F has no Dolby Vision, so an Xbox falls back to HDR10 on it (What Hi-Fi?)⁶, where the G5 runs Dolby Vision gaming. Edge: LG G5, narrowly — on bandwidth and DV gaming; either TV is a top-tier gaming panel. (More picks in our best gaming TV guide.)
Movies & HDR formats: the real fork in the road
Here’s the one spec that should probably make your decision for you, because no firmware update fixes it: the S95F does not support Dolby Vision — it’s HDR10+ only¹ ⁶, while the G5 plays Dolby Vision (plus HDR10 and HLG) but not HDR10+⁴. They are mirror images. Dolby Vision is the dominant premium format across Netflix, Disney+ and 4K Blu-ray; HDR10+ leads on Prime Video. Both TVs play baseline HDR10 on everything, and both are spectacular doing it — but if you’ve built a Dolby Vision library or game on Xbox with DV titles, the G5 is the only one of these two that honors it. Edge: LG G5 for most streaming libraries; call it a wash if you live on Prime Video.
Sizes & price: read the fine print at 83 inches
The S95F line runs 55/65/77/83 inches — but the 83" is a WOLED panel, not QD-OLED (Tom’s Guide)¹, so the brightness and viewing-angle story on this page stops applying at that size. The G5 we compare at 65" because that’s where the cited measurements live — and it’s a size we own, alongside our 83". On price, our 60-inch guide lists the S95F at roughly $2,200–2,500 at 65 inches; we don’t print a G5 figure because none of our cited pages states one — flagship OLED pricing moves weekly, so check the live listing either way. What we can say honestly: these two launch in the same tier, and the deals trade places month to month. Edge: even — whichever is discounted the week you buy.
The two TVs, in depth
Samsung S95F — flawless in any light
The S95F is the TV you buy when the room, not the panel, is the enemy. Its QD-OLED panel wears a matte Glare Free 2.0 coating that cuts ambient reflections by up to ~85% (TechRadar)³, holds color across a wide ~178° arc (RTINGS)⁴, and still hits 2,138 nits on Tom’s Guide’s 10% window¹ with Delta-E 1.2 color — the best that lab has recorded¹. Gamers get four HDMI 2.1 ports, 165Hz, VRR and a measured 9.5ms at 4K/120¹ (~5ms with 120Hz VRR, per RTINGS⁴). TechRadar made it TV of the Year 2025³.
The honest catches: no Dolby Vision — HDR10+ only, and an Xbox falls back to HDR10¹ ⁶; FlatpanelsHD measured its HDMI inputs at 40Gbps, not the full 48⁵; and if you size up, the 83" swaps to a WOLED panel¹, so these QD-OLED numbers stop applying.
Approx. price: ~$2,200–2,500 at 65" (as stated on our 60-inch guide) — moves daily, confirm at the listing
LG G5 — the one we bought
The G5’s new RGB Tandem OLED panel¹ ⁷ is the reason 2026’s OLED brightness race has two leaders: Tom’s Guide measured ~2,295 nits at 65" (over 2,400 in brighter modes)¹, RTINGS sustained ~2,400 on the 10% window⁴, and TechRadar logged 2,268 in Filmmaker mode³. It keeps Dolby Vision (plus HDR10 and HLG — no HDR10+)⁴, runs 165Hz across four full-48Gbps HDMI 2.1 ports¹, measures ~9ms input lag¹ (9.2ms per TechRadar³), and took CNET’s Labs Award for color accuracy⁸. TechRadar’s 83" hands-on called it “bright enough to make projectors feel obsolete”³ — and after a year with our own 65" and 83", we get it.
The honest catches: no HDR10+ (the mirror image of Samsung’s gap)⁴, and our sources publish no matte-coating or viewing-angle measurement to counter the S95F’s cited bright-room advantages — in a glare-heavy room, the Samsung is the safer call.
Prices move daily — check the current listing (our cited pages state no G5 price, so we won’t invent one)
Frequently asked questions
- Is the LG G5 brighter than the Samsung S95F?
- In the one same-lab, same-size comparison our sources publish — Tom’s Guide at 65 inches — yes, by a nose: ~2,295 nits vs 2,138¹. Cross-lab figures (RTINGS ~2,400 sustained for the G5⁴; AVS Forum ~2,089 and TechRadar 2,132 for the S95F² ³) point the same way, but windows and modes differ. Both are among the brightest OLEDs ever measured.
- Does the Samsung S95F support Dolby Vision?
- No. The S95F is HDR10+ only, and an Xbox falls back to plain HDR10 on it (Tom’s Guide / What Hi-Fi?)¹ ⁶. The LG G5 is the mirror image: Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG, but no HDR10+ (RTINGS / TechRadar)³ ⁴.
- Which is better for gaming, the S95F or the G5?
- It’s near-tied: both run 165Hz across four HDMI 2.1 ports with full VRR¹ ⁴ ⁶, and every cited lag figure — S95F 9.5ms at 4K/120 (Tom’s Guide)¹ / ~5ms with 120Hz VRR (RTINGS)⁴; G5 ~9–9.2ms (Tom’s Guide / TechRadar)¹ ³ — is effectively instant. The G5’s edge is full 48Gbps ports (vs 40Gbps measured on the S95F⁵) and Dolby Vision gaming; the S95F’s is glare control for daytime play.
- Is the S95F’s matte screen actually worth it?
- If your room has direct windows or bright lamps, yes — TechRadar measured its Glare Free 2.0 coating cutting ambient reflections up to ~85%³, and that’s a difference you see every single day. Our own G5 holds up startlingly well in daylight (it’s one of the brightest panels ever measured), but no source we cite publishes a G5 anti-glare figure, so the S95F is the evidence-backed pick for punishing light.
- What sizes do these TVs come in — and is the 83-inch S95F the same TV?
- The S95F runs 55/65/77/83 inches, but per Tom’s Guide the 83" uses a WOLED panel rather than QD-OLED¹ — so this page’s brightness and viewing-angle claims apply to the 55–77" sizes. We compare at 65" because that’s where the labs measured both TVs — and it’s a G5 size we own, alongside the 83".
The final verdict
Buy the Samsung S95F if your room is bright or your couch is wide. The matte Glare Free 2.0 coating (~85% reflection cut, TechRadar) and QD-OLED’s cited ~178° viewing angle are advantages you’ll notice every day, and its color accuracy is the best Tom’s Guide has measured. Buy the LG G5 if your evenings belong to Dolby Vision — the S95F simply doesn’t play it — or you want the brighter same-lab measurement and full-48Gbps ports. It’s the TV we chose for our own living room, twice.
Plainly: S95F for the room, G5 for the library. On blacks, refresh, lag and port count they’re tied — there is no wrong answer here, only a wrong match to your setup.
Keep going — find your exact setup
Settled the panel question but still sizing the room or building the system? These guides pick up where this face-off ends:
- 📺 Both TVs, ranked against the field: best 60–65-inch TVs · best 70-inch TVs · best 80-inch TVs · best 85-inch TVs
- 🎮 Gaming first? Both panels star in our best gaming TV guide
- 🏀 Sports household? The S95F leads our best TV for sports ranking — here’s why
- 🔌 All-Samsung shortlist: the best Samsung TVs, tier by tier
- ⚖ Still weighing the tech itself? OLED vs QLED · LG vs Samsung, brand-wide
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