LG C2 Series OLED42C2PUA 42.1"

The LG C2 42-inch is the ultimate crossover: a stunning OLED TV that doubles as a flawless gaming monitor, as long as you can live without DisplayPort. For under a grand, it's a no-brainer.

The LG C2 42-inch OLED is the TV that finally convinced a bunch of PC gamers to ditch their monitors. Seriously, this thing is a shapeshifter. It's a brilliant 4K living room screen, a monster 120Hz gaming display for consoles, and somehow a shockingly good desktop monitor all in one. That tiny 42-inch size means it fits where most OLEDs can't, and you'd be amazed how few TVs can pull off triple duty like this without a ton of compromises. The picture is pure OLED magic: perfect blacks, infinite contrast, and colors that pop right off the screen. The a9 Gen5 AI processor does a solid job upscaling and tone-mapping, though it's not the brightest kid on the block. For HDR in a dark room, it's a stunner. Just don't expect it to fight direct sunlight, and you'll be thrilled.

What surprised us most is how effortlessly the C2 handles everything we threw at it. Gaming is where it absolutely flexes. With four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, 4K at 120Hz, G-Sync and FreeSync Premium support, and a 1ms response time, it's one of the best gaming displays period. The auto low-latency mode kicks in instantly, and the Game Optimizer menu gives you fine control without diving into webOS. As a PC monitor, text clarity is excellent and the 42-inch size at a normal desk distance feels huge without being overwhelming. The only real hiccup is waking from sleep: sometimes it just doesn't, and you'll need to grab the remote. That's about the only reminder you're using a TV, not a dedicated monitor. And if you want to use it outside, don't. It scored a miserable 47.5 out of 100 in our outdoor rating, so keep it indoors where it belongs.

The price on this TV is all over the place, ranging from a suspiciously high $26,599 down to a much more reasonable $834 at certain retailers. At under $900, it's an absolute steal for an OLED this versatile. You're getting a premium panel that punches way above its weight for gaming and media. If you spot it for anywhere near that low end, grab it without hesitation. Just avoid the listings that are clearly taking the piss with five-digit price tags.

Most competitors in this range are either 55-inch behemoths or dedicated gaming monitors. The Sony BRAVIA 5 K55XR50 gives you a bigger screen and Google TV smarts, but lacks the gaming chops and perfect blacks of the C2. The Hisense U8 and TCL QM8K Series offer Mini LED brightness that blows the LG away in a bright room, but they can't touch OLED contrast and suffer from blooming. For pure PC use, high-end monitors like the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 are direct rivals, but they're often more expensive and smaller. The LG C2's party trick is that it's a TV first that just happens to out-monitor many monitors, and at this size, nobody else really competes.

If you absolutely need DisplayPort for a fuss-free PC monitor experience, or you want a TV that comes with a stand out of the box, this isn't it. Grab a dedicated gaming monitor with DP and a built-in stand instead. Also, if you're putting this in a bright living room with big bay windows, the brightness just won't cut it. Look at a larger, brighter Mini LED TV like the TCL QM8K or Hisense U8 for that scenario.

If you want a 42-inch OLED that doubles as a gaming monitor and a general-use TV, this is the one. It's not perfect: the lack of DisplayPort and occasional wake bug will annoy PC users, and the speakers are forgettable. But those are quirks, not dealbreakers. The picture quality, gaming performance, and sheer versatility make it an easy recommendation. Buy it, pair it with a decent soundbar and a good HDMI 2.1 cable, and you've got a setup that will make you grin every time you sit down.