Key Highlights:
- Samsung is now the last major brand still offering 8K TVs.
- LG has officially exited the global 8K TV market.
- The company has discontinued both 8K OLED and 8K LCD TVs.
- LG Display has paused development of 8K OLED panels.
LG has officially pulled out of the 8K TV market, ending production of both 8K OLED and 8K LCD televisions. The move makes LG the latest major brand to abandon 8K after Sony and TCL, leaving Samsung as the only significant player still backing the format.
The decision matters because LG was the only company offering 8K OLED TVs globally, positioning itself as the last premium champion of the resolution. Its exit underscores a broader industry reset around what consumers actually want from TVs in 2026.
Why did 8K TVs fail to take off?
8K televisions struggled to justify their existence from the start. Prices stayed extremely high. Native 8K content remained scarce. Most viewing relied on upscaling, which often failed to deliver visible benefits over high-end 4K TVs.
Meanwhile, flagship 4K OLED and Mini-LED TVs continued to improve. In many cases, they delivered better contrast, brightness, and motion handling than early 8K models. As a result, consumers saw little reason to upgrade.
Even gaming failed to rescue the format. Sony added 8K support to the PlayStation 5 Pro in late 2024, but adoption stayed minimal. A key issue persisted. Many 8K TVs could not accept compressed 8K signals over HDMI 2.1, limiting real-world compatibility.
What happened to LG’s 8K OLED TVs?
LG launched its first 8K OLED TV in 2019 with the 88-inch Z9. The lineup later expanded with ZX models and annual upgrades through Z1, Z2, and Z3.
The LG Z3 remained on sale through 2024 and 2025. However, it was officially discontinued in late 2025, with no successor announced for 2026. That quietly ended LG’s 8K OLED journey.
Panel maker LG Display has also confirmed that development of 8K OLED panels is now on hold. The company says it could restart if market conditions change.
What about LG’s 8K LCD TVs?
On the LCD side, LG introduced 8K models in 2019 and expanded the range in 2021. The lineup was later scaled back, skipped entirely in 2023, and effectively ended with the QNED99T in 2024.
Although the model carried into 2025, it is now listed as discontinued at major retailers in early 2026. No new 8K LCD TVs have been announced.
Who is still making 8K TVs?
With TCL exiting in 2023, Sony in 2025, and LG now stepping away, Samsung stands alone in the 8K TV market. Its plans for 2026 remain unclear. Hisense, Panasonic, and Philips have also pulled back or shelved plans after weak market response.
LG’s exit confirms what sales numbers already suggested. In the current TV market, resolution alone is no longer enough.
