LG study: 480Hz OLED monitors increase FPS hit accuracy by 38% over 60Hz

LG Display recently published the results of an experimental study examining how a gaming monitor's refresh rate affects real-world performance. Involving 31 adult male gamers playing a first-person shooter at four refresh rates (60Hz, 240Hz, 360Hz and 480Hz) in random order, the study measured quantitative measures such as hit score and event interval time (the gap between a target appearing and being eliminated), in addition to qualitative feedback on smoothness, tracking ease and overall preference.

The results are interesting: win rate improved by 38% at 480Hz compared to 60Hz, with the most improvement observed between 60Hz and 240Hz. The move from 240Hz to 480Hz added another 10%, ostensibly proving that performance continues to scale as refresh rate climbs. LG Display attributes these gains to "OLED's physical properties", noting that higher refresh rates cut input lag by more than 10 milliseconds at 480Hz versus 60Hz, allowing players to pinpoint fast-moving targets more precisely. In other words, a higher refresh rate improves object recognition in fast-moving scenes, which in turn sharpens both reaction speed and accuracy.

On the other hand, it is important to note that this is a LG-sponsored study, so some skepticism is warranted. A 2026 study with 101 FPS players compared 60Hz, 144Hz and 360Hz refresh rates. Players were faster and more accurate at target acquisition at 144Hz than at 60Hz. However, it found no statistically significant performance difference between 144Hz and 360Hz, suggesting that most of the practical gains occur by 144Hz. Then again, LCD monitors were used in this study, so it remains to be seen whether there is indeed any truth to LG's claim of "OLED's physical properties."