LG webOS 26 rollout begins for older OLED and LCD televisions

The expansion of modern operating systems to legacy hardware marks a shift in the smart TV ecosystem toward long-term software support, mirroring mobile industry cycles. By providing five years of updates, LG aims to maintain its active user base for ad-supported services and smart home integration via Homey. However, the removal of VR support and potential disruption of calibration tools highlights the trade-offs of forced software evolution on older hardware. This strategy forces a choice for power users between new AI features and existing specialized utility. Watch for reports regarding eARC stability and calibration tool compatibility as the update reaches high-volume C-series and B-series OLED models.

LG has positioned webOS as a platform play extending well beyond its own hardware. The company announced at CES 2025 that webOS would power televisions from over 400 brands worldwide, a figure that underscores why software lifecycle commitments carry outsized weight for the broader ecosystem. The Re:New five-year update pledge, first introduced for 2022 models, now covers a massive installed base that LG monetizes through its ad-supported LG Channels service and the Homey smart home hub. LG Display separately confirmed in July 2025 that its OLED panel shipments for the year would exceed 10 million units, reinforcing the scale of hardware that will eventually receive webOS updates under the Re:New program.

The competitive landscape for smart TV operating systems is intensifying as rivals match or exceed LG's support commitments. Samsung announced in January 2025 that its Tizen OS would receive seven years of software updates for its 2025 TV lineup, surpassing LG's five-year window and raising the bar for the industry. Google TV, meanwhile, benefits from Android's broader developer ecosystem and Google confirmed in May 2025 that Google TV would integrate Gemini AI features for personalized content discovery across partner sets, directly competing with LG's AI-driven recommendation engine in webOS 26. The FLiPP ad platform, which LG uses for its ad-supported channels, operates within this increasingly crowded ad-funded streaming environment where platform longevity determines advertiser confidence.

On the technical side, webOS 26's removal of 360-degree VR support and potential impact on third-party calibration tools reflects a broader industry tension between feature consolidation and professional workflows. Calman developer Portrait Displays confirmed in June 2025 that its calibration software would need firmware-level adjustments to maintain compatibility with LG's evolving webOS architecture, a signal that professional integrators face ongoing adaptation costs. Meanwhile, LG's Homey integration was highlighted at IFA 2025 as a key differentiator for the smart home ecosystem, connecting webOS televisions to over 50,000 compatible devices and positioning the TV as a central hub rather than a standalone display. Joe Gallop, LG's head of TV product marketing, has emphasized that the Re:New program is designed to keep older sets relevant within this expanding smart home architecture rather than treating them as disposable endpoints.