LG OLED C1/C2 VRR Flicker in Loading Screens and Menus

Quick Answer

If an LG C1/C2 flickers only on dark loading screens or menus while gameplay is stable, abrupt frame-time and refresh-rate swings are the leading explanation. Loading can stall the CPU, compile shaders, jump from a capped scene to hundreds of menu frames, or cross the VRR range repeatedly. OLED near-black gamma is sensitive to those changing intervals, so dark gray regions pulse even though the HDMI link remains connected.

Reproduce one screen, display a frame-time/FPS graph, then compare VRR on versus fixed refresh without changing HDR, cable or picture settings. Cap menu/game frame rate to a stable value the system can sustain and retest. A full loss of signal, colored corruption, or a defect visible in LG Home is a different branch and must not be dismissed as loading-screen VRR flicker.

Symptoms That Classify the Event

Dark loading-screen borders pulse lighter/darker while an icon animates.

Flicker stops the moment gameplay reaches a stable frame rate.

FPS/frame time oscillates sharply during shader compilation or asset loading.

Disabling G-SYNC/FreeSync/HDMI VRR removes the loading-screen pulse.

A frame cap reduces flicker when it stabilizes frame delivery.

The TV goes fully black and shows No Signal: link/handshake, not gamma pulsing.

Green, purple or white frames appear: HDMI/GPU corruption branch.

Flicker remains in LG menus with source disconnected: TV/panel or room-light issue.

Different viewers have different sensitivity, and phone cameras may show rolling bands that eyes do not. Judge direct viewing first and record the camera's shutter/exposure if using video evidence.

Causes: Why Loading Screens Are Special

Irregular frame cadence

VRR asks the display to refresh in step with delivered frames. HDMI says VRR can reduce lag, judder and tearing during gameplay; NVIDIA and AMD similarly describe matching dynamic refresh to output. The benefit assumes frames arrive within a useful range. Loading screens often alternate long stalls with very short frames, creating rapid refresh changes that expose near-black luminance variation.

Dark uniform backgrounds

Near-black flicker is easiest to see in large uniform charcoal areas. A bright, textured gameplay scene can hide the same small gamma variation. Therefore “only loading screens” does not prove the game is perfectly frame-stable; it means the cadence and visual background combine to reveal the behavior.

Menus with uncapped frame rates

Some game menus render far faster than gameplay and then drop during transitions. A global or title cap can prevent the GPU from bouncing against the top of the VRR range, but a cap cannot smooth a genuine CPU stall. Blur Busters' G-SYNC guidance emphasizes keeping frame rate within the VRR operating region and treating synchronization/latency as a system.

Low-frame-rate compensation transitions

Below the display's effective VRR floor, the system may repeat frames to remain in range. Crossing that boundary repeatedly can create another cadence change. Do not edit VRR ranges with unofficial EDID tools as a first-line fix; it can create unsupported modes or no signal.

Not all flashes are VRR gamma

A marginal HDMI cable can lose sync under 4K120 load, but that produces blackouts, sparkles or colored corruption rather than only dark-gray pulsing tied to FPS swings. A fixed vertical line or persistent flash in internal UI points away from the game entirely.

Step-by-Step Safe Diagnosis

1. Capture one repeatable loading event

Choose a save, fast-travel point or benchmark that reliably shows the issue. Record resolution, refresh, HDR, VRR/G-SYNC/FreeSync state, game version and GPU driver. Do not compare unrelated games or random online videos.

2. Observe frame time, not only average FPS

Enable the game's performance graph or a reputable GPU overlay. Watch 1% lows and frame-time spikes during the exact pulse. A 60 FPS average can hide alternating stalls and bursts. Avoid stacking multiple overlays if they alter performance.

3. Compare fixed refresh

Disable VRR for this title/source and restart the game if necessary. Keep 4K120, HDR and picture mode unchanged. If dark pulsing disappears while the loading screen remains, VRR cadence is strongly implicated. If the screen still loses signal or flashes colors, follow link/GPU diagnosis.

4. Compare loading and gameplay separately

Run a dark gameplay checkpoint for several minutes and record frame-time range. Flicker confined to noninteractive loading may be tolerable while retaining VRR's gameplay benefits. If it appears during camera movement/combat, the title needs a broader stability decision.

5. Apply a sustainable title-specific cap

Choose a cap below the frame rate the game can reliably maintain and below maximum refresh where synchronization guidance requires headroom. Use one limiter—game, driver or trusted tool—not several conflicting caps. Retest loading and gameplay. A cap may reduce top-end jumps; it cannot eliminate disk/shader stalls.

6. Reduce performance variance

Finish shader compilation, update game/driver, close background CPU/GPU workloads and choose settings that stabilize demanding scenes. Lowering one expensive option can help more than lowering every visual control. Frame generation may alter presented cadence; test it separately.

7. Verify the link only if symptoms require it

For blackouts or corruption, connect GPU/console directly with a short authenticated Ultra High Speed cable, remove AVR/adapters and test fixed 4K120. For pure dark pulse with continuous image, cable replacement is not the first evidence-based step.

8. Check independent sources and TV UI

Open LG Home after the event and disconnect the source. If flicker persists, document it for LG. If another VRR source is stable and one PC/game fails, focus on that software/output path.

Safe Fix Choices

If flicker exists only for a two-second loading screen, leaving VRR on may be the best title-specific trade. If menus are prolonged, cap their rate if the game exposes a menu cap, or disable VRR for that title. If gameplay also flickers, lower variance, use a stable fixed 60/120 Hz mode with appropriate synchronization, or accept limited tearing based on preference. There is no requirement to tolerate uncomfortable flashing.

Cautions

Rapid flicker can affect photosensitive users; stop immediately if uncomfortable. Do not crush black, raise Black Stabilizer, alter service menus or change white balance to hide it. Do not narrow VRR range through EDID overrides without specialist recovery knowledge. Pixel Cleaning has no relevance.