To investigate the factors influencing the luminescent properties of cycloplatinated complexes containing aryl and SMe 2 ligands, a detailed study of the photophysical and structural properties of the complexes [Pt(p-MeC 6 H 4 )(C^N)(SMe 2 )], (C^N= benzo[h]quinolate (bzq), 1, or 2-phenylpyridinate (ppy), 2), was conducted in solution and solid state at different temperatures. Density functional theory (DFT) and Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) investigations were carried out on both the singlet (S 0 , ground) and triplet (T 1 , excited) states of these complexes for explanation of the electronic structures, absorption and emission spectra. In the solid state, these complexes display an intense phosphorescence emission which was red-shifted from 2 to 1 due to expanding of π conjugated system in cyclometalated bzq ligand. These complexes are strongly emissive in 77 K, giving emission peaks similar to those observed at ambient temperature. The complex 1 in deoxygenated CH 2 Cl 2 solution (at low concentration) gave a phosphorescence band which 2 was accompanied by a higher-energy fluorescence band (ascribed to 1 LC transition, centered on bzq ligand), and these bands were disappeared when a concentrated solution or glassy state (77 K) of the complex is in use. On the basis of theoretical calculations, the HOMO level is a mixture of platinum center and ligand orbitals, while the LUMO level is predominantly C^N ligand based. Lowest-lying excited state responsible for the phosphorescence emission (with a significantly long lifetime) is originated from mixed 3 ILCT/ 3 MLCT with some 3 L'LCT excited state and the emission is red shifted to corresponding free cyclometallating ligand.