fbThere are plenty of new TVs on the market. But some are better than others if you are looking to concentrate on gaming. This article will look at the best TVs for both the PS5 and the Xbox series X. We will also discover which TVs are better for different kinds of games.
Read on to find out more about TVs for gaming.
Best Gaming TV for Ps5 and Xbox Series X: Winner – LG C2 OLED Evo
With eight million self-lit OLED pixels, the LG C2 adapts to what is on the screen for picture and sound quality. But it is the game optimiser mode that will improve your gaming experience. The motion on the screen is crisp and fluid, and the dedicated game mode optimiser looks after your game settings so you can concentrate on playing.
Best Budget Gaming TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X: Winner – TCL Class 6 Series
This TV has all the great picture and sound qualities of some of the other TVS profiled here – but at a fraction of the price. For gamers, the Game Studio Pro feature provides the very best big-screen gaming experience.
LG C2 OLED Evo
The 4K OLED screen on this TV is perfect for gaming, providing an incredible range of colours and deep black levels as well. The OLED gaming tv pixels generate their own light, so there is no problem with leakage – and light and dark areas look crystal clear. That will make the gaming even clearer, and users can enjoy an optimised experience.
Gamers will enjoy a native 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1, allowing both PS5 and Xbox Series X owners to enjoy the best picture quality and frame rate for their consoles. With both consoles being the best on the market, it seems only fitting that the TV used is at the same level.
The LG C1 was thought to be the best on the market, but this C2 model has blown away even that great TV made for gamers. A brighter display enhances the experience for gaming and streaming alike.
You can manage all your settings in the Game Optimizer mode with NVIDIA G-SYNC, Free-Sync Premium and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), allowing for perfect fluid on-screen motion. Having all the settings in one place saves time when you are setting up - time that can be better used for actual gaming.
If you want the best Dolby Vision gaming at 120fps for your Xbox Series X, then you do not have to look much further than this model. This will be a great gaming TV that you use for all your future gaming needs.
- Resolution – 4K
- Refresh Rate – 120hz
- Display Technology – LED
Samsung QN90B
With the Neural Quantum 4K processor, the Samsung QN90B provides some of the best viewing experiences for your gaming. The AI-powered upscaling improves what is already an incredible gaming product. Everything is improved to give all gamers a chance to experience their favourites in the best way possible.
Navigation is simple because of the new smart hub – leaving everything in one place, so you can enjoy gaming without delay. There is no need to navigate your way around the settings on this TV's gaming settings, allowing you to spend more time playing games at their best-ever level. The Ultrawide Gameview also makes every single gaming experience the best it can be, giving you a better-quality picture.
The Motion Xcelerator Pro 4K 144hz feature gives viewers the crispest picture quality and makes sure that all visuals are delivered at even the fastest speeds. For gamers, this is exactly what you want to hear. With virtually no lagging and the most complex games on the market behaving themselves, gamers are able to play the game the way the designers envisaged.
You won’t have to deal with any glitches or screen stutters, thanks to the AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology. Even at peak performance, you will experience gaming at a high level and low latency. Not having to worry about your TV’s faults just heightens the experience. With split-second decisions being made in every game, users don’t want to be let down by their equipment when they are playing.
- Resolution – 4K
- Refresh Rate – 100hz
- Display Technology – QLED
Sony X90K
If you game on a PS5, the Sony X90K could be the perfect TV for you. They are actually designed to work with PS5 consoles, leaving you with an experience that feels as though you are in the game itself. Gameplay is smooth, with Auto Low Latency Mode in HDMI 2.1 and a Variable Refresh Rate.
Sony is one of the most trusted names in electronics, and it is great that even an established brand like this has kept up with the times to provide their customers with exactly what is required. These TVs work for any usage - but gamers will be particularly happy with the service.
This LED TV provides a natural contrast picture quality alongside a multi-audio feature that gives you an incredible audio experience. The levels of audio are sometimes forgotten when it comes to gaming on TVs, but they are an essential element of the overall experience and have to be top quality.
The Cognitive Processor XR works the screen like your own eyes for realistic colour, while the balance is achieved to ensure even the deepest blacks and the brightest colours work in perfect harmony. The contrast of the blacks and the colours make any gaming title perform to its utmost potential. Hopefully, the gamers will be able to bring their A games too!
Apart from anything else, the Sony X90K just looks good. The minimalist design can fit in any room and leaves you able to concentrate on gaming over everything else.
- Resolution – 4K
- Refresh Rate – 100hz
- Display Technology – LCD
TCL Class 6-Series
For gamers who have an eye on their budget but still want big-screen performance, the TCL Class 6-Series is well worth a closer look. The Game Studio Pro allows gamers to choose how their screen looks. The AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, Auto Game Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) up to 144hz provide a perfect experience every single time.
The colour and detail are perfect thanks to the 4K Ultra HD, bringing clarity that you may only be able to get from more expensive models. With minimal leakage, thanks to the Mini-LED technology, the contrast between dark and light is picture-sharp. That makes every single game the best quality ever.
Users may be surprised to get such a result from what could be considered a budget option. But the TCL Class 6-Special is not a model to be dismissed lightly. In the current economic climate, there is definitely a desire to enjoy the best possible experiences but with a lower outlay. This TV allows more people to enjoy any game at a very high level.
Complex games are no problem with the TCL Class 6-Series, with the picture and sound quality at a top level, thanks to the Mini-LED aspect. If you do have budget restraints, then this is an excellent option to go for. The audio and visual elements are both at a very high level, allowing gamers to just enjoy their time playing on this TV. There will be no envious glances at more expensive models if you choose this option.
- Resolution – 4K
- Refresh Rate – 120hz
- Display Technology – QLED
Sony A80J
PS5 gamers will want to take a look at the Sony A80J thanks to the exclusive features of this popular console. Input lag can be as low as 8.5ms, and the 4K/120fps comes as standard. Even the most complex games can be enjoyed to perfection at those rates. We have mentioned before that Sony can usually be trusted to come through with the goods.
The Cognitive Processor XR has been developed to understand how we see and hear and replicates that in one of the most technologically advanced TVs on the market. The OLED contrast between deep blacks and bright colours is incredible. That means that gamers will see far more colours than on more standard televisions. The contrast and crispness of the delivery only accentuate the enjoyment of the top games in the marketplace with today's best deals.
Get even more detail from your games with the XR Triluminos Pro recreating billions of colours in crisp picture-quality detail. Those colours can make all the difference for gamers, as they look for the most enhanced experience possible. When you can see so much more detail in the game, there has to be a better chance of a better result. We are not guaranteeing that you will rise up the leaderboard - but you will feel as though anything is possible with this model.
All of the televisions profiled in this article are well worth a look for anyone interested in increasing their enjoyment of playing games. Personal preference and budget restrictions will play their part in the final decision, of course. But it will all improve your time playing your favourite games.
- Resolution – 4K
- Refresh Rate – 120hz
How Do I Choose A Good Gaming TV?
There are a number of features to look out for when you are searching for the best gaming TV. Obviously, you will need to factor your budget into the decision-making process, but there are still features that will make your gaming experience the best it can be on cheaper models.
You will want there to be little latency issues between your game console and the TV. That’s the time it takes for your TV to process what you are doing with your controller through your console. Built-in game modes usually help with this.
You will also want HDMI 2.1, which supports features like ALLM, 4K 120hz, and VRR. All of these help your TV refresh quickly to keep in time with even the most complex games.
You obviously also want the picture and audio to be top tier too. If you are playing a range of games, you will want your TV to be able to handle bright colours as well as deep blacks – and also deal with the contrast of the two.
What Type of TV is Best for Gaming?
If money were no object, we would say that you want the latest TV that offers all the latest features as far as sound and picture quality go. That may not be very practical – and financially possible – but the PS5 and Xbox Series X are such complex pieces of kit.
You want to have a TV that can handle the information coming into it and be able to process to ensure that your gaming experience is not diminished.
What Are the Key Features to Look for in a Gaming TV?
We have already briefly covered some of the more advanced gaming features above that you need to look out for when choosing a suitable gaming TV. Much of the time, they will be the same features needed for an optimum viewing or streaming experience.
Picture and sound quality, refresh rate, and latency rate are all important. That’s before you move on to the size specifics and other more practical issues. There is a very good range of TVs on the market for gamers – you just need to know what to look out for.
Display Technology
If you go back to the old days of TV manufacturing, you will have had to rely on cathode ray sets. But now gamers can get a much better experience with LCD or OLED. OLED – and other latest developments – allows gamers to receive darker blacks alongside brighter colours, allowing for greater and crisper contrast.
Refresh Rate and Response Time
These are two of the most important factors to take into consideration when you are choosing a new gaming TV. The refresh rate is essentially how many times a second your TV can draw a new image. That means keeping up with the game you are playing and making sure the picture is crisp. It is measured in Hz, and a good rate now is 120hz (120 times per second).
The response time is how long it takes for the picture to change. You obviously don’t want any blurring or fuzziness, so the response time must be as minimal as possible to create an experience where you don’t even notice it happening.
Input Lag and Latency
Theoretically, you could have the best TV ever, and if, for some reason, the input lag were bad, you wouldn’t want to use it for gaming. That’s because it is the time it takes your TV to deal with what you are asking it to do with your controller. Latency means the same thing.
Professional console gamers will want it to be under 15 milliseconds to ensure that everything they are doing is being reflected in the game on the TV. But even 40-60 milliseconds is fine for casual gamers. You just don’t want the disappointment of your reactions not being backed up by your TV.
Resolution and HDR
In very basic terms, the resolution of a TV is the number of columns of pixels creating your display. The more the pixel count, the cleaner and crisper the picture. HDR stands for high dynamic range. It is a feature that can improve the contrast and clarity on more standard displays. It delivers more colours on the spectrum.
This is obviously important for gamers as it means a TV with a higher resolution or HDR will produce a picture with more colours and a crisper finish.
Contrast and Black Levels
The black levels are hugely important for TV viewing of all kinds – and especially when it comes to gaming. The deeper the blacks can be, the more depth a screen can display, allowing for more complex games to be shown to their best ability. It is this contrast that is the difference between the darkest and the lightest image.
Screen Size and Viewing Distance
For many gamers, the screen size and viewing distance will depend on budget and the size of the room they are in. But there are important factors to take into consideration. A bigger screen may seem like a good idea, but if you do not have the room, you will not be able to have the optimum viewing distance.
Smaller screens can actually be better for gamers, as it allows them to notice more things in their peripheral vision. But the allure of a larger screen is completely understandable.
Sound Quality and Compatibility
The sound quality a TV can provide is crucial to the enjoyment of a game. Obviously, most games could actually be played in total silence, but the experience would be nowhere near as good. The audio of a game can elevate a game, especially if there is a good soundtrack to the visuals.
Fully immersing yourself into the world your game has created is part of the experience – and that is why many gamers prefer to play with headphones.
Gaming-Specific Features and Settings
Game modes are fairly standard on TVs these days, and that is because the experience of gaming is different to the experience of watching television. You may be lucky enough to have a TV that is used solely for gaming – but many will need to switch between the two.
The game mode will decrease the latency that your TV would experience through processing. Some TVs now come with an auto low latency mode (ALLM) which automatically switches your TV to game mode, so you don’t have to switch back and forth between gaming sessions.
Connectivity and Ports
HDMI 2.1 is the latest kind of connectivity on the market, allowing more advanced connections between your TV and your games console. This will incorporate technology like ALLM, VRR and 4K, allowing your gaming to be as responsive as you need it to be. Without the best connectivity – and the ports it uses – you won’t have the best gaming experience.
TVs for Different Game Genres
Although the latest TVs can deal with all kinds of games, if you are looking to specialise, you may want to look into the specifications even more closely. Different game genres will require different aspects to come to the fore. There is not that much difference – but for professionals, the tiniest detail could mean life or death (in the game, of course).
Sport Games
With all the colours, a high resolution is a must for sports games. You will also need a high refresh rate and response time to make sure that there is no stuttering in the most inopportune moments.
FPS (First Person Shooter) Games
Picture quality is important for first-person shooter games, as is the refresh and response rate, once again. Look for the highest spec possible for both of those, and you should get the best gaming experience.
Racing Games
The refresh rate is all-important here. Sound and picture quality is obviously a major factor – as with all gaming systems – but you need to know that the decisions you are sending through your controller and the console are going to be faithfully reproduced as quickly as possible on the screen. Larger screen size could also be beneficial here to create a more immersive experience.
Strategy and RPG (Role Playing Games)
It depends on the individual game, of course, but refresh rates and response times may not be quite as important for strategy and role-playing games. The picture quality may be more important, as these will tend to be slower pace games.
Platform Games
Platform games have developed over time from very basic, two-dimensional creations to the far more complex titles we see today. But they are still generally less complex than an immersive FPS game. So picture quality is more important than refresh time in most cases.
Simulation Games
These kinds of games are not always racing, but they do need the same specifications as the racing games we outlined before. That means that refresh and response times are critical. Again, a large screen would enhance the experience of a sim game as well.
Best Gaming TV Brands
When it comes to which brand of TV to buy for gaming purposes, it might depend on budget. But there are a few brands that have proved time and time again to have the technology needed for gaming, no matter how much or little you have to spend.
We have mentioned some of the favourites, such as well-established brands like Sony and LG. But there are some good new brands on the market as well these days.
LG
LG has consistently produced some of the best TVs for gaming over the last few years. They have some of the latest technology and features that every gamer needs for the best experience.
Samsung
Samsung also has excellent gaming TVs, incorporating features that automatically detect consoles such as PS5 or Xbox series X. The picture and sound quality are also very impressive too.
Sony
Sony has long been known as a top-drawer television maker, and they have continued to use some of the latest technology in their products that are perfect for gamers.
TCL
This is a brand considered as budget – but there is nothing second-tier about the TVs they make. If you have limited funds, a TCL TV could be ideal. They give you all the gaming features needed for gaming, without the hefty price tag.
Philips
Another well-established brand in the world of electronics, Philips, has upped their game recently to improve latency and lag time issues. Now the latest models can be considered some of the best for gaming.
Vizio
Vizio provides good gaming TVs in the mid-range, as far as budgets go. Response times are good, and the brand is a good option when you are looking into purchasing TVs specifically for gaming.
Panasonic
Panasonic has been a leading name in the electronics sector for a long time and has developed some of the technology that is now seen as a prerequisite for gaming on a TV.
Gaming TVs FAQs
What is the difference between full HD and 4K?
Although a full HD TV is high in image quality, a 4K model has four times the pixel count. As you can easily work out, that means that you will enjoy much higher image quality when gaming thanks to the picture provided by the 4K models.
Is full HD or 4K better for gaming?
A 4K TV would be better for gaming as it provides more colours and a clearer picture. Although any gamer can play their favourites on any model, there is an obvious enjoyment increase if the picture looks as sharp as possible. The technology these days makes that a reality.
Do you need a 4K TV for PS5 or Xbox Series X?
You don’t have to have a 4K TV to use a PS5 or an Xbox Series X – you just need a TV with an HDMI port. That way you are able to hook up your device to your TV. But, as we have already explained, the 4K televisions do provide an enhanced experience that surely all gamers are looking for.
Is it worth buying a 120hz TV?
Yes. A 120hz TV is much better for gaming as it refreshes your screen so much more quickly. That refreshment of the game means that you are getting the best experience possible. You don’t have to worry about missing out on what is happening in the game, and you can trust that your reactions are acknowledged by your TV.
What is the ideal TV size for gaming?
It really depends on how much space you have. But a larger screen size does make for a more immersive experience – 43 to 55 inches would be ideal. That way, you can experience the full design of any game, no matter how complex it is. You will also be able to get an excellent audio response to heighten your own senses.
Is a monitor or TV better for console gaming?
Gaming monitors can be better as they are optimised for gaming and are designed to be used wholly in that way. But TVs have advanced so much that they are very good these days – and allow you to have a bigger screen.
What is VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and why is it important for gaming?
VRR is a feature that adjusts to the game as to how often it refreshes. It reduces or eliminates lag and provides more fluid and detailed gameplay. Rather than having to change your settings for every single game – or have your TV working away behind the scenes for no reason - the game is delivered as it is intended.
What is the difference between HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 2.1?
HDMI 2.1 is the upgraded version of connectivity that has increased the bandwidth capacity from 18 Gbps to 48 Gbps. The transmission process is therefore improved, providing better data quality. The faster the data is processed through your system, the smoother the gaming experience will be.
Can I use a PC monitor for console gaming?
Yes. They can sometimes even offer a better experience – but they will generally be smaller. It depends on what you are looking for in a gaming experience. You may even be more used to using a monitor. But playing your favourite games on a big TV just looks better in our opinion.
How do I calibrate my TV for the best gaming performance?
The best idea is to choose the game mode on the TV. This will optimise it for your gaming experience. All the modern models have settings and modes to suit whatever you are using the TV for. By choosing the best mode, in this case for gaming, you know that the settings are at an optimum level.
