A Guide to Choosing the Best Gaming TV

For those seeking the best gaming TV currently, the criteria often align with choosing the best televisions in general. However, to ensure an optimal gaming experience for PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, it's crucial to pay attention to some key features. To help you get the most out of your living room gaming experience, we've compiled important tips for buying a high-quality gaming TV, along with recommended options to suit various budgets.

Essential Features When Choosing the Optimal Gaming TV

Whether you're using it for gaming or casual viewing, high-quality TVs share strong foundations. These foundations require 4K resolution, sufficient brightness to combat glare, a deep contrast ratio with uniform black levels, wide viewing angles, and colors balanced between accuracy and vibrancy. Specifically for video games, the ideal gaming TV should offer a 120Hz (or higher) refresh rate, VRR support, the lowest possible input lag, and fast motion response to avoid blur or ghosting behind fast-moving objects. Of course, finding a TV that combines all these features and fits your budget can be a challenge.

Input lag refers to the delay between a signal being sent from a gaming device (like a PS5 or Xbox Series X) and it appearing on the TV screen. This delay can significantly affect the gaming experience, especially in games that rely on quick reactions. For competitive and professional gamers, input lag is preferably less than 15 milliseconds for a smooth gaming experience without any noticeable delay. For casual gamers, an input lag of less than 40 milliseconds is considered acceptable and good, while the delay may become noticeable when exceeding 50 milliseconds. Most modern TVs work to reduce input lag through 'Game Mode,' which minimizes image processing to ensure faster response. (Source)

OLED and LCD Screens

In the world of TV screens, leading OLED TVs are considered the best in terms of picture quality for gaming and other uses. However, good OLED TVs are often more expensive than their LCD counterparts, and the brightness of some models may not be sufficient for brightly lit rooms.

Modern OLED TVs use two main types of OLED display technology: WOLED (White OLED) or the newer QD-OLED. Simply put, QD-OLED screens use a layer of quantum dots to deliver a wider and more vibrant color gamut compared to traditional WOLED screens. This doesn't necessarily mean that all QD-OLED TVs are inherently better; the individual device's performance quality is more important than the panel type used. Some excellent WOLED TVs, such as the LG G5, use a new "four-layer" structure to improve color purity and brightness. (Other models have also used a display technology called Micro Lens Array (MLA) to significantly increase brightness). Some WOLED TVs may also handle reflections better or maintain deeper black levels in bright environments. In both cases, almost all OLED TVs share the same core strengths for gaming.

If your choice falls on an LCD TV - whether to save money or for use in a room with uncontrolled lighting - advanced backlighting with precise Mini-LED lights and effective Full-Array Local Dimming will usually improve contrast and light details. Many of these TVs, including some budget models, also use quantum dots to enhance colors (and are known as "QLED TVs"). Although they may not be as vibrant or fast-moving as leading OLED TVs, they are often brighter and more affordable, and the best of them can offer excellent picture quality in their own right.

HDMI 2.1

To get the most out of your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, your gaming TV should fully support the HDMI 2.1 standard. This update to the HDMI specification provides a maximum bandwidth of 48 Gbps (compared to 18 Gbps for HDMI 2.0), along with several features that enhance gaming performance, such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which will be explained in detail below.

The main advantage of HDMI 2.1 is its ability to transmit ultra-high-definition 4K video at up to 120Hz refresh rate with modern consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X, or even 144Hz with powerful gaming PCs. Although not all PS5 games or Xbox Series X/S games support very high frame rates (and some only support them at lower resolutions), games that take advantage of this feature will look and offer smoother, more responsive motion. HDMI 2.1 also includes support for enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), which allows high-quality, uncompressed audio to be transmitted from a source device connected to the TV to a compatible soundbar or receiver.

It is preferable to have as many full HDMI 2.1 ports as possible on your TV. The word "full" here is essential, because, as TFT Central noted, since HDMI 2.1 is backward compatible with earlier versions like HDMI 2.0, TV and monitor manufacturers have been allowed to label HDMI ports as "HDMI 2.1" even if they lack full support for the enhanced specification features.

While HDMI 2.1 is currently the latest and best standard, it is worth noting that the HDMI Forum officially unveiled the new HDMI 2.2 specification at CES 2025. This update is expected to provide an even greater maximum bandwidth of 96 Gbps, which will theoretically enable higher refresh rates and resolutions, and may help reduce audio and video synchronization issues.

HDR - High Dynamic Range

HDR, or High Dynamic Range, refers to a TV's ability to display a wider contrast between the darkest and brightest parts of an image. This technology brings out details that might be invisible on standard dynamic range (SDR) TVs, especially in very dark or bright areas of the picture. HDR is often accompanied by improved color reproduction, offering a larger and more vibrant color palette that brings content closer to the creator's original vision.

To enjoy an HDR image, it requires content specifically mastered to take advantage of this technology, as well as a TV capable of displaying that content. HDR comes in various formats, generally divided between those that use static metadata (like HDR10) and those that use dynamic metadata (like HDR10+ and Dolby Vision). In short, dynamic formats allow the TV to optimize brightness and colors on a scene-by-scene or even frame-by-frame basis, while static formats use one set of optimized settings for the entire content. Support for these formats can vary based on the TV and the content and game console used. For example, Xbox Series X and S support Dolby Vision for gaming, while PS5 does not.

The upside is that most TVs available today support HDR in one way or another, even in budget categories. The challenge is that some TVs benefit from HDR much better than others, and the same applies to content mastered in HDR.

HGiG - HDR Gaming Interest Group

HGiG, short for HDR Gaming Interest Group, is a set of standards aimed at improving the gaming experience. The group includes major companies like Sony and Microsoft, as well as many TV manufacturers and game developers. The goal of this initiative is to ensure information exchange between all parties, so that when a new game starts on a console or PC, the screen is automatically recognized. This allows the game to adjust its settings to match the display's capabilities, providing the best possible picture quality without losing detail in bright or dark areas.

ALLM - Auto Low Latency Mode

Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) allows a compatible source device (like a PS5 or Xbox) to tell the TV screen to switch to a picture mode that minimizes the delay between receiving and displaying each frame. This feature removes additional processing that might make a split-second difference, ensuring accurate input response. In other words, your TV automatically activates 'Game Mode' when it detects a game starting.

VRR - Variable Refresh Rate

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) is an essential feature familiar to most gamers. Many have experienced slowdowns, screen tearing, or image stuttering when a gaming system struggles to render every frame at the required speed. With VRR, all elements remain synchronized: the screen does not display the next frame until it is ready, ensuring smoother and more responsive motion, even if the system cannot deliver the target frame rate.

Several different implementations of VRR technology are available, including Nvidia G-Sync, AMD FreeSync, and the HDMI Forum VRR specification, which is part of the full HDMI 2.1 standard. For this technology to work, both the TV and the input device must support the same VRR technology. Different devices may only support VRR within a specific refresh rate range. For example, on a 120Hz display, PS5's VRR only works between 48Hz and 120Hz.

To recap, PS5 officially supports HDMI Forum VRR, while Xbox Series X and S support both HDMI Forum VRR and FreeSync. As for gaming PCs, they may support G-Sync or FreeSync depending on whether they use an Nvidia or AMD graphics card. While a comprehensive gaming TV preferably supports all major VRR formats, the lack of G-Sync support, for instance, is not a major drawback if your usage is limited to PS5 or Xbox.

8K (You don't need it)

One feature that is not currently a concern is 8K resolution support. Although PS5 and Xbox Series X theoretically have the ability to output 8K video, there are almost no games designed for this high resolution. Furthermore, the practical benefits of 8K resolution are minimal unless you plan to sit very close to a massive TV. The few 8K TVs available on the market are also usually very expensive, making them an unnecessary investment for current gamers.

Good Gaming TVs You Can Get Now

Although we don't provide official TV reviews, we've extensively researched the market and compiled a list of the best displays that have received high praise from trusted specialized review sites such as Rtings, Wirecutter, Reviewed, PCMag, and others.

It's important to remember that there's no perfect time to buy a new TV; current model prices are always dropping, while next year's updates are imminent. So, if you find a 2024 version of one of the following recommendations at a significant discount, it could be an excellent deal.

LG C5*

• Screen Sizes: 42, 48, 55, 65, 77, 83 inches.
• Screen Type: WOLED.
• Resolution: 4K.
• Maximum Refresh Rate: 144 Hz.
• HDR Formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG.
• HDMI Ports: 4x HDMI 2.1.
• VRR: HDMI Forum VRR, FreeSync, G-Sync compatible.
• Smart OS: webOS.
• Screen Shape: Flat.
• ALLM: Yes.
• TV Tuner: ATSC 1.0.

The LG C5 TV meets most of the essential requirements for an excellent gaming TV. Its stunning OLED panel offers deep contrast, ultra-low input lag, clear motion, and wide viewing angles, all features expected from high-quality OLED TVs. Although it doesn't use a QD-OLED screen like the Samsung S90F (and therefore may not produce the same level of vivid colors), reviewers have noted its ability to deliver higher brightness with non-HDR content and maintain deeper black levels in lit rooms. The device includes four full HDMI 2.1 ports, all supporting 4K video at a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz, and works with all three major VRR formats. It also supports ALLM, and unlike all Samsung TVs, it supports Dolby Vision HDR, a particularly attractive bonus for Xbox gamers.

It's also worth noting the Samsung S90F, as this TV is often available at the same price and offers many similar advantages with bolder color production.

TCL QM7K*

• Screen Sizes: 55, 65, 75, 85, 98, 115 inches.
• Screen Type: QLED with Mini-LED backlighting.
• Resolution: 4K.
• Maximum Refresh Rate: 144 Hz (288 Hz at 1080p).
• HDR Formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG.
• HDMI Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.0.
• VRR: HDMI Forum VRR, FreeSync, G-Sync compatible.
• Smart OS: Google TV.
• Screen Shape: Flat.
• ALLM: Yes.
• TV Tuner: ATSC 1.0.

If your budget doesn't allow for an OLED TV, the TCL QM7K is an excellent mid-range alternative, featuring Mini-LED backlighting. It may not be the best gaming TV compared to higher-priced LCDs, as it doesn't boast the highest brightness levels available, has only two full HDMI 2.1 ports, and its picture may appear less vibrant if not viewed directly from the front. However, reviews indicate that the QM7K model generally offers better contrast, brightness, and color volume, making it a good option for a suitable TV for gaming.