So you’ve got your PS5 preorder and/or Xbox Series X preorder locked in already, but is your TV ready? If you want the best looking picture, you need the best gaming TV for the PS5 and Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. Both consoles are designed to output a true 4K picture that’ll look dramatically better than anything the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, so you’ll definitely want to get yourself the best 4K gaming TV money can buy and good news for you is there’s actually quite a few budget gaming TVs that can also display a great image.Like the next-generation consoles, this years crop of TVs step things up by offering HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K 120Hz gameplay, and almost all of them come with FreeSync support to help smooth out your frame rate. Whats more, were seeing some of the brightest TVs to ever release and the number of local dimming zones has never been higher. If youre looking for a great looking and performing gaming TV, look no further. If you’re browsing in the UK, click here to find out where you can find the best TV for gaming.TL;DR These are the Best Gaming TVs:
1. LG 65″ Class CX Series Smart OLED 4K TV
Best High-End Gaming TV for Next-Gen Consoles
Screen size: 65″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: OLED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision (IQ), HDR10, HLG Peak Brightness: 750cd/m2 Refresh Rate: 120Hz Adaptive Sync: G-Sync, FreeSync Inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Composite, 1 x RF
Bar none, the LG 65″ Class CX Series Smart OLED 4K TV (OLED65CXPUA) is the best gaming TV you can buy. It costs a pretty penny at $2,500 but its one of the best screens for gaming thanks to its quick response time and native 120Hz refresh rate. As OLED displays are emissive which means each pixel produces its own light rather than a backlight you can also get true blacks right next to bright highlights, so this television will give you a fantastic HDR experience.The LG OLED65CXPUA also comes equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports so youll be able to enjoy the 4K gameplay at up to 120Hz streaming from either the PS5 or Xbox Series X. LGs OLED line is also one of the few TVs that supports both FreeSync and G-Sync at the same time, so youll basically never see screen tearing or a rocky frame rate no matter if youre playing with either console or an Nvidia-powered gaming PC.
2. Sony 65″ Class X900H Smart LED 4K TV
Best Mid-Range Gaming TV for Next-Gen Consoles
Screen size: 65″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: Full-Array LED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Refresh Rate: 120Hz Inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Composite, 1 x RF
If you’re looking for a gaming TV for a 4K 120Hz experience that won’t cost a fortune, there’s no better option than the Sony XBR65X900H (read our review). At $1,399 for a 65-inch display, the Sony X900H offers a full suite of HDMI 2.1 ports with all the high resolution and fast response rate you need for both the Xbox Series X/S and the PS5. Better yet, this 4K TV also supports variable refresh rate support for a tear free gaming experience on the next-gen consoles and the low-latency game mode reduces latency to just 17.2ms by our measure.The TV uses a VA panel, which delivers the perfect blend of responsiveness and image quality with vibrant colors. There’s also a full-array local dimming for excellent blacks and contrast, and expect vibrant colors from this 4K TV. All together it’s not too shabby for one of the most affordable gaming TV’s on the market right now.
3. TCL 55″ Class 6-Series QLED Roku Smart TV
Best Budget Gaming TV for Next-Gen Consoles
Screen size: 55″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: Mini-LED QLED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Local Dimming Zones: 240 Refresh Rate: 120Hz Adaptive Sync: VRR Inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Composite, 1 x RF
If you’re planning to get the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 and want an affordable TV that’s ready to let you make the most of them, the latest 55-inch TCL 6-Series TV is it. This 4K TV can deliver an amazing picture thanks to its use of Mini LED and QLED technologies, giving you a stunningly bright picture with vivid colors. The HDR experience is aided along by 240 local dimming zones to deliver a strong contrast ratio, letting you take full advantage of Dolby Vision and HDR 10. All that, and it’s only $650.When it comes to gaming, you’ll find this TV is the first to have THX Certified Game Mode. This ensures the TCL 6-Series can automatically detect games and switch into game mode, which enables a variable refresh rate, reduces processing to minimize input lag and pixel response time, and does still more to improve the visual quality of your games. Though the new TCL 6-Series offers a 120Hz refresh rate, it doesn’t support 4K inputs at 120Hz, so you’ll have to decide whether you want to game at 4K at 60Hz or prefer to go with 1440p at 120Hz.
4. Hisense 55″ Class H8G Quantum Series ULED Smart TV
Best Ultra Cheap Gaming TV for Next-Gen Consoles
Screen size: 55″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: Full-Array Local Dimming LED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG Peak Brightness: 700cd/m2 Local Dimming Zones: 90 Refresh Rate: 240Hz Motion Rate Adaptive Sync: None Inputs: 4 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x Composite, 1 x RF, 1 x Ethernet, 1 x Optical Audio Out, 1 x 3.5mm Audio Out
With a price tag of $600, the Hisense 55″ Class H8G Quantum Series ULED Smart TV (55H8G) is one of the cheapest 4K TVs you can buy, and yet its very well equipped. It offers up peak brightness at 700 nits and 90 local dimming zones to deliver great-looking HDR content on its Quantum Dot display. With these specs, the Hisense 565H8G supports all the popular HDR formats including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG. It also delivers a colorful image with true 10-bit color depth.It also has a game mode available to keep your input lag down when it’s most crucial in competitive games. It comes running the Android TV operating system, so you can install your favorite streaming apps and even some games directly on the TV. The only downsides of this TV is it lacks any HDMI 2.1 ports and doesnt offer up FreeSync support, so youll only be able to play games at 4K and up to 60Hz max.
5. Vizio 55″ Class 4K OLED Smart TV
Best OLED Gaming TV for Next-Gen Consoles
Screen size: 55″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: OLED HDR Compatibility: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Refresh Rate: 120Hz Adaptive Sync: VRR, FreeSync Inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x RF
If you always wanted an OLED TV from LG or Sony, but just couldn’t stomach the high prices, Vizio has you covered with its new line of OLED TVs. For $1.300, you’re looking at a 55-inch OLED screen that’s $200 cheaper than even LG’s 48-inch model meant for console gamers. The best thing about getting this screen at this price is you’re getting the same OLED panel that LG uses at the end of the day, so you’ll see all the true blacks and great colors you would expect from a high-end OLED set without any of the dirty screen or other issues.Of course to hit a price this low Vizio had to make a few compromises. For starters this TV doesn’t have an millimeter thin bezel like other OLED 4K TVs. You’re also looking at only two HDMI 2.1 ports, but they opperate with a full 48Gbps bandwidth so they’ll be able to support 12-bit 4:4:4 color at up to 120Hz. The Vizio OLED55-H1 also features FreeSync support but no G-Sync support like on LG’s CX line.
6. Samsung 55″ Class Q90T Smart QLED 4K TV
Best QLED Gaming TV for Next-Gen Consoles
Screen size: 64.5″ Resolution: 4K Panel Type: Full-Array QLED HDR Compatibility: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Quantum HDR 2000 Peak Brightness: 1,500cd/m2 Local Dimming Zones: 96 Refresh Rate: 120Hz Inputs: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x RF
OLED TVs are great for perfect blacks but if you’re looking for the brightest picture you’re going to want an QLED TV. The Samsung 65″ Class Q90T Smart QLED 4K TV (QN65Q90TA) is a great little set that offers up a bright 1,500-nit peak brightness. Of course, this TV can easily display inky blacks right next to those burning bright pixels, just dont expect true blacks as you would get from an OLED panel.As for gaming-focused features, the Samsung QN65Q90TA delivers on everything you need for the next generation consoles including 4K at 120Hz, FreeSync and G-Sync support, as well as a low latency game mode. Just keep in mind that it only has one HDMI 2.1 port, so make sure to reserve it for the Xbox Series X or PS5 you plan on buying later this year.
Where to Get the Best TVs for Gaming in the UK
What to Look For in a Gaming TV for Next Generation Consoles
Between color accuracy, screen brightness, contrast, viewing angles, smart TV features, and everything else theres already a lot to consider when buying a TV. Now when shopping for TV you also have to factor in a few other things like refresh rate, adaptive sync support, and low-latency gaming modes.The good news is more and more TVs these days are being built with gaming in mind. In fact, the number of TV brands that offer FreeSync has ballooned from just one to five going from last year to now. Still, youll want to pay particular attention to these specs and features below when shopping for a new TV for your gaming setup.
Adaptive Sync
Most PC gamers and Xbox One owners should already be fairly familiar with adaptive sync or variable refresh rate technology. For the uninitiated, adaptive sync is essentially a process that synchronizes the refresh rate of your monitor or TV with the number of frames shooting out of your GPU.In the olden days, you may have seen some screen tearing or hitching if you have a really fast graphics card capable of rendering a game at 240 frames per second but only had a display capable of displaying at 60Hz. Well, adaptive sync is designed to quash these exact issues to ensure you never see a terribly torn frame of animation and your frame rate stays at a silky-smooth 60 fps without going too far above or below that level.
Nowadays most of the 2020 TVs youll see from Samsung, LG, Vizio, TCL, and Sony this year will all support FreeSync, which is exactly what the PS5 and Xbox Series X will feature.
HDMI 2.1
The second most crucial spec youll want to keep an eye out for is HDMI 2.1 ports. This is basically the latest version of the HDMI standard and it finally allows you to carry a 4K signal at up to 120Hz, whereas HDMI 2.0 was limited to 4K at 60Hz.With HDMI 2.1 youll be able to play games at Ultra HD resolutions and at high-refresh rates assuming the PS5 and Xbox Series X make good on their promise to deliver such an experience.
With that in mind youre also going to want to double-check any TV youre interested in can support 120Hz or higher natively. If the product listing says the set is capable of 240 MR (Motion Rate), 960 CA (Clear Action), or something else strange but if its Hertz caps out at 60, that means the TV is only simulating a higher refresh rate and its not giving you the real deal.
Kevin Lee is IGN’s Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam