Resolution and Frame Rate Preferences

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• We’ve updated our buying guide to include some of the latest and greatest gaming TVs. Take a look!

The best TVs for gaming don’t just show picture-perfect visuals; they also provide features like high refresh rates to ensure your gaming experience is top-notch. Our recommendations include the right mix of features to make big-screen gaming perfect whether you’re playing on a console or PC.

UPDATE: 03/13/2024

We’ve updated our buying guide to include some of the latest and greatest gaming TVs. Take a look!

LG C3 OLED

Best Gaming TV Overall
$1397 at Amazon

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  Hisense

Hisense U7K

Best Budget Gaming TV
See at Amazon

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  Sony

Sony A95L

Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X
See at Amazon

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  Samsung

Samsung QN90C QLED TV

Best LED TV for Gaming
$1030 at Amazon

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  Samsung

Samsung QN900C

Best 8K TV for Gaming
See at Amazon

What to Look For in a Gaming TV in 2024

Most modern TVs are pretty decent at gaming as manufacturers refine their products to better compete with computer monitors. Still, for great gaming performance, you need to look for specific components that the average TV may not have. These features make sure that your TV is future-proof and that you’re able to harness the best from the latest gaming consoles.

For example, while the input lag isn’t significant for every genre of gaming, it can be vital when you’re playing against others online. You want your input lag to be below 30ms, generally believed to be unnoticeable on TVs, and anything below 15ms is more than enough.

Variable refresh rate, or VRR, is another important feature as it reduces judder and screen tearing by ensuring that your TV can match its refresh rate with the frame rate of the gameplay. There are multiple VRR formats—AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA G-Sync , and HDMI VRR . Knowing what your TV can handle in terms of VRR is important for a good gaming experience.

Next, Auto Low Latency Mode , or ALLM, is a nifty little feature that makes things more convenient. For example, the TVs with ALLM can receive a signal from a console or computer when you are playing a game, so it should switch on the “Game Mode .” It’s not a necessary feature, but one that’s really great to have, especially for the amount you’re shelling out for a gaming TV.

Lastly, 4K resolution at a 120Hz refresh rate has become a big deal over the last year as the latest consoles from Microsoft and Sony support it. So, if you want to play games in 4K resolution at up to 120fps, your TV should have an HDMI 2.1-capable port. And, since the HDMI 2.1 specification guarantees support for the ALLM and VRR, you can expect to see both of those features as well.

Apart from these gaming-specific features, you’ll also want your TV to be great at other tasks, like offering a top-notch visual experience and fantastic sound quality. We have a great guide covering everything about TV buying from a non-gaming perspective; you should check it out for details on different types of panels, viewing angles, and more.

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Best TV for Gaming Overall: LG C3

LG

The LG C3 is a feature-packed 4K TV that delivers an incredible gaming experience. It has a 120Hz panel, support for all popular VRR technologies, and four HDMI 2.1 ports. So you can enjoy nearly tear-free 4K 120fps gaming on your gaming console or PC. It also has a low input lag for responsive gaming.

The Game Optimizer and Game Dashboard features bring all your gaming-related settings in one place for quick access. They also allow choosing pre-optimized settings for various game genres.

Besides the various gaming-related features, the LG C3, being an OLED TV, produces stunning visuals. So everything from your gameplay to movies and TV shows looks fantastic. You also get support for Dolby Vision , HDR10 , Dolby Atmos , and DTS Audio.

In terms of smart functions, the TV runs on webOS, which has all popular apps, support for Alexa voice assistant , AirPlay compatibility, and a native app for NVIDIA’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service.

The LG C3 also looks sleek with slim bezels and has excellent build quality. And you can choose from six sizes from 42 inches to 83 inches.

All-in-all, there is much to like about the C3, but it’s not perfect. It lacks support for HDR10+ and isn’t the brightest OLED TV on the market. If you need the brightest OLED, you can go for LG’s G3 , but it’s considerably more expensive.

Best Gaming TV Overall

LG C3 OLED

$1397 $1800 Save $403

The LG C3 is loaded with gaming-related features that make it ideal for making the most out of your console or gaming PC. It also delivers stunning picture quality.

$1397 at Amazon See at B&H Photo Video See at Best Buy

Best Budget Gaming TV: Hisense U7K

Hisense

Hisense’s ULED lineup is home to some of the best value-for-money televisions. So if you are in the market for a budget gaming TV, it’s hard to beat the company’s U7K . It’s an affordable 4K TV that packs many advanced gaming features, such as a 144Hz panel with support for variable refresh rate technologies.

You also get two HDMI 2.1 ports to enable up to 4K 144fps gaming and a low input lag to ensure games look responsive. Plus, the company has included a “Game Bar” to provide quick access to relevant settings and information.

Picture quality is a strong point of the Hisense U7K. It employs Mini-LED backlighting for high peak brightness , superior full-array local dimming implementation, and quantum dot technology for vibrant and lifelike visuals.

In other features, Hisense has included Wi-Fi 6E in the U7K, meaning as long as you have a compatible router, your TV hardware won’t be a bottleneck in your getting to enjoy buffering-free streaming or cloud gaming. Dolby Vision IQ , HDR10+ Adaptive , HDR10, and HLG support are available. So you’ll be able to enjoy HDR content from most sources.

But unfortunately, the Hisense TV is not without issues. The TV has some trouble upscaling lower-resolution content , and its tone mapping isn’t perfect with regular HDR and HDR10+ content. Still, it’s your best bet for a budget gaming TV, as the competing TCL Q7 has its own upscaling issues and troubles with VRR .

Best Budget Gaming TV

Hisense U7K

The Hisense U7K punches above its weight class by offering a 144Hz display, Mini-LED backlighting, and two HDMI 2.1 ports. The TV also supports all popular HDR formats.

See at Amazon

Best TV for PC Gaming: LG C3

LG

Besides being our pick for the best gaming TV overall, the LG C3 is also the best TV for PC gaming. It works flawlessly with PCs thanks to its low input lag in PC mode and the ability to display chroma 4:4:4 correctly. The LG television is also certified NVIDIA G-Sync compatible and supports AMD FreeSync , so it’ll offer tear-free gaming whether your PC has an AMD GPU or an NVIDIA GPU. Additionally, its 120Hz panel is excellent for high refresh rate gaming .

Like other OLED TVs, the C3 has wide viewing angles. So even if you sit close to the TV, you won’t notice any washed-out colors on the edges. Another highlight of the TV is its fantastic picture quality, whether you are playing games or watching movies. You’ll also be happy to know that the C3 comes in a relatively small 42-inch model that should fit on many computer tables.

Unfortunately, as the PC interface has a lot of static elements, there is a concern about burn-in for the C3. But LG has included several features to ensure that doesn’t happen. Moreover, its brightness gets reduced when using the PC mode, but not enough to impact your experience.

Best TV for PC Gaming

LG C3 OLED

$1397 $1800 Save $403

The LG C3 shines as your gaming PC companion. It has no trouble working with AMD or NVIDIA GPUs and has HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K 120fps gaming.

$1397 at Amazon See at B&H Photo Video See at Best Buy

Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X: Sony A95L

Sony

The Sony A95L is a fantastic 4K TV with an amazing experience with the company’s PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X gaming consoles. As it has a native 120Hz refresh rate, you can enjoy smooth 4K gaming on both consoles. Besides, the TV supports features of both consoles, including variable refresh rate, Dolby Vision for gaming, and more.

PS5 owners also get access to the Auto HDR Tone Mapping feature on the A95L that seamlessly adjusts the TV settings to deliver the best HDR performance, whether you are using the console to play games or watch a Blu-ray. Moreover, the Auto Genre Picture Mode can automatically trigger the TV’s Game Mode when you start playing a game on PS5.

The Multi View feature of the TV will also come in handy when you need to watch a walkthrough or tutorial next to your game in challenging levels. Thanks to the low input lag, games feel responsive, and instant response time helps deliver clear motion.

Picture quality is a highlight of the A95L as the included 4K QD-OLED panel produces breathtaking visuals with inky blacks and vibrant colors. So, the TV’s top-notch performance extends beyond its impressive gaming chops.

Unfortunately, there are only two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is also used for eARC . So, if you utilize the eARC port to connect to a soundbar, you will get only one free HDMI 2.1 port to connect a console or gaming PC. It’s an annoyance but not a deal-breaker. Also, being a QD-OLED TV, it’s susceptible to burn-in.

Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X

Sony A95L

The Sony A95L is an impressive 4K TV that supports all the features of PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles and can deliver an exceptional gaming performance.

See at Amazon See at B&H Photo Video See at Best Buy

Best LED TV for Gaming: Samsung QN90C

Samsung

Part of Samsung’s Neo QLED lineup, the QN90C is a high-end Mini-LED TV that comes with 4K resolution and is a solid option if you want an LED TV for gaming. Available in a wide range of sizes from 43-inch to 85-inch , the Samsung television delivers impressive picture quality and has one of the best local dimming implementations. So, blacks are deep, and the contrast ratio is superb.

Whether playing games or watching the latest Netflix Original, the visuals displayed on the screen are fantastic. The TV’s incredibly high peak brightness also helps reduce glare in bright rooms and enhances the HDR performance. Sadly, like other Samsung TVs, it doesn’t come with Dolby Vision support.

In other highlights, the QN90C has a low input lag for a responsive gaming experience, VRR support to reduce screen tearing, and ALLM to trigger Game Mode automatically.

All four HDMI ports on the TV are rated for HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you will have no trouble keeping multiple consoles or gaming PCs connected. However, you can also play your favorite games without connecting a console or PC to the QN90C, as the Samsung Gaming Hub gives you access to cloud gaming services such as Amazon Luna , NVIDIA GeForce Now, and Xbox Cloud Gaming .

Although all QN90A models with a screen size of 55 inches and higher have a 120Hz ADS-style display panel, the 43-inch and 50-inch models use a 144Hz VA-type panel. So, the 43-inch and 50-inch models don’t have wide viewing angles but a slightly higher refresh rate. The rest of the performance is pretty much the same.

Best LED TV for Gaming

Samsung QN90C QLED TV

The QN90C is a fantastic gaming TV as it supports 4K 120Hz gaming, has VRR support, and offers a low input lag. It also produces a vibrant and lifelike picture.

$1030 at Amazon See at Best Buy See at Samsung

Best 8K TV for Gaming: Samsung QN900C

Samsung

Besides being our pick for the best 8K TV, the Samsung QN900C is an excellent television for gaming. Whether you have a gaming PC capable of pushing an 8K signal or a console that tops out at 4K, you will get a great experience. As the QN900C is excellent at upscaling , even the lower-resolution content looks fantastic.

Picture quality is a strong point of the TV, as everything pops on its 8K screen, and the colors look fantastic. But apart from its solid picture quality, the Samsung 8K TV has all the gaming features you might want. It has a native 144Hz refresh rate, support for all VRR technologies, and a low input lag. You also get four HDMI 2.1 ports, HDR support, and full compatibility with both Sony PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. The only missing feature is Dolby Vision support.

You will enjoy the QN900C even when you aren’t gaming, as it’s equally suitable for watching movies, sports, or TV shows. Tizen handles the smart TV duties and has all popular streaming services and other apps.

The QN900C looks premium, and the included One Connect box can help you hide the cable clutter. Lastly, you can buy it in 65-inch , 75-inch and 85-inch models.

Best 8K TV for Gaming

Samsung QN900C

Samsung’s QN900C shines as an 8K gaming TV. It has a native 144Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and a low input lag. The TV also delivers a fantastic visual performance.

See at Amazon See at Best Buy See at Samsung

FAQ

What is better for gaming, a monitor or a TV?

Both monitors and TVs have positives and negatives when it comes to gaming. While the refresh rates on some monitors can reach up to 360Hz (500Hz ones are coming), only select high-end TVs have a 144Hz or 120Hz refresh rate . But it’s cheaper to get 4K resolution on a large screen via a TV compared to a monitor. On the other hand, monitors typically have a better port selection and are more ergonomic.

Can you connect a PC to a TV for gaming?

You can connect a PC to your TV for gaming if both have HDMI ports. Otherwise, you’ll need an adapter to convert the video signal from your PC to match the available ports on your TV.

Which type of HDMI port is best for gaming on a TV?

If you have HDMI ports with different capabilities on your TV, such as HDMI 2.1 and HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 2.0 and HDMI 1.4, then it’s ideal to use the newer generation port, which is represented by the higher number. But if you aren’t sure about a port’s generation, consult the TV manual or specifications for help.

Do I need VRR for my gaming TV?

Variable refresh rate or VRR support helps TVs avoid screen tearing , which can impact your gaming experience. So VRR is a helpful feature to have on your TV. But you can game without VRR. You’ll just have to deal with screen tearing, which can vary from mild annoyance to a big distraction.

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