If you're a competitive gamer looking for the best TV for playing video games, you'll want the best performance possible. Manufacturers have been trying to improve their TV gaming performance to compete with monitors in recent years. When evaluating how good a TV is for gaming, there are four main criteria to consider:
Gaming Features
Gaming features are important. High-end models tend to have gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) support and an Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) that automatically switches the TV into Game Mode when you launch a game from a compatible device. TVs now also support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you can play 4k games up to 120 fps on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, or even 4k @ 144Hz without Display Stream Compression (DSC) on a recent GPU. A fast refresh rate, like 120Hz and 144Hz, doesn't only improve the fluidity of gameplay in games that support it, but it almost always improves the TV's input lag and perceived response time, so it's a big deal. A high refresh rate also goes hand-in-hand with VRR, as VRR lets the TV dynamically adjust its refresh rate to match the game's frame rate, minimizing, if not eliminating, any screen tearing that can result from the game's frame rate not matching the TV's refresh rate.
For more information on gaming features, look up our articles on VRR and supported resolutions of TVs.
Input Lag and Response Time
Input lag and response time are other essential components of a good gaming TV. Input lag is the time it takes for a frame sent by a source (like a gaming console) to display on screen. A low input lag makes the entire experience more responsive, as your inputs on a controller or mouse are reflected more quickly onscreen. The best TVs can have an input lag as low as five milliseconds. Response time is the time it takes for a pixel to change from one color to the next, typically measured from a fully black pixel to a fully white one or from one shade of gray (either dark or bright gray) to the opposite shade of gray. OLEDs are the uncontested best TVs regarding response time, as their pixel transitions are nearly instantaneous. However, the best LED TVs for gaming also have very fast transitions. A slow response time is noticeable, as fast-moving objects on screen leave blurry trails behind them.
You can also check out our articles on input lag and response time if you want to know more.
Contrast and Dark Details in Game Mode
An important factor in how games look on a TV lies in the TV's ability to preserve its contrast inGame Mode. To cut down on processing and thus improve input lag, TVs disable much of their processing features inGame Mode. Thus, it's important for a local dimming feature to be fast and accurate in that mode, like if the TV's dimming zone transitions are more noticeable than they are in other picture modes and if the TV's blooming performance differs from these other modes. The best gaming TVs don't show any apparent reduction in contrast inGame Mode.
You can also read our in-depth article on contrast.
Peak Brightness and Reflection Handling
Finally, a TV's peak brightness is very important. For dark room gaming, contrast is more important overall, but peak brightness is essential in HDR for bright highlights to pop next to a TV's deep blacks. Of course, if you're gaming in a bright room, you want your TV's brightness to be high enough to compensate for any glare from direct or ambient lights. Reflection handling is also important here, as TVs with lower peak brightness, like many OLEDs, can compensate for it by having stellar reflection handling, allowing for bright room gaming. Ultimately, brighter TVs look more vibrant, with more realistic HDR,leading to a more immersive experience.
If you'd like to know more, we have in-depth articles about SDR peak brightness, HDR peak brightness, and reflection handling.
We've bought and tested more than 430TVs, and below are our recommendations for the best overall gaming TVs you can buy. Also, check our picks for the best TVs for watching movies, thebest PS5 TVs, and thebest TVs for Xbox Series X, or you canvote on which ones you want us to buy and test. To learn more about the 2024 models, check out our 2024 TV lineup page.
