Playing video games on a TV comes with a great deal of benefits that can make the overall gaming experience more enjoyable when compared to playing games on other devices, such as handheld consoles or monitors. Existing TVs are capable of supporting 4K resolution, which, in comparison to displays with lower resolutions, can result in graphics that are more detailed and crisp. Because of this improvement in visual fidelity, games have the potential to appear more realistic and, therefore, more visually appealing.
Let’s have a look at some of the choices that are available at the moment.
Most Wanted TV Features For the Best Gaming Experience
If you are playing video games, you will want a TV that has a low input latency and a quick motion response. Additionally, you should look for a TV that does not have blur or any other unpleasant artifacts behind items that are moving quickly. It is possible to make use of online multiplayer gaming, streaming services, and other forms of multimedia content straight from your TV, minimizing or even eliminating the need for extra devices. The majority of TVs on today’s market come equipped with cutting-edge features and internet connectivity. By providing this convenience, the game experience can be simplified, and more entertainment options can be made available.
What’s more, a significant number of televisions come pre-installed with speakers or connectivity to external sound systems. In comparison to the speakers that are incorporated into monitors or handheld devices, such a thing has the potential to deliver higher audio quality. This contributes to an overall improvement in the gaming experience by providing immersive sound effects and music. It’s amazing, isn’t it?!
Well, how about these cool features on a TV:
HDMI 2.1
Your TV should be capable of supporting HDMI 2.1 in its entirety if you want to maximize the experience from a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S. This is the most recent significant modification to the HDMI specification, which enables a greater bandwidth capacity (48 gigabits/ second, which is an increase over the 18 Gbps that HDMI 2.0 offered).
Another feature that is included in HDMI 2.1 is the support for Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), which enables you to transmit lossless audio of a higher quality from a source device that is connected to the television to a soundbar or receiver that is compatible with the technology. Simply put, the more HDMI 2.1 ports that are fully functional on your television, the better. Sleek!
HDR Gaming Interest Group, often known as HGiG
HGiG, which stands for “HDR Gaming Interest Group,” is a group that facilitates the exchange of information between businesses such as Sony and Microsoft. This allows you to begin playing a new game on a console or personal computer and have the game instantly detect your display. Once that occurs, the game will be able to alter the internal settings to accommodate the capabilities of that display. This will allow the game to provide you with the highest possible picture quality without sacrificing details in the sections of the screen that are the brightest or the darkest.
VRR
Using VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), your display will only display the next frame once it is ready. This could make everything appear more natural and responsive, even if the operating system is unable to deliver on its goal frame rate. A number of distinct implementations of virtual reality refresh rate (VRR) are currently available. These include Nvidia’s G-Sync, AMD’s FreeSync, and the VRR protocol developed by the HDMI Forum, which is a component of the entire HDMI 2.1 standard. Nevertheless, here is the catch: in order for it to function, the VRR technology must be supported by both the input device and the TV itself.
ALLM
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) is a mode that allows your PlayStation 5 or Xbox to tell the screen to move into a picture format that decreases the amount of lag that occurs between the time that each frame of an image is received and the time that it is displayed on the TV screen. This eliminates the need for additional processing, which could be the milliseconds that mean the difference between successfully landing a precise input and not. Impressive!
HDR
High dynamic range (HDR) is definitely one of the most well-known words in this area. The ability of television to exhibit a wider variety of colors between the deepest and lightest sections of a picture is what this term refers to. This wider range can bring out features that would otherwise be absent on a standard dynamic range (SDR) TV, particularly in the sections of an image that are extremely dark and, notably, in the extremely bright portions.
It is necessary to have both content that has been mastered to make use of the technology and a TV that is capable of displaying such content in order to obtain an HDR picture. In addition, high dynamic range (HDR) is available in a number of formats, which can be broadly classified into two categories: those that make use of dynamic metadata (Dolby Vision and HDR10+) and those that make use of static metadata (HDR10).
TV Options For the Best Gaming Experience
Considering that the TV market is constantly shifting, we do not have to hurry into selecting something simply because it has received a lot of attention from the media or because it is popular. Our list will, of course, include Samsung and LG, but you will also be astonished to find that there is another alternative available to you, which is, for the most part, kind of a new name.
Samsung S90C OLED TV (55-inch)
The Samsung S90C is equipped with a QD-OLED display, which is a combination of an OLED screen with a layer of quantum dots. This provides the Samsung S90C with the capability to actually display the high contrast and deep blacks that are characteristic of any decent OLED television without compromising as much in terms of peak brightness or color saturation. How impressive!
The TV also features four HDMI 2.1 connectors, each of which is capable of playing back content at a resolution of up to 4K at 144Hz. Additionally, it is compatible with HDR10 and HDR10+, as well as ALLM and the primary VRR formats. Between 55 and 83 inches is the range of sizes. Due to the fact that it controls its ports via an external box, the actual hardware of the device is also more compact. What’s missing here is the support for Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR).
Samsung QN90C QLED TV (55-inch)
In addition, this Samsung television comes equipped with four HDMI 2.1 connections, LLM, and all of the major VRR formats. Additionally, it is available in a variety of screen sizes, with the 43-inch and 50-inch models also having the capability of reaching a refresh rate of 144Hz. The contrast, viewing angles, and response time of a good OLED model are not comparable to those of this model; however, the mini-LED backlight and quantum-dot color are expected to result in a more vibrant image than the majority of LCD TVs, particularly when it comes to high dynamic range (HDR). It is not expected to pose any issues due to its motion and lag in input.
LG C3 OLED TV (55-inch)
When it comes to contrast, viewing angles, motion response, and, of course, input lag, this LG performs quite well. The best part, however, is that it supports ALLM, works with all of the major VRR formats, and has four complete HDMI 2.1 connections that are ready for outputting 4K 120Hz with a PS5, Xbox, or even a PC. Additionally, it utilizes the HDR guidelines that were developed by HGiG Entertainment. Incredible!
The fact that it does not support refresh rates of 144Hz is the only drawback.
Hisense U8K QLED TV (55-inch)
We highly recommend considering purchasing the Hisense U8K if you are on a more limited budget. The reason?! Well, with two full-fat HDMI 2.1 connections, exceptional brightness levels, support for 4K at 144Hz, support for all of the major HDR formats, VRR, and ALLM, and input lag that is low enough in gaming mode, you’ll definitely be impressed. The Hisense TV, though, does not have a contrast that is equally excellent as that of an OLED TV, which is the only disadvantage that we could point out.
Hisense U6K QLED TV (55-inch)
With quantum-dot color, full-array local dimming, and a mini-LED backlight, the Hisense U6K is a noteworthy TV that is priced at a budget-friendly level. Additionally, it is a VRR display, which technically means that it is capable of supporting ALLM and the primary HDR standards. However, the refresh rate is restricted to 60Hz. Unfortunately, the TV does not come equipped with any HDMI 2.1 connectors.
The Takeaway
To simply relax with a video game, you do not require a high-end TV, but having a screen that is of high quality could make the playing experience more delightful. The visual quality of an OLED television will be superior to that of any other type of television, as you have observed. Concerning the support for 8K resolution, well, let’s say that we’re safe for now! Despite the fact that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are officially able to produce 8K video, there are not many games that are designed to be played at that quality. What you should remember is the fact that it is essential for a TV to have a resolution of 4K and, of course, a complete complement of HDMI 2.1 connectors in order to provide a fantastic gaming experience.
What are your thoughts about choosing the best TV for gaming? If you’re familiar with the experience and you’re a gamer, share your ideas with us in the comments below!
I’m a huge fan of writing, reading, cinematography, and old cars. Punk and rock music are my jams, and I’m all about diving into everything tech and science-related.
