$1,600 at Best Buy
Gone are the days when televisions were just used for watching movies or TV shows. These days, most people purchasing new TVs will have several other factors to consider, including whether the new TV will be compatible with their gaming setup. In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in the popularity of console gaming and many well-known TV brands have been producing high-quality televisions to meet the demand. These TVs usually boast a number of great gaming features, such as HDMI 2.1’s 120Hz and low-latency support. Any TV with an HDMI port will be compatible with a PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S console, but it won’t be able to take advantage of the full potential of any of these modern consoles.
The best 4K TVs these days are equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports, which have the power to let you play at 4K with HDR and reach frame rates as high as 120 frames per second. On top of all that, the gameplay stays butter-smooth, with the consoles and TV playing nice via variable refresh rate, which reduces choppy movement and screen tearing for solid picture quality.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on an 88-inch 8K behemoth to get these gaming console-friendly features. In fact, you can find most of the features necessary for an excellent gaming experience, including 4K 120Hz and VRR, in 50-inch TVs at $600 or less and 65-inch models for less than $1,000.
LG’s C2 may be on the expensive side, but it pairs high-end image quality with impressive gaming features on every input. All of the TV’s HDMI ports include the latest version of the HDMI standard: 2.1. That means its HDMI ports can handle 4K at 120 frames per second and variable refresh rate (including Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync), as well as enhanced audio return channel and automatic low latency mode (auto game mode). In other words, it can take advantage of the latest graphics features available from PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles as well as high-end graphics cards. The C2 is rare among high-end TVs in that all four of its HDMI ports support 4K/120 — great for hard-core gamers with multiple next-gen devices. The TV also comes with a specialized Game Optimizer settings suite. It’s a great choice for gamers who want an excellent picture and aren’t afraid to splurge to get it.
Whether you’re looking for the best TV for PS5 gaming, Xbox Series X or S or another next-gen console, here are our current favorite gaming TV options. Unless otherwise noted all of the prices listed are for 65-inch sizes, but every series is available in other sizes, too.
LG’s C2 offers some of the best TV image quality we’ve tested, comes in a variety of sizes and includes the full range of gaming features on every input. The C2 represents the pinnacle of picture quality, at a price that’s admittedly high but not too crazy. It beats any non-OLED TV on this list, including the Samsung QN90B below, with its perfect black levels, unbeatable contrast and superb off-angle viewing. It also has excellent gaming features, making it a great companion to an Xbox Series X or S, PlayStation 5 or both. The C2 comes in a variety of sizes as well, though the bigger models are expensive.
Read more $1,600 at Best Buy$1,597 at B&H Photo-Video$2,035 at Macys.com
2022
Our favorite TV overall for the money happens to be an excellent gaming TV as well. This TCL supports all the high-end gaming extras you expect, including 4K, 120Hz input and variable refresh rate. Our tests of its gaming picture revealed excellent overall quality, in particular shadow detail.
Read more $1,000 at Best Buy
In our review of the Hisense we rated its overall image quality nearly as good as the TCL, and we actually liked its gaming picture a bit better, thanks to punchier highlights. It comes in second to the TCL with worse lag, but most people won’t notice the extra 5 milliseconds. Gamers can’t go wrong with either one.
Read more $849 at Walmart$898 at Amazon$900 at Best Buy
The Vizio V-Series costs hundreds less than any of the TVs above, its image quality can’t compete, and it lacks 4K, 120Hz input, but for a budget model its gaming chops are top-notch. It’s the only budget TV we’ve seen that supports variable refresh rate, and its overall image quality was a cut above similarly priced models from TCL, Hisense and others.
Read more $459 at Bhphotovideo
Sizes 50-, 65-, 75-inchTV Technology LED with local dimmingSmart TV Yes (SmartCast)Resolution 4KHDMI Ports 4
With a price generally lower than any of the TVs above, this Vizio’s image quality and gaming features aren’t quite as good, but it’s still a solid step above budget gaming TVs. Local dimming achieves solid contrast and the MQX has both 4K/120Hz input capability and VRR, which are rare at this price.
Read more $808 at Best Buy$849 at Sam’s Club
Our TV reviews follow a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process honed over nearly two decades of TV reviews. Our primary TV test lab has specialized equipment for measuring light and color, including a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer, a Murideo Sig-G 4K HDR signal generator and an AVPro Connect 8×8 4K HDR distribution matrix. We use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to evaluate every TV we review. In every CNET TV review, three or more similar TVs are compared side by side in various lighting conditions playing different media, including movies, TV shows and games, across a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming to HDR. Our reviews also account for design, features, smart TV performance, HDMI input and gaming compatibility, as well as other factors.
One important aspect of image quality we test is overall brightness. Here’s how it compares in nits across select TVs listed above.
| TV | Brightest mode (HDR) | Accurate mode (HDR) | Brightest mode (SDR) | Accurate mode (SDR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung QN65Q90B | 3,316 | 1,981 | 2,625 | 974 |
| Hisense U8H | 1,867 | 1,867 | 1,605 | 1,605 |
| TCL 65R655 | 1,387 | 1,194 | 1,292 | 624 |
| Vizio M65QXM-K03 | 939 | 742 | 958 | 608 |
| LG OLED65C2 | 812 | 759 | 413 | 389 |
| Roku TV Plus (65-inch) | 514 | 455 | 579 | 404 |
Check out How We Test TVs for more details.
With all of the TVs available today, and all of the technical terms and jargon associated with television technology, it can be tough to figure out what’s important. Here’s a quick guide to help cut through the confusion.
Price: TVs range in price from $100 to more than $2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive and spending more money can also get you better image quality. Most entry-level TVs have a good enough picture for most people, but TVs last a long time, so it might be worth spending more to get a better picture. It’s also best to shop for a TV in the fall, when prices are lower.
Screen size: Bigger is better in our book. We recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or main TV — and 65 inches or larger is best. More than any other “feature,” stepping up in TV screen size is the best use of your money. One of the most common post-TV-purchase complaints we’ve heard is from people who didn’t go big enough. And we almost never hear people complain that their TV is too large.
Capability: Among entry-level TVs the most important feature is what kind of smart TV system the TV uses. Among midrange models, look for a feature including full-array local dimming, mini-LED and 120Hz refresh rate, which (unlike some other extras) do help improve the picture in our experience. And among high-end TVs, OLED technology is your best bet.
For more TV buying advice check out How to Buy a TV.
All the advanced gaming features we’ve mentioned– 120Hz input and VRR, as well as the more common Auto Low Latency Mode, aka Auto Game Mode, and eARC — are roughly grouped under the HDMI 2.1 standard, but not all of the TVs in the charts below include every feature, nor deliver the full video and audio bandwidth that’s possible with HDMI 2.1.
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Despite TVs being capable of 120Hz refresh for well over a decade, the ability to input 120Hz is a far more recent development. This is largely due to the fact that other than a fairly beefy gaming PC, there just haven’t been any 120Hz sources. That all changes with the PS5 and Series X. Some of the TVs on our list can accept 4K at 120Hz on all HDMI inputs. Others can only do so on select inputs and one, the TCL 6-Series, can only accept 120Hz at lower-than-4K resolution (1440p).
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VRR, or variable refresh rate, is a new TV feature that you’d probably be surprised wasn’t already a thing. All modern TVs have a fixed refresh rate. A 60Hz TV is going to refresh, or create, a new image 60 times a second. The problem is a new console might not be ready to send a new image.
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Game mode turns off most of the image-enhancing features of the TV, reducing input lag. We’ll discuss input lag below, but the specific feature to look for is called either Auto Low Latency Mode or Auto Game Mode. Different manufacturers call it one or the other, but the basic idea is the same. Sensing a signal from the console, the TV switches on game mode automatically. This means you don’t need to find your TV’s remote to enable game mode. Not a huge deal, but convenient. All the TVs listed above have, or will have, one or the other.
Input lag describes how long in milliseconds it takes for the TV to create an image. If this is too high, there’s a delay between when you press a button on the controller and when that action appears on screen. In many games, like shooters or platformers, timing is crucial and a TV with high input lag could hurt your performance.
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While not a console feature, eARC is a next-gen TV feature to keep in mind. It’s the evolution of ARC, or Audio Return Channel. This sends audio from a TV’s internal apps (such as Netflix or Vudu), back down the HDMI cable to a receiver or soundbar. With eARC, newer formats like Dolby Atmos can be transmitted as well.
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