With the PS4 Pro on the market, HDR gaming and 4K video on the Xbox One S and upcoming One X, this might be a good time to consider upgrading your gaming TV. Now that 4K TVs have finally become relatively affordable, that big quality leap over 1080p doesn’t have to decimate your bank account.
There are many qualities to consider in choosing a good TV. Color accuracy, contrast, color gamut, viewing angles, power utilization, screen reflectance, smart TV features, and more. Since we’re primarily concerned about gaming here, it is crucial that each TV we recommend have a “gaming” mode with low input latency (ideally, 35ms or less). As HDR is so important for games, all our TV picks have to provide this low input latency while in 4K 60Hz mode with HDR enabled. That’s something many older 4K TVs really struggled with. The site RTings has a good chart of available TVs showing measured input lag in various modes.
A quick note on HDMI: You’ll need HDMI 2.0 compatible ports (on your console, receiver/switch, and TV) to take advantage of 4K 60fps HDR goodness. You may see cables labeled as “4K certified” or some such, but that’s nonsense. There are only two real types of HDMI cables: Standard Speed (with and without Ethernet) and High Speed (with and without Ethernet). As long as you have a High Speed cable, you should be good to go. That doesn’t mean all cables are the same, but you shouldn’t pay a lot more for a bunch of marketing.
Sony’s X900 series can be a little confusing. First you have the X900E at sizes ranging from 49 to 75 inches. But there’s also the X930E (55 and 65 inches only) and the X940E (75 inches only). Overall, the X930E and X940E are nice upgrades. They’re much brighter, which is great for HDR, and they have really low input lag. However, they also cost hundreds or even thousands more than the X900E at a comparable size. And while you give up a little bit of picture quality (especially peak brightness) and the input lag is just a little worse on the X900E, it’s still a great 4K TV for gaming and well worth the money. For most gamers, the price premium of the X930E or X940E will just be a waste of money.
If there’s a real shortcoming for gamers on the X900E, it’s the mediocre sound quality. If you’re picky about audio, you’ll want to use headphones, a sound bar, or a receiver and speakers.
Another Great Option - Samsung MU9000
Last year’s Samsung KS9000 was a great overall option for gamers looking to upgrade to a 4K set. It had really low input lag and great image quality with high peak brightness, a wide color gamut, and low screen reflections. The MU9000 is this year’s replacement for that line, and it’s just as good. There are some minor improvements to image quality, but nothing to get too excited about.
If you happen to find the KS9000 still on sale and steeply discounted over the MU9000, that’s probably your best bet. Odds are, they’re going to be hard to find, and the MU9000’s price-to-performance ratio is still quite good. It’s got enough features and picture quality to satisfy all the non-gamers who just want to watch movies and TV, too.
Yes, you can get a 4K TV for less than Sony’s X800D ($640 for the 43-inch model, $800 for the 49-inch). But you don’t want to. Those cheaper sets often don’t have HDR support, and for many games HDR is going to improve image quality more than the higher resolution of 4K. Some cheaper sets do have HDR, but the brightness and contrast are so poor that you can barely notice.
If you’re going to bother upgrading from your 1080p set at all, you want a certain measure of picture quality, not just any old panel with 3840x2160 pixels. Sony’s X800D is probably the most affordable readily-available TV that meets those minimum standards while still offering low input lag.
This is technically last year’s model, and has been replaced by the X800E. But the X800D is still easy to find, and it’s actually better. It’s got higher peak brightness, better contrast, less motion blur, and a wider color gamut. The newer model is a small step backward, and a little more expensive, too.
Samsung MU6300 - A Bigger Screen on a Budget
While the Sony X800D offers better picture quality, it maxes out at 49 inches. If you need a bigger TV on a budget, consider Samsung’s MU6300. The 55-inch size is around $800, and it’s available in 65 and 75-inch models, too.
The worst part of the MU6300 is that it doesn’t get terribly bright, but the really dark blacks help it achieve a great contrast ratio that will keep HDR content looking good, especially in a dark room. Samsung’s other, pricier models offer better picture quality, with higher brightness and a broader color gamut. But if you’re looking for a good 55-inch gaming TV under $1,000, you get a lot of bang for your buck with the MU6300.
Best High-End 4K TV - LG C7
If you want the best image quality for gaming (or other fast-moving action like sports), you want an OLED TV. Unlike LCD panels, OLEDs emit light from the pixels themselves instead of using a backlight. That means a nearly infinite contrast ratio (since black pixels are literally off) and there’s no flickering backlight. Also, OLEDs switch color many times faster than even the best LCDs, so pixel response is super fast and there’s no motion blur at all. OLEDs also have really excellent viewing angles, so the colors and contrast don’t look weird if you’re off to the side on the far end of the couch.
The LG C7 supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR modes (Dolby Vision matters more for movies and TV content than for gaming), and has a screen coating that does a really great job of cutting down screen reflections.
The downside? It’s really, really expensive. You’re going to spend about $2,800 for the 55-inch model and $4,000 for the 65-inch one. If you can still find last year’s LG B6, you might save hundreds of dollars without sacrificing much at all in the way of quality or features. But as the B6 is rapidly becoming hard to find, we’re giving the crown to this year’s model.
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