The best gaming TV for 2023: TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X

Looking for the best gaming TV is the same as hunting for the best TV for movies or streaming. You need to find a TV with fantastic image quality, a budget that's right for you and a size that fits into your living room. But there are also several specific gaming requirements you need to consider as well.

Here at TechRadar, when we're reviewing the best TVs, we're also testing their gaming features, to see which make the best gaming TVs. For example, gaming TVs need to have a low level of input lag, meaning there isn't a delay between you pressing a button and what you see on your screen. We test this ourselves, and look for input lag of under 15ms to suit the majority of gamers, or under 10ms for those who want the absolute best results.

Today's top TVs all have high-end gaming features built-in. Higher-end models, including many of the best OLED TVs, are usually excellent for gaming regardless of which one you choose. If you need to stay within a budget, you might find one in the best TVs under $1000 or the best TVs under £1000. But be careful, some of the cheaper models won't include the 120Hz screen or HDMI 2.1 connectivity that makes the most of the next-gen PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles.

Take a look at our guide below for our pick of the best gaming TV for all consoles, covering a range of budgets. You'll also find out if these displays work particularly well for certain consoles to help you make the best choice to suit your needs.

The quick list

If you want to quickly find the perfect gaming TV for you, try this list – you can also get a more in-depth write-up of any particular model by clicking the TV link!

The best gaming TVs in 2023

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The best gaming TV for most people

Samsung S90C showing its Gaming Hub screen

(Image credit: Future)
The best gaming TV for most people

Specifications

Available sizes: 55, 65, 77-inches
Measured input lag: 9.2ms
Refresh rate: 144Hz
VRR support: HDMI forum, FreeSync
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (4)

Reasons to buy

+
Brighter than almost all OLED TVs
+
Excellent gaming features
+
Four HDMI 2.1 ports

Reasons to avoid

-
Still less bright than mini-LED
-
No Dolby Vision gaming

The Samsung S90C is our pick as the best gaming TV for most people because it packs in just about every gaming feature you could need, with a next-gen OLED screen that's brighter than the likes of the LG C3 or Sony A80L (both lower in this list), and yet for a very similar price to those TVs. It's simply incredible value – and we were blown away by its actual picture quality in our review.

When it comes to gaming features, you've got four HDMI 2.1 ports, all supporting 4K 120Hz from consoles (or 4K 144Hz for PC games), and variable refresh rates. Samsung's gaming menus let you tweak how responsive it is and which features you want to use, which is great for tinkerers. We measured input lag at under 10ms, so it's as responsive as TVs get.

Lots of TVs here offer all this, though – what sets the S90C apart is its bright QD-OLED screen. It's about 30% brighter than the LG C3, and you can really see this – clouds pop in the sky, colors are richer, and it's generally more visible over reflections in a bright room. That's while still delivering inky OLED black tones, of course, and you'll benefit from these in both movies and games. It's a fantastic-looking TV.

It's also got better built-in sound than the LG C3. The only downsides to it are that it doesn't include Dolby Vision support (so, no DV gaming from Xbox Series X), there's no G-Sync for PC gaming, and that it only comes in three sizes. But we think that for the majority of people who aren't bothered by any of those, it's the best choice today.

Read the full Samsung S90C review

Best affordable gaming TV for PS5

the sony x90k led tv

(Image credit: Future/Techradar)
The best affordable TV for PS5 owners

Specifications

Available sizes: 55, 65, 75, 85-inches
Measured input lag: 13.8ms
Refresh rate: 120Hz
VRR: HDMI forum
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (2)

Reasons to buy

+
Deep blacks and good brightness
+
Strong suite of HDMI 2.1 gaming features

Reasons to avoid

-
Light output doesn’t match mini-LED TVs
-
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports

The Sony X90K is an excellent value TV, delivering top performance for an affordable price. It has a full-array LED backlight, which features local dimming. The result is deep blacks paired with high levels of brightness and color – although it's not the brightest TV on the market.

This TV is excellent for sports and movies. In our review, we wrote: "The X90K series can deliver deep, detailed blacks for movie watching, and its peak light output is high enough to make it a good option for daytime sports viewing as well."

However, it really shines as a gaming TV, especially for PS5 owners. The X90K has a fantastic suite of gaming features, which is why we rate it so highly. Aside from 4K 120Hz video support (available only on two of the set’s four HDMI inputs), it has both variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). Input lag as measured by our 4K test meter was 13.8ms, which is a very good result. 

X90K TVs are also 'Perfect for PlayStation 5'. This basically means that when connected to the company’s gaming console, an Auto HDR Tone Mapping feature gets activated, along with an Auto Genre Picture Mode that optimizes the image for gaming, meaning the visuals are tuned to match exact what the TV can do, for optimal HDR.

This is a great gaming TV for PS5 owners, especially for the price. 

Read the full Sony X90K review

The best gaming TV for lighter rooms

The Samsung QN85B displaying an animated movie

(Image credit: TechRadar)
The best mini-LED gaming TV with full HDMI 2.1 support

Specifications

Available sizes: 55, 65, 75 and 85-inches
Measured input lag: 9.8ms
Refresh rate: 120Hz
VRR support: HDMI forum, FreeSync, G-Sync
ALLM: Yes
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (4)

Reasons to buy

+
Bright and lavishly colourful images
+
Four HDMI 2.1 inputs
+
Very low lag

Reasons to avoid

-
Contrast isn't as good as OLED
-
No Dolby Vision

If you're looking for a bright TV that doesn't get lost in reflections even if you're watching it during the day in a sunlit room, and that's a reasonable price, allow us to introduce the Samsung QN85B. It's a mini-LED display that delivers incredible brightness, it has an exceptionally low input lag for a TV of this size and it delivers impressive HDR, albeit with the usual Samsung omission of Dolby Vision. 

With HDMI 2.1 support across all four HDMI inputs, compatibility with 4K 120Hz and support for ALLM, VRR and FreeSync Premium Pro, the QN85B looks equipped to make the most of any next-gen console. And when you add in the popping brightness, assured motion tracking and mile-wide color palette already discussed, it shines above the rest. Mostly, anyhow. Game mode is fantastically fast but you do lose a little of the contrast and a slight increase in white-tone blooming, so when it comes to precise contrast, OLED TVs have an edge over it.

This is a spectacular TV for all kinds of entertainment. Contrast is superb for an LED TV for movies, and it's a very bright panel with a wide and convincing color range. The image processing doesn't produce strange results with CGI as some processors do, and the panel has decently wide viewing angles. And provided you stay clear of really old TV shows, the upsampling is excellent. 

The audio in Samsung TVs isn't always the best, but this is better than most: with four speaker drivers and 60W of power – plus Q-symphony compatibility with Samsung soundbars, which uses the TV speakers as part of a bigger surround system – it's fine. We'd prefer a little more detail to the sound, but we tend to listen through soundbars or AV receivers so it's not a deal-breaker for us.

Read the full Samsung QN85B review

The best budget gaming TV in the US

Hisense U8K onscreen game menu

(Image credit: Future)
The best budget 4K TV for gamers in the US

Specifications

Available sizes: 55, 65, 75, and 85-inches
Measured input lag: 13ms
Refresh rate: 144Hz
VRR: HDMI forum, FreeSync
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (2)

Reasons to buy

+
4K 120Hz, VRR and Dolby Vision gaming
+
Mini-LED brightness for a low price

Reasons to avoid

-
Contrast fades when off-center
-
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports

The price on this mini-LED TV is just astounding, considering how well-specced it is too. For massively less than a mini-LED from the likes of Sony or Samsung, you get big brightness and impressive contrast – all backed by great gaming features, including 4K 120Hz Dolby Vision gaming, which not even all high-end TVs support, let alone more affordable ones.

In our review, we said "its mini-LED tech delivers the high brightness viewers expect, while its local dimming offers the deep black shadows movie fans love", which applies to gaming too, of course. Compared to higher-end mini-LED TVs, you get a little more light leaking from bright areas to dark ones, and the contrast doesn't look as good if you're watching at an angle, but these are common in cheaper TVs, and the performance punches well above its US price, overall.

We measured the input lag at 13ms, which is pretty average, and fine for the vast majority of gamers. Only having two HDMI 2.1 ports may be annoying for anyone with multiple consoles, but it's normal on TVs that aren't Samsung or LG (and is normal on some of their TVs too…).

If your goal is to have the most gaming features and best picture quality for a reasonable price, this TV is what you need.

Read the full Hisense U8K review

The best budget gaming TV in the UK

Samsung Q80B TV on pink background

(Image credit: Samsung)
The best cheaper gaming TV with four HDMI 2.1 ports

Specifications

Available sizes: 50, 55, 65, 75 and 85-inches
Measured input lag: 10.2ms
Refresh rate: 120 Hz
VRR: HDMI forum, FreeSync
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (4)

Reasons to buy

+
Four HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz and VRR
+
Rich colorful picture for a good price

Reasons to avoid

-
No Dolby Vision
-
Backlight blooming

The Samsung Q80B is a great mid-range 4K QLED screen that we consider to be a fantastic all-rounder as it's well-suited for everyday TV viewing and supports high frame rate gaming – and it's one of the best-value ways to get that in the UK. It's also available in the US, but we rate the Hisense above as better value.

The Q80B is positioned just below Samsung's mini-LED Neo QLED models, offering a more conventional full array backlight instead. This means it doesn’t offer the black level performance or the HDR precision of its more expensive stablemates. 

However, with four HFR (high frame rate) compatible HDMI inputs, a useful Game Bar menu for gaming features, and a polished smart TV interface, only serious home cinephiles are likely to feel shortchanged. 

Given the prominence of Samsung’s Game Hub, it’s clear that’s where its key appeal lies. QLED, after all, is impervious to screen burn, which translates nicely to anxiety-free gaming sessions. The Samsung also has four HDMIs that all support 4K 120Hz playback. There’s also ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), Nvidia G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro support for gaming.

The set also has an above-average Dolby Atmos compatible sound system. In our Samsung Q80B review we wrote: "Picture quality, particularly if you’re a bright room viewer, is impressive, and audio is immersive enough to stave off any additional soundbar purchase, at least until funds allow."

Read the full Samsung Q80B review

The best gaming TV for size options

The LG C2 OLED on a wall with a PS5 game on the screen

(Image credit: Future/TechRadar)
The best gaming TV for a huge range of sizes

Specifications

Available sizes: 42, 48, 55, 65, 77 and 83-inches
Measured input lag: 6ms
Refresh rate: 120Hz
VRR support: HDMI forum, FreeSync, G-Sync
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (4)

Reasons to buy

+
4K 120Hz Dolby Vision gaming
+
Four HDMI 2.1 ports

Reasons to avoid

-
Not very bright
-
Audio quality isn't great

The LG C3 is an excellent TV that has a good claim to be at the top of this list, in fact, but in our opinion the Samsung S90C is the better-value buy if you want a 55- to 77- inch model, thanks to its much brighter screen and superior built-in speakers. However, the LG C3 offers something that nothing else in this list does, which is sizing from 42 inches all the way up to 83 inches – and it does that while offering absolutely top-tier gaming features, and superb image quality overall.

During our testing, we were extremely impressed by the 4K OLED display, which delivers wonderful black levels and range, albeit without getting the extra pop and vibrancy of the S90C. The lack of brightness isn't a problem in controlled lighting, but is an issue in bright rooms – a brighter OLED or a mini-LED TV would be a better choice if you game in a bright room during the day.

For gamers there's so much to love here, including FreeSync, G-Sync and standard VRR right out of the box. With a native 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1, PS5 and Xbox Series X owners can get the maximum resolution and frame rate from their new hardware, including 120Hz Dolby Vision gaming support from the Xbox. Also appreciated is the astoundingly low input lag – it's as good as you can get. And it has four HDMI 2.1 ports on all models, even the smaller ones.

If you're looking for a gaming OLED that's either small or huge, this should be top of your list. In the middle, that's where the Samsung S90C edges this one out.

Read the full LG C3 review

The cheapest gaming OLED TV

LG B2 OLED Netflix app screen

(Image credit: Future)
The lowest-price OLED gaming TV with 120Hz and VRR support

Specifications

Available sizes: 55, 65 and 77-inches
Measured input lag: 9.1ms
Refresh rate: 120Hz
VRR: HDMI forum, FreeSync, G-Sync
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (2)

Reasons to buy

+
Great OLED contrast and response times
+
Full HDMI 2.1 support, plus G-Sync and FreeSync

Reasons to avoid

-
The least-bright OLED here
-
Two HDMI 2.1 ports rather than four

If you want the perfect contrast and rapid response times of OLED, but for a lower price than the LG C3 or Samsung S90C, this is your option. You're getting a lower-brightness screen than either of those, and two HDMI 2.1 ports instead of four – but all the essentials are here.

OLED's famous contrast still looks excellent, and there's support for 4K 120Hz gaming with VRR using the regular HDMI kind (for the PS5 or Xbox), AMD FreeSync (for PCs or Xbox), or Nvidia G-Sync. LG's gaming menu makes it easy to tweak settings as needed to.

Response time is very low at 9.1ms, and it'll auto switch to gaming mode when it detects you've fired up a console.

For movies and TV, it's great there too – it has a less advanced image processor than the C3, but it's still great for a mid-range TV. The audio isn't that impressive, but we can live with that, especially if using a gaming headset.

Read our full LG B2 review

The best OLED gaming TV for brightness

Samsung-S95C TV on stand with gray wall in background

(Image credit: Future)
The best OLED gaming TV for bright rooms

Specifications

Available sizes: 55, 65 and 77-inches
Measured input lag: 9.2ms
Refresh rate: 144Hz
VRR: HDMI forum, FreeSync, G-Sync
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (4)

Reasons to buy

+
Four full-featured HDMI 2.1 ports
+
The best contrast of any TV here

Reasons to avoid

-
No Dolby Vision support
-
Very expensive

Samsung's QD-OLED TV combines the famous self-emissive properties of OLED with the brightness and color range potential of QLED, delivering superb picture quality and exceptional brightness – around 70% brighter than the LG C3, and 20% brighter than the Samsung S90C – with better blacks and contrast than non-OLED displays. In our review, we said that with a bit of tweaking it provides a combination of brightness, black depth, contrast and color that we just haven’t seen before on a home TV. It's something truly special.

There are four HDMI ports that all support 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh rate and automatic low latency mode switching features now available to Xbox Series X, PS5 and PC gamers with the latest premium Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. The built-in sound system is very impressive for such a slim set, with Dolby Atmos and Samsung's Object Tracking tech for positional audio.

There's no Dolby Vision gaming support for the Xbox, but the HDR is so good you probably won't really mind. The only issue is that it's very expensive, which is why we rate the S90C as being more suitable for most people – but if your budget stretches to it, and you want something with the high brightness to break through the light of bright rooms, it's fantastic.

Read the full Samsung S95C review

The best OLED gaming TV for PS5

Sony A80L TV on a table with movie selections on the screen

(Image credit: Future)
A mid-priced 'Perfect for PS5' OLED gaming TV

Specifications

Available sizes: 55, 65, 77, 83-inches
Measured input lag: 16.5ms
Refresh rate: 120Hz
VRR: HDMI forum
HDMI ports (HDMI 2.1): 4 (2)

Reasons to buy

+
Deep blacks and rich, accurate colors
+
Full HDMI 2.1 features, plus PS5 Tone Mapping

Reasons to avoid

-
Not as bright as other high-end TVs
-
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports

This is Sony's mid-range OLED TV, offering a less advanced screen than the likes of the Samsung S95C (or the S90C, actually), but packing in Sony's best image processing and – crucially for us – gaming features.

You've got 4K 120Hz and VRR support over two HDMI 2.1 ports, though the latency of 16.5ms is not the best here by any means. This is part of Sony's Perfect for PS5 TV line-up, which means it includes Auto HDR Tone Mapping support with the console. This means the PS5 adjusts its HDR output to match the exact capabilities of the screen, so you always get the best-looking image.

And it's doesn't rely on its gaming features to get by. We were very impressed with the image quality in our tests, going as far to say in our review: "The Sony A80L might not benefit from next-gen OLED technologies and brightness, but its stellar appreciation for the finer things in AV life means it’s still hard to resist". That includes not just picture quality, but also the sound – Sony's Acoustic Surface tech is very impressive, and means you may be able to avoid getting a soundbar. 

It doesn't go as bright as Samsung S90C, or the mini-LED TVs here, but it does offer an infinite contrast ratio – it's capable of 'true blacks', by which we mean we measured it at 0 nits when it was supposed to show blackness. Absolutely nothing. That's very impressive, and makes it great for atmospheric games or movies in HDR.

If you've got a PS5 in particular and want an OLED that gets that absolute best out of it without paying a super-premium price, this is an excellent choice.

Read the full Sony A80L review

How to choose the best gaming TV

How to choose the best gaming TV

There are a few key things to consider when you're choosing the best gaming TV for you.

Game Mode and low latency: Latency is the time between when an image is sent by the console and when it actually shows up on the screen. Modern TVs do a lot of clever processing to images to make them look better, but this takes time, which means there's a delay between you pressing a button on a controller and seeing the result – that's not ideal in a fast-paced game. All TVs now have a Game Mode, or something with a similar name, which reduces the processing, meaning lower latency.

HDMI 2.1: The latest and greatest HDMI connector tech, which includes support for ALLM, 4K 120Hz, and VRR.

ALLM: Auto Low Latency Mode is a newer feature where consoles can tell the TV to switch into Game Mode automatically – you won't have to set it with a remote.

4K 120Hz: This means a TV can refresh its screen up to 120 times per second, while still displaying at 4K resolution. Cheaper TVs are more likely to refresh at 60 times per second. You may also find some mid-range 4K TVs that refresh at 120Hz, but don't include HDMI 2.1, so they can only show Full HD resolution at 120Hz, or 4K at 60Hz.

VRR: Variable Refresh Rate is a feature that means the TV will synchonize the speed at which is refreshes the screen with whatever the current framerate of your game is. This means games don't have to stay locked to 30, 60 or 120fps to avoid screen tearing, which means they can offering better graphics. There are three types of VRR: HDMI forum; FreeSync and G-Sync.

HDMI forum VRR: This is supported by both the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and is an official part of the HDMI 2.1 spec. Most TVs with HDMI 2.1 support it.

AMD FreeSync: This is supported by the Xbox Series X and AMD graphics cards on PC. It's pretty common to find on TVs, including on some without HDMI 2.1.

Nvidia G-Sync: This is supported by Nvidia graphics cards on PC, but not by consoles. It's pretty rare to find on TVs, too, but it does happen.

Is a TV good for PC gaming?

We've established that gaming TVs are fantastic companions for your games consoles, but what if you play on PC? There's certainly an appeal in playing graphically intensive PC games on a big screen, but how does that play out in practice?

While a gaming TV can certainly substitute for a PC gaming monitor, you'll need to make sure your PC can handle the resolution. 4K screens are naturally more taxing on your PC's resources due to them offering much higher image quality.

If your PC is up to scratch, you'll get a smooth experience at 4K on a bigger screen. If not, you may have to switch your game to a lower resolution like 1440p or 1080p, in which case your gaming TV might not be able to handle the upscaling needed very well. This will result in a blurrier than intended image thanks to the size of the TV compared to a monitor.

It's a double-edged sword, then, and almost entirely dependant on how powerful your PC is. If you've got the high-end parts to make it happen, then PC gaming on a TV can produce wonderful results. If it's not quite there, then you're better off playing on a smaller monitor able to output a sharper, cleaner image.

How much is a gaming TV?

TVs suited for gaming vary wildly in price, depending on a wide number of factors. 4K TVs are incredibly common these days, and can be bought for as little as $300 / £300 / AU$450. Of course, you're getting very basic features with a TV at this price, with a size of around 43 inches, and almost certainly lacking 4K 120Hz support, and variable refresh rates.

But these features can be found on TVs that aren't too expensive, often available for under $800 / £900 / AU$1,200 in smaller sizes. If you want gaming feature for next-gen consoles, you need to assume you'll pay something starting in that region.

Do I need an 8K gaming TV?

The short answer? No.

While 8K games are absolutely on the horizon, and the PS5 / Xbox Series X console come with this capability baked-in, there's no immediate need to get an 8K TV for gaming. Gaming devs are still getting to grips with 4K performance, and in general other picture specifications like a high frame rate (60fps, 120fps) are going to be more important in the coming years.

In 2025, maybe it'll be a different answer, but for now we think the 4K gaming TVs listed above will do you just fine.

How we test the best gaming TVs

Read the specs and marketing claims of TV makers and they often over promise on what the TV can really do. That's why we've extensively tested all of the best gaming TVs in this list to ensure they work well and deliver on their next-gen gaming specs.

What that means is we'll publish the official specs from the TV manufacturer, like the input lag or refresh rates on offer, then tell you ourselves whether the TV lived up to them in practice. 

To do this, we tend to review TVs with a range of different content. Of course, next-gen gaming takes priority in this guide, but we imagine you'll also want to know what movies and TV shows are like to watch as well. 

We use a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Video Signal Lag Tester to test the input lag, and a colorimeter to test the brightness levels and color accuracy. We connect a latest-gen game console to ensure that features such as 4K 120Hz support or Dolby Vision gaming work as advertised.

As well as testing for all of the key specs you need in a gaming TV, like refresh rates and HDMI connections, we're also looking for good picture quality, vibrant colors and viewing angles to suit all kinds of rooms.

Sound is less of a priority with most gaming TVs as you'll get the best experience from gaming headphones or a soundbar, but it's always good to know you'll get a decent built-in experience. Which is why we've also detailed what it was like to listen to these TVs without additional devices, too.

As we've reviewed many TVs over the years – and many of the best gaming TVs – all of our testing isn't done in isolation, but takes into account the performance and specs of every TV that's come before it. 

The latest updates to this best gaming TVs guide

22 August 2023
Added the Samsung S90C as our new number one recommendation, based on our review and discussion of its merits compared to the LG C3. Added the LG C3 as the best option with a broad range of sizes. Replaced the Sony A80K with the newer Sony A80L.

13 July 2023
Checked all products against our latest reviews.