It’s never been a better time to buy a 4K HDR TV for gaming, as new graphics cards, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are all slowing becoming available at retail and truly next-generation games are starting to arrive. The debut of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X coincides with an exciting time in the TV space too, with 4K HDR becoming standard on even the cheapest sets and new technologies like 120Hz refresh rates, adaptive sync and auto low latency modes boosting responsiveness for games. What follows are our recommendations for the best gaming TVs in 2021.
When considering a 4K TV for HDR gaming, one of the most important metrics is input latency, which measures how long it takes for your buttons presses to translate into in-game actions. The best 4K HDR TVs offer input latency of around 12ms or less, average models around 20ms, and slower screens react in 30ms or more; generally a difference of about 15ms between two screens is noticeable. However, you’ll only accomplish these speeds by engaging gaming modes, which go by different names on different televisions. Auto low latency mode, which we mentioned earlier, automatically activates this mode when it’s needed.
As well as input latency, we’ll also be looking at how these televisions handle motion, their peak brightness figures, which HDR formats they support and the strength of their built-in smart TV interface. Of course, price is a prime consideration as well. Right now, more expensive OLED sets start at around $1600/£1300 for a 55-inch display while LCD models at the same size can cost less than half of that amount. There are also even cheaper options that provide relatively poor HDR but still deliver a lot of screen for the money.
