The Best Gaming TVs (2019 Update)
Game on.
Next to your game console, your television is the most critical part of any gaming setup. No matter how much power your console brings or how revolutionary your newest game is, you'll experience it through your TV. If you're a gamer who's thinking of upgrading your current television, you'll probably want to know what TV is the right one for you. Below, we have you covered across a variety of price points. Whether you play games on an Xbox One, PS4, or Nintendo Switch, you'll want to take a look at the best gaming TVs of 2018.
Considerations
No matter what TV you decide to purchase, you'll want to take a few key features into consideration.
4K: Assuming you plan to keep your television around for the better part of the next decade, you'll want to future-proof your set as much as you can. And with the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X on the market--and next-gen consoles not too far out--4K is clearly the default resolution going forward. They cost a bit more than less pixel-dense displays, but prices have come down a lot in recent years.
HDR: Most newer TVs support HDR, or high dynamic range. This basically means that the television can display an exceptionally high contrast ratio--meaning brighter brights--and a wider range of colors. Not all HDR televisions are created equal, though, so you have to be careful when buying. However, when it's done right, it makes the image practically burst off the screen.
Input lag: When it comes to gaming, one of the most important specs a TV can have is low input lag. Input lag is the amount of time it takes the TV to display new information from a source. When playing a game, that's the time between you pressing a button on the controller and the result occurring onscreen. Unfortunately, input lag isn't something TV manufacturers put on their spec sheets. To get that information, you need to visit a site like RTings that performs in-depth tests. We've taken input lag into consideration in the selections below.
Best Gaming TV
For those with deep enough pockets to drop a couple grand on a television, you can't go wrong with an LG OLED B8. Our sister site CNET says that its image quality is nearly identical to that of 2019 models that are hundreds of dollars more expensive, with exceptional brightness and a spectacular color range. It also has low input lag for precision gaming.
Beyond its exceptional functionality, it features a thoughtfully minimalist design. With only a thin black border lining the screen and no logo visible on its front, everything but the display melts away when you turn it on.
Best Gaming TV Under $1,000
TVs that cost between $700 and $1,000 fall in the happy medium between budget sets and high-end technological beasts. They don't reach the heights of picture quality you'll find in models that cost twice as much or more, but you can definitely see the improvement when compared with cheaper TVs.
Our pick for this category is the TCL 6 series, which presents terrific image quality, with bright brights, deep blacks, and excellent colors. According to CNET, it's still the best value by far in 2019, with the best picture in its class and it can nearly hold its own against TVs in the $2,000 range.
Best Budget 4K Gaming TV
For an even cheaper option, try the TCL 4 series. These are still 4K HDR televisions, but they come in wider range of sizes, including smaller models with scaled-down pricing that starts at under $300. As expected, the image quality is lower than you'll find in the pricier TVs above, but the input lag is nice and low, and it beats out other televisions in this price range. Read CNET's TCL 4 review for more information.
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