Best gaming TVs 2024: the top sets for your PS5 and Xbox Series X tested

Gaming TVs are an increasingly difficult purchase, even for tech-savvy buyers. This is largely because when the PS5 and Xbox Series X arrived, they brought with them a number of new game-changing features that not all TVs support – not even now we're four years on from launch.

And even if a TV has all of the connectivity and features you need, having tested more sets than we care to count, we can confirm there are still massive performance differences between different models, even in the top end of the market. For example, just because a TV can recognise a Dolby Vision Gaming signal doesn’t mean what comes out on screen will be perfect. 

This is why we’ve created this guide detailing the top gaming TVs we’ve tried and tested. Every set on this list has been checked by our team of experts to make sure it delivers a truly brilliant gaming experience. 

You can get a detailed breakdown detailing how we test gaming TVs at the bottom of this page. The short version is that every set recommended here has been tested for gaming performance, picture and audio quality with a PS5 and Xbox Series X.  

The quick list

Here's a quick breakdown of our picks for the best gaming TVs with a short summary and some of the key features that each offers. Want more details? Click the photo of the TV to drop down to the in-depth entry.  

Written by

Written by

Tom Parsons

I'm What Hi-Fi?'s TV & AV Editor, and I've been an avid gamer since the days of the BBC Micro. Gaming drives many TV technology enhancements and every TV I've ever bought – from a widescreen Sony Trinitron CRT in 2001 to a 32-inch HD-Ready Toshiba flatscreen for the launch of the Xbox 360 and on to my current 4K OLED – has been chosen with gaming in mind. Specs matter for gaming, so I'm looking for a TV that supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, and I also expect very low input lag. Just as important, though, is overall picture quality, which needs to be brilliant but balanced, so that it can do justice to both the punchy, colourful games out there but also those grittier modern blockbusters. TVs that tick all of the boxes are rare, but I consider it my mission (or 'quest', if you prefer) to find them.

The best gaming TV overall

Image 1 of 10

With the LG C4 now available, the C3's time in the sun may be setting, but while the C4 is still at its launch price and the C3 is massively discounted, it's this older model that we recommend.

The C3 isn't a big upgrade on its predecessor (the C2) and it launched at a higher price, resulting in much consternation in the early days. Even so, the 42-inch model, which benefits from a lack of serious competition, immediately became the best gaming TV at its size. Now that it is available with huge price cuts, it's even more of a no-brainer.

Why? Where do we start? Notwithstanding the 144Hz spec that some newer TVs boast but that is irrelevant to console gamers, the C3's gaming specs are flawless, with four HDMI 2.1 ports enabling a full suite of gaming features such as 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. LG's TVs are still unusual in offering Dolby Vision gaming right up to 4K/120Hz, and its HGiG mode is particularly well implemented, making it easy to get better HDR tone mapping in many modern games.

Because it's a smaller set, the pixel density is higher, making graphics sharper and the action that bit crisper. And while it's not as bright as a bigger TV, it's still immensely dynamic, with subtle shading and natural colours. In short, everything looks as it should, which is essential when gaming.

Away from gaming, it's still an excellent TV. The Alpha 9 Gen 6 processor brings plenty of picture improvements, and the webOS 23 operating system has been streamlined to make it easier to use.

The TV sounds a little weedy – as do most TVs this size – and the feet could do with some extension in order to make it easier to accommodate a soundbar (which you should definitely invest in). But for most people, this is the best gaming TV around.

Read the full LG OLED42C3 review

A top tip when buying the C3

A top tip when buying the C3

Alastair Stevenson

When buying a gaming TV the best advice we have is that while some features are more important than others, the main thing you need to remember is that it still needs to deliver good picture and sound quality. If you don’t have these essentials no amount of flashy high refresh rates, HDR support or clever gaming menus will make up for the fundamentally flawed experience you’ll have. Thankfully the LG C3 largely delivers that in spades when it comes to picture quality and value for money. Our only big gripe is its weak audio, which is why we recommend investing in a separate soundbar alongside it, such as the Sonos Beam (Gen 2).

Best large gaming TV

Image 1 of 8

The 65-inch take on LG's C3 only earned four stars, but that was for a very good reason: it wasn't a big improvement on the C2. This allowed rivals such as the Sony A80L to gain ground. However, if it's gaming we're talking about, LG's effort is the better bet.

That's because, like the 42-inch model above, it has four HDMI 2.1 ports, which means you can plug in multiple gaming consoles at once while still keeping one socket for connecting a soundbar via eARC. Also like the 42-incher, it supports all the usual gaming features these ports allow (4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM) along with rarer standards including HGiG and Dolby Vision gaming (which the Sony doesn't support).

The other reason for its four-star review? Its high launch price. But that's since come down significantly. Even the fact that it's similar to the C2 it replaced isn't a huge issue, seeing as the C2 was a multi-Award winner when it launched.

The C3 retains the elegant design of the C2 but adds a new processor for even better visuals and more advanced audio upmixing. The webOS 23 operating system is simpler than last year's version too, and easier to navigate, and it brings a more sophisticated Game Optimiser menu complete with a dedicated sound sub-menu. 

Picture quality is refined, subtle and plenty detailed, and that goes for games as well as movies and TV shows. Some highlights are a little brighter than the C2's, and there's a healthy amount of shadow detail throughout. The sound is still a poor relation to the picture, but that's easily fixed with a decent soundbar.

Of course, the C4 is now available, and that's a serious step up in performance terms. However, it's new-ness means it's currently comparatively very expensive, which is why this C3 is our preferred option – for now.

Read the full LG OLED65C3 review

Best cheap gaming TV US

Image 1 of 5

The 65-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is the best cheap gaming TV we've tested that's currently available in the US, where the TCL below is unfortunately not available. Though it's missing the ability to play games in 4K/120Hz, considering the amount of screen real estate and its otherwise competitive feature set it's still a strong value option for any PS5 or Xbox Series X/S owner.

For gamers, outside of its price, the big selling point of the Omni QLED is its support for ALLM and VRR, and its dedicated Dolby Vision game mode. ALLM aside, these aren't features we see at this price very often. The 11ms of input lag that we measured also makes it incredibly responsive compared to many of the other sets that we've tested at this level.

If that isn't enough to tempt you, it also offers generally decent picture quality considering its price. Whether it was Rogue One in Dolby Vision or Blade Runner 2049 in HDR10, the TV offered best-in-class performance for its price. This is why our testers concluded:

"It’s telling that members of our test team, who are spoiled on a daily basis by the latest OLED TVs, agreed that they would be happy to have the Omni QLED at home. There aren’t many TVs at this price that they would say that about".

Best cheap gaming TV UK

Image 1 of 12

At this price, even a modestly-specced 65-inch TV would look pretty attractive, but this one is that and then some. In fact, it has most of the gaming features you could ask for, making it very attractive to anyone looking to get their gaming kicks on a big screen that costs less.

It's a bit chunkier than a lot of TVs at this size, and not evenly thick throughout, so it's not the neatest proposition if wall-mounting. But the bulk houses plenty of features, including plenty for gamers. Those features include two HDMI 2.1 sockets (out of four total HDMIs) capable of handling 4K games at 120Hz, and a Game Master Pro 2.0 system with support for VRR in the AMD FreeSync and ‘basic’ HDMI flavours and ALLM switching so the TV will always turn to its fast-response Game mode when a game source is detected.

There's even a dedicated gaming menu, with helpful signal information and game-specific features such as an Aiming Aid, multiple game picture presets, and the facility to adjust the brightness of dark parts of the picture without overcooking the brightness elsewhere.

And when it comes time for telly? You'll be equally well served, with support for all the main HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Google TV handles the software side of things, and TCL will even gift UK customers who are missing some catch-up services a free Roku streaming stick to fill the gaps.

Add bright pictures, excellent black levels for the price and a high level of sharpness and clarity and you've got yourself a bargain TV that can mix it with the big boys.

Read the full TCL 65C845K review

Best premium gaming TV

Image 1 of 9

Like its C3 sibling, the G3 is on its way out. Its replacement, the LG G4, is now in shops. However, the G4 is commanding a predictably high price at this stage, which means this G3 is still currently the premium gaming TV that we recommend. Ultimately, this is a TV with the same incredible gaming specs of the C3, but with an even better screen.

That better screen has Micro Lens Array (MLA) tech to boost brightness, which has long been considered the chink in OLED's armour. And it works. Highlights are noticeably brighter than the G2 that came before it, making the overall picture more vibrant and immersive. This extra brightness helps the contrast, making the darker parts of the picture look even more pitch black, but with more dark detail visible within.

This will benefit gamers as well as cinephiles, of course. Gamers can also enjoy all of the same gaming features as on the C3, including four HDMI 2.1 ports capable of handling 4K/120Hz, ALLM and VRR, as well as Dolby Vision gaming up to 4K/120Hz and HGiG for more accurate HDR tone mapping. You also get the same Game Optimiser menu with the Boost mode to reduce input lag to under 10ms.

The G3 does carry a premium over the C3, so you'll have to weigh up how much you'll value the extra brightness. But if money is no object, this is the best premium gaming TV going.

Read the full LG OLED65G3 review

Best 2024 gaming TV

Image 1 of 5

We’re all about performance-per-pound (or bang-for-buck, if you prefer), which is why we pretty much always recommend buying a gaming TV that has been out a while and seen some heavy discounting over one that has just launched. There are many people, though, who would prefer one of the very latest sets and who don’t mind paying a premium to get it. If that’s you, the new LG C4 is the model we recommend.

This isn’t a money-no-object recommendation – the LG C4 is actually really good value for a brand new set – but it commands a hefty premium over the outgoing C3. That premium is to a degree justified by an upgraded performance, but knowing that the C4 will receive its own big discounts in the coming months makes its a qualified recommendation at this stage in its life.

Got the context? Great – on with the review.

Like the C3, the C4 boasts four HDMI 2.1 sockets, each of which can handle those lovely 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM gaming features. Unlike the C3, the C4 can actually support 4K right up to 144Hz – that’s only currently of benefit to PC gamers with super-serious rigs, but it’s a nice benefit to have.

As with other LG sets, the C4 supports Dolby Vision gaming (right up to that 120/144Hz limit), and the HGiG setting makes it really easy to get accurate and awesome HDR from the latest games.

What sets the C4 apart from the C3 is the increased punch and crispness to its delivery. The underlying specs have changed very little – there’s no MLA upgrade here, most importantly – yet LG has managed to squeeze more brightness out of the existing tech and increased sharpness without adding unrealism.

These picture traits are great for movies, of course, but they’re even more valuable for games, where the increased brightness and sharpness really make next-gen titles pop – and without harming the hyper-realism of grittier titles such as The Last of Us Part II.

Sound has been significantly improved, too, with the dull-as-dishwater delivery of the C3 having been replaced by a far more peppy and engaging presentation that still does a surprisingly effective job of spreading sound out to the sides and above the TV. That said, this is still only decent sound by mid-range TV standards, and even an entry-level soundbar will sound much better. We heartily recommend that you budget for one if you possibly can.

All told, this is the new benchmark for mid-range OLEDs and the best gaming TV you can but if you must have a new one. In time, once the price comes down, it may well replace the C3 at the top of this list.

Read the full LG C4 review

Best Sony gaming TV

Image 1 of 7

Surprised? You shouldn't be. True, the A80L only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, and ok, it doesn't support Dolby Vision gaming or HGiG, but it is certified as 'Perfect for PlayStation', which means it can calibrate itself to the best settings for your PS5. That applies whether you're gaming or watching a film on the console (though in our experience this isn't 100 per cent accurate, so it's always worth checking these settings yourself).

Still, it's a nice extra. And seeing as the PS5 doesn't support Dolby Vision gaming, PlayStation gamers really won't be missing out with this TV.

Those two HDMIs can handle the usual 4K120Hz, VRR and ALLM standards, so gamers are well catered for. And in terms of picture quality, this TV takes some beating.

It effortlessly combines the spectacular and the subtle, creating an image that's more than the sum of its parts. There's real solidity to the picture, giving it a greater sense of depth and making it look more realistic. Sony's TVs have consistently tested best for motion processing, so fast-moving games pose the A80L no problems. Detail is also outstanding, with clothing textures, skin imperfections and complex patterns all rendered crisply but without artificial definition.

The A80L is soon to be replaced by the Bravia 8, but that model will be expensive at launch and hasn't yet been subjected to a What Hi-Fi? review. So, for now, the A80L is still the TV we recommend to gamers who simply must have a Sony.

Read the full Sony XR-55A80L review

Best non-OLED gaming TV

Image 1 of 6

While we don't think OLED burn-in should be a deciding factor when choosing a new TV, we understand how even the tiniest possibility could put some people off. If that's you, you could opt for Samsung's flagship QLED from last year, the QN95C, which is impervious to the phenomenon and is both excellent and, now, superb value.

But that's not the only thing it has going for it – it's also an ace at games, thanks to four HDMI sockets all supporting 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. That means you can plug in a PS5, Xbox Series X and a soundbar (via eARC) and still have a fully featured HDMI port left to play with.

Its performance is ideally suited to games, too, with an ultra-bright picture that's super vibrant and sharp. Not only will that make games look their best, but the greater clarity will help you spot enemies first, potentially giving you a slight competitive advantage.

A dedicated Game Bar menu screen gives you fast access to a few other gaming-specific features, too. You can, for instance, trade a little response speed for enhanced visuals if you’re playing something such as an RPG that isn’t dependent on super-fast reaction times.

You can also raise the brightness floor of dark parts of a game’s graphics to make it easier to see hidden enemies or traps; you can magnify and even share a game’s minimap if it has one; and you can call up a virtual aiming point in the centre of the screen.

What else do you need to know? It's a looker, with thin bezels and a very slim profile, and it has an input lag of just 9.8ms. Did we mention it's the best non-OLED gaming TV around?

You could of course opt for the replacement model – the QN95D – but that set is currently very expensive so we recommend picking up this discounted outgoing model instead.

Read the full Samsung QE65QN95C review

Also consider

LG G4
As the C4 is to the C3, the G4 is a more substantial upgrade on the G3 than it seems on paper. The second-generation MLA panel makes for a vastly brighter picture but with the perfect blacks and balanced colours we’ve come to expect from LG’s OLEDs. The gaming specs are flawless, as ever, and you can even now get the 55- and 65-inch versions with a bundled pedestal stand. Only the high launch price holds it back from a place in the main list.

Samsung S95D
Samsung’s third-generation QD-OLED TV is capable of going even brighter and more vibrant than its predecessor, but the brand has also employed an extra degree of restraint in the tuning, which makes for a more authentic performance all-round. It’s a punchy delight with games, and all four HDMI sockets support 4K/120Hz (and 144Hz), VRR and ALLM. There’s no Dolby Vision, though, which might be a concern for Xbox gamers.

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED (50-inch)
If you’re on a very strict budget that can’t stretch into Mini LED territory then the 50-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED is worth considering. Though its refresh caps at 60Hz, the inclusion of VRR support is atypical on a TV at this price. During our tests, though not perfect, this makes it the best gaming TV at this sort of level.

TCL 745K
The TCL 745K is a great value TV let down by one fatal flaw – for slightly more you can get the TCL845K, which offers a substantial performance boost based on our checks. But if you really can’t afford to pay any more it is still a good alternative.

Philips OLED908
If you’re after next-generation, brightness-boosting MLA tech on your gaming TV but don’t fancy the LG G3, we’d recommend considering the Philips 908. Though it only has two HDMI 2.1 sockets, during our checks we found it sounds significantly better and offers excellent picture quality.

What to look for in a new gaming TV

The most crucial factors at play are which console you play games on and to what extent you want to take advantage of its most advanced features.

(If you're unsure what the acronyms below mean, click the links or scroll to the bottom of the page for more information)

How we test

How we test gaming TVs

To put it plainly, manufacturers aren't always as honest or forthcoming about gaming specs as they might be, so we ensure that we test every TV to find out whether it supports the next-gen specs we're looking for and whether it does so properly and effectively. We also measure input lag ourselves and don't simply reprint the figure given by the manufacturer.

But specs only tell half the story, so we also test each TV's real-life performance with a number of games from a number of genres, on both the Xbox Series X and the PS5. Here, we're not only making sure that the TV lives up to its spec sheet, but also that it delivers the core picture quality we're looking for, from sharpness to responsiveness, contrast to colour vibrancy.

We're also testing the sound here: while most gamers will (and should) connect their TV to a dedicated sound system (such as a soundbar) or their console to a gaming headset, there are those who will rely on the in-built speakers, so we need to ensure those deliver a clear, spacious and engaging sound.

All of our testing is comparative, so every gaming TV is compared side-by-side with the best gaming TV at its size and price, and every test we conduct is collaborative, so no one member of the What Hi-Fi? team rates a product in isolation. The end result is a completely unbiased, exhaustively thorough review.

How to choose the best gaming TV

Important gaming TV features to look out for

Broadly speaking, a TV that's great for TV and movies should also be great for games but, if you're looking for the very best TV for gaming, there are a few gaming-specific features to look out for, particularly if you've got or are planning to get a PS5 or Xbox Series X.

The big one is input lag, which tells you how long your gamepad button presses will take to appear as on-screen actions. Lower is better, but anything below 40ms will be imperceptible to almost all gamers, and 20ms or less is lightning-fast.

There are now a number of next-gen gaming features to look out for, too – Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and 4K/120Hz are all part of the HDMI 2.1 spec but, somewhat confusingly, aren't all necessarily supported by a TV even if it has HDMI 2.1 sockets. There are also plenty of TVs that will support some of these features even though their HDMIs are certified as 2.0. In short, you need to check which specific next-gen gaming features are supported by the particular TV in question.

VRR matches the TV's refresh rate to the frame rate being output by the console in real-time, resulting in a smoother, faster gaming experience. The Xbox Series X, Series S, One X and One S (and certain PCs) can all output VRR, and it's even now supported by the PS5 thanks to an April 2022 software update.

ALLM is simpler: it just means that your TV will automatically switch to its 'game mode' to reduce input lag when it senses a game signal from your games console. It's also intelligent enough to switch game mode off again if you play a movie or TV show via your console, using the Netflix app, for example. This is a feature of both the Xbox Series X and the PS5.

4K/120Hz has suddenly become a big deal, too, as both the PS5 and Xbox Series X support it. Put simply, this allows a TV to handle 4K games at frame rates of up to 120fps. This feature is becoming more common.

Microsoft has recently upped the ante further by introducing Dolby Vision gaming, right up to 4K/120Hz. Most TVs that support Dolby Vision for movies and TV shows should support gaming in Dolby Vision, but very few will do so at 4K/120Hz and some (including Sony) lack a dedicated Dolby Vision Game mode, and that can have a big impact on input lag. With those TVs you're best off sticking with standard HDR rather than the more advanced Dolby Vision format.

On the subject of HDR, it's also now worth looking out for HGiG. Rather than a fixed standard or certification, HGiG (which stands for HDR Gaming Interest Group) is a consortium of companies that have come together in order to create guidelines and best practices for the implementation of HDR in gaming. Console-makers Microsoft and Sony instigated the creation of HGiG, and members include TV manufacturers such as LG, Samsung and Panasonic, and game developers and publishers such as Activision, EA, Rockstar and Ubisoft.

Put simply, the aim of HGiG is that each game is tailored to the specific capabilities of your TV without the need for endless calibration screens. Samsung, LG and Philips have added HGiG settings to their top sets, and they generally result in a more accurate HDR picture with deeper blacks and more detailed highlights.

General qualities that translate well for gaming

Those specific gaming features are all well and good, but focusing on specs alone really isn't wise: your new TV also needs a broad range of core skills. For example, it needs to have the punch and vibrancy to do justice to brighter, flashier games such as Astro's Playroom, but also a natural balance that doesn't oversaturate tonally subtler blockbusters such as Elden Ring.

Black depth is important for delivering drama, too, but you want to be able to see plenty of detail in shadows, so avoid a TV with a reputation for crushing dark detail and be sure to tweak the brightness/gamma setting for your game – most titles have a specific option for this.

HDR is a must, of course, as the PS4, PS5, Xbox One X, One S, Series S and Series X all output HDR, and you might want to look for one that supports Dolby Vision gaming as well as standard HDR10 if you're an Xbox Series X owner. More obviously, it would be a mistake not to get a 4K screen, even if you don't yet have a 4K console. The good news is that it's now pretty hard to buy a TV that doesn't have 4K and at least HDR10.

8K vs 4K/120Hz

But what about 8K? Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X can handle 8K in theory, but neither has the feature enabled at this point.

It seems that the focus is on higher frame rates in the short term, with higher resolutions potentially coming later. Even then, native 8K gaming seems unlikely. It's broadly agreed that neither console has the processing power to run blockbuster games at that resolution. We might, though, see games appear that dynamically scale at resolutions above 4K before being output as an 8K signal, much as the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X invariably handled 4K on games (truly native 4K games were very rare until this new console generation, and one might argue that they're still a myth).

In other words, while 8K should perhaps be at the back of your mind, it's certainly not essential that you buy an 8K TV right now. Such sets will likely be much, much more affordable by the time 8K gaming becomes a serious concern – assuming it ever does.

Recent updates

• 25th June 2024: Added the LG C4 as 'best 2024 gaming TV' and the LG G4 and Samsung S95D as 'also considers'.
• 13th March 2024: Updated to feature Also Consider, FAQ sections and updated entries referencing new reviews. 

Gaming TV FAQ

• Looking for more of an all-rounder? These are the best TVs currently available
• Here are the best cheap TVs for those on a tight budget
• If you're still torn on which console to buy, check out our PS5 vs Xbox Series X shootout