The best 4K OLED TVs for gaming or, more simply, the best TVs for gaming. Admit it: in this period that has seen the arrival of new consoles and high-performance NVIDIA cards, you are used to typing phrases of this type on the main browsers, because you are planning to change your TV in order to make the most of the new hardware. Making this choice, however, is never easy, and in recent months with some dedicated guides we have done everything possible to direct you to the right product, the most suitable for your needs. Having said that, let's see which are the best 4K OLED TVs to play, so ready for the new consoles and the most performing gaming computers. If you are not interested in OLED technology, the suggestion is to consult this article, in which you can find other televisions suitable for next generation gaming.
We have reiterated it several times in our guides dedicated to the best Gaming TVs, and here too we can only repeat ourselves: to date , budget permitting, the best solution for gaming is LG C1, an OLED panel completely dedicated to HDMI 2.1 functionality and also recommended for watching movies and TV series.
Let's start by telling you that you can find it in various sizes, from 48 ", the smallest, up to 83" (obviously the price varies depending on the size). As for the features, however, we have 40 Gbps of available bandwidth, not 48 as one might expect. However, this is not a problem at all, since Xbox Series X can manage a maximum of 40 Gbps, therefore perfectly in line with LG CX; while PlayStation 5 is limited to just 32 Gbps. In any case, for both sides, the bandwidth will be more than enough to handle RGB, 4K, HDR signals. A slightly different speech for 4K at 120Hz, which forces PlayStation 5 to lower the color format to YUV 422, unlike what happens with the Microsoft flagship console.
Band apart, the panel supports VRR, eliminating all forms of tearing and managing variable frame rates in the best possible way, and ALLM, i.e. the automatic switch to game mode, so as to minimize response time, which we report to be less than 10ms.
»See LG C1 on Amazon
Sony A90J
Very first OLED at Sony to support 120Hz and all the features related to HDMI 2.1 , this TV will certainly be for you in case you are looking for a very high-end OLED.
We would like to point out the presence of many HDR formats and a very high peak of brightness for an OLED, which makes this model is one of the brightest and most effective as regards the rendering of HDR images. The only drawback, which unfortunately also afflicts the company's LED TVs, such as the XH90, is the fact that it is not possible to view Dolby Vision and 4K 120Hz sources at the same time, since the TV has two distinct HDMI formats, which you will have to change continuously in the if you connect this panel to Xbox Series X, just to give an example, since it is the only console with full Dolby support, unlike PlayStation 5.
»See Sony A90J on MediaWorld
»See Sony A90J on eBay
Sony A80J
All Sony 2021 TVs, the XR series to be clear, benefit from an almost complete optimization with PlayStation 5. Basically, once connected to the TV, the console will automatically optimize all the settings related to gaming and calibrate the HDR for you by performing a calibration from the system settings. In short, maximum yield and zero stress with video settings.
In addition to this, we remind you that we are talking about an OLED model, therefore characterized by a premium and ultra-thin design and by a substantially infinite contrast, capable of give breathtaking views with the best video games on the market. In addition, even in this case, 4K at 120Hz, as well as full support for HDMI 2.1 features, namely VRR and ALLM. It lacks the Free-Sync and G-Sync standards, and a dolby vision mode built around gaming, but being a TV primarily tailored to PlayStation 5 specs, you won't miss it.
»See Sony A80J on MediaWorld
Philips 806
Even Philips is able to have its say in the world of OLED TVs, and proves it with the excellent 806, a 4K HDR model that, despite giving up features such as ALLM or VRR, it certainly doesn't get scolded about picture quality. In addition, it is equipped with a 120Hz panel, really good for new consoles.
Also in this case the available sizes are different, even if, at least for the moment, the 65 ″ one is the most popular. We also report support for the most common HDR standards, from HDR 10 which is most popular for video games to Dolby Vision, ideal for TV Series and Movies. The design is also very nice, just like the ambient light technology, which makes the images even brighter.
»View Philips 806 on MediaWorld
» View Philips 806 on eBay
Panasonic TX-48
Generic photos Finally, we close with Panasonic, in particular with the 48 ″ TX model, a very competitive diagonal which could attract many gamers, especially PCs and with a typical desktop setup . If you are a solid connoisseur of the most popular TV brands, you will surely have heard of Panasonic, an absolute guarantee regarding color fidelity, factory calibration and watching movies and TV series, for some time now also in the world of gaming, as this model demonstrates. The television in question, in fact, is an HDMI 2.1 model, that is to say ready for the current consoles, since it comes with the most important features among which a 120Hz panel stands out, fast and perfect for gamers.
The most important HDR standards are not lacking either, and even the audio, although not perfect, is able to have its say, with clear and crystal clear sounds. In short, a model to take into consideration.
»View Panasonic TX-48 on Unieuro
» View Panasonic TX-48 on eBay
4K OLED TV for gaming: the most important features
The traditional setup for the vast majority of console gamers, the most common and popular. Sofa-TV has always been a winning combination, even for the current Xbox Series and PlayStation 5, which indeed find excellent partners in the latest generation TVs. Between HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM and 120Hz specifications, the major TV manufacturers are doing everything possible to satisfy the wishes of the players, as demonstrated by all the models we have selected in this guide. Let's find out all these features in detail!
HDMI 2.0 or 2.1?
Since the consoles fully support the new HDMI 2.1 formats, our advice is to focus on televisions with this feature, unless you necessarily have to compromise due to the budget. HDMI 2.1, in fact, allows you to enjoy 4K images at 120Hz and with chroma 444, which is the best of the best in terms of color rendering and image fluidity. There are also other features such as ALLM and VRR, which drastically reduce input lag and screen tearing. The first allows the TV to automatically launch the game mode when necessary, so as to satisfy even the laziest users, those who, having removed the package, do nothing but connect it to the power socket, without worrying about the various video settings. The second, however, the VRR, is a very useful technology for all those titles that do not have a stable frame rate. Basically, what happens is a synchronization between refresh rate and frame rate in-game, so as to avoid artifacts such as tearing, or drastic drops in the frame rate.
Input lag and HDR
Once you have decided on the HDMI format, it's time to choose a panel that also has a low input lag (fortunately, today, a lot reduced even on TV) and that supports the most common HDR formats. The most popular in the gaming field is HDR10; in the background, but it is entirely in the experimental phase and exclusively concerns the Xbox, Dolby Vision. The latter is very rare to find, especially associated with gaming. Sony TVs, for example, fully support it, but only as regards watching movies and TV series; To date, the only TV manufacturer truly ready for Dolby Vision gaming is LG, which has developed a game mode that even supports VRR and Free-Sync at the same time, truly the best of the best. >
HGiG, what is it and why is it important?
Well make a clarification: to date the HDR experience in gaming is a bit dirty, in the sense that there is not a good collaboration between screen, console and software. That is why, for some years now, HGiG has been launched, born from the union of all the best-known TV producers to solve these problems. Only in this way, in fact, will you get excellent communication between devices, and it will not be necessary to manually calibrate HDR on every single video game. However, these conditions must be respected on both sides: for this to really happen, not only the TV must support HGiG, but also the games must be designed by the developers to accompany this standard. To date, not many video games are supported, exactly like TVs, among which the presence of LG stands out, once again impeccable in the gaming field.
Audio and minimal design
Lo we know: focusing on audio may also seem silly, given the increasingly widespread habit of combining a good audio system with your television. However, if you really don't feel like spending more money on a good soundbar, we recommend that you consider Sony TVs, which have always been characterized by a respectable acoustic performance, including all the most common formats, starting from DD and Dolby Atmos. . As for the design, however, the goal is to focus on a super minimal design, so as to camouflage everything and give ample prominence to your PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Why one OLED screen is the ideal choice?
The excellence in the television field, to date, is represented by OLEDs, a type of panel that manages to independently manage each pixel and reaches a level in the rendering of blacks simply incomparable to others technologies (including LEDs with support for local-dimming and mini-LEDs). These models are mostly widespread in the cinema field, therefore suggested for films and TV series, but in the last period they have also taken hold in the gaming field, even if due to a known problem called burn-in, some are quite alarmed and prefer to opt for an LED or QLED (our guide here). Once this fear has been overcome, however, which can be curbed by doing a periodic refresh of the pixels and activating the inactivity settings to send the screen off when you do not type any input, it will be difficult to go back: once you find yourself in front of such detailed and deep images, you will be sure that you have made the right choice.
