We buy our own products and put them under the same testing methodology so that you can easily compare them. Unlike most websites, we do not get our products directly from the manufacturers, which means our units aren’t handpicked and actually represent what you would buy yourself. We spend a lot of time comparing the products side-by-side to validate our results and we keep them until they are discontinued so we can continually go back and make sure our reviews are always accurate.
Console gaming has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, and improvements in TV technology has been a driving force behind it. With 4K HDR TVs gaining popularity, most major console makers have broken the standard release cycle to release updated consoles that support the latest technologies. TV manufacturers have been listening, and newer TVs have lower input lag and other features specifically targeting gamers, including game motion interpolation and variable refresh rate technologies.
We’ve tested 46 TVs in 2018 and 2019, and here are our recommendations for the best ones for gaming.
LG B8: A premium OLED TV with excellent picture quality
Type: OLED
Sizes: 55”, 65”
The best gaming TV that we’ve tested so far is the LG OLED B8. It has an excellent picture quality and an outstanding dark room performance, thanks to its emissive technology that allows it to display perfect blacks. This TV is very responsive due to the excellent low input lag, which is essential for an excellent gaming experience. The TV has wide viewing angles, and the image remains accurate when viewed from the side; this is great for gaming with a group of friends.
This TV has an almost instantaneous response time, so fast-moving content is crisp with only minimal blur trail. Although this is great for high frame rate content like games, it might create a noticeable stutter in lower frame rate content like movies. If you find this bothersome, the TVs motion interpolation feature can help. Unfortunately, OLED TVs can experience temporary image retention or even permanent burn-in when displaying static content. We don’t expect most people that watch normal varied content to experience this.
Overall, the LG B8 has an excellent picture quality and a remarkable gaming performance. Other OLED TVs from LG, including the C8 and E8, perform very similarly.
Vizio P Series Quantum: The best LED gaming TV
Type: LED
Sizes: 65”
If your TV room is very bright or you are concerned about the possibility of burn-in, then check out the Vizio P Series Quantum. The Vizio PQ65-F1 is the best LED gaming TV out of the ones we’ve reviewed so far. It is among the brightest TVs in the market and is a good fit for bright rooms as it can easily overcome glare. At the same time, it has a remarkable dark room performance.
This TV also performs remarkably well for gaming. It has an excellent low input lag and responds immediately to your actions. Fast-moving content has only little blur thanks to the incredibly fast response time. Unfortunately, the Vizio doesn’t support any advanced gaming features like FreeSync and, just like most VA panel TVs, it has narrow viewing angles, so you’ll have to sit straight in front to get the most accurate picture.
The Vizio P Series Quantum is available only in 65” and, like all Vizios, it has only a small number of smart apps. Overall, however, it is an excellent TV that will please gamers and anyone else who buys it.
Vizio P Series 2018: The best mid-range gaming TV
Type: LED
Sizes: 55”, 65”, 75”
If you find the Vizio P Series Quantum expensive or want a great gaming TV that is available in other sizes as well, then get the Vizio P Series 2018, the best mid-range gaming TV we’ve tested so far. This TV cannot get as bright as the P Series Quantum, but can deliver a remarkable gaming experience nonetheless.
It has great picture quality with excellent dark room performance. Fast-moving content has minimal motion blur thanks to the fast response time, and the TV has a very low input lag that makes it very responsive; this is great for gamers. It cannot handle reflections as well as the P Series Quantum, but can get bright enough to overcome glare in almost any room.
The Vizio P Series 2018 has an excellent 120Hz refresh rate that will please Xbox One gamers, but unfortunately, just like most VA panel TVs, it has bad viewing angles. Overall, however, this is a great TV which will satisfy even serious gamers with its performance.
Samsung NU8000: A great mid-range TV with advanced gaming features
Type: LED
Sizes: 49”, 55”, 65”, 75”, 82”
The Samsung NU8000 is a great mid-range gaming TV with more advanced gaming features than the Vizio P Series 2018. This TV has a good picture quality with a very low input lag and an extremely fast response time. Its dark room performance, however, is not as good as the Vizio P Series due to its bad local dimming feature that can’t be turned off.
This TV has a few nice gaming features. When connected to compatible devices like the Xbox One, the TV can detect when you are playing a game and automatically switches to ‘Game’ mode so that you have the best possible gaming experience. In ‘Game’ mode it is very responsive thanks to the low input lag, even with motion interpolation enabled, and supports FreeSync variable refresh rate for tear-free gaming.
Unfortunately, it has bad viewing angles, and you must sit straight in front of this TV to get the most accurate image. Overall, however, it is an excellent gaming TV that performs very well in most other uses, too.
TCL 6 Series (R617/R615/R613): The best budget gaming TV
Type: LED
Sizes: 55”, 65”, 75”
The best budget gaming TV we’ve tested is the TCL 6 Series. It has a very good picture quality with deep blacks and great dark room performance. It can get very bright, suitable for most bright rooms, and has a wide color gamut, which is great for HDR gaming.
The TCL R617 has a very fast response time, and when you play games with fast-moving content, you only see very little motion blur trail. The input lag is remarkably low, and you won’t have any disadvantage when you play games that require quick action.
This TV has poor viewing angles, and it’s not a good choice if you’re watching from the side. It runs the great Roku TV smart platform, which gives you access to tons of apps and streaming channels. Overall, it is an excellent gaming TV that will keep most people happy at a budget price.
