Best TV for gaming in 2023: TVs for PS5, Xbox Series X, PCs and more

TVs are a lot like game consoles: Every few years, they get a major overhaul. Just as you've moved on from the Xbox One and PS4 to the Xbox Series X and PS5, TVs made six or seven years ago pale in comparison to the ones made now. 

So what's changed? For one, panel technology. LED-LCD TVs used to be all the rage a few years ago, but now it's all about OLED and an even newer technology called QD-OLED that combines an OLED panel with a quantum dot film. Newer gaming-focused TVs offer lower latency, a higher native refresh rate of 120Hz and crisp 4K resolution. They come with features like variable refresh rate (VRR) and support for Dolby Vision HDR. In short, they're going to make the games you play look their absolute best. 

When we're evaluating the best gaming TVs, we look for TVs that come with HDR support, 4K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, at least two HDMI 2.1 ports, Wide Color Gamut and VRR. We also try and stick to name-brand manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, TCL and Vizio, rather than companies that crop up overnight.

Why trust us? We put this list together after well-over 100 hours of lab testing and eyes-on viewing with the TVs you see below. On top of that, we test dozens more TVs each year and have been at this for over a decade. To help you find the best gaming TV fast, we've put together a mix of value options and some premium models, all of which we can highly recommend to you. 

Written by

Written by

Nick Pino

My name's Nick and I look after our guides to the best TVs, best OLED TVs and best 4K TVs. Most of my day is spent watching and evaluating new screens from LG, Samsung, Sony, Hisense, TCL and Vizio. I have 10 years of experience in AV, and before I joined Tom's Guide I was formerly the Senior Editor, TV and AV at TechRadar. I love helping people find the perfect TV, so please feel free to reach out over email or tag me on Twitter and I can help you out.

The quick list

Here's a quick overview of the best gaming TVs you can buy right now based on our testing and reviews. And keep up on scrolling if you want to see our in-depth analysis of all the top TVs for every budget. 

The full list: Best gaming TVs in detail

If you're a gamer and you want the best OLED TV available right now, check out the Samsung S95C OLED TV. 

Why's that? We measured the Samsung S95C at 9.2ms lag time with a Leo Bodnar 4K Lag Tester, resulting in responsive gameplay across a variety of genres. Meanwhile, the S95C’s new 144Hz refresh rate kicks in when connected to a gaming PC. Pair that refresh rate with AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro, and the S95C makes for one of the best gaming TVs. 

The only downside? Without a soundbar, the S95C sounds just OK. It lacks sophistication and thumping bass, and doesn’t get all that loud.

Still, for gamers, this is the best OLED TV available now.

Read our full Samsung S95C OLED review.

Best gaming OLED

The LG C3 OLED comes from a distinguished legacy of great gaming TVs. Its predecessor, the LG C2 OLED, held the top spot on this list last year, and now the LG C3 is holding down a number-two spot just underneath our top pick.

In terms of gaming specific features, the LG C3 OLED supports features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), plus Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium if you like to game with your PC in the living room.

Its best feature? When we activated the Boost function from the Game Optimizer, the time dropped even further to a stunning 9.1ms. That's about as good as we've ever seen from a TV before.

So why doesn't it claim the top spot? The Samsung has a higher brightness which will make seeing black details in games significantly easier on the eyes.

Read our full LG OLED C3 review.

Best gaming value

The Samsung Q60B QLED TV isn't going to steal the crown away from its older sibling anytime soon, but for gamers on a budget, the Q60B is a pauper prince.

As measured with our Leo Bodnar Lag Tester, the 43-inch Q60B doesn’t just have the lowest input lag we’ve seen on a TV of this size and price — it has some of the lowest lag we’ve seen period: an astonishing 9.1ms, obliterating both our thresholds for good gaming (20ms) and for superb gaming (10ms). With no HDMI 2.1 ports, you won’t be able to game at 120Hz or take advantage of features such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), but that input lag isn’t bad compensation.

 If you don’t need or want anything more from a TV, why pay anything more? With the Samsung Q60B QLED TV, you don’t have to.

Read our full Samsung Q60B QLED TV review.

Brightest gaming TV

The TCL QM8 QLED TV, TCL’s new top-of-line offering, checks all the right boxes for a flagship TV in 2023: It comes in an array of larger screen sizes up to 98 inches. You get the Google TV smart platform, which remains one of the most powerful and satisfying to use on the market. And it’s one of the brightest sets you can buy.

The QM8 also supports all of the gaming-oriented features of HDMI 2.1 connectivity, like Auto-Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which switches to game mode as soon as the console is turned on, and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which matches the screen to the frame-by-frame output coming from the TV, synchronizing the two for judder-free gaming. All that feature support makes it ideal for handling the 4K, high-frame-rate gaming offered by the likes of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. 

Read our full TCL QM8 Mini-LED TV review.

Best cheap gaming TV

The Hisense U7H is a fantastic ultra-budget model — which is exactly what we’d expect from Hisense at this point. It doesn’t necessarily beat all the competition, like the TCL 6-Series, in all situations, but as a package deal it’s a seriously strong contender — and ultimately, worth buying.

Generally, it’s considered that a TV with less than 15ms of input lag is good enough for the majority of gaming situations, and the Hisense U7H just breezed under that at 14.6ms. Other gaming-focused features include VRR, ALLM, and Dolby Vision Gaming. Gamers will be happy with what’s on offer here.

If the other gaming TVs on this list are a little too expensive, the U7H will give you great gaming performance on a shoe-string budget.

Read our full Hisense U7H QLED TV review.

The best 8K gaming TV

Not everyone is going to need or want an 8K TV. But when it comes to showcasing a TV's capabilities, gaming is arguably the most powerful and important benchmark to nail and the QN900C really delivers the goods.

Sporting four HDMI 2.1 ports, the QN900C is more than equipped to handle the next-gen demands of consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X, with the ability to display 4K/120fps (or 8K/60fps, if that ever realistically becomes a thing). 

That also means the QN900C supports variable refresh rates (VRR) and auto low-latency mode (ALLM), as well as FreeSync Premium, meaning no dropped frames or screen tearing. Additionally, refresh rates of up to 144Hz are available for PC gamers.

As for what else the Game Mode offers, enthusiasts are in for a treat as the QN900C brings a wealth of gamer-centrics settings to fine-tune via a pop-up menu. Here, players can cycle through a range of picture modes tailored specifically to different gaming genres (RTS, FPS, Sports, etc), as well as multiple levels of Game Motion Plus — an optional feature that smooths out gameplay with things like blur and judder reduction at a slight expense to input lag.

It's not cheap, but if you want a souped-up TV for your souped-up gaming PC, the Samsung QN900C is the only way to go.

Read our full Samsung QN900C 8K QLED TV review.

How to choose the best gaming TV for you

How to choose the best gaming TV for you

When it comes to picking the best 4K gaming TV, there are several factors to consider.  While the advice in articles like Everything you need to know about buying a TV offer a one-size fits all approach for most TV shoppers, there are some factors that gamers need to consider differently.

Refresh rate: You'll want to check the TV's frame rate, often listed as the refresh rate. Most current TVs will offer a 60Hz refresh rate, which means that the TV refreshes the picture 60 times per second. Given that most current consoles and games top out at 60 frames per second, this is an ideal match. However, the latest systems demand better, with the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles offering frame rates up to 120Hz. If you want a TV that will handle next gen gaming, you'll need something that supports 120Hz, as well. However, do bear in mind that not everything you read about refresh rates is true — so check out our TV refresh rates: How to see through the TV industry's biggest lie article for more info.

Lag time: The other major aspect of a good gaming TV is lag time, which encompasses the interval between an image or button press registering on the console and the resulting change displaying on screen. Measured in milliseconds, we recommend sticking to less than 30 millisecond lag times for any gaming, but more competitive gamers will want to find sets with lag times shorter than 20 milliseconds for the best performance.

Screen size: Size is another element to consider. A larger TV will fill your field of vision, making for a more immersive gaming experience. Just don't go too big; you want to be able to clearly see everything on the screen. Our guide answers the old question: What size TV do I need?

Design: One additional point to consider is the physical design of the TV. The thinner the set's bezels, the more immersive gaming and picture will be. Port placement will also be a significant factor is you need to disconnect your game system with any regularity - some TVs have easily accessible connections, but others do not, and your own setup will vary depending upon whether or not you choose to wall-mount your TV.

Smart features: Don't skimp on smart features if you plan to use your new TV outside of gaming. Smart TVs let you use your favorite apps and streaming services, mirror content from your phone or tablet, and provide a blend of online and over-the-air options for cord-cutters. 

Price: Budgets play a pretty important role in people's decision making, which is why we include TVs that will support gaming for less than $500. These affordable options prove that you can get a great TV for 4K gaming without spending more than you paid for the console itself. Save a few bucks and go buy the game you really want to enjoy.

How we test the best gaming TVs

How we test the best gaming TVs

We put every TV we review through a series of benchmark tests to measure different aspects of performance, like color accuracy, brightness, lag times and more. We use the results to supplement anecdotal impressions gathered through hours of hands-on evaluation, which includes everything from watching movie clips and streaming Netflix to gaming with the latest console and games.

To test actual gaming capability, we spend time using every TV with an Xbox One X, playing current titles and checking the compatibility of features on each TV. Where it makes sense to do so, we'll also adjust the TV settings to enable all of the features the console offers. In most cases, this doesn't require anything more than switching to the TV's game mode, but in some instances, we'll also need to adjust the TV's input settings to allow the full range of features to be supported, such as higher frame rates and HDR gaming capability.

When evaluating how well-suited a TV is for 4K gaming, we take a fresh look at specific test results, namely refresh rate and lag time, which both play into how well a set will display fast-paced games and handle the responsiveness they require. This is on top of our usual observations about image detail, color quality, brightness and features.

How to set up a gaming TV

How to setup 4K/8K gaming in the settings

Once you pick one of the best 4K gaming TVs above and your choice of gaming platform, you'll need to get a few details straightened out before you can enjoy high-resolution gaming.

You'll also need to check your settings. On the console, enable 4K and HDR content. On the TV, you'll want to check  that HDR content is accepted from external devices. For optimal color support, you'll also want to enable higher bit-rates. The specifics will vary from one TV to the next, but most manufacturers have instructions online for getting set up with a console.

Some TVs will have a special gaming mode, which will either need to be manually selected or will automatically switch on when the TV recognizes a gaming source, usually in more premium TVs. This mode will usually offer the lowest input lag, have tailored motion processing settings and will often give the color settings a boost too. 

If you've narrowed down your TV shopping by brand, price range or screen size, check out our picks for the best TVs in each.

Best TVs | Best 4K TVs | Best smart TVs for streaming | Best TVs for gaming

The best TVs under $1000 | The best TVs under $500

Best TV brands | Best Samsung TVs | Best TCL TVs | Best LG TVs | Best Roku TVs | Best OLED TVs | Best QLED TVs | Best 8K TVs | Best HDMI 2.1 TV | Best TVs with ATSC 3.0 | Best TVs with Chromecast

The smallest smart TVs | Best 43-inch TVs | Best 50-inch TVs | Best 55-inch TVs | Best 65-inch TVs | Best 70-inch TVs | Best 75-inch TVs | Best 85-inch TVs