[an error occurred while processing this directive] Best TV for Gaming 2019/2020; Xbox, PS4, Wii
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Best TV for Console Gaming: Top Recommended HDTVs for Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U 2019/2020

Picked by Editor/Reviewers and Jack Burden

Gaming can prevent a dilema for TV purchases. Gaming requires a television that can display fast action well and do it quickly in response to input from the controller. Casual gamers may not notice delays resulting from picture processing but serious gamers will be discouraged by a picture that is noticeably behind what they are doing with their hands. To compensate for what gamers call input lag, some HDTVs come equipped with a game mode. Not to be confused with a game mode picture setting, this function will bypass some or all of the TV's processing to get the action happening on screen as soon as you press the button or move the stick.

A good gaming TV will also be able to handle having parts of the image, such as the Heads Up Display, remain static for extended periods. With the burn in protection in modern plasmas this shouldn't be a problem as long as you stick with a name brand.

120/240Hz LCD and LED TV's tout their ability to cut down on motion lag but this form of picture processing doesn't work well with gaming in the TVs we tested, especially with first person shooters such as Call of Duty Black Ops and Battlefield 3. It adds strange artifacts and a screen tearing effect and is much more distracting than the small bouts of motion lag associated with having it off. This is personal preference and won't be a problem with a plasma but we recommend not using this feature with video games.

2019/2020 Best Gaming TV's

SAMSUNG UN65NU8000FXZA     
Editor's Choice: Value

The NU8000 series has a Motion Rate off 240. This figure represents an enhanced Hz rate for the 120Hz panel. By manipulating the powerful LEDs Samsung is able to produce an effectively faster refresh rate. The input lag is excellent at around 20ms when the TV is in Game Mode. The NU8000 does a great job with fast motion images on screen. Good for sports and gaming and also has no image retention issues for gamers.

Sony XBR65X900F     
Editor's Choice: Quality

This Sony model has excellent fast motion skill from the 120Hz native panel and low input lag of 42ms to boot. Motion blur is almost non-existent. This is one of my favorite TVs for 2018/2019. Really great features, picture and looks, and not too bad on price.

Samsung Q65Q7FN and Q75Q7FN     
Editor's Choice: Quality

The Q65Q7F is a super gaming TV, a little on the pricey side for an LED backlit TV, but really nice aesthetics help alleviate the price. Has extremely low input lag of 20ms with most signals. It also comes in very large sizes, 75”.

LG OLED65C8F And OLED55C8P     
Editor's Choice: Quality

The best OLED TV has almost non-existent motion blur and perfect contrast to enhance games. Input lag logged in at 21ms - the best performance we have had from an OLED TV. This is an all-around fantastic TV if you can afford it.

TCL 65R617     
Editor's Choice: Value

A very economical TV good gaming characteristics. Input lag logged in at 14ms even though the panel is 60Hz native refresh rate, we were shocked! But remember to make sure it is in Game mode. Contrast and black levels also surprise to the upside.

SAMSUNG UN65MU9000FXZA     
Editor's Choice: Quality

The MU9000 series has a Motion Rate off 240. This figure represents an enhanced Hz rate for the 120Hz panel. By manipulating the powerful LEDs Samsung is able to produce an “effectively” faster refresh rate. The input lag is excellent at around 20ms when the TV is in Game Mode. The MU9000 does a great job with fast motion images on screen. Good for sports and gaming and also has no image retention issues for gamers.

Sony XBR65X900e     
Editor's Choice: Quality

This Sony model has excellent fast motion skill from the 120Hz native panel and low input lag to boot. Motion blur is almost non-existent.

Samsung Q65Q7F     
Editor's Choice: Quality

The Q65Q7F (QLED TV) performs in much the same way that the MU9000 does with extremely low input lag and excellent fast motion processing.

LG OLED65C7F and OLED55C7P     
Editor's Choice: Quality

The best OLED TV has almost non-existent motion blur and perfect contrast to enhance games.Input lag logged in at 39ms - the best performance we have had from an OLED TV.

TCL 55P607     
Editor's Choice: Quality

The most economical TV at $600 with good gaming characteristics. Input lag logged in at 20ms, we were shocked!

2016/2017 Best Gaming TV's

Samsung UN55KS8000      Editor's Choice: Quality

Also available in 65 inch, 49 inch, and 60 inch this is a great gaming TV with extremely low input lag of around 20ms and a 120Hz panel (240Hz Motion Flow).The strongest in the market LED edge backlight and good black levels really give this Samsung an edge in picture quality over most other LED TVs in the market. The 55KS8000 has best in class color and contrast that create superior images and the light flow through the the LED backlights is amazing. The Game Mode is pretty well hidden, so it takes some digging to find if you want to try it out. Here's how you find it: Main Menu > System > General > Game Mode.

Vizio D40U-D1      Editor's Choice: Budget

This very reasonably priced Vizio D-series TV has some of the lowest input lag out there at around 15ms. It's also got a good feature set with Smart TV. Side angle viewing wont be the best from the VA style LCD panel.

Samsung UN55KU7000      Editor's Choice: Value

This is a great gaming TV that wont break the budget, very enjoyable once you have the right settings. It's only 60Hz but still has very low input lag. The Game Mode is pretty well hidden, so it takes some digging to find if you want to try it out. Here's how you find it: Main Menu > System > General > Game Mode. Also available in 65 inch and 49 inch sizes and the curved screen version KU7500.

Vizio D55U-D1      Editor's Choice: Value

I forgot to mention above that this unit comes in a variety of sizes from 32 inch to 70 inch. For gamers looking for value, this is a great deal. For example the 55 inch version is only $699. The 'u' in the model number stands for 4K UHD resolution.

Sony XBR55X850d      Editor's Choice: Value

If your partial to Sony, the best performing Sony for the year in terms of gaming input lag is the 120Hz panel X850d. It also comes in 65 inch. Input lag is low at around 35ms. The IPS panel in this TV also gives you good side angle viewing capability – better than the TVs above in our list.

2014 Best Gaming TV's

Samsung UN46H7150      Editor's Choice: Quality
46" LED TV

This is a great gaming TV, very enjoyable once you have the right settings. The strongest in the market LED edge backlight and black levels really give this Samsung an edge in picture quality over every other LED TV in the market. The 46H7150 has best in class color and contrast that create superior images and the light flow through the the LED backlights is amazing. The Game Mode is pretty well hidden, so it takes some digging to find if you want to try it out. Here's how you find it: Main Menu > System > General > Game Mode.

Sony KDL-48W600B      Editor's Choice: Value
48" LED TV

Sony LED TVs are always an excellent option for gaming. Color rendition is realistic and not over saturated from the Custom picture setting. The TV calibrated near D6500K even though there is only a 2 point white balance control setting on this TV. The custom setting is set fairly close to D6500 from the start so you really only need some minor tweaks to get there. There plenty of choices for picture modes to get just the right picture.

Samsung UN50H6400     
50" LED TV

Enabling the Game Mode for gaming is a must for competitive shooters and action gamers. The input lag went from a noticable 120ms down to 30ms with the flick of a switch. That really makes games like Battlefield and Titalfall much more enjoyable and immersive. It's good to know that the first time you turn on Game Mode the picture won't look so good. That's because it has its own picture settings, so take a moment to get the picture looking good again the first time you do it.

Vizio E500i-B1      Editor's Choice: Price
42" Plasma TV

The Vizio E500i-B1 has a dedicated picture mode for gaming. This is for optimal performance when it comes to input lag. The TV responds fairly well in our tests. We measured input lag at 40ms. That's not too bad at all for the average to hardcore console gamer. Shooters, racing, and action games play just fine on this TV. 30ms and below are considered excellent measurements, so this Vizio stands with the best of them.

2013 Best Gaming TV's

Samsung UN46F8000      Editor's Choice: Quality
46" LED TV

This is a great gaming TV, very enjoyable once you have the right settings. The strongest in the market LED edge backlight and black levels really give this Samsung an edge in picture quality over every other LED TV in the market. The 46F8000 has best in class color and contrast that create superior images and the light flow through the the LED backlights is amazing. The Game Mode is pretty well hidden, so it takes some digging to find if you want to try it out. Here's how you find it: Main Menu > System > General > Game Mode.

Panasonic TC-P50ST60      Editor's Choice: Value
50" Plasma TV

The TV has a Game mode located in the advanced picture settings. It's a good idea to turn it on for action games and shooters. Otherwise there will be a noticeable amount of input lag. There was a bit of judder in the Game mode, but that didn't take away from the experience. The Motion Smoother setting helps with the judder, but has to be disabled when the Game mode is running.

Panasonic TC-L55ET60     
55" LED TV

The Game Mode disables most of the image processing to decrease input lag. The TC-L55ET60 is very successful with this, though motion blur is increased. This will be the go-to mode for a first person shooter or action game hands down. When playing Battlefield 3 and Okami HD, that was by far the best setting for each. We tried out 2D to 3D conversion on both as well and were impressed with the subtleness of the results.

Samsung UN50F6400     
50" LED TV

The native 120Hz panel on the UN50F6400 used to reduce motion blur during. Those who are especially keen at noticing things like motion blur and judder are going to notice the improvement 120Hz has over 60Hz. The 120Hz upgrade is going to smooth fast action and side to side panning to create images with greater clarity.

Panasonic TC-P42S60      Editor's Choice: Price
42" Plasma TV

This feature is really just the name of a plasma TVs refresh rate. Plasma TVs have always had a better refresh rate over LCD and LEDs simply because the display technology in plasma sets. The 600Hz sub-field drive in the TC-P42S60 handles fast action and side to side panning like the best of them. It lacks the 2500 focused-field drive of the ST60, but 600Hz is enough to handle the needs for most.

2012 Best Gaming TV's

Samsung UN46ES8000      Editor's Choice: Quality
46" LED TV

For gaming considerations, both the Micro Dimming Ultimate localized dimming and the 240Hz refresh rate assist in capturing and delivering superior Gaming play. The UN46ES8000 includes Samsung's new Micro Dimming Ultimate Panel Package which is a feature to describe edge lit local dimming. This new technology, through edge lit and not full array LED backlighting, creates a finer more detailed picture by brightening areas of the screen with light. Overall the effects are incredible and noteworthy and make a more colorful 3 dimensional image even from 2D programming.

Samsung UN55ES6500     
55" LCD TV 1080p

For Gaming considerations the 55' Samsung UN55ES6500 might be a great choice as you forego a few of those features like Smart Interaction but still get 3D compatibility and 240Hz processing. This will make a great gaming TV and the price is reasonable at $1690. See the full review and video review of the UN55ES6500

Panasonic TC-P50GT50 Review      Editor's Choice: Value
50" Plasma TV

As if 600Hz equivalent response rate was not enough Panasonic has come up with the new 2500 Focus Field Drive to quantify the speed at which their plasmas would rate in comparison to today's LED TVs. Let's just say that plasma TVs do not have a problem with motion blur and response times in gaming so this TV will make a great choice. The sound quality is also enhanced through sound lifting drivers which "center" the sound better (and it works!). See our review of the Panasonic TC-P50GT50

LG 47LM6700 Review Plasma      Editor's Choice: Value
47" Plasma TV

When 2 people play a game in the same room on the same TV they are oftne forced to use split screen, the TV screen is split in half horizontally or vertically and each player not only gets a smaller view of the game, sometimes important screen area is cut off. The 47LM6700's Dual Play technology utilizes the Cinema 3D to display both screens at the same time on the whole screen. See our review of the LG 47LM600

LG 42LM6200 Review     
41" LCD TV 1080p

If you need a bit smaller LED TV or gaming, this 42" model still has 120Hz response rate processing plus that dual gaming mode with 3D glasses. It's cool in that it prevents users from having to use a split screen for gaming when playing against one another. The price is a little steep at $950+ at the moment. See the full review and video review of the 42LM6200

Panasonic TC-P60ST50 Plasma TV Review      Editor's Choice: Value
60" Plasma TV

If you want to go large but still keep it under $2000, try the new Panasonic TC-P60ST60 60" plasma. It does not have the upgraded 2500 focus field drive like the GT50 but nevertheless will display your gaming material without flaw and without any motion blur. Contrast is exceptional. See our review of the Panasonic TC-P60ST50

Toshiba 32L4200U LED-LCD TV Review     
32" LCD TV 1080p

The 32L4200U is only 32" in screen size but has vibrant LED backlighting and a new sound package that sound very good. Resolution is also 1080p, much better for video games than the 720p found on most 32" TVs. Best of all the price is still super reasonable at $349. See the full review and video review of the 32L4200U

2011 Best Gaming TV's

Samsung UN46D6000     
46" LCD TV 1080p

In last years C6500 we noticed inconsistency across gray scales especially in blue tones. Those mistakes are corrected in the D6000. Color rendition in the D6000 is accurate, realistic and vibrant - all three traits we look for in color quality. In scenes from the Blu Ray version of Troy we noted greens and blues as spot on with the odd turquoise and gold uniform colors of the Spartans. Blacks appear inky and saturated from front and center. Dark Shadow detail is also above average. Color uniformity looked good to us except at side angles. See the full review and video review of the UN46D6000

Samsung UN55D7000      Editor's Choice: Quality
55" LED TV

The UN55D7000 uses a 1080p, 240Hz LCD panel with LED edge lighting, the edge lighting is capable of local dimming for increased contrast in dark scenes and better contrast than LED or LCD televisions with constant back lighting.

These Samsung LED panels can get very bright and they produce rich, saturated color. Sometimes the colors can appear oversaturuated but many viewers like that look and broadcast and cable networks comply by oversaturating their content. Color leap off the screen but if you desire more realistic color you can use the wide variety of picture controls to tone down the appearace to one more suitable for your viewing.

Panasonic TC-P42S30 Plasma      Editor's Choice: Value
42" Plasma TV

Panasonic continues to offer plasmas that have great picture quality but lack bell & whistles to come in at a low price. This model, which replaces the S2 series from last year is a bargain. See our review of the Panasonic TC-P42S30

Samsung LN32D450      Editor's Choice: Quality
32 inch LCD TV

See our Review The 2011 D450 line of LCDs from Samsung replaces the C450 line. These are a line of small, 720p, 60Hz, CCFL backlit LCDs. We found the picture quality of the C450 series to be rather good for a line of budget TVs and think the LN32D450 would make an excellent TV for the bedroom, kitchen, office or student dorm room. The D450 can also double as a computer monitor but the 720p resolution will feel a little low in the larger models.

Samsung PN64D8000      Editor's Choice: Quality
63" Plasma TV

The new, one inch larger screen retains many of the pircture features from last year, it appears to be a case of not messing with a good thing. The Real Black Filter returns, providing rich, deep blacks that enhance all the other colors sharing the screen. The warmth and realism that the picture offers is nothing less than stunning.

For 3D the PN64D8000 uses active shutter glasses and is Full HD 3D, sending 1080 lines of vertical resolution to each eye. Some televisions sacrifice some resolution to show 3D images and Full 3D HD provides the best 3D experience.






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