What should you look for in a 4KTV for next gen gaming?

I’m sure a lot of people are in a similar boat as myself and is looking to buy a 4KTV before or at the same time as the release of the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. I’m not sure if this is the right board to ask, but I’m wondering what are features you should be looking out for in a 4KTV to truly take advantage of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?

I’ve heard all these buzz words about HDR, 120FPS, Smooth Motion, etc but I have no idea what if I’d need to look at specifics on a 4KTV in relation to those features.

I‘ve done some research already and picked out a few TV sets that look interesting and “good” for gaming.

• LG C9
• LG B9
• Vizio P Series Quantum X
• TCL 2020 Series 6

Any help would be much appreciated!

I have a b9, it's good. You can save a few hundred bucks and lose a faster processor vs the c9, everything else is the same. If you can really identify the difference the processor makes, then go nuts on that price difference.

I have a TCL 6 series and it's been great. I really love it. I haven't had any issues with it and the games look awesome on it.

I bought a LG CX 48". My last monitor was 20" and over five years old. It's great except for the size, using it as a monitor really requires you to have the correct desk height especially if you're not on the taller side. Right now it's like being in the first few rows of a movie theater looking up, I wish I could lower my desk another 5" or so and things would be perfect. Or at least have a swivel chair with a headrest.

The two caveats being I've also been a TV generation or more behind and I only own a base PS4 so I top out at 1080p for now, but I just got the TCL 6 a couple weeks ago and I already feel really good about it. I guess I could watch movies through the apps in the TV to see what's up with 4K but I'm just so damn used to using my PS4 for everything I haven't intentionally done that yet.

I got a lg oled b9 couple months ago.

There's a guy on youtube called lime fomo or something that has talked about what to look for in a tv for these upcoming systems.

The TCL 6 series is a very good television for the price. It has all the things you need for a good gaming television. Good low input lag when Game Mode is switched on. A good wide color gamut for HDR games. A good contrast ratio for bright and dark scenes on the screen. And a good SDR and HDR peak brightness so the images really pop.

I personally have the 55' TCL 6 Series 2018 for my main television, and an even more budget 43' TCL 4 Series 2019 that I'm currently using for a PC monitor. The 4 Series lacks good HDR and Peak brightness but has even better low input lag, which make it great for a large screen PC monitor.

However, if you want to spend top dollar, then go for a top of the line Sony VA panel television like the X900 Series. OLEDS look great, but also have great risk of permanent burn in while gaming, especially if you're playing a game that has a long stationary image on screen like RPGs.

I have the Vizio P Series Quantum (the generation before Quantum X). If I remember correctly the main differences between them are the QX has more dimming zones (a good thing) and its brighter which is insane. The Quantum is already the brightest TV I've ever had. It can get bright enough to make me squint. It's an awesome TV.

In my experience 4K resolution is great, but HDR is where the real magic is. It's the best thing to happen to TV since color.

My go-to place for TV reviews is RTINGS. If you haven't already look up your contenders there and see how they fare.

The biggest thing I'd think is going to be the implementation of HDMI 2.1 and if it supports Variable Refresh Rate and Auto Low Latency Mode while still supporting content with High Dynamic Range.

There's not a lot of TVs out right now that do all 3 of those things. I'd anticipate you'll start to see a bunch more next year with prices that won't make your wallet bleed out.

@ry_ry: yah as far as I know HDMI 2.1 is going to be a literal game changer but I don’t know the release date or what models will support it.

That 1080p image gets upscaled to a 4K image so you are still seeing an image improvement over a standard 1080p television. In fact, it comes very close to a 4K native image. Which is why I personally think the PS4 Pro is a waste of money. Most of the Pro version of games aren't native 4K, and 1080p looks great on a 4K screen with a decent upscaler. The TCL 6 has a good upscaler. The main thing is HDR which the based PS4 can do like the Pro. The TCL 6 has very good HDR. In short, you're good.

I got the 2017 version of the LG OLED (B7).

It's very good, and even better now that the latest model has Gsync/Freesync. If you can afford it it's a no brainer IMO.

Not to hijack the thread, but how about a monitor if I'm one of those weirdos who plays console games at a desk?

They're gonna be pricey: https://www.pcgamer.com/asus-is-in-a-race-to-ship-the-first-gaming-monitor-with-hdmi-21/

I'm surprised by how many others also have the TCL 6 series here (I have the 2018 R617). That said, it's really not future-proof for next-gen in terms of what next-gen is touting as it is still 60hz. It has no variable refresh rate. It also doesn't do HDMI 2.1 eARC. I am happy with it though for now and I probably won't buy a new TV for a couple of years. I don't know if I want an OLED because while it may have the best picture quality, the possibility of burn-in worries me as I use my TV as a computer screen too, and if a game sucks me in, I can play it for several hours which isn't good for the TV. As of right now, yes the LG C9, B9, E9, and CX are the best TVs for next-gen. There is also a newer Sony A8H that's supposed to be great too. That said, you should look at the differences between all of them on RTINGS to match what's important to you. They all have slightly different features.

LG C9 here.

Honestly, for a forward looking TV, look for HDR, freesync/gsync capability(and higher refresh rates than 60), hdmi 2.1, obviously 4k, and whatever size and screen type you prefer.

I love my c9. It's an oled screen with great hdr, 120hz screen, auto low latency, hdmi 2.1 support when I get a new GPU and presumably new consoles that can use it. Best display I've owned by far, but yeah it was costly.

I also bought an LG C9 earlier this year and have been supremely satisfied with it. 4K is nice, but HDR especially when backed up by the deep blacks of an OLED panel makes the biggest difference. The TV makes even older games look and play much better with deeper colors and blacks and fast response times. This will sound silly but flashlights in horror games etc. finally work the way they should, illuminating the beam brightly while having the rest of the screen pitch black or with other ambient lights.

For future proofing I would highly recommend getting a set with HDMI 2.1. This new format will allow your TV to display 4K at 120fps and VRR which basically is a common G-Sync style standard. The C9 also has actual G-Sync. So basically higher framerates at higher resolutions with lower response times and no screen tearing.

I'd really recommend buying any LG OLED from 2019 or 2020, meaning the B9, C9, BX, CX etc. These TV's have pretty much all the future proofed standards that you'd want to look for, including HDMI 2.1, VRR, G-Sync, Dolby Vision etc. Older models from 2018 and before like the C8 do not have HDMI 2.1. This years' models have very few upgrades so it might make the most sense to try and find a B9 or C9 at a nice price.

And finally, yes burn-in on OLED sets is a real thing and can affect you especially if you spend a lot of time watching the same content (the same sports channel for example). This is also why using an OLED as a computer screen is problematic, because the static desktop elements can permanently burn into the display. However none of the people I know have experienced issues with moderate and varied TV use.

EDIT: Oh, also all the OLED sets are fairly expensive and as such do not fit into every budget. I got my 55" C9 for 1100 euros, which is pretty much the same amount that I paid for a 47" 1080p set in 2013 and a 26" 720p set in 2005.