Table of Contents
- What Makes a TV Good for PS5 and Xbox Series X?
- Best Overall: LG C5 OLED
- Best Premium: Samsung S95F QD-OLED
- Best for Bright Rooms: Mini-LED Picks
- Best Value: Hisense U7N and TCL C7K
- Best Budget 120Hz Gaming TV
- Sony Option: Bravia 8 II (With One Caveat)
- PS5 Pro and Future-Proofing: Is Your TV Ready?
- What Size TV Should You Get for Gaming?
- Checklist Before You Buy
- Frequently Asked Questions
This guide explains exactly which features matter for console gaming, then picks the best TVs at several price levels.
What Makes a TV Good for PS5 and Xbox Series X?
Both consoles support the same core gaming technologies. A TV is only "next-gen ready" if it has all of these:
- HDMI 2.1 ports (full 48Gbps bandwidth): Required for 4K at 120Hz. Beware of budget TVs that label ports "HDMI 2.1" but only wire them for lower bandwidth — always check reviews.
- 4K 120Hz panel: A native 120Hz (or higher) panel. "Motion rate 120" marketing on a 60Hz panel is not the same thing — see our 60Hz vs 120Hz TV comparison for the full difference.
- VRR (Variable Refresh Rate): Syncs the TV's refresh rate to the game's frame rate, eliminating screen tearing and stutter. Both consoles support it.
- ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode): Automatically switches the TV to Game Mode when a console is detected.
- Low input lag: Under 15ms at 4K 60Hz is good; under 10ms is excellent. This is the delay between pressing a button and seeing the result.
- HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group): A tone-mapping mode that lets the console control HDR output for accurate brightness — important for HDR games.
- Dolby Vision gaming: Supported on Xbox Series X (not on PS5). Nice to have, not essential.
Panel type matters too: OLED gives perfect blacks and near-instant pixel response — the best motion clarity — while Mini-LED gets brighter for sunny rooms at a lower price.
Best Overall: LG C5 OLED
The LG C-series has been the default answer to "which TV for gaming" for years, and the C5 (2025) keeps the crown.
Why it wins:
- Four HDMI 2.1 ports, all full 48Gbps bandwidth — plug in a PS5, Xbox Series X, gaming PC, and soundbar with zero compromises
- 4K 120Hz native (up to 144Hz for PC), with HDMI VRR, FreeSync, and G-Sync compatibility
- ALLM, HGiG support, and a dedicated Game Optimizer dashboard
- Input lag around 9–10ms — among the lowest measured on any TV
- Dolby Vision (including Dolby Vision gaming on Xbox) and Dolby Atmos
- Perfect OLED blacks and infinite contrast for cinematic single-player games
Trade-offs: Peak brightness trails the brightest Mini-LED sets, so a sun-drenched living room is not its best environment. OLED burn-in remains a theoretical risk with extreme static-image use, though modern panel care features make it a non-issue for normal gaming.
Sizes: 42, 48, 55, 65, 77, and 83 inches — the 42" and 48" models double as superb desktop gaming monitors.
Best Premium: Samsung S95F QD-OLED
If money is no object, Samsung's S95F (2025) is one of the brightest, most color-rich OLEDs you can buy.
Why it is special:
- QD-OLED panel: the color volume and brightness of quantum dots with OLED's perfect blacks
- Four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, up to 165Hz, VRR, ALLM, ~9.4ms input lag
- Glare Free matte screen coating — dramatically reduces reflections in bright rooms
- Excellent motion handling with near-instant pixel response
The one big omission: no Dolby Vision. Samsung uses HDR10+ instead. For gaming this barely matters (consoles use HGiG/HDR10), but movie watchers with Dolby Vision Blu-rays will notice. If Dolby Vision matters to you, the LG G5 flagship or Sony Bravia 8 II are the alternatives.
Best for Bright Rooms: Mini-LED Picks
OLED is unbeatable in a dark room, but if your gaming setup faces big windows, a Mini-LED TV's extra brightness wins. Top picks:
- TCL QM8 / QM851G: Thousands of dimming zones, very high peak brightness, 144Hz panel, HDMI 2.1 with VRR and ALLM. One of the brightest options for the money.
- Hisense U8N: Excellent brightness and contrast for the price, 144Hz, full gaming feature set. A strong-value option at the flagship level.
Mini-LED cannot match OLED's pixel-level blacks — expect some blooming around bright objects on dark backgrounds — but for daytime gaming they are often the better real-world choice.
Best Value: Hisense U7N and TCL C7K
You do not need to spend flagship money for proper 120Hz console gaming. These two deliver the core next-gen feature set at mid-range prices:
- Hisense U7N: 144Hz Mini-LED panel, HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, low input lag, strong brightness. Regularly available at prices well below flagship models.
- TCL C7K / QM7: QD-Mini LED, 144Hz native refresh, four HDMI ports (check the 2.1 count on your region's model), Game Master mode with VRR and ALLM.
What you give up versus OLED: perfect blacks and the very lowest response times. What you keep: 4K 120Hz, VRR, ALLM, and HDR that looks great in most rooms.
Best Budget 120Hz Gaming TV
On the tightest budget, look for these minimums: a native 120Hz panel, at least two HDMI 2.1 ports, VRR, and ALLM. Models like the TCL T8D/QM7 series and Hisense U6N/U7N frequently dip into budget territory during sales.
Warning: many cheap "120Hz" TVs use motion interpolation on a 60Hz panel — that is not real 120Hz gaming. Check the spec sheet for "native 120Hz" and confirm HDMI 2.1 in professional reviews before buying.
Sony Option: Bravia 8 II (With One Caveat)
Sony's Bravia 8 II QD-OLED has superb processing, excellent motion, and Dolby Vision support — and PlayStation consoles pair naturally with Sony TVs (auto HDR tone mapping and auto genre picture mode on some models).
The caveat: it has only two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, and one of them is shared with eARC. Add a soundbar and you effectively have one HDMI 2.1 port left for consoles. Fine for a single-console household; frustrating if you own both a PS5 and an Xbox Series X. LG and Samsung give you four full-bandwidth ports with no such compromise.
PS5 Pro and Future-Proofing: Is Your TV Ready?
The PS5 Pro (released November 2024) raises an obvious question: do you need a different TV for it? The short answer is no — but it makes the features above more valuable.
The PS5 Pro's GPU is roughly 45% faster than the base PS5, with AI-powered upscaling (PSSR) and more games offering 4K 120Hz performance modes. It does not add new display requirements: the checklist is still HDMI 2.1, 4K 120Hz, VRR, ALLM, and low input lag. Any TV recommended in this guide is fully PS5 Pro-ready.
What the Pro changes is how much those features matter:
- 120Hz becomes more useful. More Pro-enhanced games hit 120fps, so a native 120Hz panel pays off in more titles than on the base PS5.
- VRR range matters more. Games with unlocked frame rates swing between 60 and 120fps — a wide VRR range (ideally 48–120Hz or better, with low frame rate compensation) keeps those swings tear-free.
- Do not buy an 8K TV for the Pro. The PS5 Pro technically supports 8K output, but virtually no games render at 8K, and 8K TVs cost far more while offering zero visible benefit at normal viewing distances. A great 4K 120Hz TV beats a mediocre 8K TV every time.
For genuine future-proofing, prioritize four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports (so a PS5 Pro, Xbox, PC, and soundbar can coexist), a 144Hz or higher panel for PC headroom, and strong HDR brightness — those are the specs that will still matter in five years.
What Size TV Should You Get for Gaming?
- 43–48": Desktop or small bedroom setups; sit 4–6 feet away.
- 55": The sweet spot for most living rooms; sit 6–8 feet away.
- 65": Ideal for cinematic single-player games; sit 8–10 feet away.
- 75"+: Dedicated gaming/media rooms; sit 10+ feet away.
Bigger is more immersive, but sitting too close to a huge screen forces constant head movement in competitive games. For competitive shooters, 55" is the practical ceiling for most rooms. For non-gaming rooms and mixed use, our what TV size should I buy guide matches screen size to viewing distance.
Checklist Before You Buy
- Native 120Hz panel (not "motion rate 120")
- At least two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports (four is ideal for multi-console setups)
- VRR + ALLM + HGiG support
- Input lag under 15ms in Game Mode (check RTINGS or reviewer measurements)
- The right panel for your room: OLED for dark rooms, Mini-LED for bright rooms
- eARC on at least one HDMI 2.1 port if you use a soundbar
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need HDMI 2.1 for PS5 and Xbox Series X?
For 4K at 120Hz, yes — HDMI 2.0 cannot carry that much bandwidth. At 4K 60Hz, HDMI 2.0 is fine, so older TVs still work, just without the 120Hz modes. Once you own the TV, our guide to how to enable 4K 120Hz on TV for PS5 and Xbox sets the port up correctly.
Is OLED or Mini-LED better for gaming?
OLED wins for motion clarity, contrast, and dark-room immersion. Mini-LED wins for brightness in sunny rooms and usually costs less. Competitive gamers tend to prefer OLED; bright living rooms favor Mini-LED. Our OLED vs QLED vs Mini-LED comparison breaks down the panel choice in full.
Does the PS5 support Dolby Vision gaming?
No — the PS5 uses HDR10 with HGiG tone mapping. Only the Xbox Series X supports Dolby Vision gaming, so Dolby Vision matters more for Xbox owners.
Can I use a 144Hz or 165Hz TV with a PS5?
Yes, but the PS5 caps output at 120Hz — the extra headroom only benefits PC use. It does no harm, though.
Is burn-in still a problem on OLED gaming TVs?
For normal varied gaming, no. Modern OLEDs have pixel refresh, logo dimming, and panel care features. Risk only becomes real with thousands of hours of the same static HUD elements at high brightness.
Should I wait for the next model year?
TV prices drop hardest 6–9 months after launch. Buying last year's flagship on clearance usually beats buying this year's mid-range at full price.
Whichever TV you choose, the buying decision is only half the job — the other half is setting it up correctly once it is home. Work through our best TV settings for PS5 and Xbox Series X after you unbox it, and the HDMI, Game Mode and HDR choices in this guide will perform exactly as they should.
About the Author — IW Official
A hands-on TV repair technician with years of experience fixing LED, LCD and Smart TVs. Runs a YouTube channel sharing practical, step-by-step TV repair videos, and writes in-depth troubleshooting guides so you can fix it yourself.
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