The best TV for PS5 and Xbox
What actually matters when buying a TV for a current console — HDMI 2.1, VRR, input lag, panel type and brightness.
A console is only as good as the screen you put it on, and the specification that matters for gaming is not the one on the price tag. Here is what to actually check.
HDMI 2.1
The single most important item. HDMI 2.1 is what carries 4K at 120Hz, and it is also what enables VRR and ALLM below. Without it, a PS5 or Xbox Series X is capped at 4K 60Hz no matter how good the panel is.
Watch for a trap: some televisions advertise HDMI 2.1 but provide it on only one or two ports out of four. If you are connecting a console and a soundbar, check which ports support it, not just that the set has it.
VRR (variable refresh rate)
VRR lets the screen match its refresh rate to the game''s frame rate moment by moment. When a game dips from 60 to 50 FPS, a VRR screen follows it smoothly instead of tearing or stuttering. Both PS5 and Xbox Series consoles support it, and it makes inconsistent frame rates far less noticeable.
ALLM and input lag
ALLM (auto low latency mode) switches the TV into game mode automatically when a console starts. Input lag is the delay between pressing a button and seeing the result — under 15ms is good, and anything above about 30ms starts to feel sluggish in fast games.
Note that a TV''s input lag is usually only low in game mode. The same set can be three or four times slower in its cinema picture mode, which is why leaving game mode off is one of the most common causes of a console feeling unresponsive.
Panel type: OLED vs LED
OLED gives perfect blacks and outstanding contrast, with excellent motion handling. It is the best-looking option for gaming. Two considerations: it is more expensive, and static elements left on screen for very long periods can in principle cause burn-in — modern panels mitigate this well, but a HUD left on for eight hours a day is the worst case for it.
LED and Mini-LED go brighter, which matters in a room with a lot of daylight, and carry no burn-in risk at all. Mini-LED with local dimming gets much closer to OLED contrast than older LED sets.
In a bright living room, a good Mini-LED often beats an OLED in practice. In a darker room, OLED wins.
Brightness and HDR
A television that claims HDR support but cannot get bright enough will make HDR content look worse than SDR, not better. This is the most common disappointment in budget sets. If HDR matters to you, treat brightness as part of the HDR specification rather than a separate feature.
Size and resolution
4K is standard and worth having. Size should follow viewing distance — sitting close to a very large screen makes compression and low-resolution content more obvious, not less. For most living rooms, 55 to 65 inches is the practical range.
A sensible order of priorities
- HDMI 2.1 on the ports you will actually use
- Low input lag in game mode
- VRR and ALLM
- Contrast and real HDR brightness
- Resolution and size
A 1080p screen with low lag is a better gaming experience than a 4K screen with high lag, even though the second one sounds better on paper.
Once the TV is set up, the settings matter as much as the hardware — see our guide to the best TV settings for PS5. For consoles and accessories, see our PS5 page, or call 16280 to talk it through.