Are you wondering which television to choose for gaming? If you play on a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, or connect a PC, you definitely care about smooth visuals, low latency, and support for new features. In this ranking, you will find televisions that offer the best gaming experience! We have prepared a ranking based not only on specifications but also on our tests and opinions. This way, you can choose a television tailored to your needs!

How is our best TV ranking created? – methodology

We create our ranking of gaming TVs based on measurements and practical tests. The most important elements are:

• 4K support at 120 Hz – a foundation for next-gen consoles.

• HDMI 2.1, VRR, and ALLM – variable refresh rate and automatic game mode.

• Input lag.

• HGIG – facilitates matching the TV's brightness to the console.

• Support for lower resolutions (1080p, 1440p) at 120Hz – important for PC gamers and users of older consoles.

• etc.

Each of these elements has its weight, and together they provide a weighted average, which constitutes the final assessment of the TV in terms of gaming. Rating scale – weights and example.

Example of a TV rating for gamers and (percentage weights)

Weighted average rating ≈ 8.5/10

Our ranking of the best gaming TVs is not just a list of models, but a real help in choosing equipment. We focus on what truly matters during gaming: response speed, image smoothness, and support for next-gen console features.

How do we assess motion fluidity?

To evaluate this, we use the well-known UFO test, where a characteristic little alien moves across the screen. Thanks to the camera and our own eyes, we can check whether its outline remains sharp and clear, or if it leaves a trail behind, indicating issues with smearing. It is such observations that allow us to practically assess how well the television handles smooth motion display.

However, it is worth remembering that the refresh rate of the panel alone does not give a complete picture of the screen's capabilities. Indeed, 120 Hz is the value we consider to be the absolute minimum, which is entirely sufficient for console users, while higher frequencies—144 or 240 Hz—are aimed mainly at PC gamers. Nevertheless, it is not just numbers on paper that determine the final effect. Equally important is the response time of the panel, which is the speed at which individual pixels change their state. And this is where the difference arises: two televisions with a refresh rate of 120 Hz can present motion in completely different ways. OLED, due to the immediate response of the pixels, offers a sharper and smear-free image compared to even a 240 Hz LCD, whose slower transitions between shades always leave a slight trace in motion.

HDMI 2.1 – important, but with different faces

HDMI 2.1 has become a magic phrase when choosing a television for gaming – without this connection, many gamers won’t even look at the hardware. No wonder, as it opens the door to 4K at 120 frames, variable refresh rate (VRR), auto game mode (ALLM) or better sound through eARC. But… this is where the proverbial stairs begin. The mere presence of the “HDMI 2.1” logo on the casing doesn’t always mean that the television will actually provide us with the full range of capabilities mentioned earlier. It happens that in cheaper models, the HDMI ports are compliant with the HDMI 2.1 standard, but the panel itself has a refresh rate of 60 Hz in 4K. And then one wonders – why do I need 2.1 if I won’t see the desired 120 frames? The answer is: because not only 4K matters. Most games, even on the latest consoles such as PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, are unable to run in 4K at 120 Hz due to very high requirements. However, at lower resolutions, such as 1440p or classic Full HD, they certainly can. And here, a very important thing arises: some televisions, which are limited to 60 Hz in 4K, can achieve a full 120 Hz in 1080p or 1440p. Therefore, it is not worth solely looking at the numbers in the specifications. A conscious choice involves checking how a given model performs in practice at various resolutions and modes.

Input lag – the boundary between comfort and irritation

Input lag is a parameter that doesn’t catch the eye in a shop display, yet it decides whether gaming is a pleasure or a source of frustration. It is the delay between pressing a button on the controller and the reaction on the screen. In calm adventure games, it can be ignored, but in online shooters or racing games, the difference between 10 and 40 ms becomes critical. The best gaming televisions achieve results in the range of 5–10 ms, making gaming resemble the experience of a computer monitor. It’s worth remembering that any additional “image enhancer,” from motion smoothing to noise reduction, can significantly increase this result. Therefore, game mode is more than just a marketing slogan: it’s a real advantage.

VRR and HGiG – technologies that make a difference

VRR, or variable refresh rate, is a feature that doesn’t stand out in the specifications but changes a lot in practice. Thanks to it, the television adjusts to the number of frames generated by the console, eliminating screen tearing and stuttering. Gamers, especially those reaching for AAA titles, will appreciate this, as drops in smoothness occur even on the most powerful hardware. HGiG, on the other hand, is a standard developed jointly by console manufacturers and game developers, which facilitates the correct setting of HDR. The television adjusts brightness and contrast so that the image looks as intended by the creators, without requiring the player to guess which slider to move to achieve a certain level.

PS5 or Xbox Series X – Which console to choose? What do we test televisions on?

The question of which console is better comes up regularly, and it is difficult to answer in one sentence. We, while testing televisions for gamers, mainly use the Xbox Series X. The reason is simple: it is the hardware that technically extracts the most from the television. Here we have full support for HDMI 2.1, the ability to play in 4K at 120 frames, VRR and ALLM support, as well as Dolby Vision in games. The latter is simply not offered by the PlayStation 5. Thus, Xbox provides us with a broader platform to test and allows us to check all the features that television manufacturers advertise as "gaming".

However, this does not mean that we consider the Xbox to be a better console than the PS5. In practice, the choice of hardware for a gamer depends on which titles you want to play. PlayStation has been winning exclusive releases for years, which build the entire identity of this platform. Xbox offers greater technical compatibility, access to Game Pass, and features that are hard to find on the PS5. Each manufacturer emphasises different strengths. Therefore, it is worth looking at consoles through the prism of your own expectations. If you are interested in the biggest single-player hits, then the PS5 will likely be your first choice. If you are looking to make the most of your television's capabilities and additional image features, then the Xbox Series X will perform better. We focus on the technical side while testing televisions. Which console is more attractive to you is a matter of games and which side of the barricade you feel better on.