Best gaming TV for 2026: Get the lowest input lag and highest picture quality

If you’re looking to buy the best gaming TV for your home entertainment setup, the best models combine excellent picture quality with low input lag. It is essential that a TV has a short response time, as it can be the difference between winning or losing a game. When it comes to picture quality, Dolby Vision support is also beneficial, but not as essential. If you want to pair your gaming TV with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X – or both – you’ll need a TV with HDMI 2.1, 120Hz and variable refresh rates. At CNET, David Katzmaier and I tested hundreds of TVs using side-by-side comparisons, evaluating both gaming performance and picture quality, and the following gaming TVs are the ones I recommend.

Who is it best for: The 2026 G6 is a great gaming TV, but not everyone wants or needs to pay over $3,000 to play their favorite games. Instead, the C4 2024 offers 100% of the gaming features and 90% of the image quality, for a third of the price – that’s what I call math. If you’re looking for a TV that’s fun to play on and is just as good with movies, then the C4 is a great buy. Although the C6 is available now, expect a review soon, but I don’t expect it to be much different.

Benefits

Better picture quality than any non-OLED TV we tested
Delivers superior contrast and off-angle images
Top-notch gaming features
Sleek styling with ultralight, thin panel

Disadvantages

Not as bright as high-end OLED TVs

Who is it best for: Whether you’re a gamer or just want a TV that fits in the bedroom, the Hisense QD7 is a great choice. It offers a very punchy picture for the money and plenty of streaming options.

Benefits

The best images you’ll get under $500 Full local dimming Excellent contrast Fully saturated images

Disadvantages

Sound quality isn’t as good as the Fire TV, especially at high volume

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Benefits

Better picture quality than any non-OLED TV we tested
Delivers superior contrast and off-angle images
Top-notch gaming features
Sleek styling with ultralight, thin panel

Disadvantages

Not as bright as high-end OLED TVs

Performance: The C4, like the C5 that succeeded it, is a great gaming TV, and LG hasn’t done much in the way of lineup over the years. The Game Optimizer menu brings all gaming settings in one place and checks refresh rate, VRR status and more at a glance. We also like the ability to tweak the game’s dashboard to swap out more status indicators (resolution, Dolby Atmos, etc.).

Dark Room mode is designed to reduce eye strain, but it also dulls the image, so we avoid using it unless you need it. Of the various gaming picture modes, I preferred Standard for most games, with its balance of shadow detail and contrast. FPS is best if you want more visibility in shadows, or you can simply increase the black stabilizer control (at the expense of a washed out image). Buried in Game Optimizer is another setting, titled “Reduce Input Delay (Input Lag)”, with two options: Standard and Boost. Enabling Boost reduces lag even further, to just under 10ms for both. The problem is that Boost is only available for 60Hz sources, so you can’t use it with 120Hz or VRR games. And no, we don’t think many humans would notice the extra 1ms lag.

Preview: I also reviewed the 2025 C5, which performed well, but I recommend purchasing the similar C4, while it’s in stock, for its cost savings. Watch for the C6 2026 review very soon.

Benefits

It’s easy to use
It has excellent contrast levels
One of the best streaming suites available

Disadvantages

It’s more expensive than its competitors
Roku HDR colors are inaccurate

Who is it best for: If you’re looking for a gaming TV, the Roku Pro has one of the lowest latency times I’ve ever tested, at 9.3ms. It’s also much cheaper than an OLED model. The Roku will also do 4K HDR and Dolby Vision. Roku is built-in, so you know it has one of the most comprehensive suites of streaming apps on the planet.

Performance: It offers a fast response time and is reasonably accurate in terms of color and shadow details. Almost every unit I’ve reviewed recently has a gaming mode and undetectable pixel response times (less than 15ms), but that’s not the end of the story. The Roku may not have the best picture I’ve seen for under $1,000, but the TCL QM6K does, although the Roku has much better sound quality.

Preview: The Roku Pro is the best Roku-branded TV yet, and it’s currently on sale for a few hundred dollars off. This makes it ideal for people who want to save money on a gaming TV with a great smart TV system.

Who is it best for: The G5 is a huge step up from the C5 (and C4) and will therefore appeal to well-heeled gamers looking for an extra edge over their competition. The fact that it can play movies and TV shows at a high level of quality means it also appeals to movie buffs looking for the ultimate picture quality. Its native 120Hz refresh rate and 165Hz variable refresh rate (VRR) support make it a great choice for high-end console gaming.

Performance: We tested the LG G5 with a host of different games, including Call of Duty, and found that the TV’s ultra-high brightness brought games to life. This TV really brought out HDR effects in a way that no other OLED TV has before. When you pair that brightness with near-infinite contrast and one of the lowest lag scores we’ve seen, this is a truly special TV.

Preview: The LG G5 is one of the best TVs you can buy right now, and it’s definitely the one to choose if you want ultimate gaming performance.

Benefits

The best images you’ll get under $500 Full local dimming Excellent contrast Fully saturated images

Disadvantages

Sound quality isn’t as good as the Fire TV, especially at high volume

Performance: The Hisense QD7 delivers black levels and shadow details I’ve never seen at such an affordable price, thanks to its local dimming system. Its latency times are low, less than 10 ms, which puts it ahead of competitors like the Samsung U8000 and the Roku Select. The TV has built-in streaming via Amazon Fire TV, but the only downside is that the sound quality isn’t very good.

Preview: In terms of best value, the Hisense QD7 is the most impressive model I’ve ever tested. If you’re looking for a bedroom or smaller gaming TV, the Hisense QD7 is the model I would choose.

June 18, 2026: Updated pricing and information included on the 2026 TVs I reviewed.

March 16, 2026: Added Roku Pro and Hisense QD7 as well as information included on upcoming 2026 models.

June 4, 2025: Updated list with all-new choices including the Roku Pro, LG G5, and Samsung DU7200. Provided more information on CNET’s gaming TV testing process.

Two televisions showing the same video game side by side. — Side-by-side gaming comparisons help assess picture quality and lag differences between TVs.
Sarah Tew/CNET

LG’s C4 combines premium picture quality with impressive gaming features on every input. All HDMI ports on the TV include the latest version of the HDMI standard: 2.1. Its four HDMI ports support 4K/120, which is ideal for hardcore gamers with multiple next-gen devices. The TV also comes with a suite of specialized Game Optimizer settings. This is a great choice for gamers who want a great picture and aren’t afraid to splurge to get it.

If you’re feeling even more spendy, the LG G5 is probably the best TV I’ve ever tested and its improved brightness really sets it apart from the OLED competition. If you don’t need as big a wallet, the Roku Pro and Hisense QD7 also have a lot to offer.

A TV displaying the Xbox Game Pass menu.
Dan Ackerman/CNET

With all the televisions available today and all the technical terms and jargon associated with television technology, it can be difficult to understand what’s important. Here’s a quick guide to help clear up the confusion.

Price: TVs range in price from $100 to over $2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive, and spending more money can also get you better picture quality. Most entry-level TVs offer a good enough picture for most people, but the TVs last a long time, so it may be worth the worth spending more to get a better image. It’s also better to buy a TV in the fall, when prices are lower.

Screen size: In my opinion, bigger is better. I recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or master TV – and 65 inches or larger is best. More than any other “feature,” increasing the TV screen size is the best use of your money. One of the most common complaints after purchasing a TV that I’ve heard comes from people who didn’t try hard enough. I rarely hear people complain that their TV is too big.

Ability: Among entry-level TVs, the most important feature is the type of smart TV system the TV uses. Among mid-range models, look for features like full local dimming, mini-LED, and 120Hz refresh rate, which (unlike some other extras) help improve the picture in my experience. Among high-end TVs, OLED technology is your best option.

Cloud gaming: Many gaming TVs also offer cloud gaming services, which can come in handy if you don’t want to connect a dedicated gaming console to your new TV. Apps that let you stream from the cloud include Amazon Luna, Xbox (Game Pass), and GeForce Now, while Steam Link, Xbox, and PlayStation Remote Play will let you stream from a machine in another room.

For more tips on buying a TV, check out the guide on how to buy a TV.

In every CNET TV review, I compare at least three similar TVs side-by-side in a dedicated, light-controlled test lab. For each review, I use a rigorous, unbiased evaluation process that has been refined by more than two decades of television reviewing. I test TVs with a combination of scientific measurements and real-world ratings of TV shows, movies and video games. tn.

To ensure I can evaluate the picture quality of each TV, I connect each one to an AVPro Connect 8×8 4K HDR splitter so that each receives the same signal. I test TVs in a variety of lighting conditions, playing different media, including 4K HDR movies and console games, in a variety of test categories, from color to video processing to gaming and HDR.

In order to measure each TV, I use specialized equipment to classify them based on light output and color. My equipment includes a Konica Minolta CS-2000 spectroradiometer and a Murideo Six-G 4K HDR signal generator. I use Portrait Displays CalMan Ultimate software to rate each TV I review based on its brightness, black levels, and color.

Leo Bodnar Lag Tester sitting on a desk — The Leo Bodnar Lag Tester samples three regions of the screen for latency, and these are averaged to give each TV’s lag score.

I play a variety of games on an Xbox Series Fortunately, Xbox includes a 4K/120Hz and HDR compatibility test: Settings > TV & Display Options > 4K TV Details. The page will detail which HDR modes it supports (including Dolby Atmos) and whether it will support VRR – if a TV is checked in all the boxes, it means it has the best compatibility with high-end Xbox games.

Our reviews also consider things like features, design, smart TV performance, connectivity including HDMI inputs, and gaming compatibility.

Measuring input lag (in milliseconds) is an important part of my gaming TV testing process.

Check out the page on how CNET tests TVs for more details.

Input lag will often be lower in gaming mode than in any other mode on your TV. Here are some gaming-specific aspects I looked at for each TV.

How to activate game mode. In most cases, the gaming mode display is not automatic, so you will have to enable it manually, and sometimes the gaming monitor settings can be difficult to find. Many use a picture mode called “Game,” while some, like Samsung and Vizio, let you apply Game mode to any setting.

Game mode makes a difference, but not on all frequencies. As you can see in the table above, many TVs significantly reduce lag when you enable game mode, but many don’t. In general, expensive TVs with fancy video processing get more benefit when you enable Game Mode. Additionally, and as I noted above, Boost Mode on LG OLEDs only runs at 60Hz, not 120Hz.

Most game show modes are suitable for most players. No matter how nervous you are, it’s going to be difficult to tell the difference between 10 and 30 milliseconds of input lag. Many gamers won’t even be able to tell the difference between turning game mode on and off: it all depends on the game and your sensitivity to lag.

Enabling game mode may affect (a little) the image quality. TV manufacturers’ menus often refer to reduced picture quality. Reduced image quality is usually the result of turning off this video processing. In my experience, however, the image quality differences are really subtle with console gaming and worth the trade-off if you want to minimize lag for a great gaming experience.

4K HDR gaming lag is different from 1080p. The display resolution you play with has an impact, and as new consoles highlight 4KHDR output for gaming, I started testing 4K HDR lag in 2018. In general, the numbers are similar to lag at standard 1080p resolution, but as you can see from the chart above, there are exceptions.

Testing is an inexact science. I use Leo Bodnar lag testers. Here’s how they work and how I use them. I use two of these Bodnar lag testers – one in 1080p and one in 4K HDR – which use built-in optical sensors to measure and report input lag. When plugged into an HDMI port, the Bodnars flash the screen in three different locations, and you place the device’s built-in optical sensor flush with the screen at those points. They calculate the offset at each position and you average the three readings to get a score. You may see different lag test results from different assessment bodies, which may use Bodnar or another method.

Do I need a TV with HDMI 2.1 for gaming?

All of the advanced gaming features we’ve mentioned – 120Hz input and VRR, as well as the more common Auto Low Latency mode, also called Auto Gaming mode, and eARC – are roughly grouped under the HDMI 2.1 standard, but not all TVs in the tables below include all the features, nor offer the full video and audio bandwidth possible with HDMI 2.1.

Even more confusing, input capacity can vary on the same TV. Behind the physical connection where you plug in an HDMI cable is a subsection of the TV’s processing, namely a chip. These chips cost money, like everything else. To keep costs down, not all TV inputs are fully capable of all the latest features and frame rates. To put it another way, all the roads on Earth could be able to reach highway speeds, but building them that way would be expensive and pretty wasteful.

For example, an HDMI input might be eARC compatible, but not handle 4K at 120Hz. Just something to keep in mind when looking through the charts below. Additionally, some important features of the make and model did not fit the picture; please check the bullet points below for more details.

Do I need 120Hz input on my gaming TV?

Although TVs have been capable of 120Hz refresh for over a decade, the ability to to input 120 Hz is a much more recent development. This is largely because other than a pretty beefy gaming PC, there just haven’t been any 120Hz sources. That’s all changing with the PS5 and Series X. Some TVs on our list can accept 4K at 120Hz on all HDMI inputs, while others can only do so on certain inputs.

The Xbox Series S can also output 4K at 120Hz, but internally the game is rendered at a lower resolution (1440p) and upscaled before being sent to your TV. In practice though, it’s difficult to tell the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz in games that currently support it. We’ve done plenty of comparisons on the Xbox Series X and even at 60Hz there’s no screen tearing during gaming sessions, especially on OLED TVs. 120GHz support is a nice feature, but you may not notice the improvements.

For more information, learn the truth about 4K TV refresh rates – and beware of fake 120Hz refresh rates on 4K TVs.

What is VRR?

VRR, or variable refresh rate, is a new TV feature that you’d probably be surprised doesn’t already exist. All modern TVs have a fixed refresh rate. A 60 Hz TV will refresh or create a new image 60 times per second. The problem is that a new console may not be ready to go send a new image.

Let’s say you’re in the middle of a huge boss battle, with lots of enemies and explosions. The console has difficulty rendering everything in the allotted time. Television still needs something So the console may send a copy of the previous frame, creating jerkiness on the screen, or it may send a partially new frame, making it look like someone tore off a top page and revealed the new page underneath.

VRR gives the TV some flexibility to wait for the new image from the console. This will result in better gaming performance with smoother action and less tearing.