A TV for gaming: HDMI 2.1, 120 or 144 Hz, VRR and input lag

What does your console or PC ask for?

Start with what you plug in. Sony gives up to 4K at 120 Hz and VRR over HDMI 2.1 for the PS5. Microsoft gives up to 120 frames per second, VRR and ALLM for the Xbox Series X; the Series S outputs up to 1440p at 120 Hz. So a console never sends more than 120 Hz. A PC with a recent graphics card can do more, and that is where 144 Hz and higher come in.

If you mostly play games that run at 60 frames per second, a 120 Hz TV is not a must. With fast shooters and racing games that have a 120 Hz mode you do notice it: motion looks smoother.

HDMI 2.1: check which ports can do it

According to the HDMI Licensing Administrator, HDMI 2.1 reaches up to 48 Gbit/s and makes 4K at 120 Hz, 8K at 60 Hz, VRR and ALLM possible, among other things. A TV may be called "HDMI 2.1" without having all of those features. So check in the specifications which features it has and on how many ports 4K 120 Hz works. On some TVs it is not all four.

If you also connect a soundbar over eARC, check whether that port is one of the fast ones. With a console and a soundbar, you ideally want a fast port for the console that is not the eARC port.

In our catalogue HDMI 2.1 is in the name of the LG 55QNED93B6A, the TCL 65P61K and the LG 55MRGB86B9A, among others.

120 Hz or 144 Hz?

The figure in hertz is how many times per second the screen shows a new image. For consoles 120 Hz is enough. Some TVs go up to 144 Hz for PCs: Hisense lists "Native 144Hz Game Mode" for the 65E8S, Xiaomi 144 Hz for the TV S Pro Mini LED 65 and LG 144 Hz VRR for the 55QNED85B6B.

Mind the difference between a panel that is 120 Hz itself and a game mode that reaches 120 Hz by giving up something else. For the TV F Pro 50 Xiaomi lists a 60 Hz panel with a "120Hz Game Boost Mode". Check in the specifications at which resolution such a mode works.

VRR, ALLM and game mode

VRR (variable refresh rate) lets the TV match its pace to the console or PC. If a game briefly drops below 120 frames per second, the HDMI Licensing Administrator says VRR reduces or removes stutter and tearing. There are three flavours: HDMI VRR (HDMI's own standard, used by the consoles), AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible for PCs. LG lists FreeSync for its QNED models and AMD FreeSync for the 55MRGB86B9A.

ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) switches the TV to game mode by itself as soon as the console starts a game. In game mode the TV turns off picture processing that takes time, so your button press reaches the screen sooner. That delay is called input lag. Some makers give a figure in milliseconds in the specifications; if so, compare figures stated the same way, for example both in game mode at 4K.

OLED or Mini-LED for gaming

Both can do 120 Hz and VRR, such as LG's OLED C6 and the Mini-LED TVs from Hisense and Xiaomi. The difference is in the screen itself: OLED gives deep black, Mini-LED more brightness. LG and Samsung mention burn-in as a point to watch with OLED when images stay still for a long time, such as a fixed score display. If you play the same game for hours a day, take that into account.

For HDR in games, many TVs, LG's among them, have an HGIG setting (HDR Gaming Interest Group, a group Sony and Microsoft set up with TV makers): the TV then leaves the adjustment of brightness to the console and the game. Microsoft also supports Dolby Vision for games on the Xbox Series; check whether your TV can do it if you have an Xbox.

The cable: Ultra High Speed HDMI

For 4K at 120 Hz you need a cable rated for 48 Gbit/s. It is called Ultra High Speed HDMI and, according to the HDMI Licensing Administrator, carries a certification label on the packaging. An older High Speed cable does not have the bandwidth. Sony says an HDMI 2.1 cable comes with the PS5; if you need a longer one, choose an Ultra High Speed cable.

All cables are under HDMI cables, all TVs under televisions.