Products in this test

Home entertainment is more in focus than ever before this winter, and the newly launched Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X got a real head start on sales – until the warehouse ran out. The new game consoles offer sharper, faster and smoother game graphics than ever before. But only if your TV can handle it!

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X come with advanced features such as 4K resolution, HDR and higher frame rates – up to 120 frames per second for some games. This also places higher demands on the TV, which must handle large amounts of data in the shortest possible time. If your TV is much older than 1-2 years, it may soon feel ready for an upgrade when you get a new game console in house.

Optimal TV for gaming

When we play, it is essential to be able to react quickly when we discover an obstacle, whether it is a sharp hairpin swing or an enemy with a machine gun. It’s all about being as fast as possible on the trigger or the steering wheel. Here, just a few milliseconds can mean the difference between life and death!

A modern TV must be able to conjure up the best possible picture quality from all types of video sources. It uses powerful image processing to enhance sharpness, contrast and motion. The downside is that this can delay the picture signal a bit. This does not play a big role in normal TV watching – on the other hand, it can be “killed” for the gaming response.

If the TV is to work optimally for gaming, it is therefore important that it has a dedicated picture mode for games, with the lowest possible delay. It must also keep in mind the different resolutions and picture frequencies that the game console or PC can serve (variable refresh rate). In addition, it is convenient for the TV to detect when you start a game and automatically switch to optimal game mode (auto low latency mode).

Which screen size is best for games?

Here at Lyd & Bilde, we are clearly fans of large screens, and as long as you have space, we are happy to recommend 65 ”or larger for the best possible enjoyment of film and series entertainment. A TV that is earmarked for PS5, Xbox or gaming in general, however, does not have to be as big as the typical living room TV.

In gaming mode, you often sit closer and more concentrated in front of the screen, focused on what (or who) is lurking around the next turn. A competitive gamer prefers a full view of the entire screen, without having to move his gaze too much. In addition, the TV should fit in the “game room” where you have less space. In such cases, you can live with a smaller screen, as long as it has the right features.

We have landed at 55 ”as the best screen size in terms of performance and price. Quality is much more important than quantity! It is still worth noting that most test participants are available in larger screen sizes.

The participants

For this test, we have focused exclusively on gaming-related features and performance, and ended up with three worthy test participants. The challengers from LG (OLED55CX), Samsung (QE55Q80T) and Sony (XH9005) are all equipped with HDMI 2.1 and support 4K resolution with up to 120 frames per second (4K / 120 fps), as well as dedicated image modes for gaming. The three screens are equipped with either OLED or direct LED backlight, which ensures the best possible contrast. Thus, they are also well equipped to render graphics in HDR quality.

But which of these TVs provides the best gaming experience in practice? Let’s test!