Gaming TV in test 2023
Anyone looking for a new television these days is very likely to be looking for a large device with an impressive screen diagonal, the highest possible resolution and a number of additional integrated features. Such a Full HD or 4K television is particularly interesting if you want to turn your living room into a home cinema and enjoy the latest films in outstanding picture quality.
But more and more gamers are also interested in a high-resolution TV set on which they can enjoy their virtual adventures in the best possible way. Such gaming televisions are specially designed for the special requirements of gamers and are now available for comparatively little money. But what exactly do you have to consider when buying a gaming TV? Our guide below will tell you.
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Gaming TV – what is that anyway?
The term gaming TV is slightly misleading, because there are actually no real gaming TVs. However, there are modern televisions that are equipped with additional functions that discerning gamers are guaranteed to be happy about, although they are still classic devices with which you can not only gamble, but also watch your favorite programs or films as usual can.
If you are looking for a suitable television for gaming, you should therefore look around for special devices that offer these functions. For example, a fast refresh rate is particularly important here, which is also interesting for enjoying films: It enables rapid movement sequences, as known from many games, to be displayed absolutely smoothly and without annoying jerks. This is also particularly interesting in tactical games, where every single second decides between life and death.
A so-called gaming mode is part of the basic equipment of every gaming television. This can be set as desired as soon as the television is used for gaming – it is simply deactivated again when you later enjoy television. Such a gaming mode contributes to a significant improvement in the image, so that the player gets his money's worth.
In fact, there are many other aspects to consider when looking for the right device, especially when using modern game consoles. So it's not that easy to find the perfect gaming TV. Under no circumstances should you blindly jump on the first device you come across just because it is currently on sale or has a particularly stylish design. Only those who carefully examine the requirements of their games console before purchasing will be able to enjoy their new television in the long term.
Modern gaming console vs. retro console
Which functional properties a gaming television must have depends primarily on the game console on which you play your games. For example, if you own the cutting-edge PlayStation 5 from Sony or the latest XBOX generation from Microsoft, so the TV needs one HDMI 2.1 input, so that the maximum power of the console can also be used to its full advantage. Such an input is capable of processing up to 120 frames per second in 4K quality, teasing the maximum out of the console.
For example, if you own one PlayStation 4, an HDMI 2.0 input is sufficient - although you would of course prefer to use a TV set with HDMI 2.1 in order to be optimally equipped for the future. If, on the other hand, you prefer to gamble on retro consoles such as a Nintendo 64 or a SNES, you have to find out about the HDMI port don't worry. Here, however, you should make sure whether the selected television still has older connections that the retro consoles need - such as a classic Euroscart socket.
the connections can usually also be retrofitted using special adapters, which means that nothing should stand in the way of retro fun in the living room.
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A gaming TV should offer this when using a modern console
Due to the new technologies and increasingly high-resolution images, it is no longer so easy, especially for owners of current consoles, to find a perfect gaming television. We have compiled the most important criteria for you here so that you don't lose track of things when looking for the right device.
Refresh rate
A particularly important feature for a gaming television is the so-called refresh rate. It is given in Hertz and tells the buyer how many frames can be displayed per second. As already briefly mentioned at the beginning, the highest possible refresh rate helps ensure that the displayed content runs pleasantly smoothly and smoothly and that there are no annoying dropouts or hangs, which massively spoil the fun of the game.
For example, anyone who owns a PlayStation 5 that achieves 120 frames per second also needs a 120 Hz television that is able to convert this number of frames accordingly - so buying a 60 Hz television would be suboptimal here. But even with older consoles, a device with 100 or 120 Hz is clearly recommended.
Input Lag
The so-called input lag is extremely important, especially for players of tactical games. This indicates how long it usually takes until the input on the controller actually arrives on the television.
Even minimal delays in games like Counterstrike or GTA can lead to the enemy gaining the upper hand, so ideally the input lag should be very high. The value should definitely be less than 20 milliseconds, some current gaming televisions even have an input lag of less than 10 ms.
Gaming mode
Almost every modern gaming television is equipped with a so-called gaming mode. When activated, it helps to immediately reduce input lag by turning off various image enhancers used when viewing HD and UHD content.
However, this can lead to a deterioration in image quality in gaming mode, while the response time is exemplary - so you have to decide whether you prefer fast input lag or flawless image quality. With many cutting-edge televisions, however, the reduction in picture quality has meanwhile improved so much that the difference is no longer noticeable.
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
The Auto Low Latency Mode is an additional extension for the Gaming Mode. If a game console is connected to the television, the ALLM automatically recognizes this and switches directly to gaming mode accordingly. As a player, you can save yourself the manual changeover in the user settings of the device.
HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGiG)
HGIG is an interesting feature, especially when using the latest game consoles, because it ensures flawless display of HDR content when playing, which is also playing an increasingly important role in video games. Many customers mistakenly assume that HGIG is a new HDR standard or a switchable picture mode, but neither is true.
Instead, these are voluntary optimizations that can be created by game developers, television manufacturers and game console developers in order to enable optimal HDR display with the best possible tone mapping. HGIG is now supported by almost all major TV manufacturers, but usually has to be activated manually.
HDR 2.1
As already mentioned at the beginning, a modern gaming television does not necessarily need an HDMI 2.1 input. This is only necessary if you own a modern game console, such as the PlayStation 5 or the new generation of the XBOX.
Who, for example, on a XBOX One or a PlayStation 4 is already well served with an HDMI 2.0 input, but with a view to the future a device with a 2.1 input cannot do any harm.
The screen size
The screen size also plays an important role in a gaming TV. This should not be too small, otherwise you can simply get one that is often much cheaper Gaming Monitor can buy. The best possible gaming experience in the living room at home is actually only possible with a television with a screen diagonal of at least 50 inches, but of course you also have to observe the recommended minimum distance from the TV set.
And finally ...
When there were still classic game consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or the 1st generation of the PlayStation, it was child's play to find a suitable television to which the device could be connected.
In the meantime, however, a great deal has happened in the gaming segment due to a sharp increase in the resolution of games and content that is becoming ever faster, so that when buying a TV you also have to pay attention to an optimal refresh rate and an exemplary input lag.
However, if you deal with these criteria before purchasing the TV set, you should be able to get a good gaming TV quite quickly.
