How to choose a TV for console gaming?

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Good day! Requirements for TVs for console gaming are not so critical, so you could simply say "buy the model with the largest diagonal for which you have enough money." But I will still try to answer in more detail and suggest what you should pay attention to.

What parameters to pay attention to

1. Delay time

In fact, this is the main criterion that interests us (it is also called input-lag). This is the time it takes to process the image from the signal source - in our case the console - before it appears on the screen.

Accordingly, the lower the delay, the better. On average, for TVs, this figure fluctuates around 60 ms. E-sportsmen and hardcore gamers aim for 10-15 ms, but for ordinary people, TVs with input lag of 30 ms or less are quite suitable.

The problem is that manufacturers do not always indicate this parameter: it is rather difficult to measure and it depends on the resolution and picture display modes. You can find information about the delay time on specialized sites like rtings.com.

2. Screen refresh rate

The refresh rate is the number of frames the TV displays per second. Here everything is exactly the opposite: the higher it is, the smoother the picture will be and the more noticeable the change in details in dynamic scenes will be. Most console games do not support frequencies higher than 60 Hz, so this figure will be more than enough. However, if you are also going to connect your TV to your PC and play online shooters, consider the 120Hz models.

3. Resolution

There are two options here: 4K TV or Full HD. The latter are already hard to find on sale, but you shouldn't write them off completely. The 4K or Ultra HD standard has been around for many years, but content in this resolution has only recently begun to appear massively. Most games on the current generation of consoles are released in Full HD, and titles in 4K can be counted on one finger.

If you are buying a TV with an eye on the next generation, it is definitely worth taking models with 4K. If you plan to play on PS 4 and Xbox One, then you can limit yourself to Full HD, especially if there is a good deal. The size of the screen also matters: the difference in image detail can be seen on diagonals from 45 inches

4. HDR support

But HDR is noticeable regardless of resolution and diagonal. This technology makes the picture better and more detailed by dynamically changing the contrast, allowing you to achieve truly black dark and bright highlights. If your budget allows, it's best to stick with HDR models.

5. Availability of ports

An important point that many people forget. Your TV should have enough HDMI ports to connect your console and other devices so you don't have to mess with splitters later. Also important is the number of connectors that support HDMI 2.1 or 2.0 - especially when buying a TV with an eye on the next generation of consoles.

Which TV to buy

LG 43UM7300 43 ″

A successful model with a small diagonal, which is suitable for cases when there is no free space for the TV or the purchase budget is very limited. There is support for 4K and HDR content, but due to the not very high peak brightness, the TV, unfortunately, cannot boast of deep blacks. However, the 10.7ms input lag makes it one of the best budget options for gaming.

Price: 25 490 rubles

Buy

Hisense H65B7300 65 ″

A TV for those who want to get the maximum diagonal at the lowest price. The latency of this model is quite high at about 50ms, but for not very demanding gamers this will be enough. The rest of the TV has everything you need: support for 4K and HDR, built-in smart platform, a rich set of interfaces and powerful speakers.

Price: 44 990 rubles

Buy

Samsung UE55TU8000U 55 ″

Decent 4K TV with excellent contrast and HDR 10 support. The model features realistic color reproduction and very low input lag - only 9.7 ms for 4K video with HDR. Other features include support for AirPlay 2, that is, you can stream images from the screen of iOS devices to TV.

Price: 47 989 rubles

Buy

Samsung QE49Q60RAU 49 ″

A VA-matrix TV that falls short of the expensive OLED displays in color reproduction, but produces an impressive picture when viewing HDR content. The model has a fairly low input-lag (14.6 ms) and supports FreeSync technology, which adds smoothness to games on Xbox One.

Price: 74 990 rubles

Buy

LG 55CXR 55 ″

Ideal for those who want maximum quality. Thanks to the use of an OLED panel, the TV produces rich colors and detailed pictures even in the darkest scenes. There is support for FreeSync and a variable refresh rate, and the input lag is only 13.6 ms. In addition, this model is well implemented with the function of scaling content in low resolution, which will be very useful for games from consoles that produce images in 1080p and 720p.

Price: 154 990 rubles

Buy