The best budget TVs for gaming, according to the experts
We all own so many tech gadgets these days that combining functions is always welcomed. You probably have a TV at home for streaming your favorite shows, but is it good enough for gaming? If you’re not one to game on your laptop or you like to spend the weekend with friends playing co-op games in the living room, your TV needs to be up to snuff in terms of performance. Not all TVs are worthy of your gaming skills, and many top-of-the-line models come with a hefty price tag.
If you’re not in the mood to spend thousands on a new TV but you also intend to game in the living room, some of the best budget-friendly TV brands make a few models that are great for gaming.
How to choose a budget-friendly gaming TV
TV jargon is notoriously confusing, and new acronyms pop up often. Instead of leaving you overwhelmed with the decision, we asked PCMag’s Will Greenwald to help out. Greenwald serves as a lead analyst, having tested over 170 TVs for PCMag, which is also owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis. Here’s the thing about testing TVs — it takes deeply advanced technology that most of us don’t have.
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When it comes to TVs capable of handling gaming without costing over $1,000, Greenwald says, “Several of Hisense and TCL's TVs are excellent for gaming on a budget.” Both brands stand out as leaders when it comes to offering a solid price-to-quality ratio.
Gaming must-haves
Gaming, or rather gaming efficiently, means your TV needs to tick a few boxes. We’re looking at the refresh rate and input lag when finding a TV that’s well-equipped for gaming. Without scoring decent numbers on those elements, your gaming experience could be stuttery and interrupted. If your game happens to be full of quick action, you’ll want a TV that can keep up, instead of leaving you in sticky situations.
“For gaming, you should look for a TV with at least a 120Hz refresh rate and VRR, at the very least,” according to Greenwald. Refresh rate refers to how many times per second your TV updates the image, measured in hertz. VRR refers to variable refresh rate, and VRR-equipped TVs are able to match the game’s FPS (frames per second) up to the max refresh rate. For this feature, Greenwald says you want to look out for a gaming TV that comes with AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync.
And then there’s input lag, which is "the amount of time between when the TV receives a signal and the screen updates,” according to Greenwald. This is where the PCMag expert testing proves essential because TVs don’t include input lag info in their stats, and you won’t be able to tell when buying a TV online or even when it’s displayed in a store.
In real-life terms, input lag is how long it takes the TV to reflect what happened IRL. Say you press the jump button in the game. Input lag measures how much time it takes for the TV to get that info and show it on screen. As you can imagine, this is a big deal when it comes to gaming.
Since buying a gaming-worthy TV can be overwhelming, we’ve intentionally kept this short and sweet — only selecting a few models that should work well for everyone, following Greenwald’s guidance and expert testing.
Best overall
Why we like it
The TCL QM6K is Greenwald’s top pick for buying a budget-friendly gaming TV. The refresh rate comes in at 144 Hz and you’ll get AMD FreeSync Premium Pro to tick off that VRR requirement. “The TCL QM6K is a very good value and a strong performer for the price,” said Greenwald in his review. “While it isn’t the brightest TV available, its mini-LED backlight enables deep black levels for excellent contrast, its colors are wide and accurate, and it's packed with features for streaming and gaming.”
Greenwald’s measurements showed the TCL QM6K has an input lag of 7.5 milliseconds when in Game Mode, and anything under 10 milliseconds is considered good for gaming with Greenwald’s advanced equipment.
The TCL QM6K's overall design is also nice, with a slim design that looks modern. Its Google TV platform is one of the best options around, thanks to an intuitive design that keeps all of your streaming options nicely arranged and easy to access. Google Cast lets you stream from an Android device or a Chrome tab, and Apple AirPlay means Apple’s ecosystem can easily push to the TV. While it’s a small detail, the backlighting on the included remote control is really helpful for movie nights.
The 4K QLED display on the TCL QM6K is impressive when it comes to contrast, according to Greenwald, giving off accurate colors and deep blacks. “By the numbers, the QM6K’s contrast is excellent, though it only gets modestly bright compared with slightly more expensive TVs,” Greenwald found after extensive testing. But what makes the TCL QM6K our top pick is the combination of picture quality with gaming features at an affordable price.
If you’re looking for an even more budget-friendly option, consider the 55-inch version of the TCL QM6K, which usually knocks about $200 off the price of the 65-inch. You could also go bigger and grab an 85 or 98-inch model. While the price increases with size, it remains a good value for the cost across the entire line.
Other sizes:
The TCL QM6K comes in 55, 65, 75, 85, and 98 inches.
Runner up
Why we like it
In addition to TCL, Hisense is a strong contender when it comes to manufacturing TVs with impressive specs for the price point. The Hisense U8N is one of Greenwald’s top picks for budget-friendly TVs that don’t skimp out on quality, and this model comes with gaming stats that should work well for all but the most serious of gamers. For starters, the Hisense U8N comes with a 144 Hz refresh rate in Game Mode Pro, which is more than acceptable. Plus, it comes equipped with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which will give you a better experience in terms of VRR.
When Greenwald tested the Hisense U8N for input lag, his equipment showed a 7.4 millisecond lag when in Game Mode Pro with Instant Game Response enabled. This is pretty quick, according to Greenwald, since anything under 10 milliseconds is PCMag’s threshold for what makes a TV suitable for gaming. Greenwald further explains that a 7.4 millisecond lag works out to just one frame drop per second at the Hisense U8N’s 144 Hz refresh rate.
The one disclaimer with the Hisense U8N’s Game Mode is that Greenwald suggests you turn that feature off once you’re done gaming and switch to watching TV. “Make sure you turn off Game Mode when not playing games, though, because I saw significant clipping in highlights (where very bright parts of the screen blend together and become indistinct) with it turned on,” he noted in his review of the TV.
Greenwald also praises the Hisense U8N’s brightness, which comes from the 4K QLED display. He was impressed with the U8N’s off-angle viewing, which didn’t have color skewing or desaturation. This off-angle viewing experience can be a big factor if you host a gaming night for friends, where not everyone will be directly in front of the TV.
With a 144 Hz refresh rate, low input lag, nice display, and budget-friendly price, the U8N is a great option. “It can put out a nearly blinding amount of light, it’s loaded with features, and it’s very affordable for the performance it offers,” Greenwald noted.
Other sizes:
The Hisense U8N comes in 55, 65, 75, and 85 inches.
Honorable mention
Why we like it
Also hanging out under the $1,000 mark, the Vizio Quantum Pro could work well as your affordable gaming TV. CNET, another Mashable sister publication also owned by Ziff Davis, considers the Vizio Quantum Pro to be a nice mid-range option. “In our tests over the years, Vizio TVs have consistently produced excellent picture quality at a more affordable price,” according to the CNET review. “The Vizio Quantum Pro continues this trend and holds up as a solid mid-priced TV option, particularly for gamers looking for a high-performance gaming TV without breaking the bank.”
It comes with a 120 Hz refresh rate, which is lower than our top two choices, but is still perfectly acceptable for gaming. That’s especially true if your video game preferences are on the more chill side, like spending the weekend with Animal Crossing or endless rounds of Balatro. It’s also worth noting some consoles top out at 120 Hz, including the Nintendo Switch 2, which means you might not require a 240 Hz+ TV. Regarding VRR, you’ll be in good shape with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.
A slight limitation comes from the single HDMI port on the Quantum Pro that can support 4K 120 Hz. This means you can only have one console connected at a time. The other three HDMI ports cannot support these specs.
Other sizes:
The Vision Quantum Pro comes in 65 and 75 inches.
Topics Gaming Vizio Video Games
Frequently Asked Questions
That box of tangled cords in your closet probably has a few HDMI cables, but not all of them are gaming-worthy. We’re not saying you need a super expensive HDMI cable, but the technology has improved over the years and it’s best to go with an HDMI 2.1 to get the best refresh rate, which made its debut in late 2017. “The 2.1 standard is mostly important for high-end gaming, due to the potential of 4K signals at frame rates higher than 60fps coming from gaming PCs and consoles,” explained Greenwald.
Since not all HDMI cables list this information on the physical cable, assume any HDMI cable that’s over about six years old needs an upgrade if you’ll be using it for gaming on a TV. You’ll also need that HDMI 2.1 cable if you’re going for 8K resolution or plan to upgrade to an 8K TV soon.
If you’re big into gaming, you’ve probably wondered if a gaming TV or a gaming monitor is a better investment. The decision depends on your preferences and gaming style. Overall, gaming monitors are a better option for serious gamers, and that’s largely due to the fact they simply have better stats, including better refresh rates and lower input lag. Greenwald mentions super high-end gaming monitors are capable of a 360Hz refresh rate — useful for professional gamers but not necessary for casual gamers.
Your gaming habits can also help with the decision. If you like to game in the home office from your ergonomic desk chair, a gaming monitor is probably better. But if you’ll be in the living room playing on the Nintendo Switch 2, a TV with gaming stats and solid specs will be great.
Lauren Allain is a freelance journalist covering deals at Mashable. She graduated from Western Washington University with a B.A. in journalism and holds an M.B.A from Webster Leiden. You can find more of her work online from publications including Reader’s Digest, U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Refined, and more. When she’s not writing, Lauren prefers to be outside hiking, bouldering, swimming, or searching for the perfect location for all three.
