Happy new PS5 or Xbox Series X day! If you were lucky enough to find one of the new generation consoles under your Christmas tree – assuming they even fit under your tree… – then you’re probably now wondering about a 4K 120Hz TV for PS5 or Xbox Series X to make the most of those blazing fast frame rates.
• See our picks of the best TVs of all kinds
• Check out the best gaming TVs
• Where to buy PS5
What is 120Hz at 4K?
Put simply, all televisions have what’s called a refresh rate. A 60Hz TV will refresh its image 60 times in one second therefore a 120Hz one will be twice that. Thus 4K gaming content will look ludicrously smooth at high refresh rates if the game is capable of it.
While some TVs can display at 120Hz, the majority aren’t ready for 4K content at this high a refresh rate, and your TV will need HDMI 2.1 functionality to make the most of this new-gen console tech.
Check your settings
Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X have the capacity to output 4K games at 120fps but you’ll have to head into your system settings to make sure you’ve got the right options enabled.
When checking what your TV is currently capable of, make sure you are using the supplied or another HDMI 2.1 cable. Your old cables won’t cut it here.
On Xbox, head to Power & System > Settings > General > TV & Display Options and you can check what your TV supports. On PlayStation, head into Settings and then go to Video Output Information.
Best 4K 120Hz TVs
So which TVs should you be looking out for in Boxing Day deals? Let’s start at the more affordable end of the scale and work our way up.
The Samsung Q70T QLED TV comes with HDMI 2.1 functionality out of the box. It doesn’t have quite the visual punch of the more expensive models in Samsung’s QLED range thanks to a different backlighting tech but it’s the cheapest with support for 4K gaming at 120Hz, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). The Q70T had some great reductions over Black Friday so keep an eye out for some good deals over the coming days.
Next up is the PS5-ready Sony XH90/X900H, which is the most competitively priced option on our list of the best gaming TVs. As you can read in our Sony XH90/X900H review, it’s not got the deep blacks of OLED but 120Hz at 4K comes as standard, VRR is on the way and upscaled content looks brilliant too.
Climb a little up the price scale and you’ve got LG’s BX range of entry level OLEDs which come with all of the new-gen gaming benefits of higher-end TVs. 120Hz at 4K comes as standard, and you’ve got VRR and ALLM in here too with a stack of the visual eye hugs that come with an OLED display.
Then there’s the Samsung Q80T which is absolutely one of our favourite 4K TVs of the year. As we said in our Samsung Q80T review, this is an impressive screen with beautiful colours and everything your new-gen console could hope for in terms of frame rates – and the price has come crashing down since then, so we only rate it more highly now.
The LG CX range of screens are our favourite gaming TVs overall. With a range of four sizes (including 48 inches – the smallest option with these features available), brilliant image quality and HDMI 2.1 as standard, these TVs stand proudly at the top of our list of the best gaming TVs. Check out our platinum awarded LG CX review for a full breakdown.
And then there’s the Samsung Q90T and Samsung Q800T when you’re sparing no expense. The Samsung Q90T is Samsung’s flagship QLED from 2020 with superb HDR imagery, HDMI 2.1 support as standard and happily secures its spot as one of our favourites of the year.
And if 4K just isn’t enough, the Samsung Q800T is an 8K TV with great PS5 and Xbox Series X chops. As you can see in our Samsung Q800T review Samsung’s flagship 8K has brilliant visuals and support for 120Hz at 4K and VRR. Go on, go for the 65-inch model. Your console will thank you.
If you’re looking for a new TV and want to make sure you’re getting the best price, check out our constantly updated best TV deals.
