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Safely in the top of the tree alongside the other usual suspects, if you're after a new television, you'll have to consider all the candidates for the title of 'best Samsung 4K TV for gaming'. However, what makes their TVs so perenially good for gaming? And what makes Samsung TVs - and in particular the QLED range - different to other panels? There's no doubt some of the best gaming TVs are Samsung models, hands down. From the mighty Q90R and Q9FN through to the NU8000 and the plucky NU6900, most Samsung panels are specifically tuned to enhance 4K gaming as well as the movies and TV you expect to see on your home TV. For our money, and while different, the QLED range easily matches LG's rival OLEDs for gaming TVs, and the mid-range LED sets have a bunch of features and gaming enhancements, that they too are easy to recommend, whatever console of choice is.
At the pinnacle of Samsung's models we have the QLED tvs: the very best Samsung 4K TVs for gaming. QLED stands for Quantum Dot LED, and the main thing to know about this tech is that it makes colors brighter than any other type of panel. The top of the range QLEDs (Q90 / Q9) can manage about 2000 nits brightness, and the color contrast is incredible. To put that in perspective, your average HDR capable TV only manages about 400 nits.
The best Samsung 4K QLED you can buy
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The Q90R is the successor to the Q9F and is a fair bit dearer but goes someway to justify the price hike. The bezel-free design featuring a black aluminum stand is a luxurious addition to any living room. It's one of the few TVs that don't require external audio, the sound is excellent. The panel peaks at 2000 nits brightness, that lights up a pitch black room in no time. Due to full array local dimming, so the use of 480 separate LEDs, the black levels go almost as deep as on OLED. There is no color bleeding, no light bleeding, no clouding when watching from a center position. If you play from an angle, there is a slight sliver of light touching through on the upper right and left corner. You have to search for it, but it's there. Now let's talk about brightness: boy is this bright. It's stunning. At night, especially, but also during the day. With all windows opened and direct sun breaking into the house, the picture clarity is one the best I've ever experienced on a TV set. If you are ready to spend, this is the best QLED and overall LED you can buy.
This features a more elegant design than other models due to its curved display and a brushed aluminum stand with a very long curve that looks stunning in the living room. The curved panel looks sexier and is slightly more immersive than the flat models (but you do have to have the right space to use it). Especially in games like Titanfall 2, where you are sitting in a titan, and the curved experience gives you the feeling of being encapsulated in its cockpit. If you sit close enough, there is a notable difference in how you enjoy entertainment, both in games and Netflix. The impressive wide color gamut results in vibrant and saturated colors and thanks to the extremely high HDR peak brightness, highlights really pop and shine when compared with SDR content. While the Q7C can't offer the perfect black levels of his newer model, it's much cheaper and as fast: 24 ms at 4K@60 Hz is perfect for Doom and Overwatch. It's perfect for games and maybe a little more affordable than the absolute top of the range.
Are there true budget QLED options? Well, sort of. And the Q60R series fits that bill nicely. The HDR quality is really good for the lower end price class. If you are less of a Netflix aficionado and you play a lot of shooters like Battlefield 5, Call of Duty or Rainbow Six: Siege, you don't need these extreme brightness levels. They are mostly leveraged by single player experiences like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Uncharted 4 or the upcoming Metro Exodus. The Q60R uses edge LEDs, meaning LEDs are not spread over the entire panel but built into the side which means less perfect black levels. This is not the most high-class TV experience you can get, but the most affordable QLED set you can buy. It's a good looking TV, it's fast, color reproduction is excellent, only viewing angles aren't that great. It's more built for long nights with one person next to you, less of a party and sports TV to watch SuperBowl and Champions League with 20 friends. You can also drop down to a 49-inch model, if you really want a great TV but don't quite have the budget for 55-inch.
