Everyone knows that Microsoft is the creator of Windows. But the corporation is also the manufacturer of the Xbox – one of the most powerful consoles on the market.
The first Xbox came off the assembly line in 2002, at about the same time as the famous Playstation 2. Since then Sony and Microsoft have been engaged in a bitter battle for the crown, which also polarizes gamers.
The Xbox, which was released in those days, has of course been improved over time and since then other generations have come onto the market. The Xbox 360 was released in 2005, the Xbox One in 2013 and finally two improved versions – the Xbox One S and One X in 2016. Nothing has happened in the meantime. But this year, in 2020, this will change and a new generation will conquer the market, namely the Xbox Series X.
The Next Gen console will have an unprecedented performance, so it makes sense to invest in a suitable television, which is capable of bringing the potential of the Xbox to the display. In any case, the new TV should have a 120 Hz display and an HDMI 2.1 interface. This is required to transfer the 4K resolution with 120 Hz refresh rate from the console to the TV. So here are our best televisions for the Xbox Series X for beginners and enthusiasts!
These are the Best TVs for Xbox Series X in 2020
- HDMI 2.1
- 4K with 120 Hz
- Input lag
- Picture quality in bright rooms
- Auto Low Latency Mode
- HDMI eARC
- Viewing angle
- VRR (HDMI Forum)
- Dirty Screen Effect
- Picture quality in a dark rooms
- Edge Lit Local Dimming
- Very deep blacks
- Contrast ratio of 11000:1
- Full Array Local Dimming
- 4K @ 120 Hz
- Input lag
- HDMI eARC
- VRR (HDMI Forum & FreeSync)
- Very clear movements
- Viewing angle
- No Dolby Vision
- HDMI 2.1
- 4K with 120 Hz
- VRR (HDMI Forum & FreeSync)
- Auto Low Latency Mode
- HDMI eARC
- Input Lag
- Viewing angle
- Picture quality in very bright rooms
The Best budget TV for Xbox Series X
LG NANO86
The LG NANO86 is the most affordable TV in the NanoCell series, which has been equipped with an HDMI 2.1 interface. It is a bit expensive for an entry-level model, but the new Xbox has a lot to offer, which by far not every TV can offer. In order to receive content with 4K resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate at all, a transmission bandwidth of at least 40 Gbps is necessary. Therefore HDMI 2.1 is a must-have – just like a display has a 120 Hz refresh rate.
The NANO86’s IPS panel has a very wide viewing angle, so you can easily play with friends without anyone being put at a disadvantage by washed-out colors. The other two televisions in this ranking perform even better, but you rarely sit in front of a TV at such an angle that this would make a difference. The picture quality in bright rooms is really good for the price level. However, the TV is not bright enough to display HDR content well. As usual for IPS panels, the NANO86 also has problems to produce a decent picture in dark environments. The black levels and contrast ratio is simply not good enough for this. The black levels are mediocre so that it looks more like grey in dark rooms – probably not the best choice for horror fans. Those who prefer deep blacks and also a better picture quality in dark surroundings should rather look at the Q70T; but beware, it has a very narrow viewing angle.
Otherwise, the NANO has all the features a gamer might need. A variable refresh rate through HDMI forum is available and also the Auto Low Latency Mode to keep the input lag during gaming as low as possible. The input lag is okay with 17 ms and the motion handling is really good with a response time of a little more than 4 ms. As you can see the NANO86 is definitely worth a look!
The Best High-End QLED TV for Xbox Series X
Samsung Q90T
The Q90T’s VA panel is from a different world compared to the little NANO86. The picture quality is much better and HDR content is displayed in a truly impressive way. In dark environments this can only be beaten by OLEDs like the CX. But in bright environments, the Q90T’s picture quality is almost unsurpassed due to its high peak brightness and excellent reflection handling. So if you are more of a daytime gamer and don’t want to make any concessions, you almost cannot get past Samsung’s QLED. The narrow viewing angle, which is typical of VA panels, is massively extended by an additional display layer. Therefore, even very oblique angles hardly cause any color washout.
In addition to great HDR gaming and a wide viewing angle, it impresses with a response time of less than 4 ms that causes a convincing motion handling. The TV feels unbelievably fast while gaming – which is probably due to the extremely low input lag of ~10 ms. Thus, you can be one step ahead of your opponent in fast games like shooters or racing games.
A variable refresh rate is available via HDMI Forum VRR and FreeSync, making screen tearing a thing of the past. Of course, an Auto Low Latency Mode is also available – Samsung could not have afforded to neglect this in their flagship.
Unfortunately, the Q90T only has HRD10+ as dynamic HDR format. Dolby Vision is not included – which could have improved the HDR performance. DTS is not available, but due to the HDMI eARC uncompressed Dolby Atmos. This creates a cinema-like sound backdrop when using soundbars or Hifi Systems.
The Best premium OLED TV for Xbox Series X
LG CX
When talking about the LG CX OLED, we speak about a TV that is one of the best you can get on the current market. So it is not really surprising that it is almost perfectly positioned in the gaming category. HDR gaming is impressive on it, especially in dark rooms. Due to the perfect blacks and the theoretically infinite contrast ratio, conventional LED TVs simply can not compete with the OLED construction in this discipline. In very bright rooms, however, the picture quality is not quite as convincing. Especially the Automatic Brightness Limiter is disturbing here, which dims the brightness in large bright scenes to protect the organic diodes. With the CX, there is no impairment of the colors even at very oblique viewing angles, although the difference to the Q90T will not really be noticeable – only at really extreme viewing angles, which would be very unusual in normal use.
In addition to the excellent picture quality, the motion handling of the OLED is also outstanding. Due to its design, it has an almost instant response time, which means that no motion blur is visible on the 120 Hz display. The input lag also knows how to inspire. At a 4K resolution with 120 Hz refresh rate it is only ~12 ms, which makes the TV feel very responsive.
The integrated speakers are quite reasonable and can get comparatively loud – the bass is a bit weak, but this can be compensated by soundbars or hifi systems. For this, uncompressed Dolby Atmos sound is supported to provide really cinema-quality sound from all directions.
The omnipresent fear that OLEDs are very much affected by burn-in is really unfounded with the CX. Especially when you consider that the same picture is rarely displayed for hours during gaming. So there is no need to worry about burn-in.
The Best TVs for Xbox Series X compared
| | | |
LG NANO86 | Samsung Q90T | LG CX | |
| Picture quality Here the overall picture quality of the television is measured during gaming. | |||
| HDR gaming Just as there are videos and movies with HDR, there are also video games with a particularly large contrast range. | |||
| Viewing angle The viewing angle of a TV is the angle at which you can sit in front of the TV without colors washing out and black areas losing their depth. | |||
| Input lag The input lag is the delay of the input signal from the movement of the controller / keyboard and mouse to the screen. | 17ms | 10ms | 12ms |
| Motion Handling Motion handling refers to the presentation of fast content. The aim here is to avoid motion blur as well as possible. | |||
| Variable Refresh Rate VRR is the general term for a dynamic refresh rate that can change continuously and seamlessly during operation on screen. | HDMI Forum | HDMI Forum & FreeSync | HDMI Forum & FreeSync |
| Auto Low Latency Mode Auto Low Latency Mode is a mode to which a TV is switches automatically when a game console is switched on. This mode reduces the latency between input and output signal. | |||
| HDMI 2.1 HDMI 2.1 is a 48 Gbit/s transmission standard. This makes it possible to implement particularly demanding requirements for gaming, for example 120 Hz at 4K resolution. | |||
| Burn in The burning (or "burning out") of a single pixel is called burn-in. Only OLED televisions are exposed to this risk. Examples are very bright or static contents (white news bars). For normal users, however, the risk is virtually non-existent. | Not possible | Not possible | Theoretically possible |
| | | |
LG NANO86 | Samsung Q90T | LG CX | |
| Available sizes The compared TV for Xbox Series X are available in following screen sizes | 55 Inch See price 65 Inch See price 75 Inch See price 85 Inch See price All prices | 48 Inch See price 55 Inch See price 65 Inch See price 77 Inch See price All prices |
Time for a TV upgrade?
Because both Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 are extremely powerful, a TV upgrade is probably essential for most gamers to bring their performance to the screen. With the Xbox One X, the performance of many TVs was still sufficiently high – but the bar will be raised a bit higher in 2020 by the new generation. Due to the 4K resolution with 120 Hz, HDMI 2.1 and a display with a native refresh rate of 120 Hz is the minimum threshold that a TV has to overcome to be really suitable.
The NANO86 from the Korean manufacturer LG can usually not really be described as an entry-level model and is probably more likely to be classified in mid-range. However, it is the most affordable NanoCell with HDMI 2.1 and a 120 Hz display. Therefore, this entry-level model is incredibly powerful for next gen gaming. The IPS panel delivers a reasonable picture in bright environments with a wide viewing angle and all the features necessary for gaming are included. However, the picture quality in dark environments is far away from being perfect.
The Q90T is absolutely outstanding when it comes to gaming. Whether in bright or dark environments, HDR content is displayed brilliantly with excellent picture quality. Especially in bright rooms only few TVs can compete with the QLED. Like the NANO86, the Q90T has everything you need for gaming. A variable refresh rate, auto low latency mode and an extremely low input lag are combined in the Q90T.
OLEDs have an incomparable picture quality in dark rooms – and the LG CX is no exception. It is one of the best TVs the 2020 market has to offer. So it is not surprising that gaming on it is pure fun. Like the other two TVs, it has VRR, ALLM and a low input lag, so you do not have to miss any of these important features. However, the other TVs cannot quite keep up in terms of motion handling due to their design, as OLEDs have an almost perfect response time. Only those who often want to play in very bright rooms without concessions should rather consider the QLED flagship.
