Are LED TVs Good For Gaming?

LED TVs are good for gaming, and people have believed this for more than ten years. Although the technology wasn’t as advanced at the time as now, they were widely popular among gamers. Throughout the years, the gaming industry has undergone a lot of changes, such as better graphics and smoother actions. So, to keep up with these changes, the tech industry has also changed a lot and come up with new innovations like QLED, OLED, and even QD-OLED. 

Gamers are well aware of what they need for the best gaming setup to truly enjoy the game. As the display is an important component of it, they are keen to learn and experiment with new things about it. Among the many options available in the market, gamers still ask: Are LED TVs good for gaming? They were popular once, but do they have something exciting now that makes them still best to be on the gamer’s table? Let’s check it deeply. 

What Is LED TV?

LED TV is an LED-backlit LCD TV that is comprised of two parts: an LCD panel with light-emitting diodes, which means LED. The standard LCD TVs have CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent light), which is thicker and less efficient. Instead, LED TVs have LEDs to backlight the display, which makes them more efficient and offers better visual results that are close to real life. 

The LCD panel has little colored dots called pixels, which actually make the TV image and need a backlight for presentation on display. The backlight offers the required light to LCD pixels and makes the colors visible. LED is the technology that sources this backlight in LED TVs and most flat-screen TVs nowadays. 

Are LED TVs Good For Gaming?

LEDs are still famous in the gaming market. As they are available in various sizes and shapes with different specifications, they cater to the needs of all types of customers. With their less expensive nature, they are perfect partners for budget gaming. However, not all LED TVs are the same because the number and quality of the light-emitting diodes vary from device to device. This directly affects the black levels and brightness of the display.

LED TVs can be a good choice for gaming, especially if you’re on a budget. However, we have discussed several factors that you should remember while considering if LED TVs are good for gaming, like:

Response Time: 

Gaming demands a lower response time, which is measured in milliseconds. The smaller number shows that the display responds in less time, which is important to get smoother motion and reduces input lag, which is crucial for gaming. LED TVs generally have good response times, which makes them suitable for gaming.

Refresh Rate: 

Gaming demands a TV with higher refresh rates, like 120Hz or higher. LED TVs come with a suitable refresh rate of 60 Hz or 120 Hz, which helps offer smoother gameplay and reduce blur. Remember that a higher refresh rate is important for fast-paced games with complex graphics.

Input Lag: 

This is the most important feature that gamers must check before deciding on the device. It is actually the delay or lag that comes between pressing a button on your controller and seeing the action on the display screen. The lower the input lag, the more responsive the game is. LED TVs can vary in input lag, so the best is one with low input lag. You can choose a TV with input lag under 30ms maximum and 15ms minimum for responsive gaming. 

Resolution: 

High resolution is important to get better picture quality with enhanced details, colors, and contrast. As LED TVs come with various resolutions (HD, Full HD, 4K, etc.), they offer the best gaming experience while providing clearer images. 

HDR Support: 

HDR is High Dynamic Range, which provides better contrast and color accuracy, which enhances the visual experience. Your gaming experience will be doubled if your LED TV supports HDR.

Connectivity and Ports: 

Ports are an important part of TV for gaming as they allow connecting gaming consoles or PCs. LED TVs have HDMI 2.1, which allows high-resolution gaming at faster frame rates and minimum lag.

Gaming Modes: 

Some LED TVs also come with specific gaming modes. These modes allow you to optimize settings for gaming, reducing input lag and enhancing visual clarity.

VRR: 

This is not the case with all LED TVs, but most have some high-end features like VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), which makes gaming smoother and speedier. 

Here is the table for a quick understanding of how much LED TVs are capable of fulfilling your gaming requirements.

Your TV must have all the features mentioned above for the best gaming experience. LED TVs are the best option as they fulfill all the requirements, such as response time, refresh rate, and resolution options. Not only performance but also the affordable price tag are helping features that make your decision-making process easier.

What Are Smart LED TVs? Are They Different From LED TVs?

There was a time when regular LED TVs and smart LED TVs differed from each other due to their functionalities. Nowadays, the market has mostly smart LED TVs, but people call them only LED TVs due to the shortening of the term in marketing and conversation. 

A simple or regular LED TV delivers a good-quality picture through features like resolution, contrast ratio, and refresh rate. However, a lack of internet connectivity and built-in apps cause a little bit of hindrance in the gaming experience. 

The smart LED TV comes with built-in smart functionalities, an OS, and internet connectivity through Wi-Fi or ethernet. The core display is the same in both TVs; however, the main difference lies in smart functionalities. 

A regular LED TV focuses on picture quality. At the same time, a Smart LED TV adds features like internet connectivity and built-in apps, allowing access to streaming services, gaming options, and more.

Is QLED The Same As LED TV?

Instead of OLED, QLED is similar to LED as both are related to TV technologies. However, they are not exactly the same. LED TVs are simple LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs with LED backlighting. QLEDs are a specific type of LED TV technology developed by Samsung. It uses a layer of quantum dots along with the LED backlight. It enhances the light source, and we get a brighter and more vibrant picture on the screen. 

QLED is an enhanced form of standard LED TV with quantum dots for better color. As QLED offers richer and more accurate colors and higher peak brightness than traditional LED TVs, they are a better choice for a smooth gaming experience. However, for budget-conscious people, LED TVs are still a better choice as they offer good gaming on a smaller budget. 

Limitations of LED TVs 

We have discussed all the positive things about LED TVs for gaming, but there are some limitations that raise some questions. 

LED TVs don’t provide perfect blacks because of the backlight, which bleeds through in dark scenes. The bleed creates a grayish cast instead of true black. Moreover, the backlight isn’t uniformly distributed, which causes light to bleed and cloud. You will see bright patches around the edges of the screen due to light bleed. Clouding creates uneven brightness across the entire screen, especially in dark scenes. 

However, QLED TVs, which are an advanced form of LED TVs, come with the innovation of MiniLED Backlight technology. As per this technology, the backlight can be divided into many tiny zones. They are much smaller than traditional LED backlights, and these zones, when dimmed independently, reduce light bleed and blooming in dark scenes, which creates deeper blacks and higher contrast. Moreover, this new technology is more efficient than traditional LEDs. Irrespective of having many tiny zones, QLED TVs’ overall power consumption is either similar to or lower than that of OLED. 

FAQs

Q: Are Smart LED TVs Good For Gaming?

Smart LED TVs are good for gaming, like with Xbox and PS5, because of their smart functionalities. They offer high refresh rates, minimum lag, and high-resolution image quality. Moreover, nowadays, most gamers also prefer smaller screens because of their easy integration into gaming setups. LED TVs come with not only affordable display technology but also consume a low amount of energy. Most importantly, you will observe rare chances of screen burn-in while gaming, which further enhances your gaming experience. 

Q: Why Do People Still Consider LED TVs Over OLED TVs For Next-Gen Gaming Consoles?

People still consider LED TVs better than OLED TVs due to several benefits. LED TVs are more affordable and offer higher brightness levels. You get greater contrast in all pictures while using OLED, but the higher price tag may cause issues for budget-conscious gamers. Moreover, you will observe screen burn-in issues in OLED rather than in LED. This causes elements of heads-up display burn, like health bars and mini-maps if left static for hours. 

Does LED Burn Less Than OLED?

LED TVs are less susceptible to burn-in issues than OLED TVs. In OLED, the pixels in the display provide their own light instead of using any source like in LED. In case of excessive brightness and prolonged display of static images, screen burn-in occurs swiftly.

My Verdict

LED TVs are good for a smooth and fast gaming experience. As they offer good refresh rates and higher picture quality at an affordable price, they are unmatchable for budget-conscious buyers. However, if you want the absolute best gaming experience, you must consider high-end LED TVs that come with VRR compatibility.