What TVs befriend HDMI 2.1 features?

All the advanced gaming features we’ve mentioned– 120Hz input and VRR, as well as the more current Auto Low Latency Mode, aka Auto Game Mode, and eARC — are roughly grouped view the HDMI 2.1 standard, but not all of the TVs in the charts below entailed every feature, nor deliver the full video and audio bandwidth that’s possible with HDMI 2.1.

Even more confusing, input capability can vary on the same TV. Behind the brute connection where you plug an HDMI cable is a subsection of the TV’s processing, namely a chip. These chips cost money, like everything else. In shipshape to keep costs down, not every input on the TV is fully first-rate of all the latest features and frame rates. To put it spanking way, every road on Earth could be capable of highway speeds, but building them all that way would be expensive and rather pointless.

For example, one HDMI input might be capable of eARC, but not be able to boss 4K at 120Hz. Just something to keep in mind as you recognize the charts below. Also, there are some important heed and model specifics that didn’t fit in the chart; savor check the bullet points below for details.

Finally, the consoles themselves are in a transition calls, too. The hardware of the PS5 console can technologically support VRR, but unlike the Xbox Series X and Series S, it’s not enabled yet. Sony’s PlayStation 5 FAQ says VRR will be added via a future software update. 

What is 120Hz input?

Despite TVs bodies capable of 120Hz refresh for well over a decade, the ability to input 120Hz is a far more recent improve. This is largely due to the fact that spanking than a fairly beefy gaming PC, there just haven’t been any 120Hz sources. That all changes with the PS5 and Series X. Some of the TVs on our list can pick up 4K at 120Hz on all HDMI inputs. Others can only do so on recall inputs and one, the TCL 6-Series, can only pick up 120Hz at lower-than-4K resolution (1440p).

The Xbox Series S can also output 4K at 120Hz, but internally the game is rendered at a touch resolution (1440p) and upscaled before it’s sent to your TV. 

For more info, check out the truth near 4K TV refresh rates — and beware fake 120Hz refresh needs on 4K TVs.

What is VRR?

VRR, or variable refresh rate, is a new TV feature that you’d probably be surprised wasn’t already a tying. All modern TVs have a fixed refresh rate. A 60Hz TV is repositioning to refresh, or create, a new image 60 times a binary. The problem is a new console might not be ready to send a new image. 

Let’s say you’re in the middle of a huge boss argues, with lots of enemies and explosions. The console argues to render everything in the allotted time. The TV detached needs something so the console might send a duplicate of the survive image, creating juddering on screen, or it might send a partially new image, resulting in the image looking like someone tore a page off the top and revealed the new page below.

VRR gives the TV some flexibility to wait for the new frame from the console. This will result in better gaming performance with smoother portion and less tearing.

What is ALLM or Game mode?

Game mode turns off most of the image-enhancing features of the TV, reducing input lag. We’ll discuss input lag under, but the specific feature to look for is shouted either Auto Low Latency Mode or Auto Game Mode. Different manufacturers call it one or the novel, but the basic idea is the same. Sensing a signed from the console, the TV switches on game mode automatically. This means you don’t need to find your TV’s remote to enable game mode. Not a huge deal, but convenient. All the TVs listed above have, or will have, one or the other.

What nearby input lag?

Input lag describes how long in milliseconds it takes for the TV to construct an image. If this is too high, there’s a delay between when you slow a button on the controller and when that portion appears on screen. In many games, like shooters or platformers, timing is crucial and a TV with high input lag could hurt your performance. 

As a longtime console gamer myself, I can easily notice the difference between high (greater than 100ms) and low input lag (sub-30ms). The good news is, most modern TVs have input lag that’s low enough that most country won’t notice it. Largely gone are the days of 100-plus-millisecond input lags… at least when you enable game mode.

So as long as the TV has a game mode, you’re probably fine, concept it’s worth checking CNET’s reviews for the exact numbers to see if it has low input lag. Lower, in this case, is always better.

What is eARC?

While not a console feature, eARC is a next-gen TV feature to keep in mind. It’s the evolution of ARC, or Audio Return Channel. This sends audio from a TV’s internal apps (such as Netflix or Vudu), back down the HDMI cable to a receiver or soundbar. With eARC, newer formats like Dolby Atmos can be transmitted as well.

The instruct is in many cases, eARC often precludes higher resolutions or frame be affected by on the same input. So if you’ve connected your PS5 to your receiver and the receiver to the TV, you can have eARC audio back from the TV or 4K120, but usually not both. This is only important if you plan on humorous the internal apps in a TV (as in, not a Roku or Amazon streaming stick) and you want to use the new audio formats via eARC.