If you’re an avid gamer, you probably have done plenty of research on the best television or computer to buy before making a purchase. If you’re an occasional gamer, like me, you might not really do any research about the best kind of gaming equipment. I purchased a TV and just so happen to play video games on it.
I wanted to write about a few of the best TVs and projectors for gaming. Depending on what games you play, the size of the screen may matter to you. Depending on how you play, you may want a projector over a TV. Keep reading to see what may work for you.
A TV and projector both can be beneficial for gaming. I like smaller TVs for storyline/open world/combat-type games. When you’re fighting or searching, a huge screen can be overwhelming. On the other hand, if you’re playing party games, especially with other people, a large screen is ideal.
During my research, I found a few TVs and projectors that are recommended for gaming. I’m going to share a couple of each that are recommended consistently on different tech blogs.
First, televisions for gaming:
48" LG OLED-C1 - $1,300
This TV is a little pricey, but it seems to be the best overall gaming TV. LG’s OLED TVs appear to be a fan favorite, any of them. The LG C1 has “superb” all-around picture quality. It also has a quick access menu for all game-related settings, which is important if you’re looking for a TV that you can tweak depending on the game you’re playing. It has Dolby Vision and 4 HDMI 2.1 sockets. The downside of this TV is the sound. It seems scattered and inconsistent.
50" SAMSUNG TU8000 - $550
This is a couple of years old, but even on 2022 lists, it reigns. It’s one of the better TVs for gaming for the price. The picture is “brilliant.” However, it offers far fewer picture settings. It only has 3 HDMI sockets but, it already has most streaming apps included on the TV (Netflix, Disney+, AppleTV, etc.), so you may not always need a Roku or something similar. The main con is the “uninspiring sound.” So keep that in mind if you plan to use this TV for more than just gaming.
OPTOMA UHD50X TRUE 4K PROJECTOR - $1,600
This projector has pretty good lighting (3400 ANSI Lumens), 2 HDMI sockets, up to 15,000 hours of lamp life, between 30″ to 300″ screen size, and 16ms input lag. (Input lag is the time between you doing an action and your action showing on the screen. The range of lag on standard Bluetooth and wired controllers averages between 10 and 25ms.) The input lag on projectors averages between 16ms and 50+ms. So, for gaming, you’re getting an awesome setup here with a really good price.
ANKER NEBULA CAPSULE MAX PORTABLE PROJECTOR - $460
There are several Anker Nebula projectors, and they’re mainly in the price range of $300-$600. However, this is the better one. It’s pretty bright for a small and portable projector (200 ANSI Lumens), has a standard HD resolution, has up to 4 hours of battery, autofocus, and connects via HDMI, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Screen Mirroring. I believe this one is great for party gamers because of its portability while maintaining decent specs for the type. For about $100 more, you can upgrade to a slightly better (and bigger) portable projector: Nebula Mars II Pro.