Are you a living room gamer? Me too! My system, which boasts a number of consoles including an Xbox Series X, is part of a mixed-use space, where I also watch movies and listen to music. A lot of people donโt have the space or money for dedicated gaming systems, so their TV is the focus of their gaming setup. But just because you donโt have a fancy low-latency monitor doesnโt mean your games have to be compromised.
While processing has become more intensive with modern TVs, their ability to reduce latency has also improved. Just a couple of years ago, the lag was around 11ms; today it is under 9ms. Can a non-gamer tell the difference? Not likely! But as response times edge towards zero, the results can only be a boon to gamers.
Also read: Best Gaming TVs of 2026
But thereโs one 2026 TV that stands out from the rest with one of the best 4K gaming scores Iโve ever seen. And it would be perfect for that game everyone canโt stop talking about: Grand Theft Auto VI. But which TV is it? Read on to find out!
Key takeaways
- TVs are now better for gaming than ever before, and the Roku Pro OLED TV is the fastest television yet.
- ย Processing advances and high refresh rates have driven modern TV response times down to under 9ms in Game mode.
- While standard picture modes such as Cinema can inflate lag up to 774ms, Game mode strips away heavy image processing for real-time response.
Lab award winner
Roku Pro OLED: With an input lag of 8.87ms in 4K, it delivered the lowest latency CNET has tested in over 13 years.
How we test
We also test bright-room viewing conditions and look at factors such as screen brightness and reflectivity.
David Katzmaier/CNET
At CNET, I measure the input lag of every screen I test, from models that cost $300 to those priced over $3,000. I do this because many people use their TVs for console gaming.
I use two different devices to test lag: the original Leo Bodnar Video Signal Input Lag…