Smart TVs are loaded with gaming features these days and are already set up pretty well to deliver a great gaming experience, but there are a few tips you can employ to make the experience even better when you boot up your games. Whether you’re playing on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, or even PC, your smart TV should improve the experience if it’s a little newer and more up-to-date.
Level Up Your Living Room: Pro Hacks for Gaming on Smart TVs
Some older smart TVs don’t have as many features geared toward gaming, and even some newer ones that are relatively inexpensive lack many of the best features. So you’ll want to take that into account if you already have a TV, or if you’re planning on upgrading. Basically, if you have a smart TV already, look into what gaming features it might have, so you know what you’re working with. All of that said, if I’m looking to play games on my smart TV, there are a handful of things I tend to do before I start just to make sure the experience is as good as it can be.
Set your gaming platform as the priority client on the wireless router
When it comes to tips for gaming on your smart TV I can’t stress this enough, but if you’re console or PC is connected to the internet wirelessly, you want to dig into your router’s settings and make sure your hardware is set as the priority client on the router. Depending on your router, it may also let you tailor the traffic to focus on gaming so your console or PC gets the most bandwidth.
Not all routers will have these settings options. However, many of them should, especially if they’re gaming-focused routers. For instance, we have a TP-Link Archer AX6000 and it lets me do both of these things. I usually have one of my devices set as the priority so if there are more devices in the home using up bandwidth at once, either my PS5 or PC will take priority. In this case, my PS5.
Now ideally, your console or PC would be hardwired to the internet connection. That being said, that isn’t really possible with my setup without running a super-long ethernet cable across the entire apartment. If your setup is like mine, then this step is especially crucial. Even if your devices are hardwired, you’ll still want to set them as the priority client when you’re gaming so other users don’t bog things down for you.
This will matter more if you’re playing online games or downloading new games, but it’s a step I wouldn’t skip.
Use HDMI 2.1 cables
If you’re playing games on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC, then you want to make sure that you’re using an HDMI 2.1 cable. This won’t make a difference if your TV doesn’t support HDMI 2.1. So be sure to check that first. If your TV does have HDMI 2.1 ports, then you can move on to the cables. It’s also not a bad idea to get a higher-quality HDMI 2.1 cable, though it’s not absolutely necessary.
We would, however, recommend staying away from super-cheap cables, other than those you might find from Monoprice which is a reputable brand with inexpensive options. With HDMI 2.1, you’ll unlock the TV’s capability to play games at 4K resolution and 120 frames per second. Both of which the PS5 and Xbox Series X support. You need that HDMI 2.1 cable though. If you’re less concerned with the 120 frames per second, an HDMI 2.0 cable will work just fine. Plus, the frame rate can still reach 60 frames per second, which isn’t bad at all.
Still, if you want the optimal experience, and your TV does support HDMI 2.1, then you should spring for the HDMI 2.1 cable. It might also be obvious, but make sure the cable is plugged into the HDMI 2.1 port. Some TVs have ports for both HDMI 2.1 and HDMI 2.0.
Enable low latency mode
In many cases, your TV might have an auto-low-latency mode, so if it does, you can generally avoid this step as the feature will work automatically. It’s still not a bad idea to double-check that ALLM is enabled though. Once you’ve confirmed it’s enabled, then you can go about playing games. You should also have to only do this step once.
ALLM is essentially just there to ensure you get the lowest possible latency for your device inputs. So when you press a button on the controller, you get the faster response times. It’s possible to disable this if you don’t like it. When it’s enabled, it prioritizes low input latency over image processing. However, I haven’t noticed much of a difference, if any at all in terms of image quality.
If you’re on PS5 and you do decide to disable it, you can disable it in your PS5’s system settings as well.
Tune your speaker/soundbar audio
If you’re going to be using speaker systems or soundbars, make sure to dig into your TV’s audio settings and optimize things for the best and most immersive audio experience. If you’re picking up new equipment, look for something that again, offers spatial audio effects. Also, consider something with Dolby Atmos support. If you’re playing on PS5, I also recommend going into the settings and tuning the audio there. Specifically for the Tempest 3D Audio tech.
The PS5 has tests you can do for both headphones and speakers/soundbars. So no matter what you decide to use, you can get a more immersive sound experience.
Consider using a wired controller
While my personal preference is for wireless controllers, a wired one isn’t out of the question. It really all depends on how much input latency you experience. And whether you’re sensitive to it or not. Many modern TVs feature low-latency modes for gaming. So you shouldn’t experience huge spikes in latency with a wireless controller. However, you might want to optimize things.
If you like more competitive titles, a wired controller can be beneficial. For instance, first-person and third-person shooters can benefit greatly from a wired controller. So can fighting games. These types of games can rely heavily on split-second reactions. And it’s possible for any input latency at all to cause a missed block or a missed shot.
If you want to stick with wireless controllers, you could look for some that connect via a low-latency dongle. Again, this particular tip is more based on preference. As I don’t think there’s enough latency with a wireless controller to make a significant difference. This is my personal preference though. For you, it might be different. It’s also worth noting that if you’re going with a wired controller, you may need a pretty long cable. It depends on how far away you sit from the TV.
Go through the color modes and find something you like
Another key tip that can help improve the experience is to choose a color mode that you prefer. TVs with gaming features, just like gaming monitors, should have a variety of color mode options to alter the color mode of the picture. Some TVs may have preset options geared toward specific types of games. Others may not.
The point is, that there should be a color mode that’s best suited to gaming, but it may not be what you like best. So it’s always a good idea to find the one you like before you get started.
Consider turning off HDR
HDR can make some content look great. It can also lean a little too heavily on the darkening side of things. This can also vary from game to game and isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all for every game. That being said, it does tend to darken certain images a little too much. You might have to check each time you play something new. That way you can see if HDR is improving the image quality or not.
Trust us. While it sounds like extra work, and it is, it should only add a minute or less to the start of your game session. And in the end, it’s going to be better than playing a game while dealing with scenes that are too overly dark and have too much contrast.
Use a headset
While I sometimes prefer to have a proper room-filling experience with the game audio by using surround sound speaker setups, I also know that the ease of use of a pair of headphones or a headset can deliver a similar, if not almost identical experience.
So before you hop into a game, decide if you mind wearing a headset for your gaming session. If not, then find a good pair that offers 360-degree spatial audio, active noise cancellation (if possible), and long-lasting battery life. My current pair of choice is the Audeze Maxwell because so far, no other headset has produced sound quality that matches up.
This also has the benefit of immersing you in the game because you’re likely going to block out ambient noises. So you’ll be much more focused on the game. If you don’t like distractions when gaming, this can be a great way to avoid them. Plus, if you play games late, it’s more polite. Since you won’t be bothering others with loud game noises from your speakers.
Match your resolution to the TV
This should be a no-brainer but you’ll want to match your TV’s resolution to the resolution of your platform. If you’re on a console like PS5, you can find several options for resolution in the system settings. Most people are probably going to be playing on a 4K TV, given how easy is to get one these days for less money. However, if you’re playing on a smart TV that’s 1080p, be sure to change the resolution for your gaming platform as well. In some cases, it might be automatic. But it’s better to check.
Turn Game Mode off
This last tip for a better gaming experience on your smart TV is contradictory to the low-latency mode tip, but it can still be the right choice. It all depends on what you’re playing and what your preferences are. If you’re playing more competitive games, then enabling Game Mode can be a good thing. However, enabling features like Game Mode to reduce input latency, is going to impact the visual quality. Even if only slightly.
You won’t always need Game Mode enabled. With that said, decide whether or not Game Mode is the right setting for your current gaming session. More cinematic titles, like Spider-Man 2, Ghost of Tsushima, and the like, really benefit from the best possible visual quality. It’s also not really necessary to enable Game Mode for more casual games. So if this is the type of game you’re playing, then go ahead and turn it off. You can just as easily enable it again when you need it.