LG Electronics 49UJ6300

Best Budget Gaming TVs in 2018

• $429
• Max Brightness: 200 nits
• 3 HDMI, 2 USB
• 49 Inches

The UJ6300 is a great budget TV with a wide viewing angle, which allows it to accommodate any gaming setup. Its fast response time and low input lag of only 12.8 ms leaves little to no motion blur when watching television, or playing games. The picture quality of the UJ6300 is serviceable for a TV below $500 but doesn’t offer the deep blacks and saturated colors of mid-range TVs. Of course, the UJ6300 comes fully stocked with smart TV features such as streaming and web browsing, and a simple interface allowing for quick selections through menus and settings.

The contrast ratio of this television is at its best when put in a well-lit room since the added light helps make the low contrast rate less noticeable. For the price and the extremely low input lag, this television is well worth it for gaming on a budget.

TCL 55S405 

Best Budget Gaming TVs in 2018

• $399
• Max Brightness: 242 nits
• 3 HDMI, 1 USB
• 55 Inches

TCL is not quite a household name in the television department yet, but they offer some of the most competitively priced televisions in the market. For a television under $500, it obviously doesn’t quite offer everything the most prestigious 4K TVs on the market do, such as a wide array of HDR support, advanced color settings, and premium sound options. Still, there’s plenty here to like, especially considering it won’t break the bank.

This model supports HDR10, which will give you basic, but powerful color options. The LED backlight display doesn’t interfere too much with the black levels on this TV but doesn’t allow for the rich blacks that some higher price TVs offer. The Roku smart TV interface makes streaming all your favorite services easily accessible directly from the television.

The S405 has an input lag of 15ms when switched in gaming mode too, making it one of the lowest on this list, and worth your attention. 

Samsung UN40MU6300FXZA

Best Budget Gaming TVs in 2018

• $460
• Max Brightness: 350 nits
• 3 HDMI, 1 USB
• 50 Inches

The MU6300 is one of the few TV’s on the market to offer full HDR support for under $500, making it an extremely good choice for those looking to save some money. It has a back-lit panel with local dimming, and both HDR10 and HDR Plus support, which allows for a large selection of color options. Colors come across clear and vibrant on this display, which shows off sharp details, and almost no visual noise.

One drawback of this display is its sound quality. Those who prefer to listen to higher volumes may want to invest in speakers or a nice soundbar for a better listening experience, as some sound quality is lost as you crank the volume up.

The MU6300’s input lag, when set to gaming mode, is 33.5 ms, which isn’t anything to boast about but is serviceable for a budget gaming TV.

Hisense 55H8C

Best Budget Gaming TVs in 2018

• $399
• Max Brightness: 350 nits
• 4 HDMI, 3 USB
• 55 Inches

The H8C is a solid budget TV, with a better picture quality than other TVs in this price range, mainly due to its support of high-end features such as local dimming, and motion interpolation. This model performs exceptionally well even when placed in a poorly lit room because of its native contrast ratio and black uniformity. Unfortunately, the picture degrades rather quickly when viewing it from an angle, so it is best to sit in front of the television as much as possible.

The input lag of this model when playing in 4K is around 51 ms, which is significantly higher than many models on this list, but is manageable if you’re not a competitive gamer. Games such as Quake or Doom should be played on a TV with a lower input lag if you want the best experience.

Toshiba 55L711U18

Best Budget Gaming TVs in 2018

• $479
• Max Brightness: 350 nits
• 3 HDMI, 1 USB
• 55 Inches

Toshiba is a well-known brand and has this 4K HDR model at a reasonable price, which makes it an easy recommendation. With a built-in Chromecast, it grants access to a world of entertainment such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Pandora to name a few. A wide view angle allows for great picture quality no matter what angle you look at the screen from, accommodating many different setups for this television.

The L711U18 comes with both two 10W main channel speakers, and DTS Studio Sound, putting it a notch above the rest in terms of sound quality. With a native refresh rate of 60hz and a low input lag, it is a strong contender for gamers looking to upgrade without dropping large sums of money.