A lot of people use their TV out of the box, without making any changes to its settings. While that’s enough for some, there are tweaks that can make your gameplay look much sharper, resulting in a more enjoyable experience.
If you haven’t got a TV yet, or you’re due for an upgrade, you can buy the best model available with your gaming criteria in mind. For the average console user, the best display has a 4K resolution and supports high dynamic range (HDR). Depending on the brand, that’s a mid to upper-market TV that shouldn’t be too expensive in 2025.
For bonus functionality, you can also make sure it’s a smart TV. Most modern models are smart by default, allowing users to browse the web. They don’t just provide a more seamless experience; they also allow you to access iGaming sites online. Those sites operate as a bet casino where users can wager on popular games, including themed slots and classic table games. For example, you can play a game of roulette online from the comfort of your home. If you’re someone who enjoys online entertainment, a smart TV can enhance your experience by bringing these interactive options to your living room.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve gotten a new TV or not, there are always tweaks you can make to improve its visuals. They should be available in every model, though you'll need to navigate its unique menu to find them. They should be explained in the TV manual.
The first thing you should do is check if the TV has a game mode. Considering it’s the most profitable media industry in the world, every modern TV should have a game mode preset built into it. As for what game mode does, it lowers input lag to make your controller slightly more responsive. It also optimizes between color and contrast for a more visually striking experience, for games with a generous color palette. Lastly, it cuts down on motion blur since there will be non-stop movement happening on the screen.
To further refine colors, you should find the right color temperature. We associate colors with temperature, where reds and oranges are warm while blues and purples are cold. According to Xbox support’s recommended settings, the best color temperatures for their console are warm1, w10, and normal. Those are labels that may change depending on the model but, if you don’t see any of those, you can look up what your TV’s equivalent would be.
Xbox support also advises that you avoid certain sharpness settings. This feature may sound ideal for getting a crisp image, but it can cause issues with HDR displays. It can cause jagged edges or blooming (the halo effect) where light ‘bleeds’ into dark pixels so that they’re never truly black. This can kill immersion and obscure vital parts of the screen if a dark scene is unnecessarily backlit.
Those are the main ways you can tweak any TV until it looks better for gaming. You should be able to find them in most TVs, but remember that certain brands might use their own names for the same features.