Are There Any True 120Hz TVs?

If you're wanting a 120Hz TV for gaming, you will want to buy a native, or true, 120Hz TV.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X can both offer players gameplay in up to 120FPS. This means a high-end TV could become an essential purchase for those playing first-person shooters like Call of Duty or Fortnite.

But are there any true 120Hz TVs, or is it all a hoax?

Are there any true 120Hz TVs?

Much like 4K TVs, true 120Hz TVs do exist, but you just need to do your research when choosing a TV to filter out those that do not.

The easiest way to check for a true 120Hz is through the official specs. If it's true 120Hz, the listing should mention 'native 120Hz refresh rate'. Companies often their own marketing lingo for their TV's visual output, but unless you see somewhere on the specs the phrase 'native 120Hz', then the TV may not be a true 120Hz TV.

This is because some TVs can use various techniques such as motion interpolation to smooth out the motion blur. This creates the illusion of 120Hz. While this visual output still looks impressive, it is not native 120Hz.

Are there any 4K 120Hz TVs?

It's easy to get caught out by cheap 4K TVs that also offer support for 120Hz. TVs or monitors that offer support for both 4K and native 120Hz are among the more expensive electronics - often upwards of £1000.

Of course, there are cheaper options out there that may support native 4K and native 120Hz. However, others may use some pretty impressive techniques to up the refresh rate to '120Hz', while not supporting a direct input of 120Hz.

If you're thinking of using a 4K 120Hz TV, we'd also recommend you use an HDMI 2.1 cable. This will ensure you don't have any compression from an HDMI 2.0 cable.

Do I really need a 120Hz refresh rate?

While you don't need a 120Hz TV for the latest next-gen consoles, it will offer a considerable improvement over 60Hz TVs or monitors.

Only a select number of games currently support 120Hz/120 FPS on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. 4K/60FPS is currently seen as the perfect balance for console gaming. However, as developers move away from needing to support the last-gen consoles, this could see further support for 120Hz TVs and monitors.

If you're a competitive gamer, you probably need a high-quality TV or monitor that supports 120Hz - or higher. Higher refresh rates give you a slight edge when playing games. Using a sub-par device would put you at an automatic disadvantage.

READ MORE: What is the best Monitor size for Gaming?