Vizio is known for offering exceptional television for a fraction of the price of its competitors. But one often underestimated aspect of Vizio TVs is its Gaming capabilities.
You can find a lot of TVs capable of offering mind-boggling picture quality and blazing hot refresh rates, provided at an exorbitant price range, in the market. Vizio offers just the opposite.
May it be with a gaming console or a competition-level PC, Vizio pretty much kills anything you put to the test with much pomp and show. And the best part, you don't have to take a loan to make it a reality.
Vizio TVs are great for all your Gaming needs. Pixel-perfect resolutions, exceptional refresh rates, industry-leading input lag, and a function-oriented Gaming mode make up some of the qualities on offer on a Vizio TV. You can also find customization options on Vizio TVs that can further enhance your gaming experience.
With that said, here's a comprehensive guide on everything gaming on a Vizio TV.
Vizio TVs: What Makes Them Great for Gaming
Vizio TVs are exceptional, no doubt about that, but when talking about what makes them great for gaming, one should first ponder over the question - 'What makes a TV great for gaming'.
Apart from the picture quality and resolution of the TV, gaming demands a bit more characteristics than your normal day-to-day couch surfs.
For starters, refresh rate plays a very, if not the most, important role in gaming.
May it be with the simulator genre or with a competitive RPG game, getting the refresh rate right can give you an upper edge.
The same goes for the input lag metric. Input lag informs you of the time taken by the TV to get a command registered. The lower the input lag, the better.
Other vital parameters pertaining to Gaming include Peak brightness, gamma correction, HDR support, etc.
With that said, you won't find an absence of any other characteristics on a Vizio TV. In fact, it offers more than enough parameters for you to adjust than the ones available on a similarly priced TV.
So what makes Vizio different from most TVs when talking about gaming? Let's find out, shall we?
AMD FreeSync
You may have heard of the term VRR if you're looking for a new TV for gaming.
Usually, TVs operate at predefined refresh rates set for most broadcast/streaming service standards, like 24p, 30p, 60p, etc., or 30 Hz/60 Hz, etc.
Fixed refresh rates may not seem like a problem for normal entertainment activities like watching a movie or a show.
But the same cannot be said in the case of gaming. With games, users can configure the frame rate to their liking, and the TV adapts to the made change.
And games are not only made of user-controlled events and activities but also cutscenes.
Most cutscenes differ in frame rate from the actual gameplay. And when the game transitions to a cutscene, the TV may not be able to cope with the sudden change in refresh rates.
And so, to fix this issue, manufacturers have come up with the brilliant invention of VRR or variable refresh rate.
VRR allows your TV to swiftly shift between frame rates without conjuring tears and splices in the image.
But this feature is a premium feature, and not every TV features this provision.
And that's where Vizio proves its worth.
From its most affordable D-series line of TVs to the top-of-the-line OLED series, most Vizio models feature VRR.
All you have to do is turn ON the feature and let the TV handle the rest.
But you won't find VRR anywhere on your Vizio TV settings. For that, you'll have to look for AMD FreeSync.
AMD FreeSync is Vizio's implementation of VRR.
FreeSync is available on most Vizio TV models, from up to 60 Hz on the D-series to 240 Hz on select models.
Vizio offers FreeSync in two variants.
The standard AMD FreeSync can be found on the entry-level models, whereas most mid/top tier models feature AMD FreeSync Premium.
IQ Processor
For all its worth, a Vizio TV may not even see the daylight of your Living Room without a powerful chip to make every facet of the TV perform as intended.
Like a CPU on a PC, TVs also feature a processing unit nowadays.
Why the need for a CPU on a TV?
Imagine running power-hungry features like VRR, Upscaling, Backlight management, refresh rate management, etc., without a processor. Your TV may not even make it through the night.
Now, Vizio TVs feature two types of processors.
Featuring the moniker 'IQ' throughout its models, lower-end Vizio TVs come with a standard IQ/IQ Active processor capable of driving everyday aspects of a smart TV, like scaling, VRR, etc.
On higher-end models like the P-series, you can find a beefed-up version of the standard IQ process - IQ Ultra.
This processor is capable of 4K Upscaling, which demands a lot of firepower to execute otherwise.
Dedicated Game Mode
Like most other gaming-oriented TVs in the market right now, Vizio TVs, too, features a dedicated Game Mode to ascent your gaming experience to the next level.
When you switch ON the Game Mode on your Vizio TV, the TV's processor focuses most of its resources on Gaming related aspects like refresh rate, input lag, latency, etc.
Here is a table describing the effect of Game mode on input lag on a P-series TV:
| Game Mode | Input lag on 1080p | Input lag on 4K HDR |
|---|---|---|
| OFF | 60 | 109 |
| ON | 14.50 | 14.15 |
As evident from the table above, the Game mode definitely contributes more than just quirky game panels and widgets.
And unlike most TV manufacturers saving the best of its features for their premium models, Vizio has made the Game Mode available on all its TVs, regardless of the price or specs.
Game Mode on Vizio TVs does come at a cost, though.
When you enable Game Mode on your TV, you get the refresh rate and the input lag pumped up, but at the expense of image quality.
The compromise may not be as explicit as you expect it to be, but a compromise nonetheless.
Is Vizio V-Series Good for Gaming?
Although occupying the lower ranks of the Vizio TV series hierarchy, the V-series lineup is indeed a great gaming TV with a catchy price tag.
Featuring a three-sided bezel-less form factor (V-6), the V-series comprises two models, namely the V5 and the V6.
Available in almost every possible size, from 45" to 75", you get to choose your pick of the litter at your own leisure.
Regardless of the size, you get the same old handy Vizio Remote which you can even be programmed to act as a universal remote.
Coming to the gaming side of things, let's start with Display Resolution.
4K gaming is all the buzz in the gaming world right now. And Vizio doesn't fail to deliver with the V-series - all V-series models feature a 4K UHD LED panel capable of hosting Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content.
All V-series models feature Full Array Backlight panels. This implementation boosts the brightness and contrast to the max.
And the Dolby Vision HDR and HDR 10+ support give the images a new dimension with picture-perfect blacks and true tone colors.
The V-series line of TVs features Vizio's proprietary V-Gaming Engine that helps manage the AMD FreeSync and reduce the input lag to an all-time low.
On paper, you can game on a V-series TV at (4K 60 FPS/Hz), with an input lag of <10 ms. (Hypotheticals aside, expect input lag to be in the range of 12-15 ms)
And to drive all of these exceptional features, the V-series is supplied with a powerful IQ Active processor, capable of even 4K upscaling.
Finally, the answer to the question at hand - Yes, the Vizio V series definitely can outrival most gaming TVs at its price range.
The Best Vizio TV Picture Settings for Gaming
Even if Vizio TVs pack a lot of gaming firepower under the hood, it doesn't mean you get it for granted.
Sure, you could rush through the particulars and turn ON the Game Mode to have a good time with your games.
But to get the best out of your Vizio TV, you need to reconsider configuring the settings yourself. And for the sake of it,
Picture Mode, contrast, brightness, sharpness, tint, etc., don't come naturally set to your liking.
Even though color and fading issues on Vizio TV have gained momentum in recent times, with this many healthy amounts of options to tinker with, fixing such issues is a breeze.
And so, as the first step towards setting the best picture setting for gaming on your Vizio TV, open the Picture Settings tab.
Follow these steps to do so:
1. Press the Menu button on your Vizio remote to open the Menu tab.
2. Scroll to the Picture tile and press OK to open the menu.
Once you open this menu, you'll find a number of configurable setting tiles.
Enter/select the below-mentioned attributes now:
1. Picture Mode: Calibrated/Calibrated Dark
2. Brightness: 50 (Any more and you may get a slightly washed-out image)
3. Contrast: 50 (The right amount of blacks and chrome)
4. Sharpness: 0 (To negate artifacts)
5. Color: 50
6. Color Temperature: 6500K or default
7. Tint/Hue: 0
8. Gamma (brightness): 2-2.2 (Set to your liking)
9. Backlight Settings: Increase if necessary (if brightness is too low)
If you want to further fine-tune your output, click on the 'More Picture' option within the Picture tab and apply these settings:
1. Black Detail: OFF
2. Game Low Latency: ON
3. Film Mode: ON
Turn ON Game Mode by going to the V-Game Engine Menu or the ProGaming Engine menu from the Settings menu tab.
Here, you can configure the FreeSync system and other features like Low Latency mode.
Final Thoughts
One remarkable thing about Vizio TVs is that, even with such exceptional gaming capabilities, it doesn't cost you much to own one.
You can get a Vizio TV with decent enough specs and a large screen for essentially the same price as a generic TV with a similar screen size, maybe even at a much humbler price.
In this article, you'll find everything you need to know about how and why a Vizio TV stands leagues apart from its competition when talking about gaming.
Paired with the best possible audio settings, Vizio TV can rival most TVs out there as a gaming display.
You can also find a well-thought-out configuration list for the best TV settings for Gaming on Vizio TV.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Vizio OLED good for gaming?
Yes, Vizio OLEDs are good for gaming. The smooth and buttery fast 4K 120 Hz panel performs exceptionally with brilliant response times and near-zero input lag. But, Vizio OLEDs do suffer from burn-in issues and skip frames when using Game Mode.
Does my Vizio TV support 120 Hz?
Vizio models that support 120 Hz refresh rate include M6, P-Series, and OLED. Some models also feature 240 Hz refresh rate with FreeSync.
Does Vizio use OLED?
Yes, Vizio came out with its flagship TV featuring an OLED panel back in the fall of 2021.
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