Although the Xbox Core Controller doesn’t necessarily revolutionize the standard Xbox controller we once knew and loved, it does offer some necessary updates that PC gamers will appreciate, which we’ve highlighted in our Xbox Core Controller review. The new cosmetics are a nice touch; the all-black Xbox button, for instance, matte bumpers and triggers, and an overall more comfortable design. There are also a ton of Xbox controller colors to choose from.

The controller's hybrid D-pad is extra responsive and allows for an easier distinction between the cardinal and diagonal inputs, which is ideal for those who love fighting games. Of course, the rest of the buttons and sticks remain reliable and consistent, and the textured grip on the triggers, bumpers, and back case keep the controller in hand even during heated moments. All of these improvements mean a new level of precision and control. There’s also now a dedicated Share button that makes capturing screenshots and video clips a breeze.

Many of the Xbox Core Controller’s buttons, triggers, and sticks can be customized via the Xbox Accessories app when downloaded from the Microsoft Store on PC, and you can save profiles to avoid the hassle every time you switch games. Remapping can also be done using Steam; however, there will be more limitations than when using an Xbox Series X|S. Connecting to a PC is simple, as USB-C support provides a plug-and-play solution. For wireless connectivity, Bluetooth is available or Xbox Wireless via a dongle with supported devices. The Core Controller's biggest flaw is that it uses AA batteries; you can shell out some extra dough for a rechargeable battery pack.

During our hands-on testing of the PowerA Enhanced wired controller, we found it to be an excellent and affordable PC controller option. PowerA’s updated model, the Advantage, makes some meaningful improvements without increasing the price tag. It comes with a removable 10-foot USB-C cable, a significant upgrade from the MicroUSB on the Enhanced model, for seamless PC connection. Unfortunately, wireless and Bluetooth connectivity are still excluded from this budget gamepad, but you do get a 3.5mm jack to plug in a great gaming headset.

The PowerA Advantage sticks to the familiar shape and feel of the Xbox Core Controller, featuring all the typical Xbox controls, even taking a page out of the Xbox Elite Controller’s book with two small, easy-to-reach buttons on the underside for shortcuts; it’s slightly less robust, but still punches far above its price class. The backside of the grips feature a slight texture, although it’s not enough to add significantly more control like rubberized grips can. Dual rumble motors and impulse triggers are even available for better immersion. And don’t worry, they’re accurate and subtle.

What makes this controller a true standout is the three-level trigger stop switches, which are not available on the PowerA Enhanced model and are a rarity in controllers of this price range. It's a boon for fans of FPS games who want to step away from the mouse and keyboard occasionally without shelling out tons of dough for a pro-level controller. The thumbsticks are shorter and feature a good amount of tension. While those sticks are great for precision, the extra force required can be a hindrance in certain games. The rest of the buttons are responsive and reliable, putting it on the level of a first-party controller.

In our hands-on review of the Hyperkin Competitor, we found it offered a convincing simulcrum of the Sony DualSense controller for PC and Xbox, with PlayStation-style symmetrical sticks, a similar black-and-white color scheme and upgraded internals. That includes Hall Effect sensors under each thumbstick and trigger, which boost durability and aid precision with smaller deadzones. The sticks themselves are particularly worthy of praise, with anti-friction rings and metal stems that produce a fluid, linear feel, though it is a touch light in comparison to the console controller it emulates.

In terms of pro-level features, the stand-out is the inclusion of two rear buttons, mapped to A and B by default. These are placed directly where your middle fingers can actuate them, with locks nearby to prevent accidental presses if you're not using them and a mapping button to reassign them.

The Competitor feels quite light and is made of plastic, but it's still reasonably well-constructed given its middling price. The rear grips have a fine texture to them, preventing them from sliding out of slightly sweaty hands, the D-pad feels bouncier than the DualSense's, and the face buttons are a bit small but responsive. Neither too wide nor too narrow, most hand sizes are accommodated here (something you couldn't say about the Xbox Duke remake Hyperkin is also responsible for).

The Competitor sits at an interesting place in the market, coming in around the same price as a first-party controller from Xbox or PlayStation, while offering some advantages (HE sticks, rear buttons) and some disadvantages (wired connectivity and a slightly toy-like feel). Overall though, it does enough right to earn the nod.

We spent a lot of time reviewing the Sony DualSense Controller, and it's another great first-party option for PC, whether you connect it with a cable or via Bluetooth. It's particular niche is playing PS5 ports that support its Adaptive Triggers, which add surprisingly amounts of granularity to the experience. If you're a fan of the output of Sony's game studios, then this might be what sways you to choosing the DualSense over the Xbox Core controller. And unlike the Xbox Core, there’s a rechargeable battery for wireless use, though it's relatively limited at around 10-13 hours during our testing.

As you might be aware, the DualSense was made for the PS5 and continues the company's tradition of opting for symmetrical analog sticks, like the Hyperkin Competitor above. Unlike the Competitor though, this gamepad feels a bit better heavier and better built, while remaining balanced, easy to grip, and ultimately more ergonomic. There are also plenty of DualSense color options available if you don't like the standard look.

With handy support from Steam as well as fan-made software packages, plus increasing numbers of PlayStation-exclusive games ending up not so exclusive thanks to PC ports, full DualSense functionality on PC makes for the best way to play those games.

If you're after a controller that offers the familiar Xbox design but amps up its capability, our review of the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller shows you why it's perfect for your needs. This model features four rear paddles that can have their own actions or can change the function of the face buttons. Plus, all of the buttons on the gamepad are remappable. The D-pad, back paddles, and analog sticks are magnetically swappable for added customization, ensuring the controller feels exactly how you want. Xbox also kept the tunable triggers from the original Elite.

While all of these features sound great on paper, they deliver in real life, too — for the most part. Swapping out sticks and D-pads is easy and helped improve the feel for our reviewer in certain genres, like platformers or fighting games. Setting up hair triggers kept reaction times on point in shooters. The rear paddles may take a minute to master, but are poppy and responsive. However, they don’t make up for the mushy ABXY buttons, which are a major disappointment for such a premium controller.

At least the Elite Series 2 controller adds the rechargeable battery that the Xbox Core controller lacks, and lasts an impressive 40 hours on each charge. In addition to Xbox Wireless when using an adapter with PC, Bluetooth is available for easy pairing with your PC or smartphone. A low-latency wired connection via USB-C is also supported.

One of the most enticing things we found in our review of the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is its unique “Connected Command Display.” It’s a compact, full-color screen directly on the controller that displays phone notifications and allows on-the-fly setting adjustments, like swapping between 10 different profiles, fine-tuning the vibration intensity, and modifying RGB lighting, which can even change colors to indicate phone notification alerts or a low battery.

The Stealth Ultra features some slightly buggy software that works with a PC to provide a full suite of options for tuning the controller and creating profiles for specific games or desired feels. Everything from joystick and trigger deadzones to joystick response curves and rear paddle button mapping can be done with this software.

Turtle Beach’s offering is wireless, so there’s a 2.4GHz dongle for a lag-free connection to your PC or Xbox. Bluetooth support is handy for your gaming phone. However, when you start experimenting with the display and RGB lighting, the advertised 30-hour battery life quickly drops to around 10 hours.

While all the customizability is great (and honestly overkill), real-world performance is what matters, and the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is one beast of a gamepad. It features an Xbox layout with tactile micro switches that are sharp and precise, which proved helpful in Dead Cells during testing, where the button timing was flawless. While drifting has plagued other Turtle Beach controllers, the Hall Effect sensors on the sticks prevent drifting and provide nuanced control. The trigger toggle even helped cut milliseconds of crucial time in FPS.

If you play a good deal of arcade or fighting games, do yourself a favor and pick up a great fight stick, and for PC, the Razer Kitsune we've reviewed is a standout option. Rather than including a typical stick on the controller, it has a leverless design offering buttons that move in a full range of directions. Admittedly, there’s a bit of a learning curve to master the Kitsune, but the quicker input speed (milliseconds matter in fighting games), improved accuracy, and easier execution of certain moves are worth the effort to KO opponents.

The Kitsune is a PlayStation-licensed device, so beyond directional controls are the essential PlayStation buttons. Razer opted to use optical switches on this fight stick, and in testing, inputs were fast and reliable while remaining surprisingly quiet, but still delivering a keyboard-like feel. While those buttons offer a distinct feel, the controls are hot-swappable to easily customize the board to your liking.

Like any good fight stick, the Razer Kitsune is sturdy, durable, and large enough to let both hands rest comfortably on it with the buttons perfectly spaced. On top is a removable aluminum plate to add your own flair to the controller, and the bottom features a nice grip, ensuring it stays in place during heated moments. It does all of this while remaining light enough to carry around to tournaments, weighing under 2lbs. Razer also includes a flashy light strip around the edge of the controller and a tournament lock to prevent you from accidentally getting disqualified. Even if it’s designed for the PS5, this controller works flawlessly with PC and seamlessly connects via a USB.

Anyone into sim racing on PC needs a great racing wheel for a deeper level of immersion, and Logitech's Pro Racing Wheel and Pedals are an awesome option – even if they do cost a little over $1,000. As the name suggests, this direct drive motor connects directly to the steering wheel, providing much better control and force feedback than gear or belt-driven alternatives. The system delivers up to 11Nm of torque, which is plenty to feel acccurate feedback about the road surface and how well your tires are gripping it.

You also get additional colour through the wheel in games that support Logitech's TrueForce feature, which adds an extra dimension of telemetry-based feedback beyond what's possible through standard DirectInput. It's also easy to reduce the strength of the force feedback via the Logitech G app or the wheel itself, which has an integrated display and controls to adjust this and many other settings.

The Pro Racing Wheel is available in PC-only, PC/Xbox and PC/PlayStation varieties, with the PC option costing $100 less than the two consoles models. The button layout doesn't change between each model, just the labels, and I found the buttons well-placed and satisfying to push, even while wearing gloves. The 300mm rim is also well-sized, with a slight D-shape that's fine to use for all genres of racing, though rally and drift enthusiasts might prefer to fit the RS Wheel Hub and the RS Round Wheel, while Formula racers have the option of the RS Track Wheel. On the default wheel, the magnetic shifters provide suitably clunky feedback, with dual analogue paddles that are ideal for clutches or handbrakes.

The Racing Pro Pedals are built to the same high quality standard, with the three-item set including a clutch, brake and throttle. The highlight is the brake, which uses a load cell to measure how hard you're hitting it, rather than how far down it's been pressed. This feels more similar to a real race car, and can help you brake more consistently to ultimately improve your lap times. All three pedals are adjustable, though the dialling in the feel of the brake is the most important.

If you're investing this much into a wheel and pedals, then hard-mounting to a rig like the Logitech x Playseat Trophy makes a lot of sense, and I really enjoyed the stability and portability this provided. However, it's also possible to mount the wheel to a desk, which works well enough if you can prevent the pedals for slipping backwards and may be preferable to a fixed setup for some use cases.

Overall, the Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel and Pro Racing Pedals are tremendously powerful pieces of kit that continue to improve as new accessories are released and more games are supported.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller was an innovative controller when it was released back in 2018, and it’s still great today. Unfortunately, the accessible controller market is relatively small, with most top options coming at a premium; that doesn't even include all the necessary peripherals required to make the controller work for your specific needs. While the Xbox Adaptive Controller isn’t cheap by any means, its inclusive, simple-to-use design and compatibility with PC continue to push it above others.

Rather than a typical gamepad, the Adaptive Controller is more of an input hub with a body similar to a fightstick. Its extreme modularity and customizability allow the controller to be adapted for specific abilities. The built-in controls are limited, but it still features two massive remappable buttons on its face, along with a D-pad, view button, and home button.

However, the reason you’ll want the Adaptive Controllers is for the excess of inputs. 19 3.5mm jacks correspond with all the typical controller inputs, including bumpers and triggers, allowing foot pedals, switches, joysticks, and other adaptability aids to be added. I’d recommend picking up the Xbox Adaptive Joystick, which includes the stick, four buttons, and a mounting thread. While it adds $30 to the price tag, the buttons can be remapped, ergonomics are solid, and 3D-printable thumbstick toppers are supported. The joystick can also plug into a standard Xbox controller.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller is an invaluable tool for accessibility, but that doesn’t mean it’s flawless. The learning curve is steep when mastering all the different controls, and sometimes simultaneous inputs aren’t supported, leading to limitations in games. The biggest downfall is the cost of all the extra peripherals required to make this functional controller, but it does support third-party options. Still, gamers have reported that, for the most part, this controller works great, allowing them to play games that weren’t always feasible.

Ahead of Valentine's Day, Sonos is kicking off a sitewide sale that takes up to 20% off some its best selling speakers. That includes the Sonos Era 100 smart speaker, which has dropped to $179 from its retail price of $219. You also get free shipping. Order it now and it should arrive well before the February 14 deadline.

The Era 100 is Sonos' most popular and most versatile speaker. Despite its compact size, the Era 100 houses two tweeters, a mid-woofer, and three class-D digital amplifiers to produce precise, distortion-free audio even at high volumes. Because of its flexibility, it's often paired with a sound bar or a second Era speaker.

Metaphor: ReFantazio Launch Edition for PS5 is just $21.85, marking massive savings from its original $69.99 price tag. We awarded this turn-based combat RPG the game of the year in 2024, as Atlus’ Studio Zero created a stunning fantasy world with beautiful characters and a killer soundtrack woven into a compelling story. In our review of Metaphor: ReFantazio, Michael Higham found it “doesn’t just send a powerful message across its political drama, it becomes a beautiful expression of the real impact storytelling can have on all of us.” And for this price, it’s definitely worth a go.

Get the MTG x Avatar: The Last Airbender Commander’s Bundle for a super low price from Vipoutlet through its eBay store. At checkout, use the code “EBAYVIP2026SALE” for an extra 10% off, bringing it down to just $98.01, and shipping is included. This item is in brand-new retail condition, while Vipoutlet has a 96.7% positive rating from over 600,000 feedback reviews for added peace of mind. The Avatar Commander’s Bundle includes a collector booster, 9 play boosters, 5 borderless cards, 30 lands, and exclusive accessories.

After you’ve scored this awesome MTG X Avatar: The Last Airbender deal, be sure to check out these new Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond preorders for TMNT and Marvel Super Heroes:

The Blu-ray of this classic anime series from the 90s is down to its lowest price ever on Amazon. The Visions Of Escaflowne is just $25.49, saving $11. This series from Sunrise Studio blends fantasy, mecha, and romance, with a story centering on a high school student who gets transported to a new world. The 5 discs in this set include the Japanese and English-dubbed versions of the show, along with a few extra features.

For a little pick-me-up, grab this killer deal on the Lavazza Expert Classy Plus All-In-One Machine and Coffee Bundle. For just $169.99, you get a capsule espresso and coffee brewer that can even make macchiatos, cappuccinos, and lattes — all with minimal effort on your part. This machine is typically priced at 356.89, so you’re in for 52% savings. 36 coffee capsules and a milk frother are also included in this bundle.

Charge up your devices fast with this Baseus 100W USB-C Wall Charger. This compact little number measures just 3.2" x 1.7" x 1.7", but packs enough power to charge up all the power-hungry top handheld gaming PCs. From the Legion Go 2 to the ROG Xbox Ally X, you can use one of the two USB-C ports on board to get 100W charging for a much faster top-up than the 65W charger that usually comes with these devices. Another 22.5W USB-A is also included to charge all your other electronics.

The good news is you don’t need to spend a lot to reach top charging speeds, as the Baseus 100W USB-C Wall Charger is only $21.99 on Amazon — $28 off the list price. All you need to do is enter the coupon code “F7BPDQ7D” at checkout. It’s not only for Prime members, either, so anyone can score this deal.

The Amazon-owned Woot has an incredible deal on a refurbished outdoor camera system from Blink. It’s just $34.39 for two Blink Outdoor 4 wireless smart security cameras featuring 1080p HD live view, two-way audio, infrared night vision, and more.

To get this deal, all you need to do is apply the code “BLINK20” for an extra 20% off at checkout. Amazon Prime members even get free shipping. If you’re worried about getting a refurbished model, each unit is tested and verified by Amazon to be fully functional and includes the same accessories as the new cameras. The same Blink Outdoor 4 two-camera system is going for $179.99 on Amazon.

The Pokémon Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Booster Bundle is back under $45. It’s shipped and sold by Amazon, too. After the delay of most Ascended Heroes Booster sets, it’s nice that this bundle, which includes six booster packs, is available for just $43.13. That’s well below the current market value, making it a good deal.

The MTG: Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander Deck Bundle is back in stock on Amazon and just $120.67. It’s shipped and sold by Amazon, too. With this bundle, you’ll receive two Dance of the Elements and two Blight Curse Commander Decks. Each contains 100 cards, including 12 new cards (including 2 foil Mythics), a deck box, 10 double-sided token cards, a strategy insert, and a reference card. Given that these Commander Decks are selling for $37 to $50+ each right now, it’s a pretty solid deal.

Batman by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale Omnibus is only $58.09 on Amazon for 54% savings. This hardcover book features some of the most iconic Batman stories of all time, including Haunted Knight, The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and Catwoman: When in Rome. While the narrative is impressive, the artwork in this collection is just as stunning. Any Batman fan should have this omnibus edition in their collection.

If you waited to grab the new Super Mario Galaxy amiibo preorder, you can get it now on Amazon for a nice little discount. Originally available for $39.99, both the Mario and Luma and the Rosalina and Lumas amiibos are only $34.99. Both figures are larger than your average amiibo, hence the slightly higher price tag. With Mario, when you scan into Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, you’ll get a life mushroom to refill your health, while a 1-Up mushroom comes with a Rosalina scan. These amiibos come out on April 2nd.

The C5 is LG's most popular OLED TV, sitting right in between the super pricey Gallery Series (G5) and the budget B5. The C5 boasts the near-infinite black levels, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times you'd expect from any OLED TV. It's also equipped with LG's proprietary Evo panel, which is significantly brighter and offers a wider color gamut than traditional W-OLED TVs. This is the best TV for streaming 4K HDR content in its intended glory.

LG's OLED TVs have also been our favorite TVs for console gaming for three years running thanks to their outstanding image quality, low input lag, and high refresh rate. The C5 is equipped with modern gaming features, including a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz, HDMI 2.1 inputs for running PS5 games in 4K at up to 120fps, variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM).

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Samsung's "The Frame" sets itself apart from other TVs with its seamless aesthetics. When you're not using The Frame as a TV, then a nifty feature dubbed "Art Mode" turns your TV into a dynamic art installation that showcases whatever image or series of images you want displayed. You can choose art purchased from the Samsung Art Store or from your own personal collection, including NFTs, personal photos, illustrations, AI generated wallpapers, and more. The screen turns itself off via a motion sensor, so you're not wasting electricity if no one's around.

To go along with the art theme, the TV bezel is thin and looks just like the frame on a painting. Furthermore, the bezel is customizable. By default the TV has a black frame, but you can also purchase additional bezels (like white or teak) if you want a customized look. Instead of a TV stand, a slim wall mount is included to complete the disguise.

"The Frame" also happens to be a great TV, both for viewing 4K HDR content and for playing current-generation games. It's equipped with a full array LED backlit panel with quantum dot technology, local dimming, and wide color gamut. The panel has a native 120Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 inputs, so it's capable of running games in 4K @ 120Hz when connected to a PS5 or Xbox Series X gaming console.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Setup, Design, and First Impressions

Unpacking, maneuvering, and assembling the stand for the 65” QN90F was relatively straightforward. Four screws hold the stand on the base plate and another four screws attach it to the TV. The stand itself is a hefty chunk of metal, satisfying to hold and reassuringly sturdy, and it does a good job of minimizing wobble.

It’s hard for manufacturers to differentiate their TVs via their physical design, especially from the front – they’re all big gray rectangles – but I love the look, feel, and weight of the QN90F. It’s sleek and thin without being OLED-dangerously-thin. The first thing that caught my eye (and not my fingerprints), though, was the matte screen coating, unusual for a TV, which I’ll touch on later in the review.

The power cable is closer to the center of the TV, which is a great change from every other TV having power and IO on completely different sides of the display. I still think the power cable is a bit too short, especially once it's routed through the clever channels built into the back of the display. The rear of the TV is plastic, but it doesn't feel cheap.

IO is excellent, as it should be at this price point. Samsung includes 4 full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, all supporting 165 Hz at 4K. Great news if you’re hooking up multiple consoles. Additionally, there’s an optical audio out, Ethernet, and an RF connection for broadcast. No headphone jack, sadly, which is an omission becoming more and more common.

Samsung is using a common remote across multiple SKUs; this is the same remote (with a neat little solar cell on the rear) that shipped with the S90F. Annoyingly, like LG’s remote, an input selection button is nowhere to be found. Switching inputs means going back to the Home/Start screen, moving left and then down to “Connected Devices,” and waiting for Tizen to catch up to you. Speaking of Tizen…

Tizen: “Preparing. Please Try Again Later.”

"Preparing. Please Try Again Later." This is an actual error message that Tizen displayed when I tried to use the quick settings menu to adjust the QN90F's brightness. I thought I'd experienced it all – the slow navigation, laggy menus, loading throbbers (!) – (read my S90F review for more), but Samsung keeps finding new ways to annoy me. Whether using the Home screen to load a streaming app, switching inputs, or diving into the settings menu, Tizen continues to feel like a low-end mobile phone or some off-brand tablet given away free as part of a promotion.

I may be old school, but I think all the fundamental, device control touch-points of a TV's menu should be as close to the metal as possible, and they should be fast. Backlight brightness, color temperature, local dimming, sound volume, the current input... these are things that shouldn't be knotted up and entangled with the same code that opens and closes your Samsung Motorized Smart Blinds. Yet, with Tizen, every should-be-easy adjustment brings up a loading throbber:

It’s unbelievably frustrating. Samsung needs to take a good look at the Google TV interface from something like the Hisense U8QG. Navigation there is fast and easy. Even Amazon’s FireTV on a lower end model like the U65QF is a joy to use compared to Tizen.

Setting all that aside, once the menu is actually loaded, Tizen behaves like you’d expect for a modern TV smart OS. The Home screen can be cleaned up and calmed down a bit after diving into the Advanced Features menu (turning off auto-playing video is a must!), but Samsung devotes a bit too much screen space to its TV “recommendations,” leaving the app list, which is what you’re likely looking for, as a small, horizontally scrolling band of icons. As a contrast, Google TV surfaces apps in a large format grid, which is much faster to navigate.

Sound

Sound quality on the QN90F is surprisingly good… for TV speakers. Of all the displays I’ve tested so far, I’ve been the most impressed with Samsung’s engineering effort here. Bass extends deep enough to be satisfying for movies and games without booming, mechanical noises, or distortion, and, importantly, speech intelligibility is good. A-OK for general use.

But for the best, engrossing audio experience, we still recommend a surround sound setup or soundbar. Our top pick happens to be Samsung’s own HW-Q990F, which includes a subwoofer for a good reason: TVs simply don’t have the form factor – no front facing drivers for stereo imaging – or enough chassis volume for deep bass.

Reflection Handling and Viewing Angles

Samsung takes the unusual path, certainly for a TV, of shipping the QN90F with a matte AR coating. For those that find the mirror-like reflections from glossy screens annoying, this is definitely a plus, but manufacturers have made great progress on their high-end models, especially in the last few years, at delivering really excellent glossy coatings.

The comparison image above shows the reflection of a compact fluorescent bulb in all of the screens I’ve tested so far, shot with the same exposure, and ranked generally in the order of quality. Samsung’s QD-OLED S90F (currently at the same price as the QN90F) takes the top spot with a truly incredible AR coating, followed closely by Hisense’s U8QG. For those that find the mirror-like reflections from glossy screens annoying, I think the QN90F offers a decent alternative to something like LG’s C5, which is a bit too reflective and a bit too purple.

The macro image above shows how the matte coating diffuses the light from the subpixels behind. This is a fairly coarse and aggressive coating, not my favorite, but the slight reduction in clarity is only visible very near the screen. At typical TV distances, it’s not an issue.

Also worth noting while looking at the macro is that the QN90F uses a BGR subpixel layout, rather than a traditional RGB stripe. If you’re using the Samsung as a PC display, you’ll want to adjust your ClearType settings to reduce color fringing on text. And like many VA panels, the pixels are dimmed in a one third on, two thirds off manner between rows, so the picture is susceptible to a “scanlines” effect.

Viewing angle performance is typical of most VA panels: loss of color and contrast off angle, and dark scenes are especially susceptible to a gamma shift on the periphery of the screen. This is one of the largest drawbacks of VA panels compared to the OLED competition, and Samsung’s own S90F is much better here.

This purple-blue shot, inspired by a fullscreen ad for Amazon Luna during the TV’s setup, shows the color shift off axis, although the photo doesn’t fully capture how it looks in person. I also noticed that the QN90F has a patchy appearance, but only when displaying blue. Otherwise, the matte coating does a good job handling the reflection of the flash.

Color, Calibration, and SDR

For every display I test, my calibration process begins by measuring the backlight spectrum for each of the individual RGB primaries along with a white spectrum. This allows for subsequent performance metrics to be accurately measured with my colorimeter. The color slide above shows three important aspects of the QN90F’s color performance:

1. White spectrum against a mercury reference
2. Individual, normalized RGB response
3. Subsequent chromaticity coordinates compared to the DCI-P3 reference

The peak wavelengths of the primaries, their shape, and their separation (or purity) define the corner coordinates of the gamut triangle. Samsung’s quantum dot backlight does an excellent job of covering (and over-covering) DCI-P3: the three primaries are smooth, separated, and distinct, giving the QN90F rich, vivid color.

In the Expert Settings menu, the default Color setting of 30 gives the best compromise of coverage and accuracy without clipping. Green is spot on, but red and blue do extend a bit past reference. While not perfectly accurate, I’m a sucker for colorful images, so I welcome a bit of over-coverage.

Before I get into the calibration, I need to mention that Samsung doesn’t allow local dimming to be turned off on the QN90F. This is a problem for me, as a reviewer, because I can’t fully disentangle the performance of the LCD panel itself from the behavior of the backlight, making my job quite a bit more difficult (or impossible in the case of lag measurements).

But it’s also a problem for you. Yes, local dimming is one of the reasons you’d buy a TV like the QN90F in the first place, but Samsung ships the TV with a 165 Hz mode, presumably for PC use. Not being able to disable local dimming when in Windows is a bit nuts, and I can’t think of a good reason why Samsung would omit the option altogether. I’ve done my best to mitigate the issue for all subsequent measurements, but I wanted to mention that up front.

Because I’m primarily looking at the TV as a gaming display, I test calibration in the display’s Game mode, making sure that the TV can deliver the same accuracy and performance as in its Film modes but without the processing that can cause input lag.

Out of the box, Samsung has tuned the QN90F extraordinarily well for SDR content. Grayscale tracking is excellent, hitting 6500K in the default Standard WB mode with low Delta E’s across the board. Great job here. BT 1886 gamma is the default, but setting gamma to 2.2 is the right move to better match most sRGB content. Once done, gamma nicely follows the 2.2 target throughout.

Brightness is one of the QN90F’s major strengths. With a 10% window on a black background, local dimming set to high, it’ll do an eye-searing 2370 nits. That’s extraordinarily bright, but still not quite as good as the U8QG, which’ll hit 4000. You’ll likely never see this in real content, though; a white test patch is really the best-case scenario for manufacturers to show off how hard they’re willing to drive (and cool) their backlight LEDs. With a more reasonable 5% gray background, the QN90F tops out around 1400 nits, tapering off to around 760 nits fullscreen. This is a great result, and very good for daytime viewing. 760 nits is roughly 3x what an OLED can deliver, so FALD LCDs are still superior for bright room viewing.

Samsung also does a very good job of keeping the gray background with the 5% slides roughly the same luminance. Other panels really struggle to maintain that 5% level, prioritizing the white patch and letting the background go dim.

HDR, Contrast, and Local Dimming

HDR on the QN90F varies depending on what you’re looking at. Bright content is very, very good: colorful, bright; but dark content is seriously let down by weak, splotchy local dimming performance.

My first impressions of the TV’s local dimming performance were watching Severance and The Gorge on Apple TV, where I saw egregious blooming on dark scenes. It was so bad, I had to double check to make sure the QN90F was actually a VA LCD rather than an IPS. The image above shows the ridiculously distracting, grid-like blooming around Miles Teller’s silhouette.

Checking the native contrast of the panel is very difficult because Samsung doesn’t allow local dimming to be completely turned off. When the TV is first powered on, there is a brief window where LD is disabled, so I was able to get a shot of the panel’s true uniformity:

A little splotchy, but that doesn’t explain the LD performance in The Gorge. The panel’s native contrast ratio is probably around 4600:1, much better than the 1000:1 typical of IPS, but in dark scenes, the QN90F might as well be an IPS.

Samsung’s LD algorithm seems to push near max brightness instead of using a more open LCD position with less backlight output. Exacerbating this is the very grid-like appearance of the zones, which I counted. The 65” version I have in for review uses a 40x18 grid, or 720 zones. In the comparison shot above, check out how blocky and unnatural the backlight zones look for the warning text, compared to something much smoother like Hisense’s U8QG. The U8QG, and other competitors like TCL’s QM8K, at the same price or lower, are offering 2K+ zones, with a smoother, less boxy transition between the neighboring zones.

Unacceptable performance at this price point.

All that said, bright HDR content is pretty impressive. Day racing in The Crew: Motorfest is vivid, colorful, and very bright. The sun in the image above measured at 1008 nits, and the splotchy blooming isn’t visible at all.

EOTF tracking is only OK. With a black background, Samsung does a good job of tracking target luminance all the way up to a peak of around 2200 nits, but tracking (and brightness) gets worse with a 10-nit background, more typical of real content. I’ve noted the 10 nit background peaks on the slides above, and both max out a little north of 1100 nits.

Real content brightness is excellent, nearly topping the chart, but tracking is generally too dark, leading to a fairly high error rate.

Gaming on the QN90F

I’ve been a fan of The Crew series for years, and testing the QN90F gave me a nice opportunity to dive back into Motorfest, a game which usually sees me completely lose track of time. As I mentioned in the previous section, cruising around during the day is awesome: bright (real bright!), and colorful. Dark scenes are still colorful, but Samsung’s LD algorithm leads to too much blooming.

The QN90F supports VRR with FreeSync Premium Pro, and it worked especially well with Motorfest, which is limited to 60 fps. I was using PC mode at 165 Hz, and gameplay was smooth with no stuttering or tearing. One small niggle I found was that 60 fps content in VRR causes the panel to exhibit a faint vertical jailbar effect. As crazy as it is to use a 65” TV as a desktop monitor, it does allow me to catch a few pixel quirks that you might otherwise miss at couch distances.

Another issue is that 60 fps content – a new frame every 16.7 ms – can do a lot to hide the effect of slow response times, which can get lost in the general sample-and-hold blur. Higher refresh rates, like 165 Hz (with a smaller 6 ms window), demand much faster response times, and the QN90F really falters here: its VA panel is the slowest I’ve tested so far, with gamma-corrected response times averaging out to over 22 milliseconds.

That 22 millisecond average comes from a mix of some relatively fast and some very slow gray-to-gray transitions. The slide above highlights (really low-lights!) the rising and falling behavior from RGB 31 to RGB 191. Rising takes 36 ms and falling an even slower 42 ms.

If Samsung implemented some amount of overdrive, like it does on its LCD gaming monitors, many of these could be dramatically sped up, reducing the amount of blurring and trailing behind objects in motion.

The TestUFO pursuit shot of the QN90F at 165 Hz shows off the smearing and trailing behavior behind each UFO, but very dark scenes in games can often be worse, since VA panels tend to have trouble with dark transitions. For example, the 0 to 31 transition takes 46 ms.

Check out the pursuit shot on my S90F review to see the type of motion clarity that can be achieved on an OLED, even at a slightly lower 144 Hz. For gaming, especially high refresh rate gaming, nothing beats OLED. The QN90F is a bit frustrating in two aspects: 1) Samsung could have closed the gap slightly with some overdrive tuning, and 2) Samsung is selling the QN90F at the same price as the far-superior S90F. For almost any scenario where gaming performance is a priority, outside of perhaps the very brightest rooms where the QN90F’s impressive max luminance could come in handy, OLED is the better choice, especially at price parity.

The latency chart is just here for reference. Because Samsung doesn’t allow local dimming to be turned off, I can’t get accurate click to photon times. My testing relies on measuring how long it takes before a USB input/keypress causes the screen to change from black to white, but the backlight behavior is delayed by several frames, so it doesn’t represent real-world latency.

To be sure, though, I spent a lot of time in Game Mode using the QN90F as a PC monitor, and I didn’t notice any particularly bad input lag. I’d expect latency numbers comparable to the other LCDs on the chart.

The Competition

In the LCD realm, Hisense’s U8QG and TCL’s QM8K are simply better than the QN90F. Both are cheaper. The U8QG is brighter, has better HDR EOTF tracking, and Hisense offers way more dimming zones for better control of blooming. The TCL might not be as bright, but, of the three, its response times are much better tuned so high refresh rate gaming will be clearer.

If you’re already looking for a TV at or around the $1300 mark, my suggestion would be to bite the bullet and take the small price jump for an OLED. Samsung’s own S90F OLED is the same price and thoroughly better: similar real scene HDR brightness, lower EOTF error, excellent AR coating, amazing contrast from the perfect blacks and individually controlled pixels, and top-tier motion performance for gaming. LG’s WOLED C5 is another option that won’t disappoint, but at the same price, the S90F is better.

The Samsung S84F was released in 2025 and is still the latest S80 series model. It's identical to the S85F but exclusively sold at Best Buy. Its successor the S85H was announced during this year's CES won't be available until later in the spring. This TV is equipped with a true W-OLED panel similar to the ones found on the LG B5 and Sony Bravia 8 models. OLED TVs boast superior image quality compared to any non-OLED thanks to their near-infinite contrast ratio, near-instantaneous response time, and ability to produce true blacks. They absolutely excel at handling 4K HDR content.

The Samsung S84F has the features you want in a current-gen gaming TV, like HDMI 2.1 ports and a native 120Hz panel for running 4K at 120fps on a PS5 or Xbox Series, variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode. It's also a good TV for running the Nintendo Switch 2 in docked mode, although the Switch 2 can only run games at up to 60fps in 4K.

This is the lowest price I can find for a brand new and fully warrantied 65" OLED TV, especially if you want to stick with a tried and true brand like Samsung, and the free TV is just icing on the cake. Best Buy is a good place to buy your TV from because it's easier to return if you have any problems (a 65" TV can still fit in a reasonably sized SUV).

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

• Resident Evil Village
• Date Everything
• Core Keeper
• StarVaders
• Squirrel with a Gun
• SteamWorld Build
• Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop
• Big Helmet Heroes
• One Month of IGN Plus

If Resident Evil Village has caught your eye, particularly if you're counting down the days to Requiem, it's worth noting we're big fans. Back when it was first released, our review from IGN's Tristan Ogilvie called it "a genuinely engrossing and increasingly combat-heavy continuation of the Ethan Winters story."

SteamWorld Build is another pick from this list we enjoyed. Our review from writer Jon Bolding said it's a "simple but fun city builder cleverly combined with a dungeon-constructing miner that keeps things quick and casual." It certainly seems like a nice variety of games in this bundle you'll get to add to your library.

There's plenty of other perks you'll get to enjoy as a Humble Choice member as well. Alongside the new selection of games to choose from each month, you'll also save up to 20% on select games in the Humble Store, and 5% of your membership goes to a charity every month, which is NPower for February.

On top of that, the month of IGN Plus is a nice bonus alongside the games, offering you a chance to give it a test run for free. With this, you'll be able to get rid of ads on the site, enjoy free games, and more.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

The Era 100 is Sonos' most popular and most versatile speaker. Despite its compact size, the Era 100 houses two tweeters, a mid-woofer, and three class-D digital amplifiers to produce precise, distortion-free audio even at high volumes. It has a microphone for voice control. Because of its flexibility, it's often paired with a sound bar or a second Era speaker.

Sonos Arc Ultra

The Arc Ultra is Sonos' best soundbar speaker, replacing last year's Arc model. It is a massive 46" soundbar that houses 14 total speakers, including five tweeters (plus two upward-firing speakers for Dolby Atmos supported height channels), six midwoofers, and a four-motor, dual-membrane Sound Motion woofer. The Arc Ultra uses AI enhancement technology to isolate and boost the clarity of dialogue and voices. It also has a built-in microphone so that it can be controlled using voice commands from the Sonos app or your favorite smart assistant. Check out our own Sonos Arc Ultra review.

Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

The Sonos Beam is a great option for someone who requires a more compact sound bar or simply doesn't want to spend $900 on the Arc Ultra. The Beam (Gen 2) is a 26-inch long, 5.0-channel soundbar with one tweeter and four mid-woofers for natural, balanced sound and four passive radiators to help with the low end. Although the Beam doesn't have physical height channels, it has two virtual height channels for Dolby Atmos support. It has a microphone for voice control.

Sonos Era 300

The Era 300 is a much bigger, better sounding version of the Era 100. It's nearly double the size and weight. The Era 300 is also shaped differently, but there's a reason for that. The hourglass figure is designed to optimally arrange the six speakers so that they fire sound in all directions, enhancing Dolby Atmos and spatial audio effects. The Era 300 consist of four tweeters and two woofers paired with Class-D digital amplifiers and custom waveguides to help project sound to all corners of your room. Like the Era 100, it also has a built-in microphone for voice control.

Sonos Sub Mini

The audio savvy knows that a single speaker isn't enough to reproduce an entire soundstage. If you could pick only one other speaker to supplement your existing one, then a subwoofer would make the most meaningful impact. If you are space constrained, consider the Sub Mini. Despite its compact size, the Sub Mini can still powerful room-filling bass by way of two inward-facing 6" drivers contained in a sealed (non-ported) enclosure. It features wireless connectivity so you can avoid the hassle of routing a cable back to the rest of your home theater components.

Sonos Sub 4

If you aren't space or budget constrained, the Sub 4 is a step up from the Sub Min. The Sub 4 boasts even more power and a better low-end soundstage thanks to two inward-facing 5"x8" woofers and a traditional ported design.

Why Sonos?

If you're looking for an easy solution to add great sound to your home, then you've probably already heard of Sonos. Sonos speakers are very easy to set up, don't take a large amount of space, and most importantly, offer distortion-free room-filling audio. They're definitely pricier than budget options, but the sound quality is comparable to speakers that cost hundreds more or take up much more space.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.