While the best gaming TVs are aplenty these days from the likes of LG, Samsung, and Sony, not all of these displays offer the most robust system to handle everything the newly unveiled PS5 Pro has to offer.
That’s because everything from audio, input latency, gaming features, and even display technology make or break a TV. As we mention countless times in our reviews and roundups, even some of the best TVs don’t always come equipped with the most sound speaker systems or high enough brightness to tick every box.
But one in particular from a brand that’s largely been absent from the US market is among the few that offers all the best features on a design that’s seemingly built for the new PS5 system. From its gorgeous MLA Gen 2 panel to its incredible sound system that boasts 160W of output power, the Panasonic Z95A OLED TV is the choice to go with.
It’s definitely on the more expensive side (it’s Panasonic’s flagship TV, rember), but that’s the cost you pay for the best seat in the house for all things PlayStation. And with several high profile experiences on the near horizon, including Grand Theft Auto 6 and Death Stranding 2, the Panasonic Z95A is the only choice to go with.
A panel and sound system unlike any other
Panasonic's return to the US is met with utter style and glee, bringing with it one of the best OLED TVs to launch yet this year with a slew of amazing features that it make it stand tall against the competition. In our testing, it even beat out the Samsung flagship this year, with the Panasonic Z95A vs Samsung S95D being an eye-opener in how far Panasonic has come.
What makes the Z95A stand out is its MLA Gen 2 panel. It gives the Z95A some serious power, noted in its high brightness output of 2012 nits and 292 nits in both HDR and SDR content, respectively.
Making it even more ideal for gaming though is its incredible 160W speakers, a monster of a sound system that is the first of its kind in an OLED TV. In was built in partnership with Technics and provides a slew of additional features, like 360 Soundscape Pro that lets you tune and customize the cone of the TV sound to best suit your home entertainment environment.
You can even change the sound profile to a specific genre, like FPS or RPG, for a more immersive experience depending on the type of game you're playing. A Survival Horror option would round this out quite nicely, especially in the face of the new Silent Hill 2 Remake, but at least you won't have to shell out for one of the best soundbars on top of an OLED TV and PS5 Pro.
One thing to note is that the Panasonic Z95A does come with a rather high input latency of 12.6ms, which isn't ideal. We like to see that number under 10ms, but I feel this is a worthwhile sacrifice to make as you really won't such a well-rounded system like this.
Just look at Sony's models, which often come with incredibly high input latency of 16ms, and you're left wondering why anyone would ever pair the PS5 Pro with a Sony display. If you are looking to upgrade your TV for the PS5 Pro, I recommend not turning to its creator — a bit of irony, to be sure.
All the right gaming sweet spots
Panasonic isn't alone in creating epic gaming TVs — many of the best Samsung TVs and best LG TVs come equipped with a robust gaming center and dedicated menu for instant support across a wide range of uses cases. These menus make it light years easier to customize and tailor your gaming experience in a myriad of ways, like bumping the refresh rate or turning on VRR.
Panasonic did well in capturing a similar approach to its own game control board, giving users additional functionality and picture controls for a totally streamlined and almost perfect experience. Further enhancements using its Control Board include Dark Visibility, letting you lighten up shadows and darker areas, HDR tonemapping for further tweaks on HDR, and input lag, which should be set to fast.
There's even a handy information tab so you can get the full rundown on what type of devices are connected and what settings they're currently using. This is great for better understanding the platform you're using and can determine if you're actually playing games in 4K/120Hz or not.
While Panasonic's system is nowhere near as well-optimized or brimming with cloud-based experiences like alternatives, namely Samsung who wants to be the TV for gamers, there is more than enough control here for PS5 Pro users and beyond.
Not a console gamer? The Z95A would even work well for those using the best gaming PCs, giving them up to 144Hz speeds and several other features to play with.
Worthy alternatives
Tallying it all up, the PS5 Pro (with both a vertical stand and disc drive) plus the Panasonic Z95A OLED TV would come out to a meteoric $4,000. That's not ideal for every gamer looking to eek out the best visuals on the block, and is why I wouldn't just call the Panasonic Z95A the best and only choice for the PS5 Pro.
There are a veritable slew of awesome gaming TVs out there ripe for the picking, like the LG C4 OLED or even the Samsung S90C OLED TV. These, of course, are similar to the Panasonic model in being OLED displays but also relatively expensive, with the C4 coming in at $1,699 for its 65-inch model and the Samsung sitting at $1,499 for the same configuration.
Those TVs may not bring all of the same features to the table, but they will offer you the best possible image quality and features on the block.
But something even less expensive might be more in the cards for those already strapped after dropping a whopping $699 for the PS5 Pro — plus more if you bought a disk drive and stand to go along with it.
Enter Hisense and TCL, two of the best TV makers bringing some value picks to the market. Don't expect to find any OLED TVs among their designs, as these models will be Mini-LED options with powerful backlighting. You're sacrificing deeper and richer blacks for price, but most of the same gaming features will remain all built out on a more affordable design, like the Hisense U8N Mini-LED TV, available for just $999 for its 55-inch model.
Many of these can be found at much lower rates, as well, and offer the best bang for you buck — especially for the PS5 Pro, which won't realistically require anything over 120Hz. You could always opt for the 2024 TCL QM8 Mini-LED TV, as TCL just updated its designs with further enhancements, calling them QD-Mini-LED models.
Hisense came out victorious in our QM8 vs U8N feature, but either will be expert picks for those looking to save on a well-rounded TV upgrade for the PS5 Pro.
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