Samsung QLED TVs and Xbox One S are a match made in gamer heaven

By Richard Devine
last updated

The next TV you buy and hook up to your Xbox One should be a Samsung QLED, assuming you can afford one. Here's why.

Samsung QLED

Samsung makes some of the best TVs around, and it has for many years. Its QLED line is the latest and greatest and has some unique features which make it extra desirable.

We're at a point now where, Samsung says, talking about picture quality isn't necessary anymore. It's still important, but the new focus is on how to better integrate TVs into your home. It's not only about home entertainment.

That's not to say the QLED TVs don't offer stunning images, because they do. But that's not what makes them interesting. 4K and HDR are naturally important for Xbox One S users and soon, Project Scorpio users, but they don't tell the tale of this remarkable new TV.

What is QLED? It's a Samsung exclusive term, explained by the company as such:

Introducing QLED TV, a brilliant picture, enhanced by a billion unique colors created by Samsung's proprietary Quantum Dots. As smart as it is beautiful, QLED TV senses which devices are plugged in and controls them with the Samsung OneRemote, giving you an incredibly intuitive TV experience.

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Samsung QLED

One of its unique features is the custom mounting bracket that allows the TV to be mounted completely flush to the wall. It forgoes the standard VESA mount for its own solution. The mounting points are recessed on the rear of the TV, and the electronics inside are relocated to allow for it. That way you can get it perfectly tight to the wall. It's the same mount, too, for curved TVs.

This unique mounting solution goes hand-in-hand with Samsung's new invisible cable. With the TV mounted flush to a wall, there's no access to the ports on the rear. But you don't need them.

The invisible cable is based on optical technology and down this single, quite fragile looking cable you can connect up to four separate HDMI devices, to display even 4K HDR content. There's a hub that deals with the audio and visual hardware in your home, to keep it out of the way.

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Samsung QLED

Samsung's remote for the QLED works as a control for any of your connected devices, even the Xbox One. So there's no need for the dedicated Xbox Media Remote. The TV will decide what's connected and load up a suitable profile.

One thing's for sure, though: these aren't cheap TVs. You're going to be spending thousands of dollars right now, up to $10,000 for a 75-incher. But, if you like high-end entertainment hardware and enjoy 4K and HDR content, it's a very exciting product.

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Richard Devine
Richard Devine
Managing Editor - Tech, Reviews

Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him steering the site's coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon at mstdn.social/@richdevine

31 Comments
  • The image quality in that first picture isn't very good at all, the colour has a blue tinge to it that I would expect from a cheap flat screen, not a 10ker. And by first photo I meant the one with the dog, which isn't actually the first photo.
  • That's more likely to be a combination of my poor photography skills and the less than helpful lighting in a hotel lobby.
  • You must be off of your medication. Have you seen one in person? 
  • Shouldn't we talk about how Samsung's qled is nothing in comparison to oled?
    Don't know much about it I must admit, and are reaching an age where I don't really care the same way anymore, but the rumor is that qled is just a marketing scheme trying to exploit customers missing knowledge on the technology.. rumor is that it is just a glorified LED tv?? GO! :-)
  • It uses Quantum Dot technology so it's hardly 'just' an LED TV. It's also not an OLED TV. And it has many different advantages. Personally, I'd jump on one of these if I had the money for the single cable hook up and flush wall mount alone.
  • Depends. If this is the same as other QLED screens then it is merely an improved form of backlighting. However if they have actually pulled off replacing the screen itself with QLED's (which is possible) then it could give OLED a run for its money.
  • Agree. I've seen this side by side (well, a couple of meters apart) with LG's OLED and OLED blows this (and every other flat screen) out of the water. There's really no comparison. Rich, if you haven't already, try and view an LG OLED, you'll be amazed by the deepest of blacks.
  • $100000 to pair with a Xbox One?
    I like my Xbox but when I spend 10k on a TV I probably have money for a sick gaming PC too.
  • And you wouldn't been hooking that sick gaming PC to a tv so your point is moot.
  • Why not?
  • Not for report. But for everything else. A 144Hz gaming monitor in the office and this beauty in the living room.
  • Also QLED isn't a Samsung exclusive, Sony's Triluminous displays used QLED backlighting (years ago), and LG have also been pushing QLED's lately. Maybe Samsung have trademarked the term QLED though, which is certainly a possibility. The exorbitant price could mean they have cracked the display issue and it's the screen itself, which is odd because it's actually cheaper to produce Quantum Dot technology than traditional semiconductors and the like (QD's can replace a LOT of things). You are basically paying because it's new, not because it is actually expensive. So I personally am not going to be suckered in by it until it actually costs the appropriate amount.
  • Was looking at these but they really are too expensive and it seems you need to use them in shop display mode to get near the rated HDR nits...and then wow...only Edge lit! So then was thinking of last years LG OLED due to price drops but I really wanted eye-popping HDR. Got such a good deal on a Panasonic 58DX902 I'm very happy. Year old display but FALD, over 1000nits for some great HDR (mass effect has had some standout moments) and nearly half the price of the OLED I was looking at. If money hadn't been an object I may have actually still gone LCD but the Sony FALD model but it was OLED prices. Think next upgrade will be OLED though now even wonderful TVs are approaching PC upgrade cycles one does hope the recycling is up to scratch in the next ten years...big things...
  • Going slightly off topic here but has anyone heard of a potential upgrade to the Netflix app (I think Amazon does it too) which just forces HDR on the Xbox-S as soon as you open it, deteriorating image quality and threatening a migraine? No matter which HDR UHD you have and are happy with its probably a pain (I flip my HDMI on the TV settings not to transmit HDR at present)
    Edited to clarify it forces HDR on regardless of the content you are watching, most of which isn't HDR
  • No mention of refresh rate in source
  • I got the Samsung 65" Curved QLED last week for a steal of a price. I am in LOVE with it. It makes my XBOX games look absolutely amazing. Even TV shows look better. The color is really vibrant. The curve still throws me off a little bit though.
  • QLed is almost the same as LG's old full slim array led. It also used small arrays of leds. Obviously differences exists but same principle. My brother has the 65" b6p OLED TV and it is just fantastic! It still scores much better in picture quality than the flagship QLED but obviously the prices are a huge difference. Brightness advantage is there though the newest LG magnet mount ones have pumped up the nits. I'll be following to see what samsung could do with qled. lg's advantage is the complete minimization of burn in with w-oled which rgb oled probably can't deal with right now.
  • I am looking to buy q7f 55'' quantum dot tv from Samsung. So can you confirm that is the perfect tv for Scorpio ?
  • "Perfect" is a relative term. If it supports 4K and HDR, you should be fine.   I just checked Amazon for prices and DEAR GOD! 2797 for a 55" TV and its not even an OLED? Just get the LG OLED 55" TV for a lower price. I don't see any reason to get the Samsung honestly at this pricepoint.   Lookup the OLED55C6P on Amazon.
  • I like your name.
  • I like your name.
  • Bought a flat 55" 4k HDR OLED about 2 months ago. LG for 1k $ less
  • I know right? WTH is up with that stupid-high pricing on these Sammys?
  • Got an OLED, and never looked back, worth every penny.
  • I've been eyeing the new LG B7 OLED at Costco. Maybe when it gets down to $2999 I'll pull the trigger.
  • These Samsung edge lit TVs suffer from major light bleed and flashlighting, especially on dark backgrounds. The Vizio P series actually has a better picture than this TV but has its own issues too. I'm still waiting for LG to release its new LED lineup to see how they compare.
  • I love gaming and TV more than anyone, but 10k? No good visuals is worth that much
  • Richard, I swear I'm not trying to be a jerk, but the 'match made in gaming heaven' made me click through to the article and after reading it all, I still don't know why they are a match. Is there really low input lag while gaming in 4K HDR? Or is it just the auto sensing universal remote that makes it such a great match? Seems like a lot of money for a universal remote and not all that heavenly. By the way, I was at Microcenter when they were unboxing one of these and watched them set it up next to last year's LG OLED and I watched the same movie play on both for a while. The year old LG E6 was way better. Also, I'm sure the company that bet on the wrong horse in terms of picture quality wants the consumers to believe we're past talking about picture quality.
  • I was thinking the exact same way as you. I expected to see a input lag time and/or comparisons with OLED and he wrote nothing about it. Other than brightness, I didn't get anything out of this article that made me feel this is perfect for gaming. I am patiently waiting for OLED prices to drop on 75" and above to at least around the 12K range for gaming and I wouldn't switch away from that OLED dream until some LED miracle gives me a reason not to...which I doubt....since every reviewer complains about horrible viewing angles on LEDs of this size.
  • With Scorpio supporting Freesync I'm more interested in 4K TVs that will start supporting it. Hopefully by the end of the year.
  • Why didn't they merge the power and data cable together? And have them both come from the hub? So you need two power sockets for this TV?