Although the massive success of Deadpool might suggest that Fox was completely behind the movie from the start, this wasn’t the case. The studio only greenlit the movie after test footage leaked online and was met by an incredibly positive reaction from fans. This week was the fifth anniversary of the footage leak. To mark the occasion, star Ryan Reynolds made a hilarious new Instagram post that also hinted at Deadpool’s potential entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following Disney’s purchase of Fox’s entertainment assets earlier in the year.
The post shows a crime board, which attempts to trace the source of the leak. Was it Deadpool director Tim Miller or writer Rhett Reese? Perhaps it was Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman, who only got Logan made after Deadpool proved an R-rated superhero could be a hit. Or maybe Reynold’s wife Blake Lively was the culprit. The most intriguing name on the board is Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, while Reynold’s reference to “Phase 5” in the caption hints at Deadpool finally entering the MCU. Check it out below.
The Fox deal means that all the X-Men characters are now owned by Disney, with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige in charge of these properties. But while the main X-Men characters will almost certainly be rebooted at some point, it is likely Reynolds will continue to play the Merc with the Mouth.
The R-rated Deadpool might seem an unlikely fit with the more family-friendly tone of the rest of the MCU, but both Deadpool and Deadpool 2 were huge box office hits. In February, Disney boss Bob Iger confirmed that the studio will “continue in that business,” after the deal.
“We do believe there is room for the Fox properties to exist without significant Disney influence over the nature of the content, meaning that we see that there is certainly popularity amongst Marvel fans for the R-rated Deadpool films, as a for instance,” he said. “We’re going to continue in that business, and there might be room for more of that.”
There’s one final X-Men movie still to be released–the long delayed New Mutants, which was shot back in 2017, long before the Disney deal. It currently has a release date of April 2020, two years after it was first scheduled to hit theaters. For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to all the upcoming Marvel Phase 4 movies and TV shows.
Another installment of 2K’s WWE series has been announced, and with it, two images have been revealed. Little is known about the latest version of the game, aptly named WWE 2K20, but more information will be revealed on August 5.
2K Games has revealed two images from its long-running WWE series: one of Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and one of Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley. Both images feature the WWE superstar’s entrances and can be seen below. While this isn’t a huge reveal for WWE 2K20, more information will be shared on Monday, August 5.
Teased by 2K, Monday’s reveal will include the cover art for the game, along with gameplay footage and more information. This is the first announcement for the game and no further details have been given.
Last year’s installment–WWE 2K19–made huge changes to the overall game, completely reimagining the MyCareer Mode to be more story driven, adding fun arcade elements, a roster of over 200 superstars, and reintroducing Showcase Mode–which took inspiration from WWE’s documentary series on the WWE Network. The overall changes vastly improved the game and added a bit of fun to the series.
As for what could be coming down the like for WWE 2K20, no one knows at this point. Many fans of the series are hoping for the reintroduction of GM Mode, where players take on the role of Raw or Smackdown GM and try to get better ratings for their weekly programming than the other show. GM Mode has been one of the most talked about features that’s gone missing since UpUpDownDown started its weekly Battle of the Brands video series. In it, WWE superstars Xavier Woods and Tyler Breeze play GM Mode on WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006.
Additionally, many are wondering not only who the cover star of this year’s game will be–hopefully Becky Lynch–but also which superstar Showcase Mode will focus on. There are plenty of working superstars in the company whose stories would work exceptionally well for that mode.
FIFA is one of the biggest games of the year, and FIFA 20 will likely be no different. Between Kick Off, Career Mode, and Pro Clubs, the series is rarely lacking in content, but the most played mode every year is FIFA Ultimate Team, or FUT for short. EA has finally lifted the lid on all the new FUT features, so read on below for a look at FUT Friendlies, FUT Seasons, new customization options, and the new FUT Icons we know about.
Contrary to what you might expect, this has nothing to do with the existing Seasons mode; instead, Seasons in FUT will work similarly to the periods of real-world time that Fortnite, PUBG, and more have popularized in recent years. In FIFA, these time periods are between six and eight weeks long and will include rewards you can earn over the course of a Season. There will also be Season objectives: these are similar to the current daily and weekly objectives but longer-term and with bigger rewards–one example given to us was a loan Ones To Watch Eden Hazard. Completing matches and objectives will net you XP, which will count toward Season rewards.
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FIFA 20 – Gameplay Reveal Trailer | EA Play 2019
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FUT 20 will feature a bigger suite of club customization options, with EA making a big change by allowing clubs to display fictional badges, balls, and tifos, among other cosmetic items. For example, you’ll no longer be forced to display a tifo of Neymar or Thomas Mueller–instead, you can erect one of a dabbing unicorn… because of course. You could also use a 16-bit styled ball in your home stadium, rather than just real-world Adidas and Nike ones.
The new customization options are not currently planned to be available in regular packs. Rather, they’ll be rewards for a new type of challenge called Milestones. These are not tied to XP or Seasons but will be attainable by achieving long-term objectives such as scoring 100 headers. More customization options will be added throughout the year, EA says, but they will be untradeable.
FUT Friendlies
FUT Friendlies are a new way of playing casually within FUT–a place to go, EA says, when you don’t fancy the pressure of the Weekend League or Squad Battles. There are no great rewards for playing FUT friendlies, but you do still earn coins, and, crucially, player injuries, contracts, fitness, and your playing record remain unaffected. That means you can use that loan OTW Hazard to your heart’s content.
A big part of the new FUT Friendlies mode is House Rules, which have been lifted wholesale from FIFA 19‘s Kick Off update into FIFA 20’s Ultimate Team portion. As well as those modes added last year–Headers and Volleys, Survival, and so on–new options are being introduced in FUT 20. Those are:
Max Chem: Team chemistry doesn’t matter here–regardless of your squad selection, every player will be granted maximum chemistry.
Swaps: A standard match of FIFA except a random trio of your first XI players get swapped for three of your opponent’s.
King of the Hill: If you can keep the ball under control inside the virtual box painted somewhere on the pitch, you’ll build up a goal meter. Go on to score in the same attack and you’ll have that number added to the scoreline. For example, hold the ball in the box for long enough to build it up to 3 and you’ll add three goals to your score if you get the ball in the back of the net soon after.
Mystery Ball: Every time the ball comes back into play, a new match condition will be set. These could range from 3x goals for the next successful strike to maximum speed boost or maximum dribbling boost for the ball holder.
The latter two House Rules options are also coming to Kick Off outside of FUT, while the former two will be available within Ultimate Team only. FUT Friendlies as a whole can be played against AI, a local opponent, or online against friends.
FUT Icons
Finally, EA revealed a selection of its new Icon cards that will come to Ultimate Team this year. The players revealed so far are English striker Ian Wright, Italian midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo, Brazilian forward Carlos Alberto, Ivorian frontman Didier Drogba, and Dutch star Ronald Koeman.
FIFA 20 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC–with legacy editions coming to Switch and older platforms–on September 27.
Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass lineup for the first few weeks of August, so you can play game gratis during the dog days of summer. As usual the service is offering a collection of games that will join the service on Xbox One consoles, PC, and one that will be on both.
On August 1, the service will add the sports game Ashes Cricket and the strategy game Pandemic for Xbox One, along with the vertical action game Downwell for PC. Then on August 8, those will be joined by the Jackbox Party Pack 2 on Xbox and Space Hulk Tactics on PC. Finally, on August 14, both Xbox One and PC players will get the roguelike Slay the Spire.
The Gears 5 PvP tech tests included with Game Pass have concluded, but a separate Horde Mode tech test is coming sometime in August. Microsoft hasn’t detailed when that will come, but like the PvP test, it should be included in Game Pass. That’s because the game itself will be included with Game Pass, and the tech tests are open to pre-orders, so if you’re a subscriber you kind of pre-ordered it too.
The announcement also detailed a new set of quests for Game Pass, which grant rewards points for playing Game Pass games that can be traded for gift cards or extending your Game Pass time. This time those include rewards for earning achievements in Batman: Arkham Knight, the Metro series, Borderlands, and Ashes Cricket, among others.
Game Pass is an all-you-can-eat subscription service that rotates a library of games for a monthly rate. You can pay $10 per month for the service on Xbox One or PC, or $15 for the combined “Game Pass Ultimate” subscription that also includes Xbox Live Gold. Check out the full list of Xbox Game Pass games for early August below.
The first trailer for The Irishman is here. The highly-anticipated crime thriller is the latest movie from legendary director Martin Scorsese, and stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. It’s been produced by Netflix and is set to hit the service in the fall.
The Irishman tells the real-life story of Frank Sheeran, a union man who also allegedly worked as a contract killer. De Niro plays Sheeran, with Pacino as notorious union boss Jimmy Hoffa and Pesci as mobster Russell Bufalino. It looks like another epic, decade-spanning crime saga from Scorsese–and let’s face it, no one does it better the director of Goodfellas and Casino. Check the trailer out below.
The Irishman also stars Ray Romano, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, and Stephen Graham. It’s penned by by Steven Zaillian, who also wrote Schindler’s List, American Gangster, and David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
One of the most notable aspects of The Irishman is that it will make extensive use of CG to “de-age” De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci for scenes in which their characters are much younger. The trailer shows relatively little of this, but the amount of VFX work meant that the movie has involved nearly two years of post-production. According to Deadline, the final budget is around $200 million, making it the most expensive movie of Scorsese’s career.
Although The Irishman does not yet have a confirmed release date, it will hit Netflix in the fall. It is also set to have a limited theatrical run and will premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 27.
EA has confirmed it will release a new Need for Speed title soon. The publisher said in an investor call that it plans to launch the new game before the end of March 2020.
“We’ll be delivering many other new experiences to players throughout the remainder of this fiscal year,” said EA CEO Andrew Wilson. “We’ll take the wraps off our new Need for Speed game heading into Gamescom in a few weeks.
“We [also] have plans for a Plants Vs. Zombies shooter title, coming to console and PC later this year.”
The most recent Need for Speed game, Payback, launched in 2017 to a mixed reception, including a 5/10 in GameSpot’s review. The upcoming Plants Vs. Zombies shooter, expected to be Garden Warfare 3, was stealth announced just recently with the codename “Picnic.” Not long before that, EA announced another mainline PvZ title. Plants Vs. Zombies 3 is currently in the pre-alpha testing phase, but a final release date has not been confirmed.
For the April-June quarter ended June 30, EA made $1.2 billion USD in revenue, which is up from $1.1 billion during the same quarter last year. Digital revenue accounted for $1.049 billion of the $1.2 billion total, with revenue from physical game sales and other sources coming in at $160 million.
EA posted $1.42 billion in profit for the three-month period, compared to a profit of $293 million during the same period last year. The huge increase was due to a number of factors, including EA’s decision to move some of its IP rights to its international HQ in Switzerland, as well as changes to the Swiss income tax rates that seem to have benefited EA in a major way.
A slide released as part of the EA earnings report also shines a light on just how substantial “live service” elements of the publisher’s games are to the company’s bottom line. For the latest quarter, live services, which include microtransactions and subscriptions among other elements, brought in $504 million in digital net For the trailing twelve months, live services racked up $2.461 billion for EA.
Looking at these numbers, it’s not hard to see why EA–and numerous other publishers in gaming–are pushing so hard for online games that use the games-as-a-service model to keep people playing–and paying.
EA has numerous live service games and subscription programs. Some of the contributors to EA’s bottom line during Q1 FY20 included Battlefield V, Apex Legends, The Sims 4, and Anthem, as well as the Ultimate Team modes for FIFA 19, NBA Live 19, NHL 19, Madden NFL 19, and more. As for subscription services, these include EA Access and Origin Access, while the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic offers optional subscriptions.
Madden NFL 20‘s release this week kicks off the company’s barrage of sports games. The Ultimate Team modes are incredibly lucrative. EA disclosed in 2017 that all of the Ultimate Team modes combined brought in $800 million annually, according to GI.biz.
Movies about cats are very popular these days–yes they are–and now another cat-themed movie has added more actors to its cast.
The Tom and Jerry movie, which is based on the classic animated show that in its new form will seemingly blend live-action and CG, has welcomed Ken Jeong, Rob Delaney, Jordan Bolger, and Pallavi Sharda to its cast, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The Tom and Jerry movie will also star Colin Jost, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Michael Pena. Fantastic Four and Ride Along director Tim Story is directly the Tom and Jerry movie.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the Tom and Jerry movie follows the cat and mouse after they get booted from their home and must live in a New York hotel. Chloe Grace Moretz plays the character Kayla, who works at the hotel and is tasked with hosting a fancy wedding there. No one wants to come to a wedding with a mouse problem, so Kayla brings in Tom the cat to get rid of Jerry.
It probably won’t go to plan.
There have been Tom and Jerry movies over the years, but this new one seems to be the first of its kind with its hybrid nature, the full details of which are unclear at this stage.
In other news about cat movies, the first trailer for the movie version of Cats recently came online–and it’s terrifying meme-generator. The movie stars Idris Elba, Judi Dench, Rebel Wilson, Ian McKellan, James Corden, and Jennifer Hudson.
If you’re willing to buy a new monitor, variable refresh rate—also known as G-Sync on the NVIDIA side and FreeSync on the AMD side—is one of the best upgrades you can make to your gaming setup, reducing screen tearing and syncing your monitor’s refresh rate with your video card’s output. But while monitors with FreeSync are easy to come by and affordable, monitors with NVIDIA’s G-Sync are always more expensive, leaving budget-minded GTX users out in the cold, until just recently.This year at CES, NVIDIA announced that it was bringing G-Sync compatibility to some FreeSync monitors with a new driver update. They’ve officially validated 30 monitors as “G-Sync compatible,” but anyone can enable variable refresh rate (VRR) in the new NVIDIA drivers and try it on their own FreeSync-enabled display—and many have found certain uncertified monitors to work just fine.
So I researched some of the top G-Sync compatible monitors—both certified and uncertified—to round up the best ones you can buy. There may be others that work beyond the ones on this list that folks haven’t discovered yet, and hopefully NVIDIA’s supported list will continue to grow. But for now, there’s still a pretty decent selection.
TL;DR – These are the best FreeSync Monitors for Nvidia GPUs:
Best “Everything But the Kitchen Sink” Monitor – Acer Nitro XV273K
If you want a monitor that can do it all—or at least come incredibly close—the 27-inch Acer Nitro XV273K is the monitor to beat. While most 4K monitors have a paltry 60Hz refresh rate, the Nitro clocks in at 144Hz, not to mention it has an HDR-capable quantum dot panel. Its IPS panel means you get great color accuracy, better viewing angles, and a solid response time, albeit with greyish blacks and a bit of “glow” around the edges. But when it comes to straight up specs, it’s hard to beat the Acer Nitro, especially when you consider its built-in USB hub and four inputs—two HDMI and two DisplayPort. You’ll pay a hefty price tag for those features, but there aren’t many monitors that can check all those boxes.
Note that in order to support this specced-out monster, you’ll need to connect it with two DisplayPort 1.4 cables, and its FreeSync range is technically limited to 48-120Hz at 4K (though you can go all the way to 144Hz at 1440p). So while it isn’t truly without compromises, you get a lot of choice over how you play—and it’s certified to work with NVIDIA’s graphics cards.
Samsung’s huge CHG90 is still one of the most unique monitors we’ve tested (Read our review), thanks to its insane 32:9 aspect ratio coupled with Samsung’s QLED tech. It’s pricey, but if you want a seriously immersive gaming experience with HDR, fantastic color reproduction, and a 144Hz FreeSync refresh rate—which, while not certified, has been tested to work just fine with NVIDIA cards—Samsung’s got your back. It comes with two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, and one Mini DisplayPort, along with a USB hub and 3.5mm in and out. It does have an unfortunately low pixel density at only 81 pixels per inch (PPI), but for an experience this unique, you may find it worth the sacrifice. If it seems like too much to spend, Samsung has a standard 16:9 version of the same monitor, which comes in both 27 inch and 32 inch varieties (though it’s a bit harder to come by these days).
If you’re willing to give up higher refresh rates for higher resolutions at a somewhat reasonable price, the BenQ EW3270U is a solid contender (Read our review). Its massive 32-inch screen size means you’re making the most of all those pixels, and its VA panel provides darker blacks than its IPS cousins (plus HDR to boot). It’s unfortunately limited to a small FreeSync range of 40Hz-60Hz, so if your games drop below 40 frames per second, you’ll experience tearing. That’s pretty typical for 4K monitors, with the exception of the aforementioned Acer Nitro, so you’ll have to decide whether it’s worth the tradeoff. This monitor hasn’t been certified by NVIDIA, but other folks have found it to work just fine with graphics cards from Team Green. If you prefer IPS monitors for their better viewing angles and response times, LG’s 27UD68-P is a decent 27-inch 4K alternative that, like the BenQ, isn’t certified but should work with NVIDIA cards.
If refresh rate is more important to you than number of pixels—and let’s be honest, it probably should be—the $500 Asus MG278Q gets you great bang for your buck with a 1440p resolution and a FreeSync-ready 144Hz refresh rate, with certified support for NVIDIA graphics cards. It also has a plethora of ports (HDMI, DIsplayPort, DVI, and USB), not to mention a ton of adjustability, including the ability to put it into portrait mode. It’s a TN panel, so you won’t get particularly great viewing angles, but the pixel response is better to ensure clear action. If $500 is a bit too much to spend, you can grab the AOC AGON AG271QX for $390, though it isn’t as adjustable (nor is it certified by NVIDIA, but it has been tested to work with NVIDIA cards).
There aren’t a ton of NVIDIA-compatible FreeSync monitors with an ultrawide aspect ratio—besides the aforementioned Samsung superwide—but LG’s $469 34UC79G-B will do the job admirably. With a resolution of 2560×1080, it isn’t the sharpest monitor on the block, but its IPS panel and 144Hz refresh rate will give you a solid gaming experience nonetheless. It hasn’t been certified by NVIDIA, but it has been tested and should work just fine with your GTX card of choice. If you’re willing to spend more for an ultrawide, LG tells us its HDR-equipped, 1440p 34GK950F-B also works with NVIDIA cards, though it costs over $1000.
If you just want an inexpensive 1080p monitor to get the job done—with a solid refresh rate and FreeSync support—Viewsonic’s XG2402 is only $215 for a 24” 144Hz TN panel. That’s a pretty good deal, and while it isn’t certified by NVIDIA, it’s been tested working with NVIDIA cards. We liked its predecessor well enough, at least for the price, and the newer 2402 has an overdrive feature that should improve the display’s response time to reduce ghosting. Alternatively, the Acer XFA240 is a similarly-specced monitor for $200, and it’s certified by NVIDIA (not to mention slightly more adjustable). Its picture quality isn’t quite as good as the Viewsonic, though, so it comes in at second place for the budget category.
Sure, we’d all love to play our console games on a massive $4,000 OLED 4K TV, but for most of us, that’s just beyond our budget. In fact, many consumers balk at spending even $1,000 on a new TV. Thankfully, the best budget gaming TVs offer a surprising number of features with 4K resolutions, high-dynamic range, and even preloaded apps.And if you already have a high-end 4K TV in the living room for watching Netflix, movies, and sports, then you can spend a lot less for a second TV for the basement or a kid’s room that will pull double duty as big gaming screen next to a gaming PC or console. Sure, you can get better color reproduction, viewing angles, brightness, and contrast if you spend more, but a cheap TV might surprise you with its features and image quality.
Whether you need a budget gaming TV for your new pad or a second TV for playing games, let us help you find one that delivers gaming greatness without breaking the bank.
This is the priciest TV on this list, but those extra bucks make a big difference. The TCL 55R617 is the best low-cost TV around right now, period. Make sure to check out our TCL 55R617 (read our review) to really understand what makes this the best cheap TV out there. It’s Roku-enabled, which is basically standard for TCL sets right now.
Unlike some of the other best cheap TVs, this one is 4K and HDR, making it an enormously good value. Throw in the fact it’s a 55-inch TV set, has a great picture, and costs much less than comparable 4K HDR sets, and the TCL 55R617 is the best cheap TV for gaming, without a doubt.
A quick glance at the list shows quite a few entries from TCL, but it’s because the company makes excellent TVs at even better prices. This 40-inch, 1080p set is no exception. If you don’t have an Xbox One X or PS4 Pro, you can do without the 4K HDR, and 40-inches is a great size for bedrooms, dorm rooms, or anywhere else you want to stick one. It has Roku’s streaming software built-in, just like its bigger siblings. If you want cheap but don’t need 4K, this one is perfect for gaming and streaming media.
Vizio’s E Series line has garnered constant praise over the years as having one of the best pictures of any budget TV. The 43-inch Vizio E43-F1 is the smallest member of the E Series and features a 4K picture with HDR and a 60Hz refresh rate. The secret to its budget excellence is full-array local dimming for better contrast and deeper black levels.
The 55-inch model in Vizio’s excellent E-series serves up 4K, HDR, 60Hz refresh rate and local dimming. Vizio E Series features 10 dimming zones on this 55-inch, and smaller, models. (You get 12 zones on the 65- and 70-inch models and 16 on the largest 75-inch size.)
Having any number of dimming zones is more important than the actual number because it allows for a more dynamic picture with greater contrast and deeper blacks. Contrast is an important aspect of a TV particularly for gamers because you need to see details hiding in dark scenes to stay one step ahead of your enemies.
This Toshiba set has a lot of features for not a lot of money. You can also find it on sale on Amazon frequently, making it an even cheaper option for your gaming needs. Built-in Fire TV functionality is a nice feature, especially if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber. But the real draw of the Toshiba is its 4K and HDR capabilities. If you have a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, this is a great choice for your 4K gaming needs on the cheap.
As we mentioned in our best 4K TVs guide, this model has an absurdly low price for a giant 55-inch, 4K TV set. There’s one catch: its peak brightness isn’t really high enough to make HDR content shine. So, while HDR is technically supported and will work with your HDR-enabled consoles, it won’t look all that much better than SDR.
But in every other way, this is an amazing deal. Huge size, great picture quality, low input lag, and built-in Roku software. If you don’t want to spend the extra money on the TCL 55R617 at the top of our list, this is a great, cheap 4K TV for gaming with a few tradeoffs that warrant its lower price tag.
The LG is a solid choice for gaming, thanks to a composite/component input for older consoles and 2 HDMI ports for your newer gear. It also has LG’s Color Master Engine, which renders bright colors whether you’re watching movies or playing games.
What’s that? Do you want something cheap? Like… really cheap? You give up some screen size (it’s 32 inches), but that’s to be expected. However, you’re also sacrificing resolution, which is cut down to a high-definition only 720p. On TVs 32-inches and smaller, this is pretty common. You can get 1080p in a 32-inch TV, but you have to pay almost twice as much as this TCL set. And unless you sit really close, you won’t notice the difference that much. Not on a screen this small.
Input lag is only so-so and image quality isn’t the greatest. After all, we’re talking about a TV that costs less than the collector’s edition version of some video games. You’re just not going to find super-low input lag and pristine visuals in this price range. As ultra-low-cost TVs go, TCL punches way above its weight here, but be aware of its drawbacks. You can also get it at.
What to look for in a Budget Gaming TV
When shopping for a budget gaming TV, expect to make some sacrifices. To stay on a budget under $700 or $500, don’t expect to see many quality screens bigger than 55-inches. You can also basically forget about OLED, as the screen technology demands a premium of $2,000 and up.
There are two ways of going about buying a budget gaming TV: get a big screen with poor image quality or a good quality screen that might be smaller than you want. I highly suggest going with the latter route as your TV might only be 43-inches, but if it’s 4K in resolution and produces accurate colors, you can always sit closer to the screen to remedy its small size.
Having a big screen might be nice, but if it has muted blacks and an off-putting color cast, no amount of distance is going to fix the way it looks. And you certainly can’t fix a poor quality display panel on your own.
To 4K or not to 4k
It’s worth taking a moment to discuss whether or not you should buy a 4K TV. Even if you only have a console capable of 1080p gaming (a PS4 Slim or Xbox One S), there are a couple of benefits to buying a 4K TV.
First, there’s High-Dynamic Range (HDR), a feature found almost exclusively in 4K TVs. However, that’s not to say all 4K TVs support HDR. Instead, you should look for budget models featuring a peak brightness above 300 nits to get the full HDR effect.
Increasingly, games are starting to support HDR on the PS4 Slim and Xbox One S, and it can make a big difference in image quality. These games will look a lot better on a 4K TV with HDR support than on a 1080p TV without it.
Second, you’re running out of options anyway. If you’ve been shopping for a new TV anytime in the last year, you’ve probably noticed HD sets aren’t the dominant force in TVs they used to be. You’re hard-pressed to find a new TV bigger than 49-inches in 1080p.
Manufacturers, and consumers too, have already moved on. If you do a quick search of 55-inch TVs on Amazon, you’re going to find the results are overwhelmingly 4K. That almost sounds concerning, but the prices on 4K TVs have come down much more dramatically, and in a much shorter time, than similarly-sized televisions during the HD era.
Bargain brands like Vizio and TCL have helped push the price of 4K sets down across the board. It’s not hard to find a 55-inch 4K TV with tons of features for less than $400, which is pretty amazing if you look at the historical prices of televisions. As little as 20 years ago, 32-inch CRTs were out of reach of most people. Now a 32-inch TV seems almost quaint.
It’s almost surprising how quickly 4K is taking over. You’ve long been able to get 4K computer monitors, but with the new round of the best graphics cards for gaming, you can now actually take advantage of all those pixels. Gaming laptops, too, are starting to squeeze in those new GPUs, making 4K closer to the norm than the exception. So what’s next for display technology? Why, 8K of course.
