Are Toshiba TVs Good For Gaming (Explained)

• Toshiba TVs are good for gaming as they have low input lags.
• The latest flagship Toshiba TVs have 120Hz panels but the HDMI 2.1 ports don’t support these frame rates.
• Toshiba TVs have good picture quality and support for multiple HDR formats including Dolby Vision.

Toshiba isn’t necessarily the first brand you think of when considering a Smart TV for gaming, but the Toshiba brand has been around since 1939, so they know a thing or two about consumer electronics.

Toshiba TVs also feature in best seller lists on Amazon.

But what are they like for gaming?  Well that’s exactly what you’re about to find out.

Let’s get to it.

Toshiba TVs are good for gaming and have notably low input lags, particularly on the Toshiba C350.  The latest Toshiba TVs have a 120Hz vibrant 4K LED display with full-array local dimming and support for Dolby Vision and HDR10.  Support is also there for gaming features such as ALLM and game mode.

Let’s dive a little deeper and look at some of the features which are important to gamers.

Do Toshiba TVs have low input lags?

The input lags on two popular Toshiba models are very low.

The Toshiba Fire TV 2020 TV for example has an input lag of 10.8ms at a resolution of 4K and 60Hz.

The Toshiba C350 has an even lower input lag of 9.8ms at this resolution and framerate.

So you have an idea, an input lag of below 25ms is considered good.

But you’ll need to enable game mode on the TV in order to achieve these numbers.

Do Toshiba TVs have a quick response time?

Two popular Toshiba TVs I looked at have very quick response times.

The 100% response times on the Toshiba Fire TV 2020 TV and the Toshiba Toshiba C350 are 12.7 ms and 16.2 ms respectively (according to Rtings.com).

Do Toshiba TVs have Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)?

None of the flagship Toshiba M550-Series have Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support of any type.

Do Toshiba TVs have gaming features such as ALLM?

Some Toshiba TVs like the Toshiba M550-Series have an Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).

This helps to reduce input lag automatically.  

When a games console is connected it sends a signal to the TV to instruct it to activate its lowest latency setting.

Do Toshiba TVs have a “game mode”?

Toshiba TVs do have a “game mode” which is activated when a games console is connected.

What are the refresh rates on Toshiba TVs?

The refresh rate depends on the model.  

On most models, this is 60Hz but on the latest flagship models such as the M550-Series, the refresh rate is 120Hz.

Are Toshiba TVs durable?

Toshiba is a solid brand and their TVs are just as durable and reliable as other brands as long as they’re taken care of.

Generally speaking, an LED TV should last between 40,000 to 60,000 hours of constant use at full brightness.

These figures correspond with the average lifespan of LEDs.

It should be noted that the LEDs in an LED TV backlight, like those in Toshiba TVs, are one of the first things to break.

But based on those figures, you should get around 13 years out of an Toshiba LED TV when watching it for 8 hours a day,

Obviously, a TV that undergoes heavy use won’t last as long as a TV that is used moderately.

So if you’re doing some heavy gaming on one of these TVs, it’s a good idea to tone down the brightness a little so that the backlight lasts a little longer.

Are Toshiba TVs compatible with Playstation and XBox?

Toshiba TVs are compatible with games consoles such as the Playstation and XBox because they can be connected up via any of the HDMI ports.

Most Toshiba Fire TV models only have a 60Hz refresh rate.  But the latest M-Series models have a native 120Hz panel.

Whilst gamers will welcome this, the HDMI 2.1 ports on the TV only support 4K at 60Hz, so you won’t be able to take advantage of the higher refresh rates that games consoles such as the PS5 have to offer.

Only games downloaded via the FireTV interface will be able to take advantage of the 120Hz panel.

Do people use Toshiba TVs for gaming?

People do use Toshiba TVs for gaming as they do have low input lags.

But the lack of support for 120fps framerates on the HDMI 2.1 ports on the latest M-series models will put many gamers off.

Can Toshiba TVs be used as a computer monitor?

Toshiba TVs can be used as a computer monitor but you may need a special converter to convert the output of the PC to HDMI.

Most modern PC graphics cards have a HDMI output on them, so if yours does, then it’s just a matter of connecting a HDMI cable between the PC and the back of the TV.

If not, then you may have to get a converter to convert whatever port you have on your graphics card to HDMI.

If your graphics card only has DVI or DisplayPort outputs then you’ll need to get a converter to convert them to HDMI.

If your graphics card is really old, it may only have a VGA port on it.  

In that case, connecting it to your TV won’t be ideal, since the display will look fuzzy due to the output from a VGA port being an analog signal.

The other thing to consider when using your TV as a computer monitor is input lag.

Input lag is the time between moving a device such as a keyboard or mouse and seeing its effect on screen.

Computer monitors minimize such lag times, but TVs don’t.  

So it’s important to turn on “game mode” when using a TV as a computer monitor to keep input lag to a minimum.

Do Toshiba TVs have a good picture quality and resolution?

Toshiba TVs, in particular the latest M-series, have a good picture quality thanks to a full-array local dimming LED backlight.

They also have a 4K resolution.

In terms of the LED backlight, there are 48 dimming zones in total, allowing the backlight to be completely turned off in areas of the picture that require complete darkness.

This improves the contrast ratio, the difference between the darkest blacks and the brightest whites, which improves the picture quality overall.

It also helps the TV take advantage of HDR movies and TV shows.

What is the best Toshiba TV for gaming?

If you’re looking for a Toshiba TV for gaming, then it’s worth considering the Toshiba M550-Series FireTV.

The M550-Series is the first FireTV that has a 4K 120Hz panel and comes in three different sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch.

In terms of HDR support, it supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision formats allowing for more vibrant pictures when watching HDR movies and TV shows.

Like I said earlier, although it does have a 120Hz panel, the HDMI 2.1 ports on it don’t support these framerates.  

So those frame rates are only achievable via the FireTV interface, not via a PS5 or XBox.

The LED backlight on this series is full-array with local dimming, with 48 dimming zones.  

Although it can’t achieve the black levels that an OLED TV can, it will give the TV good contrast levels.

The M-series also comes with Toshiba’s Regza Engine 4K, which will upscale any non-4K content to near 4K.

When it comes to audio, this TV range supports Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X.  This gives the best possible surround sound, especially when viewing content that uses Dolby’s 3D format.

But as always, I recommend getting a soundbar since TV speakers aren’t particularly great because of their size limitations.

When it comes to looks, the M-series hardly has any bezel at all.  So most of what you see will be the actual picture, which will give you a more immersive experience with less distractions.

Finally, there’s a couple of neat features that particularly stood out to me.  

The first is that the TV comes with far-field voice microphones that allow you to issue voice commands to Alexa from across the room.

The second cool feature is picture-in-picture which allows you to keep an eye on any Alexa-compatible security camera whilst you’re watching your favorite movie or show.

All-in-all this is a good TV, but not amazing.  

You get a great quality picture for the price, but I feel like it’s not ideal for gamers due to the limitations of the HDMI ports.

That being said, not all games run at 120fps, so it will still make for an enjoyable gaming experience.

Check out the video below for a in-depth review of this TV:

Sources

Toshiba Fire TV 2020 Review (43LF621U21, 50LF621U21, 55LF621C21) – RTINGS.com

Toshiba C350 Fire TV 2021 Review (43C350KU, 50C350KU, 55C350KU, 65C350KU, 75C350KU) – RTINGS.com

Toshiba brings 120Hz to Fire TVs with new flagship M550-Series

Use your TV as a computer monitor: Everything you need to know

Toshiba’s new Fire TV M-Series promises better picture quality with HDR, local dimming – CNET

Robert Anderson

Robert Anderson, the founder of Tech Parasol, had a keen interest in tech from a very young age. He studied Electronic Engineering at University and then went on to become a Software Developer. He launched Tech Parasol in 2021 to share his knowledge with the aim of making tech easier to understand for everyone.