4K TVs are now solidly mainstream as the resolution standard you can buy, having successfully succeeded HDTVs with 1920x1080p resolutions.
The brighter TVs with at least 8 million pixels (which is four times as many pixels as a 1080p display) come in all sizes and prices including 40-inch models for well under $1,000.
Although TVs are getting bigger, with higher resolutions, the 40-inch size is still available though it’s slowly losing the focus of manufacturers. They’re now focusing on larger sized TVs.
However, there are still some good 40-inch options you can choose from even though you may not find the most premium models among these ones.
If you want the best 4K gaming TV, you actually get what you’re paying for. Some budget options do well in terms of performance, but you’ll obviously get better panels if you pay more.
4K gaming TVs ensure you get performance enhancements, increased vibrancy, superior sound, and your games will look great.
We’d all love to enjoy gaming on massive OLED 4K TVs, but for many of us, that’s beyond what our wallets can handle.
In fact, many buyers would balk at having to spend as much as $1,000 on a new television.
Thankfully, the best budget 4K gaming TVs offer some great features with preloaded apps and high-dynamic range.
If you’re looking for a good 40-inch 4K gaming TV, all our top picks are 4K models and are affordable enough, so if your budget is under $1,000, you can find a 4K TV that fits your needs.
Also Read: Best Gaming TVs For Xbox, PS4 Or PC
Benefits of Buying A 4K Gaming TV
4K TVs come with several benefits compared to their predecessors. You not only get high-dynamic range (HDR), which is exclusive to 4K TVs, but also HD sets have lost their dominance.
However, not all 4K TVs support HDR, but you can check out budget models with above 300 nits in peak brightness for a full HDR effect.
There’s also a growing support from games for HDR on Xbox One S and PS4 Slim, and this can ramp up the image quality, making them look better on 4K TVs with HDR support.
Prices of 4K TVs have also reduced more dramatically in a shorter time than their HD-era counterparts with similar sizes.
Bargain brands like TCL and Vizio have contributed in pushing the prices of these sets down across the board, so you can get a good Samsung at this budget range too.
What this means is you can’t miss a 40-inch 4K TV with several features for less than $1,000, which is really good if you look at the history of TV prices.
Some time back, these screen sizes were out of reach budget-wise for many, but today, it seems almost standard.
Best 40-Inch 4K Gaming TVs Under $1000
Whether you need a budget 4K gaming TV for a second TV, or new pad for playing games, our top picks will take your gaming to a new level without breaking the bank.
Vizio V Series
This is a budget entry-level 4K gaming TV with decent smart features and picture quality.
It is a wallet-friendly combination of HDR, 4K resolution, and voice control compatibility with select devices and smart TV apps.
Although it lacks advanced features for crisper motion, the TV offers low input lag, which is good for casual gaming, and offers decent brightness in SDR, but not enough in HDR.
Like all the latest Vizio TVs, the V Series has smart features including Chromecast built-in software so you can cast to the TV from any phone app.
The app palette is limited though, and you can’t add more apps, but the popular ones are included.
Its interface is smooth, easy to use, and intuitive, though it tends to hang often, and the remote is basic and lacks voice control for the TV but integrates with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
The TV’s design is decent, with a wide stand that supports it well with moderate wobbling, but doesn’t offer cable management on the back, which is very plain.
The sides are also thicker than the rest of the screen, and the overall build quality is solid, though plastic.
Gaming would not be fun without good picture quality, and this TV offers decent picture quality with deep blacks, though it doesn’t have local dimming, which improves dark room performance.
It also displays native 4K content almost perfectly, but the sound quality may disappoint as it doesn’t produce as much bass; it only gets temperately loud.
As mentioned, the app and smart feature selection is limited, with only 15 apps available, and you can’t add any more.
The TV can be used for watching movies, TV shows, and playing video games – though not for competitive gaming.
Its response time is fast, though in 60fps games, hardcore gamers who need crisper motion may not like the small blur trail behind fast-moving content.
Samsung MU6300
While it’s not very extravagant, the Samsung MU6300 is a better-than-average 4K gaming TV with a good feature set and decent picture quality.
Its input lag is above average, so it’s great for gaming as the games are responsive. However, it’s limited in HDR capabilities, like local dimming and wide color gamut.
It could also do a bit better on brightness to accommodate well-lit spaces.
The design is good, with a V-shaped center stand that supports it well and average thickness along its borders. The build is also similar in quality to competing TVs.
The MU6300 runs the 2017 Tizen, which is Samsung’s smart platform that’s easy to navigate, with a home menu at the bottom of the screen, and smart features easily accessible from here.
It comes preloaded with several popular apps like Amazon Video, Netflix, YouTube, and many more that are downloadable from the app menu.
The TV is great for gaming, with one of the lowest input lags available, and decent motion that’s great for clarity in faster-paced games, and you can use it for streaming movies and other media.
Samsung UN40NU7100FXZA
This is another one of Samsung’s affordable 4K gaming TVs that manages to maintain its low price by making concessions on size and a few features.
It is the 40-inch variant, among six more variants of the NU7100 series, which increase gradually in size up to the 75-inch model.
Its design is simple, sporting two legs on each side that hold up the screen, thin bezels around the display, and 4K resolution paired with HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+ (the latter is a great inclusion for budget 4K TVs).
For improved visuals on older content, the UN40NU7100FXZA can upscale non-4K content to 4K, plus it allows smooth action with its 120 motion rate in fast moving scenes.
Thanks to the Samsung remote control, you also get to access streaming services, and the game mode in this TV keeps down input lag so you can enjoy games without being held back by anything – whether it’s the TV or the budget.
Samsung NU7100 Series
For a long time, Samsung has led in the mid-range market until recently when it has faced fiercer competition than before.
TVs like Vizio’s E-Series and the TCL 5-Series are rivaling the big brand, though it still beats them with this 40NU7100 Series.
It has a powerful upscaling engine, 4K resolution, good UHD dimming, good uniformity, and excellent low input tag, though its limited in HDR capabilities and viewing angles.
Although its HDR isn’t as colorful as the other two contenders, the NU7100’s powerful upscaling engine does a better job upscaling content, so it makes 1080p content look really good.
However, even with limitations in viewing angles or HDR capabilities, it’s a decent TV with good native contrast ratio and decent picture quality.
It also has low input lag which is great for gaming, though the response time isn’t as fast so expect some blur behind fast-moving objects.
Its design is good, with features you’d find in higher-end models and a modern, sturdy stand.
In terms of brightness, it isn’t as bright in HDR, so it’s better for viewing in low-light conditions. It’s also limited in color gamut and color volume, though you can use it with SDR content.
The sound is average, so you won’t get deep bass, but you do get clear and intelligible dialogs.
Unlike the NU8000, this model doesn’t have Bixby voice assistant, but its interface works well and is easy to navigate, though it has lag issues when you access it in-app.
It also comes with ads, which you can’t remove, just like all other Samsung TVs.
However, you get to enjoy the Samsung App Store, whose app selection is wide, second only to Google Play Store, with some pre-installed apps like those in most TVs.
These apps include Netflix, Amazon Video, YouTube, and more.
It’s a decent TV not just for gaming, but other mixed usage like movies, sports, TV shows, and more.
Samsung 40NU6070
If you want a new 4K gaming TV but are strapped for cash, the Samsung 40NU6070 is currently available for a really affordable price on its 40-inch size.
It’s a great way to ditch your older 1080p set and switch to a 4K TV.
It’s a good size if you don’t need a massive TV, and packs a crisp 4K resolution so you can savor all your games in Ultra HD.
Furthermore, it’s a smart TV so you can stream content over WiFi from popular apps like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and others.
The TV comes at a discounted price, in fact one of the best you can find for smart 4K TVs, even cheaper than sets without smart connectivity, so you’ll be hard stretched to find a better option.
It’s brand new, and features an improved UHD engine that can take Full HD and HD material, weaving it in real time into 4K Ultra HD.
But that’s not all. It also has a multi-format HDR that covers HDR10+ and HDR, which allows extraction of extra detail from scenes with low lighting.
It features an LED backlight, three HDMI ports, two USB ports, effective refresh rate, built-in WiFi for easy streaming or watching the big game, and your favorite shows with crisp, stunning visuals.
TCL 5-Series 43S517
This is a 43-inch TV, unlike the rest of the options on this list, and for all the right reasons. We included it because instead of getting a 40-inch screen, you can get three extra inches for less.
It’s a great smart 4K TV on a budget, built on top of the fast and responsive Roku TV so you save on buying an external streaming video device.
This gives you access to watch a ton of stuff and it’s universal search feature makes it super-easy to find the content you want.
This TCL 4K gaming TV also packs Dolby Vision HDR, but one of its drawbacks is the low peak luminance at its price point.
It also compromises in performance, making it one of the least appealing as the middle child in the TCL lineup.
However, it offers value pricing, as it is definitely in the under $1000 budget range, owing to the simple design compared to the competition, so you won’t find flush wall mount or wallpaper mode.
It’s a relatively plain Jane, so-to-speak, with a trim bezel on the top of the screen and around the sides, average TV depth of about an inch, though not as slim as the latest OLED TVs.
At the back of the TV, you’ll find wires coming in from different angles with no covering or cable management, which makes it less desirable, and the entertainment center looks cluttered.
While this isn’t much of an issue, you get 3 HDMI ports, enough to plug in a game console, soundbar, and cable box, but you can’t plug in a second console or Blu-ray player.
Nonetheless, with the built-in Roku TV, you won’t need a slot for a streaming video player.
Generally, this is a great choice but as a second screen in low-light conditions where something dimmer would be ideal. It isn’t all that, but it doesn’t break the bank either.
4K Gaming TV Buying Guide: What to look for in a 4K Gaming TV Under $1000
To help you make an informed decision when looking for the best 4K gaming TV under $1,000, we rounded up some of the critical features to look out for before you settle on one.
Besides your immediate needs, here are the major factors you need to consider:
Ultra HD or Full HD
There’s a difference between the two resolutions if you take time to really look at the pictures, especially when they’re using HDR. Look for a TV with 4K Ultra-HD and HDR if available.
They may not be the standard at 40-inches, as cost may outweigh benefits if you’re looking for a budget gaming TV.
Picture quality
This is the most crucial aspect of a TV and it may be a daunting task to buy one and judge the picture quality based on the description you see on the website.
Check for technologies like HDR (high dynamic range) and LED backlighting. Similarly, visit a physical TV store and check out the TV first before you buy it online.
Operating system
For 40-inch TVs, smart TV operating systems weren’t always included, so they were cheap to make and buy.
The problem is that YouTube and Netflix services became more popular and consumers wanted to stream them on their TVs without using streaming video devices.
Today, you can find a good 40-inch 4K gaming Smart TV with operating systems like Tizen, Roku TV, or LG’s webOS.
Don’t go with TVs that use proprietary operating systems exclusive to the brand as it may cause issues along the way.
Size
We’ve covered 40-inch screens in this article, but bigger is definitely always better.
However, remember the TV has to fit well in the space you use it, so a huge one isn’t always the best for comfortable viewing.
Inputs and outputs
Most people may not think about connections until they buy the TV and take it home. After connecting it, they realize it lacks enough ports that they needed in the first place.
Find a 4K gaming TV with multiple HDMI ports, plus options for RCA connectors and optical audio out.
This way you can connect most of your devices, if not all of them, saving you time as you don’t have to keep getting up to switch cables around whenever you want to change input.
Smart connectivity
If you’re a fan of online content like Netflix, YouTube, or Hulu, not just gaming all the time, you’ll find many 4K TVs also come with built-in online video service apps.
Keep an eye out for this feature especially if you don’t have an external media box like Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what to look for in a 40-inch 4K gaming TV, test out a few of our top picks in different shops to find one that would be a great addition to your gaming gear and entertainment center.
