Samsung S85HA QN83S85HAEXZA 83"

The Samsung S85HA is an 83-inch 4K OLED TV that delivers best-in-class HDR and excellent gaming performance at a competitive price. Out-of-the-box picture accuracy is mediocre, so plan on calibrating it, and the built-in audio is weak for such a large screen. If you want a massive, cinematic OLED for movies and games and don't mind tweaking settings, this is a fantastic value.

Picture quality on the S85HA is a bit of a mixed bag depending on what you're measuring. The HDR performance is the absolute best right now, landing in the 99th percentile. Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, and HLG are all supported, and the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor does heavy lifting to make highlights pop and shadows stay detailed. Brightness is dynamic and genuinely impressive for an OLED, revealing details in dark scenes that lesser sets crush into black blobs. The display itself sits in the 97th percentile, so uniformity and viewing angles are top-notch.

Where things get a little weird is our overall picture quality score, which sits at the 37th percentile. That's mediocre territory, and it seems to be dragged down by out-of-the-box color accuracy needing some tweaking. Once calibrated, the panel shines, but straight from the factory it's not as dialed in as some competitors. Motion handling at 120Hz is excellent for sports and fast-paced games, though the sports score of 74.4 out of 100 suggests some minor judder with lower frame rate cable feeds. For gaming, the 79.4 score reflects a responsive, fluid experience that most players will love.

The Samsung S85HA goes head-to-head with some heavy hitters. The Sony BRAVIA XR XR77A95L is the picture quality king, with better processing and more accurate colors right out of the box, but it's a 77-inch panel and typically costs a lot more. If you prioritize screen size and gaming features over absolute color precision, the Samsung makes a compelling case. The LG C5 OLED55C5PUA is another direct OLED competitor, and LG's WebOS platform is generally snappier than Tizen, but again, you're looking at a much smaller 55-inch screen for a similar price per inch.

On the non-OLED side, the TCL QM8K Series 75QM8K and Hisense U8 Series 100U8QG are mini-LED alternatives that get brighter and cost less per inch. The Hisense even goes up to 100 inches. But they can't touch the Samsung's infinite contrast and per-pixel lighting. Blooming around bright objects on dark backgrounds is still a thing on mini-LEDs, and the S85HA completely eliminates that. For pure movie watching in a dark room, the OLED wins. For a bright living room with lots of windows, one of those mini-LED sets might actually be the smarter buy.

Pricing on the Samsung QN83S85HAEXZA bounces around a bit depending on the vendor, with a spread from $3,698 to $4,130. That's a $432 gap, so it pays to shop around. Newegg currently has the best deal at the lower end of that range, and they're bundling a 6-year protection plan which adds real peace of mind for an OLED panel this large. At under $3,700, an 83-inch OLED with this level of HDR performance and gaming features is a strong value proposition. You're making some trade-offs in audio and out-of-the-box color accuracy, but the core panel quality is there. If you can stretch your budget a bit, the Sony BRAVIA XR A95L offers better processing and color accuracy, but you'll pay significantly more for that privilege.

If you're hunting for a massive OLED TV that doesn't completely obliterate your savings, the Samsung S85HA QN83S85HAEXZA is one of those sets that makes you do a double take. An 83-inch 4K OLED for under $4,200 is aggressive pricing, and it brings Samsung's NQ4 AI Gen2 processor along for the ride. The self-illuminating pixels deliver that perfect, infinite contrast OLED is famous for, and the AI processor works behind the scenes to sharpen up older content and boost brightness scene by scene. For movie lovers who want that cinematic, inky-black experience in a big living room, this thing checks a lot of boxes right out of the gate.

Samsung didn't skimp on the gaming chops either. You get a 120Hz panel, FreeSync Premium, ALLM, and four HDMI 2.1 ports, which puts it in the 85th percentile for gaming in our database. That's a standout result. Whether you're plugging in a PS5, Xbox Series X, or a high-end PC, motion stays smooth and input lag feels snappy. The Tizen smart platform handles all the streaming basics, though it lands in the middle of the pack for smart features, nothing flashy but it gets the job done.

Build quality and design are what you'd expect from a premium Samsung panel. The set is heavy at around 160 pounds, so you'll want a sturdy wall mount or a wide media console. Connectivity is best-in-class, hitting the 95th percentile, with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, and eARC support. Dolby Atmos is on board, though the built-in 2-channel audio with Object Tracking Sound Lite is just okay. You'll probably want a soundbar to match the visual scale of this 83-inch beast.

Skip the Samsung S85HA if you're putting it in a very bright room with lots of direct sunlight. While it gets bright for an OLED, a high-end mini-LED like the Hisense U8 Series or TCL QM8K will fight glare better and cost less per inch. Also skip it if you want a simple, no-fuss setup. The mediocre out-of-the-box color accuracy means you'll need to calibrate or at least spend time in the settings menus to get the best picture, and the built-in audio is weak enough that a soundbar is practically mandatory for an 83-inch screen. If you just want to plug in and be wowed without extra gear or tweaking, look at the Sony A95L instead.

Should you buy the Samsung S85HA QN83S85HAEXZA? If you want a gigantic, immersive OLED screen for movies and gaming and you're willing to spend some time tweaking the picture settings, absolutely. The HDR performance is stunning, the gaming features are top-tier, and the price for an 83-inch OLED is aggressive. This is a theater replacement that doesn't require a second mortgage. Just budget for a decent soundbar because the built-in speakers won't do justice to that massive picture.

But if you're the type who wants to pull a TV out of the box, stick it in Filmmaker Mode, and never touch a setting again, you might find the out-of-the-box accuracy a little disappointing. The Sony A95L is better for that plug-and-play perfection, though you'll pay for it. For everyone else who doesn't mind a little calibration, the S85HA delivers an incredible big-screen OLED experience that's hard to beat at this price.