Samsung S85H 65"

A gaming-first OLED that nails contrast and connectivity but skimps on brightness. Grab it under USD 1,300 and you've got a deal; pay more and you're overpaying.

The gaming chops surprised us most. You get 120Hz, FreeSync Premium, G-SYNC compatibility, ALLM, and HDMI 2.1 across all four ports. That's a connectivity setup sitting in the 97th percentile, which is wild for a TV in this range. The Motion Xcelerator 120Hz keeps fast scenes smooth, and the near-infinite contrast from those self-emissive pixels makes dark game scenes look incredible. But here's the catch: that 36th percentile picture quality score means HDR highlights don't hit as hard as they should. HDR10+ and HLG are supported, but without the brightness headroom, bright scenes can feel a little flat compared to a Sony BRAVIA or LG C5.

The LG OLED evo C5 is the obvious rival. It costs more but delivers better brightness and color volume, and it supports Dolby Vision, which the S85H skips. If you're a movie purist, the LG wins. The Sony BRAVIA XR A95L is in another league entirely for picture processing, but you'll pay a serious premium. On the budget side, the Hisense U8 and TCL QM8K are mini-LED, not OLED, so they get brighter but can't touch the S85H's perfect blacks. For pure gaming value, the S85H is the smart pick. For cinematic HDR, go LG or Sony.

Here's where it gets interesting. Prices swing from USD 1,124 to USD 1,998 across eight US listings. That's a USD 874 spread, which is absurd. If you can snag this near the low end, it's a steal for a 65-inch OLED with this gaming feature set. At the high end, you're dangerously close to LG C5 or Sony A95L territory, and those TVs beat the S85H on picture quality. Best Buy has the most aggressive pricing right now, so check there first.

The Samsung S85H is the OLED TV for people who want that perfect black, infinite contrast look without paying flagship money. It's a 65-inch 4K panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and Samsung's NQ4 AI Gen2 processor doing the heavy lifting. The one thing to know? This is a gaming and smart home beast that punches way above its price class, but its picture quality score lands at a mediocre 36th percentile, which tells you Samsung cut some corners on peak brightness and color volume compared to pricier OLEDs.

If you're a home theater enthusiast who cares about peak HDR brightness and Dolby Vision, this isn't your TV. Go get the LG OLED evo C5 or stretch for the Sony A95L instead. The S85H's 36th percentile picture quality will leave you wanting more during bright daytime scenes and HDR showcases.

Buy the Samsung S85H if you're a gamer who wants OLED contrast and 120Hz smoothness without spending LG C5 money. It's a genuinely great gaming TV with top-tier connectivity and a solid smart platform. But if you care more about movie nights and HDR pop than frame rates, save up for the LG C5 or Sony A95L. The S85H is a specialist, not an all-rounder.