The best 85-inch TVs: Top extra-large displays for immersive viewing

The best 85-inch TVs deliver a viewing experience that smaller displays simply can't match. Though sets this big used to be rare, most brands now sell 85-inch versions of several popular TV models. And while still expensive, they've come down in price a lot over the last few years.

To help you find the ideal extra-large display for your needs, our experts have compiled a carefully curated list of the best 85-inch TVs you can buy. The TCL QM7 balances price and performance better than most TVs this size thanks to its bright QLED panel and high-contrast Mini LED backlight. But if budget isn't a concern, the LG G4 is a premium OLED with stunning picture quality that beats every other 85-inch TV we've tested.

We also have picks for entry-level QLED and high-resolution 8K models at this size, so all home theater needs are accounted for.

Note: LCD-based TVs (LED, QLED) are often manufactured with an 85- or 86-inch screen size, but OLED displays are sold in a slightly smaller 83-inch size. For that reason, we've included 83-inch OLED TVs in this guide.

Our top picks for the best 85-inch TVs

Best overall: TCL QM7 4K QLED TV - See at Amazon

Best midrange OLED: Samsung S90C4K OLED TV - See at Amazon

Best high-end model: LG G4 4K OLED TV - See at Amazon

Best on a budget: TCL Q65 QLED 4K TV - See at Amazon

Best 8K display: Samsung QN900C QLED 8K TV - See at Walmart

Best overall

When it comes to overall value for your dollar, TCL's QM7 QLED is the best 85-inch TV for most people. Though we typically recommend OLED models, like the Samsung S90 series, as the top pick in most of our best TV guides, OLEDs at this screen size jump up dramatically in price, and many are missing color and brightness features found on their smaller counterparts.

An OLED will still deliver the best overall image quality, but at this size, the QM7 QLED balances price and performance better than the competition. Despite its extra-large size, the 85-inch QM7 is often available for $1,500, an excellent price for such a big display with these specifications.

The QM7 is an upper-midrange QLED with fantastic picture quality for its class. It gets incredibly bright while maintaining high contrast and solid black levels. To accomplish this, the display uses a Mini LED backlight with local dimming. Mini LEDs were not used in last year's Q7 model, and their inclusion this time around helps the QM7 deliver a notably brighter image than its predecessor.

We measured a peak of around 1,700 nits, which is more than enough to enjoy the full benefits of most high-dynamic-range (HDR) content. Intense highlights (like explosions) pop from the screen. Black levels are also deep with very minimal blooming (halos around bright objects). However, we did notice some light bleed and backlight patchiness here and there, which is something that pricier OLED TVs don't suffer from.

When reviewing the QM7, we also encountered some slight issues with stuttering motion in some streaming apps and a few isolated glitches with settings, but nothing that we consider a dealbreaker. General navigation with the TV's Google TV interface is snappy and reliable.

However, buyers should note that the QM7's viewing angles are fairly narrow. This means that colors and contrast distort if you sit toward the side of the screen. Likewise, TCL's processing isn't as advanced as other brands', so lower-quality sources like cable TV and HD streaming don't look as clean and sharp as we've seen on pricier TVs.

If you want a better-looking 85-inch QLED with superior off-axis viewing and processing, we recommend Samsung's more expensive QN90D. Otherwise, you'll need to pay substantially more for an OLED like the Samsung S90C or S90D.

Read our TCL QM7 4K TV review.

Check out our guide to all the best smart TVs.

Best midrange OLED

Samsung's 83-inch S90C OLED is $1,000 more than many similarly sized QLED TVs, but its picture quality is a clear step above. The S90C delivers an infinite contrast ratio with deeper black levels and wider viewing angles than any QLED, leading to a notable upgrade in overall image performance, especially if you like to watch TV in a dim home theater.

We still think our top pick, the TCL QM7 QLED, is a better overall value at this size, but if you're willing to spend more, this midrange OLED has key perks. In a dark room, the S90C's pixel-level contrast control outmatches any QLED we've reviewed, offering one of the best movie-watching experiences you can get from an 83-inch TV.

Though not as bright as the QM7 or LG's more expensive G4 OLED, the S90C still gets bright enough for most needs. However, unlike smaller versions of the S90C, the 83-inch model does not use quantum dots. This means bright colors won't look quite as vivid as they do on the 77-, 65-, and 55-inch sizes. And while smaller S90C models do support a 144Hz refresh rate with a PC, the 83-inch S90C maxes out at 120Hz. This will still enable high-frame-rate support on consoles like the PS5 but could be a drawback for dedicated PC gamers.

On the other hand, the S90C has the bonus of supporting the Xbox Game Pass app directly through its smart TV interface. With this app, Game Pass members can stream Xbox games without a console. No other TV brands support built-in access to Game Pass.

When it comes to HDR format support, the S90C is compatible with HDR10 and HDR10+, but not Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ offer similar performance, but Dolby Vision is more widespread on streaming services. Check out our HDR TV guide for more details on each format.

Samsung also sells a 2024 version of this TV, called the S90D. Though we recommend the S90D as a top pick in other sizes, the 83-inch model is still notably more expensive than the S90C and it doesn't offer a big upgrade. While it remains in stock for less money, the 83-inch S90C is the better buy.

Read our Samsung S90C 4K TV review (65-inch model with quantum dots).

Best high-end model

LG's 83-inch G4 OLED is the ultimate high-end TV in this size. It's the most advanced OLED available at 83 inches, besting the overall picture quality of all our other picks. Of course, it also has the highest price tag of any TV you'll find in this guide.

First things first, buyers should note that the 83-inch G4 is designed with wall mounting in mind. So much so that it doesn't include a traditional TV stand. Instead, you get a bracket that lets you mount it flush to your wall with virtually no gap. It looks beautiful hung up this way, but you can buy a stand separately if wall mounting isn't an option for your room.

Outside its elegant style, the G4 is a picture-quality powerhouse. Using LG's latest OLED Evo panel, it offers all the benefits that OLEDs are known for, including an infinite contrast ratio, perfect black levels that disappear into a dark room, and wide viewing angles so you get a great image no matter where you sit.

In addition, the 83-inch G4 incorporates MLA (Micro Lens Array) technology to boost its brightness. This feature was missing from the 83-inch edition of last year's G3, and it enables a sizable upgrade in luminance over competing 83-inch OLEDs, like the Samsung S90C. During our tests, we measured a peak of around 1,550 nits on the 65-inch G4, which should carry over to the 83-inch option.

Though the SamsungS95D OLED can get brighter in short bursts, that model is not available in 83 inches. As it stands, the 83-inch G4 is the brightest OLED you can get in such a large screen size, and it delivers gorgeous HDR highlights while maintaining great performance even in rooms with a lot of light.

LG's webOS smart TV interface rounds out the package with solid navigation speed, access to every major streaming app, and nice perks like hands-free voice control and a remote that supports motion controls. You can navigate menus by waving the remote at the screen to move a virtual cursor.

Our top pick, the TCL QM7 QLED, still delivers a better price-to-performance ratio, and our midrange OLED pick, the Samsung S90C, offers similar contrast capabilities for less money. But, if budget isn't a concern and you want the absolute best image quality you can get at this size, the LG G4 is the 83-inch TV to beat.

Read our LG G4 4K TV review.

Best on a budget

The best 85-inch TVs don't come cheap. Even basic models rarely dip below $800, and those sets make many performance sacrifices to get that cheap. However, the TCL Q65 is a bit of an outlier. For a typical sale price of under $1,000, this 85-inch display manages to offer wide color support and a fast 120Hz refresh rate, which are rare to find in a set so big and affordable.

Other options that cost a bit less, like the Hisense A7 and the step-down TCL S-Series, use regular LED panels without quantum dots, which limits their color volume and brightness performance. But the Q65 is capable of more vibrant and accurate HDR images.

The 2024 version of the 85-inch Q65 also steps up from a 60Hz refresh rate to a 120Hz panel with VRR. It can even support up to 144Hz when paired with a PC. The smaller versions of this display lack that feature, and this is another perk that's nearly unheard of for this price at this size. The TV's high refresh rate enables smoother gameplay when hooked up to a compatible console, like the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Of course, the Q65 still has some limitations compared to pricier TVs. The panel's viewing angles are narrow, so picture quality takes a big hit if you sit to the side of the screen. This is common for most TVs in this class, so if viewing angles are a priority over color gamut and refresh rate, we recommend going with an alternative budget model like the 86-inch LG UQ75.

While brighter than some cheaper 85-inch sets, the Q65 is notably dimmer than our other recommendations on this list. It maxes out at around 400 nits, which is under the 600-nit range we recommend as a starting place for budget HDR performance. It's also missing local dimming, so it can't adjust light output across different zones on the screen. This leads to elevated black levels and lower contrast compared to step-up models, like the TCL QM7.

For most screen sizes, our go-to budget pick is the Hisense U6N which has local dimming. But the 85-inch version of that TV is typically more expensive than we'd like. As it stands, the Q65 is the best 85-inch TV in its class, but that could change if the U6N's price comes down on a consistent basis.

Best 8K display

Though we think most buyers are better off with a high-end 4K TV, 8K displays like the Samsung QN900C have their fans, especially at extra-large screen sizes. At 85 inches, an 8K TV will offer some benefits over 4K thanks to higher pixel density, which means you can sit very close without seeing individual pixels like you would on a 4K set this large.

However, it's important to remember that the perks of 8K are subtle. There's still no native 8K content to watch outside a few YouTube videos, and though the TV's upscaling looks great, it's not a huge improvement over watching the same content on a 4K TV with similar capabilities.

But even ignoring its 8K resolution, the QN900C is just a stunning QLED TV. Its Mini LED backlight is one of the best out there, and it gets about as close to OLED-level contrast as we've seen on a display like this. It also has a high peak brightness of about 2,300 nits, and it can sustain that brightness much better than an OLED.

This is one of the best Samsung TVs you can buy, but its impressive picture quality is more a result of its dimming performance and quantum dot colors rather than its actual pixel count. If you're willing to spend top dollar for high-end picture quality, we still think you're better off with a premium 4K OLED like the LG G4, but if you're set on buying an 8K display, the QN900C is easily one of the best 85-inch TVs to snag.

Buyers should note that Samsung now sells a 2024 edition of this display, called the QN900D. We also tested that model, and it performed much like the QN900C. But since the QN900D costs more, we still recommend the older model as the better value.

How we test 85-inch TVs

To choose the best 85-inch TVs, our team of experts relies on a combination of hands-on testing and research informed by more than a decade of experience covering the home entertainment product market.

When reviewing TVs, we typically evaluate each model's 65-inch option since that's considered the industry's flagship size. However, a specific model's overall performance often remains comparable across sizes 55 inches and up. For example, an 83-inch LG G4 OLED and a 65-inch G4 OLED have the same specs. The only notable difference is the size of each panel.

However, there are instances when certain TV models have more dramatic differences across their sizes. For instance, the Samsung S90C OLED uses quantum dots on its 55-, 65-, and 77-inch models but does not use quantum dots on its 83-inch model. This means the 83-inch model can't match the color performance of its smaller counterparts. We take all of these differences into account when recommending TVs and detail these instances when they pop up.

To evaluate displays, we look at key picture quality elements like color performance, clarity/sharpness, contrast control, HDR brightness, refresh rate, smart TV interface speed, off-angle viewing, and overall value. We use an X-Rite iDisplay Plus colorimeter and test patterns on the Spears & Munsil HDR Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc to check brightness and other objective image attributes.

We also rely on various movies and TV shows to look at real-world performance in bright and dark rooms. We've selected specific scenes to compare quality across TVs with black levels, shadow detail, HDR capabilities, and upscaling in mind. Sources include 4K, 1080p, and standard definition (SD) material from Blu-rays, streaming services, and cable TV.

For more info on our review process, check out our page detailing how we test tech products.

85-inch TV FAQs

Is 85 inches a good TV size?

The best 85-inch TVs can provide a level of immersion that smaller displays can't achieve. They're especially good for larger rooms since you can sit farther away and still get a cinematic experience. Though there are fewer 85-inch models to choose from compared to smaller screen sizes, several of our picks for the best 4K TVs are sold in 83 to 85-inches.

However, many rooms simply can't accommodate a TV this big, and 85-inch sets are typically pricey. If you need a smaller display, check out our guides focused on other sizes:

• Best 75-inch TVs
• Best 65-inch TVs
• Best 55-inch TVs
• Best 50-inch TVs

How much should you spend on an 85-inch TV?

Generally, you should expect to pay at least $900 to snag one of the best 85-inch TVs, though top high-end models cost $5,000 or more.

We've seen entry-level 85-inch LED TVs on sale for as low as $750, but budget QLED models typically start at around $900, and midrange options with local dimming and higher brightness capabilities sell for around $1,200 to $1,800. High-end 85-inch QLED 4K TVs with the best performance usually cost around $2,000 to $3,000, and 8K models can be between $4,000 and $7,000.

If you want one of the best OLED TVs in this class, 83-inch options start at around $2,500, while high-end OLEDs this big can cost as much as $6,500.Check out our full QLED vs. OLED guide for details on how the panel technologies compare in performance.

Unfortunately, 85-inch TVs below $700 are virtually nonexistent unless there happens to be a particularly great deal during a big sales event. If you're shopping for a cheaper set and don't mind stepping down in size, check out our guides to the best TVs under $500 and best budget TVs to see our top recommendations.

Is 4K resolution enough for an 85-inch TV?

In general, 4K resolution is plenty to deliver a sharp and detailed image on an 85-inch TV. That said, the higher pixel density of an 8K display can improve picture clarity if you sit very close to your TV.

Improvements in pixel smoothness on an 85-inch 8K set should become most visible if you sit less than five feet from your display. However, for most people, this subtle benefit is not worth the extra money that an 8K TV costs.

Do 85-inch TVs offer good sound quality?

Though there are exceptions, even the best 85-inch TVs tend to offer middling audio performance. Built-in TV speakers typically use small drivers placed in areas that muffle sound. They can get the job done for casual viewing, but we recommend shoppers invest in a dedicated speaker system or soundbar to get the best audio performance. We especially like models that support Dolby Atmos, since this format can provide an immersive surround sound experience.

Check out our various soundbar guides to see our top recommendations for different needs:

• Best soundbars
• Best soundbars with subwoofers
• Best budget soundbars
• Best Dolby Atmos soundbars
• Best Bose soundbars

Do you need an 85-inch TV with HDMI 2.1?

Many midrange and high-end 85-inch TVs include at least one video port that supports the HDMI 2.1 specification. HDMI 2.1 enables a 4K/120Hz signal (some brands support up to 144Hz), along with support for auto low latency mode (ALLM) and variable refresh rate (VRR). These features are designed for gaming enthusiasts and allow for smoother motion with less lag when paired with a compatible gaming console or PC.

To enable HDMI 2.1 features, all of your home entertainment products need to support HDMI 2.1. So, if you have a console hooked up to a soundbar plugged into your display, all three components need to be HDMI 2.1 compliant. Likewise, you need to connect them all with an ultra-high-speed HDMI cable rated for 48Gbps. Visit our guide to the best HDMI cables for our top recommendations.

All of our best 85-inch TV picks include HDMI 2.1 support, with the exception of the TCL Q6, which only has HDMI 2.0 ports. HDMI 2.0 is limited to 4K at 60Hz, which is fine for movies and TV shows, but less desirable for high-end gaming.