In 2021, Samsung released a new version of its “The Frame” television model. So, is this TV any good when it comes to playing games on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and other home consoles?
You can find out in this guide at Seeking Tech.
Quick Summary
When it comes to the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, The Frame 2021 is a good television set as it comes with support for 120 frames per second (the 43″ and 50″ only supports up to 60 fps), HDMI 2.1, HDR10 and Variable Refresh Rate. It does not support the Dolby Vision format, however.
In terms of performance, its HDR brightness levels is passable enough to deliver a good enough HDR picture for the new consoles as well as the PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One S and Xbox One S. The input lag reduction is also excellent when game mode is used on all consoles.
Screen Sizes
The Frame 2021 television set is available in the following screen sizes:
- 43″ (Model Number: QN43LS03AAFXZA)
- 50″ (Model Number: QN50LS03AAFXZA)
- 55″ (Model Number: QN55LS03AAFXZA)
- 65″ (Model Number: QN65LS03AAFXZA)
- 75″ (Model Number: QN75LS03AAFXZA)
Does The Frame 2021 have HDMI 2.1 ports?
The Frame 2021 comes with four HDMI ports, one of which is HDMI 2.1. The other three ports are HDMI 2.0.
The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S all support HDMI 2.1 although you need to get your own HDMI 2.1 cable if you have the Series S.
The HDMI 2.1 specification is required to play games at 120 frames per second in 4K. With HDMI 2.0, you can still play games at 120 frames per second in 1080p and 1440p. Keep in mind that the 43″ and 50″ versions of this TV only supports 60 Hz, so the frame rates will top out at 60 frames per second.
Legacy Consoles Support
When it comes to older, non-HDMI consoles, the 2021 version of The Frame does not come with any composite or component inputs. So, you will need to get an adapter on your own for consoles like the PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii and Xbox.
This Samsung television does come with an antenna tuner, which means that you should be able to connect older systems, including the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis.
The Frame 2021’s HDR Features
When it comes HDR features, The Frame 2021 supports HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and wide color gamut. It does not support Dolby Vision.
HDR supported console games use the HDR10 format. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S games also support Dolby Vision.
The Frame 2021’s HDR Brightness Levels in Game Mode
When it comes to brightness level when using HDR in game mode, Samsung’s The Frame 2021 features passable capabilities.
According to tests done by RTINGS.com, this television model has a Real Scene Peak Brightness of 533 nits. To really highlight the strengths of HDR, we recommend getting a TV that can display at least 500 nits. So, The Frame 2021 was able to pass that minimum threshold in a vast majority of scenarios with the exception of very dark scenes.
You can check out the HDR brightness levels, in game mode, for The Frame 2021 below (via RTINGS):
- HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness: 533 nits
- HDR Peak 2% Window: 245 nits
- HDR Peak 10% Window: 559 nits
- HDR Peak 25% Window: 557 nits
- HDR Peak 50% Window: 557 nits
- HDR Peak 100% Window: 557 nits
- HDR Sustained 2% Window: 241 nits
- HDR Sustained 10% Window: 556 nits
- HDR Sustained 25% Window: 555 nits
- HDR Sustained 50% Window: 554 nits
- HDR Sustained 100% Window: 555 nits
- HDR ABL: 0.053
The Frame 2021’s Adaptive Sync Features
When it comes to adaptive sync, The Frame 2021 supports Freesync and Variable Refresh Rate. This Samsung TV does not officially support GSYNC.
Variable Refresh Rate, or VRR, is used by the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X smooth out frame rates. VRR is also expected to come out for the PlayStation 5 in the future.
The Frame 2021’s Input Lag
The Frame 2021 features extremely low input lag when you utilize its game mode.
For a responsive gaming experience, we recommend getting a screen with less than 30 ms latency. According to tests done by RTINGS, the 2021 version of The Frame has input lag of just 10 ms at 60 frames per second in game mode. The latency is even lower when you play at 120 frames per second.
You can check out the input lag test results of this Samsung TV below (via RTINGS):
- 1080p resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate (Game Mode Enabled): 10.3 ms
- 1080p resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate (Game Mode Enabled): 5.4 ms
- 1440p resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate (Game Mode Enabled): 9.8 ms
- 1440p resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate (Game Mode Enabled): 5.5 ms
- 4K resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate (Game Mode Enabled): 9.6 ms
- 4K resolution, 60 Hz refresh rate and 10-bit HDR (Game Mode Enabled): 9.9 ms
- 4K resolution and 60 Hz at 4:4:4: 9.9 ms
- 4K resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate (Game Mode Enabled): 5.5 ms
- 1080p resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate (Game Mode Disabled): 89.1 ms
- 4K resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate (Game Mode Disabled): 75.3 ms
- 4K resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate with Interpolation: 20.7 ms
Is The Frame 2021 good for PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S?
The Frame 2021 is a good choice for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. The main positives are that this television comes with a HDMI 2.1 port in addition to support for 120 frames per second, HDR10 and Variable Refresh Rate.
The Samsung TV also has passable HDR brightness levels in addition to very low input lag.
The only negative is the lack of support for the Dolby Vision format.
Is The Frame 2021 good for Switch, PS4, and Xbox One?
The low input lag also makes The Frame 2021 a great TV for older HDMI consoles, which includes the PS3, PS4, Wii U, Switch and Xbox.
As we stated above, the passable HDR brightness levels mean that HDR-enabled games should look good enough on the PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One S and Xbox One X.