If you have a PS5 and haven’t upgraded your TV recently, you’re probably considering getting one of the better 120Hz TVs. These sets can display twice as many frames per second compared to older or cheaper 60Hz models, which which means games can look much smoother and more responsive – it’s a key feature we looked for in our guide to the best gaming TVs.
But 120Hz TVs are more expensive: Until last year, it was limited to just high-end options, though now it’s coming to at least some mid-range options. But it’s still something you’ll have to pay more for, even if it’s not as much as it used to be, and not all budgets will stretch to the price of a cheaper 120Hz TV. However, there are some more affordable TVs that are technically 60hz, but can it offers 120Hz support, with a little twist.
Two examples coming this year are the TCL Q6 range in the US, the TCL C645 in the UK and other regions, and the Philips The One 8508 in the UK. The Philips TCL C635 which is currently available in Europe and other regions also supports the function below.
These TVs support a technology called Dual Line Gate (DLG), which basically allows the 60 frame-per-second panel to appear to be displaying 120 frames per second, but the deal is that you have to sacrifice half the vertical resolution when re-enabled. this mode with the Philips TV, while the TCL C635 downsamples to 2K (also known as Full HD).
I saw a demo of this in action on a Philips TV, directly compared to the same display in its standard 60Hz mode, as well as a native 120Hz TV. it uses Dual Line Gate technology compared to 60Hz, though it wasn’t quite as fancy as the native 120Hz display.
And in the case of Philips, the halving of the vertical resolution wasn’t much of a problem, at least in my limited demo. That’s partly due to a more advanced version of the technology being used, called “Hardware Super Resolution”, which adds a lot of sharpness to the image, but I also think that cutting the resolution in half isn’t much of a problem if all the deal is, you’re going to see fast-moving action where you may not be taking in detail anyway.
I couldn’t test the input lag for the TV running in DLG mode, but it should stay low; after all, that is the point. So for those who want more responsiveness when gaming. rocket league either war zone at 120fps, but you need to save pennies when buying a new TV, a DLG-ready TV could be a great option.
I’d still recommend pushing to a truly 120Hz set if you can, because the smoothness will be even stronger, you’ll get that extra resolution and detail back, and you still generally have better overall image quality because the panels are more advanced. but I’m glad there are more options available.
I don’t think we’ll see DLG widely hyped, so keep an eye out if you like the idea in case other outfits support it.
