Although most of the world is gravitating to large displays, particularly50-inch TVsand60-inch TVs, there’s still a demand for small TVs. Beyond their compact size, a handful ofsmall TVscan also render content in native 4K resolution. This translates to impeccable picture quality and life-like visuals.
Sony KD43X85K 4K Smart TV
INSIGNIA 43-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD TV
It’s worth mentioning that while small TVs aren’t ideal for the living room, especially for multiple viewers, having one in the bedroom isn’t a bad idea. To help you pick from the various options on the market today, we went ahead to curate a list of the best small 4K TVs worth considering in 2024.
Updated on June 9th, by Michael Akuchie:Since its last publication, the Sony X77L (the best overall) and Samsung Q60D (the best 32-inch) have been added to the list, boasting rich 4K picture quality and many gorgeous specs in a compact size.
Game Rant’s Best Small 4K TVs in 2024
Sony 43-inch 4K Ultra HD TV X77L Series
The Sony X77L is one of the most affordable ways to experience 4K gaming and streaming. It’s available in different screen sizes, with 43” being the minimum and 85” being the maximum. Its X1 Processor makes non-4K content look better than it originally did by upscaling it to near-4K resolution. Equipped with PS5 features exclusive to Sony TVs, players are treated to highly responsive gameplay with excellent graphics.
The 43-inch Sony X77L Series is a terrific choice for anyone who wants vibrant colors and amazing picture quality on a small display. While not as powerful as the A80L, which appears in ourbest Sony TVs for PS5guide, the X77L manages to deliver a great experience using its suite of modest features. Powered by the 4K Processor X1, you get to enjoy streaming and gaming with life-like images and smooth motion. Although it’s limited to 60Hz, the Motionflow XR feature upgrades the TV’s motion handling capabilities, ensuring that live sports and fast-paced movie scenes remain clear to the eye.
Despite being a budget TV, the X77L follows the route of modern Sony TVs and ships with two exclusive PlayStation 5 features. While Auto HDR Tone Mapping manages the TV’s HDR settings for more detailed scenes, Auto Picture Genre Mode switches from Game Mode to Standard Mode, depending on your preferences. As a smart TV, you also get to ask Alexa or Google Assistant to launch Netflix, lower the brightness level, and so much more. These impressive specs coupled with the affordable pricing make the X77L an easy pick as one of our best small 4K TVs.
Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 Series LED 4K TV
The Toshiba Class C350 Series LED 4K TV keeps content in one place, thanks to Fire TV. Whether it’s live, over-the-air TV, streaming channels, or other favorite apps, users can access them all on the home screen. The Regza Engine 4K, Toshiba’s high-performance 4K engine, combines ultra-essential PQ technology with a high-quality LCD panel to produce stunning picture quality.With four times the resolution of Full HD, the Toshiba 4K TV provides uncompromisingly crisp, clear visuals for a fully immersive experience. Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 transform TVs into true entertainment powerhouses, offering an amazing realism users will see, hear, and feel like never before.
For fans of Amazon Fire TV or people looking for an incredible budget 4K TV that can easily fit into smaller spaces, the Toshiba C350 Fire TV is an excellent choice. This 43-inch TV is a bit bigger than some of the other TVs in this guide, but it is hard to complain about an extra inch or two at this price point.
Naturally, with the lower price tag, the C350 doesn’t have all the fancy bells and whistles that higher-end TVs have, but it does support Dolby Vision and HDR10. The HDR is not the best available, but it’s also not going to detract from the viewing experience at all. Whether users want to use this TV for watching content or for gaming, the color performance and decent peak brightness combine for excellent screen quality that can even be enjoyed in direct sunlight.
Audio-wise, the C350 produces power pretty much equivalent to the size of this TV. Dialogue is clear and easy to pick out even with background noise. However, the bass is somewhat lacking. Action scenes feel a little lackluster, but again, for under $300, it is hard to complain.
VIZIO 43-inch MQ6 Series 4K QLED HDR Smart TV
The Vizio MQ6 Series is a great 4K TV that delivers a great deal of value for its price. Viewers will experience optimized contrast and brightness levels using Dolby Vision Bright. It’s also a great TV for gaming, with features like AMD FreeSync, VRR, and low input lag. While the TV ships with a voice remote, buyers can still control the TV using the Vizio mobile app.
The Vizio MQ6 Series QLED TV is an example of an excellent balance between price and performance. Using a QLED panel, this TV can produce fantastic picture quality, but to keep the price reasonable, it cuts down on the abundant features that some of the more premium TVs offer. The MQ6 focuses on what is most important for a well-performing TV: excellent color reproduction and picture quality, a good app selection, and smart features that fulfill the needs of most users.
One of the features that this TV had to cut is the local dimming zones, which is not ideal, but the picture quality surprisingly retains outstanding quality despite this. Details are crisp and clear even when looking in the shadows, and even though the shadows and dark scenes are not as inky black as OLED displays, this TV is a joy to view HDR and SDR content on. In testing, the MQ6 reproduced 99.96% of the Rec 709 color space, which is not quite as much as the LG C2, but this TV is also about half the price.
While the MQ6 can be great for gamers, it is missing some features that would make it one of the best. With a response time of 13.7 milliseconds, this TV seems like a perfect choice, but the 60Hz refresh rate blocks gamers from using the 120 Hz refresh rate that the PS5 and Xbox Series X offer. Of course, this is not as big of an issue for gamers using older consoles or a Nintendo Switch.
LG C3 Series 42-Inch Class OLED
The LG C3 Series OLED 4K smart TV has everything a player needs, from crisp imagery with a fast response time of 0.1ms to a 120 Hz refresh rate. Like most LG TVs, this selection has the NVIDIA G-SYNC, VRR, and AMD FreeSync Premium to boost the gameplay. Gamers will also appreciate the LG C3’s accessibility, with four HDMI 2.1 inputs that allow for the plugging of multiple devices.
In the same lineup as the LG C2, the LG C3 Evo is an excellent option for people with a slightly larger budget and who want a brighter panel with marginally better color performance. At the same size as the LG C2, this 42-inch panel on the LG C3 Evo is stunning and can easily fit into a smaller living room or even a dorm room.
Unlike most OLED TVs, the LG C3 Evo does an excellent job of rendering vibrant and accurate colors in light-controlled environments and rooms with direct sunlight. Bright lights in scenes make viewers want to squint, and shadows are dark and inky while still making it easy to pick out details.
With a sub-one millisecond response time and 120 Hz refresh rate, gamers will love this TV. Plus, with AMD Freesync and Nvidia G-Sync support, gamers can even hook their PC up to this TV and game on the big screen. But for most console gamers, these features and specs are overkill; something like the Sony X85K is a more reasonable option.
SAMSUNG 32-inch Class QLED 4K Q60D Series Quantum HDR Smart TV
The 32-inch Samsung Q60D is an excellent choice for users who are comfortable with a compact screen for gaming and streaming movies. Despite its small size, it delivers amazing picture quality coupled with decent sound thanks to Object Tracking Sound Lite. It can also handle cloud gaming with Game Hub contains a diverse library to game and stream on.
The 32-inch Q60D is a small 4K TV that should appeal to users living in small rooms or those who need a second TV in a different room. It ships with a QLED display panel that promises excellent viewing angles and considerably high brightness levels to keep you glued to the screen even in a well-lit room. Equipped with the Quantum Processor Lite, you get to enjoy movies at a rich 4K resolution. What’s more, the TV can upscale content shot in lower resolutions, such as 1080p and 720p, to near-4K standard, making every contact feel like a visual feast.
The Q60D’s Motion Xcelerator feature allows you to follow every movement in an action-packed movie scene and a fast-paced moment in a video game. It does this by enhancing the motion between frames, lowering the chances of blur. The Q60D may be a small 4K TV, but its sound quality should not be underestimated. With Object Tracking Sound Lite, the TV can render 3D surround sound that follows the happenings on the screen, drawing you into the rush of a car chase or footsteps in puddles. If cloud gaming is your thing, then Gaming Hub should whet your appetite with many streaming apps such as Game Pass and Twitch. One downside is that some users have expressed displeasure with the remote’s build quality.
The Sony KD43X85K TV provides a clear picture, vibrant colors, and sharp details, thanks to its 4K HDR Processor X1. The picture stays smooth and clear when watching fast action like sports or movies - and especially while gaming - because of a 120 Hz refresh rate and Motionflow XR technology.This TV can show more than a billion colors, giving a very real and accurate image thanks to TRILUMINOS Pro technology. The TV comes with Google TV and Google Assistant, which combines all the apps and streaming services in one place.
Of course, many gamers looking for a small 4K option will probably turn towards a bigger desktop monitor. However, for those who still want the TV experience, the Sony X85K is an excellent option with features like a 120 Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1, and variable refresh rate.
As an LCD panel, this TV displays deep blacks and has decent peak brightness in HDR mode. Comparing the X85K to the OLED or QLED TVs in this guide, the color production is lacking, but when this TV is not being compared side by side with another one, it offers a fantastic viewing experience.
Regardless of its somewhat lacking color performance, when it comes to gaming, the X85K shines. With HDMI 2.1 and VRR support, this TV can provide the full experience for Xbox Series X and PS5 users. Plus, with G-Sync support, the X85K is also an excellent option for PC gamers. Whether it is fast-paced competitive games or slow, visually stunning games, the Sony X85K feels right at home.
The INSIGNIA 43-inch 4K Fire TV is an excellent option for buyers not eager to splurge on a new TV. Users get 4K picture quality which is great for this price point. The TV comes with Fire OS built-in along with Alexa support, allowing buyers to search for apps, set reminders, and do lots more with the voice remote. The F30 also comes with DTS Studio Sound which makes the TV sound way better than one would have expected from a budget TV.
For homeowners looking for a cheap TV to fit into the bedroom or serve as an alternate TV, the 43-inch Insignia F30 TV fits the bill nicely. Available for under $200 when on sale, the Insignia F30 ships with 4K resolution, which should make any content look way better than it would on a 1080p display. Lovers of the Fire TV OS should have no trouble feeling at home with the Insignia TV as it comes with Fire TV built-in. From gaining access to several streaming services, including Netflix and Prime Video, buyers can also get a kick out of the voice remote. Press the Alexa button to search for content, launch apps, and set reminders for important events.
The Insignia TV doesn’t stop there. It also seeks to deliver a great sound experience through DTS Studio Sound, which uses two-seater playback to create audio that’s life-like and immersive. As expected from an entry-level TV, the F30 doesn’t come with any advanced gaming features. It also doesn’t support top-tier audiovisual features like Dolby Atmos or Dolby Vision. Some users have complained about the subpar audio quality, with many recommending a soundbar purchase. However, it’s a great entry-level option.
Key Factors For Picking The Best Small 4K TVs
Choosing the best small-sized 4K TV can be easy when users consider the following key features:
Size:When looking for a small TV, size is an essential factor. The definition of small can vary from person to person, but for the most part, a TV stops being considered small at around 42 inches. Of course, there are much smaller TVs than that, but when it comes to 4K options, the smallest option available is 32 inches.
Picture Quality: Specs like audio and smart features can easily be upgraded on a TV, but the most important spec that cannot be upgraded without buying a new TV is the picture quality. The perk of having a 4K TV is the better-looking display, but not all 4K panels are built equally. So, finding a TV with excellent color performance, accurate dimming zones, and a decent refresh rate is essential to a quality viewing experience.
Price:The best TV out there is not automatically decided by the highest price tag. Users should aim to find a balance between the performance they want and the price of the TV. This can look different for everyone, but deciding on a budget beforehand will make the shopping experience much easier.
FAQ
Q: Can you get a 32 inch 4K TV?
A couple of years ago, getting a 4K TV as small as 32 inches seemed impossible, but now there are a couple of options that offer stunning picture quality at 4K resolutions, all within a tiny form factor of 32 inches.
Q: Is 4K worth it on small TV?
For those who value high-quality images for watching movies or playing games, a 4K TV is definitely worth picking up. However, for people who sit a reasonable distance away from their TV, a small 4K TV might not be as much of a difference when compared to a 1080p TV of the same size.
