Samsung TVs include several specialized video settings, including a setting called Game Mode. This mode might tempt many gamers to use it without knowing how it ultimately affects their gaming experience. 

Samsung TV owners should turn the Samsung TV on Game Mode when they play video games on the TV, especially competitive games that depend on split-second reflexes. Samsung TV Game Mode cuts back on unnecessary lag and helps your TV process visual input from the game faster. 

Game Mode is useful for competitive online multiplayer games, but it may cause issues when you use it in other contexts. If you feel like your TV is not very responsive when playing games, keep reading to learn more about turning on Game Mode for better play. 

Should You Use Game Mode on Your Samsung TV?

Generally, it isn’t worth using Game Mode on your Samsung TV unless you’re actively playing a video game that depends on smooth video processing to perform well. Game Mode helps reduce the input lag that can cause any actions you take in a video game to occur a split-second after making them. 

In some games, such as lazy RPGs and strategy games, this lack of responsiveness might not be a problem. However, this split-second lag may differ between victory and defeat in first-person shooters and multiplayer competitive titles. 

When it comes down to it, the decision to use Game Mode is up to you. Depending on which games you play, you might not even notice any issues with responsiveness without using Game Mode. However, if you find yourself struggling through a noticeable input lag, it’s probably worth it to see if your Samsung TV has Game Mode integration. 

What Does Game Mode TV Do on a Samsung TV?

Game Mode on Samsung TV works by forcing the TV to electronically bypass two of the video signal processors in the TV. This allows the TV to interpret input more quickly at the expense of picture quality. 

Without sending signals through these video processors, the video you see on the TV might be slightly less crisp than it normally does. However, in many cases this video quality difference will be barely enough to even notice, while the responsiveness of any game input on the TV will be greatly increased. (Source: Samsung) 

How to Turn Game Mode On for Samsung TV

If you want to swap over your TV’s video settings to Game Mode before you boot up your gaming console, the process is easy. To turn on Game Mode for Samsung TV, perform the following: 

  • Press the Home button on your Samsung TV remote control. Select Settings. From the Settings submenu, scroll down to the General tab. From the General submenu, select External Device Manager. From the External Device Manager submenu, select Game Mode Settings. Press ENTER on the remote to toggle Game Mode on or off.

Game Mode is simple enough to access on your Samsung TV that you can easily toggle it on and off depending on whether you’re watching TV or playing a game. 

Samsung TV PC Mode vs. Game Mode

Some Samsung owners may notice that their TV has multiple advanced video settings. On top of Game Mode, many smart Samsung TVs also feature PC Mode. PC Mode is similar to Game Mode with a few differences. 

Some Samsung owners consider PC Mode to be superior to Game Mode since in many cases, it reduces input lag without impacting resolution or picture quality. This contrasts Game Mode, where reduced video processing might noticeably degrade picture quality. 

How Else Is PC Mode Different Than Game Mode? 

Along with reducing input lag, PC Mode has a few additional changes that can impact the quality of a PC gaming experience on your Samsung TV. These features are as follows: 

  • Disabled scaling: Scaling is what occurs when your TV’s native resolution doesn’t match the resolution of the video input that is being processed on it. PC Mode disables scaling so that even if you’re playing a game with a higher native visual resolution than the TV, it shouldn’t negatively affect picture quality. (Source: Sewell Direct)Adjusts sharpness: Sharpness is a setting on your TV’s video that increases edge contrast. (Source: LifeWire) PC Mode adjusts sharpness to make any in-game text easier to read.

If you have the option to use either Game Mode or PC Mode on your Samsung TV, it may be worth your trouble to try turning on PC Mode over Game Mode. This may allow you to improve your input speed while maintaining a high picture quality, too.  

Game Mode Can Make Gaming on Samsung Better

Game Mode isn’t a setting that will be useful to most people unless they’re actually playing a video game. In all other cases, this mode may slightly degrade your Samsung TV’s picture quality. However, for video games that depend on trigger-sharp reflexes for you to be able to compete, a slight downgrade in graphics may be worth the trade in responsive input.