- More TVs expected to have four HDMI 2.1 ports in 2025
- Mediatek’s new 800 series chip will allow more than two HDMI 2.1 ports
- Hisense is the first brand to confirm that it will benefit from this upgrade
More TVs are expected to have four HDMI 2.1 ports in 2025 thanks to Mediatek’s latest chip, paving the way for new models to join the ranks of the best gaming TVs.
HDMI 2.1 allows up to 4K, 120 Hz for gaming consoles, such as PS5 and Xbox Series X, (4K, 165 Hz for PC gaming) and enhanced audio formats (eARC), such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, in televisions.
LG and Samsung, makers of some of the best TVs, already have four HDMI 2.1 ports on a large portion of their TVs, like the LG C4 OLED and Samsung Q80D. Combining this with their extensive gaming features makes LG and Samsung often the best gaming TVs on the market.
LG and Samsung use a different chip from Mediatek, whose chips have until now been limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports, meaning those with multiple consoles and one of the best soundbars have had to look elsewhere or swap cables.
However, as FlatpanelsHD reports, Mediatek’s latest chip, the Pentonic 800, allows for up to four HDMI 2.1 ports. Hisense is the first brand other than LG or Samsung to confirm that some of its 2025 TVs will feature four HDMI 2.1 ports, including the 116-inch UX RGB Mini LED and the U9Q and U8Q, all of which were announced at CES 2025 the news was highlighted by Vincent Teoh on X (formerly Twitter):
BREAKING: Hisense 2025 premium TVs (MicroLED TVs, 116UX, U9Q, U8Q, U7Q Pro) announced at #ces2025 will use the Mediatek Pentonic 800 chipset, also paving the way for 4 full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports with FRL signaling . as 4K 165Hz VRR support. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/M4YD0BNCIXJanuary 13, 2025
It is suggested that some Hisense models will support 4K, 165Hz, just like the LG G5 OLED and Samsung S95F OLED, the two brands’ respective flagship OLED TVs.
It’s also worth noting that in some markets, some Hisense devices will have three HDMI 2.1 ports and the fourth will be replaced by a USB-C DisplayPort for PC gaming.
More competition in gaming TVs
When we’re looking for the best gaming TVs here at TechRadar, having four HDMI 2.1 ports is a big plus. This allows gamers to have multiple consoles and a soundbar connected without needing to swap connections, which can be difficult if your TV is wall mounted for example.
This is why LG and Samsung have often dominated the gaming TV market, despite brands like Hisense, TCL, Panasonic, Sony and Philips all offering an excellent range of gaming features such as 4K, 120 Hz (sometimes 4K, 144 Hz), VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision Gaming (something Samsung does not offer).
However, with Mediatek’s new Pentonic 800 chip, it gives these other brands a chance to catch up with LG and Samsung, making the gaming TV battlefield in 2025 even more competitive. And when there is more competitiveness between brands, it is only good news for us.
LG and Samsung TVs still offer better performance, thanks to lower input lag times compared to the likes of Hisense, TCL and others, so we’ll have to wait and see if these other brands can offer that plus more HDMI. Port 2.1. We can’t wait to try it, that’s for sure!
