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To customize your TV’s game settings, first select the HDMI input your console or PC uses, then open the manufacturer’s game-mode controls: Samsung’s Game Mode Settings and Game Bar, LG’s Game Optimizer and Game Dashboard, or Sony’s Content type or Picture mode menu. Exact paths depend on the TV’s model year, software and region. Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM) or Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) can also change the active mode or limit picture adjustments.
Before changing settings, select the right HDMI input
Connect the console or PC to the TV by HDMI, then switch the TV to that device’s input. Samsung and LG both identify the correct external source as part of using their game features. Some options also depend on the HDMI port and signal format, so use the port specified by your TV’s manual if a feature is missing.
Menu names below are examples from manufacturer support instructions, not universal paths. If your screen differs, look up the exact model number in its official manual; regional software and firmware can change labels.
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Turn on Game Mode
Samsung Australia documents different routes by model year. On compatible 2025 TVs, go to Settings > All Settings > Advanced Features > Game Mode Settings > Game Mode. For 2023–2024 models, the listed route is Settings > All Settings > Connection > Game Mode Settings. Older models may put the option under External Device Manager. See Samsung Australia’s Game Mode instructions for its year-specific examples.
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A compatible Samsung TV may detect a connected console and activate Game Mode automatically; a PC may require you to turn it on manually. If the setting is unavailable, confirm that the TV is on the console’s HDMI input before troubleshooting further.
Open the Game Bar
On supported TVs, once Game Mode is On or Auto, hold the remote’s Play/Pause button to open the Game Bar. Depending on model and year, it can display or expose settings such as Game Picture Mode, input-lag status, Game Motion Plus, sound output, PC-source screen ratio, FPS, HDR and VRR status. Not every TV offers every item. Samsung’s Game Bar guide also describes model-specific additions, including AI Auto Game mode and Minimap Auto Detection on certain 2024 sets.
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Check the HDMI signal setting only if needed
If a supported gaming signal or feature is not available, check whether Input Signal Plus is enabled for the HDMI port in use. Samsung’s UHD gaming guidance calls this HDMI UHD Color on 2018-and-older models, and notes that compatibility varies by model. Its HDMI gaming guidance is best treated as a compatibility checklist: it does not mean that every console needs a new cable or that every TV supports every HDMI 2.1 feature.
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LG: use Game Optimizer and the Game Dashboard
Turn on the game controls
On supported webOS generations, open Settings > All Settings > General > Game Optimizer and turn it on. LG’s setup instructions give a different path for 2020 webOS 5.0 TVs: Picture > Additional Settings > Instant Game Response, then enable the HDMI port connected to the device. On some generations, an HDMI deep-color setting may also need to be enabled. Some picture controls can become unavailable when game features are active.
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Understand ALLM and picture adjustments
On supported LG models, ALLM controls are in Game Optimizer. LG says that when ALLM is set to Auto, picture-quality adjustments may not be available. If you want to adjust the picture manually, its Game Optimizer and Dashboard instructions suggest disabling ALLM, if both the TV and console support that choice.
After selecting the Game Optimizer picture mode and enabling its functions, the Game Dashboard can provide access to settings and status during play. The items shown depend on the TV.
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- ENDLESS FREE CONTENT: Watch 2,700+ free streaming options, including 750+ subscription-free channels on Samsung TV Plus. Enjoy news, sports, movies, kids' shows and reality TV — all without a subscription. Discover endless entertainment with new content added regularly, tailored to your mood and interests.*
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Check VRR and G-Sync options by model
LG documents VRR/G-Sync controls within Game Optimizer on supported sets; its described setup requires an HDMI connection and Game Optimizer screen mode. The LG VRR/G-Sync guidance is model-specific. Avoid applying a universal HDR or tone-mapping value: the right controls depend on the TV, source and game.
Sony: choose Game as the content type or picture mode
Set the HDMI input to Game
Sony’s support instructions give different routes for different BRAVIA families. On the listed newer families, press Quick Settings > Content type and choose Game. For other Google TVs, the route is Quick Settings > Image Settings > Display & Sound > Picture > Picture mode > Game, with some variation by model. Sony’s Game-mode instructions also describe setting A/V Sync to Auto on models that expose that control as part of its input-lag guidance.
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Sony says HDMI games use low-latency mode when Content type is set to Game on the model families covered by its guidance. Do not assume that another Sony TV uses the same menu or offers the same options.
Why a setting may switch automatically or appear locked
Automatic changes are expected on some compatible TV-and-console combinations. ALLM can ask the TV to use a low-latency mode; VRR signal formats can also constrain available picture modes. LG notes that ALLM Auto may block picture adjustments. Sony documents cases where ALLM or a VRR HDMI signal format keeps a TV in Game mode.
If you cannot change picture mode or another control, check the console’s ALLM/VRR output and the TV’s HDMI signal-format instructions for your exact model. Sony’s PS5 and VRR guidance explains these model-dependent constraints. A fixed or unavailable setting is not by itself evidence of a fault.
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Use the controls your particular TV exposes rather than copying a universal recipe. Manufacturer instructions describe menus and intended behavior, but do not establish one brightness, contrast or motion setting that suits every screen, room and game.
Quick Recap
- Start with the game mode itself. Confirm that Game Mode, Game Optimizer or Game content type is active for the selected HDMI input.
- Check status before changing advanced options. Samsung’s Game Bar may show input-lag, HDR or VRR status; LG’s Game Dashboard and Sony’s picture menus present different information.
- Change only the control you need. Motion processing, picture adjustments and VRR-related options vary by model and may be restricted by automatic low-latency behavior.
- Use the model’s manual when a menu is missing. Verify whether the exact TV and HDMI port support the feature before changing cables or assuming an option should appear.
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