The best TVs of 2026 so far: RGB TVs were the talk of CES, but theyre not the only exciting releases
Samsung R95H Micro RGB 4K TV
Samsung S95H OLED 4K TV
TCL X11L SQD Mini LED QLED 4K TV
Hisense U6 Pro Mini LED 4K Fire TV
LG Gallery TV with Frame Mini LED QNED 4K TV
I've been tracking TV deals and new releases at Mashable for years. My friends and family have watched me scramble to compare the new models during CES in January, and then scramble to see which of those models got a big discount during Prime Day or Black Friday. And I always hear some iteration of this question: "How much can TVs possibly change over the years?"
That's a valid question most of the time. If you're not a serious gamer or someone who tests TV specs for a living, the difference between an OLED TV model from the current year vs. the same model from the year prior probably isn't all that riveting. But I promise you, the best TVs of 2026 so far are quite literally built different.
2026 is the year of the RGB TV. What is that?
The conversation about the best TV for whatever situation has been a dichotomous battle between QLED and OLED forever. As a refresher, QLED TVs typically get brighter but sometimes struggle with black levels and blooming. OLED TVs rule the world of contrast and picture quality in dark rooms, but aren't as vibrant in bright rooms. RGB is kind of the best of both worlds, and it was easily the biggest TV trend at CES 2026.
RGB doesn't automatically knock OLED and QLED to second and third place. The big TV brands that dropped an RGB TV or two, like Samsung, LG, and Hisense, also unveiled new OLED or QLED models that are still highly competitive, depending on your typical streaming or gaming situation.
Halfway through the year, let's stop to organize all of the new models before even more come out. Whether you're watching the World Cup or a marathon of the best movies of 2026, these are the best TVs of 2026 so far that will truly do them justice.
Samsung R95H
Credit: Samsung
The Samsung R95H is the best RGB TV of 2026 so far. No, this isn't the 115-inch Samsung RGB TV that costs $30,000. Samsung extended its Micro RGB technology into a much more palatable size and price range.
It seems like anyone who has seen the Samsung R95H in person can agree on one thing: The color palette is so vivid and so realistic, it almost feels... unreal. The R95H covers between 95 and 100 percent of the BT.2020 color spectrum, reproducing more than 2,000 Pantone-validated colors. Samsung uses artificial intelligence to adjust shades scene by scene and manages to deliver very precise contrast with virtually no blooming.
Compared to the cheaper R85H RGB line from Samsung, the R95H dishes out a clearer, more responsive picture with a native refresh rate of 165Hz and support for Samsung's newest HDR format, HDR10+ advanced. The R95H adds to the premium experience with features like the Wireless One Connect Box and Samsung's phenomenal glare-free coating, plus an art TV-esque No Gap Wall Mount.
The Samsung R95H only comes in four sizes. Here's the price breakdown:
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Samsung 65-inch R95H — $3,199.99
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Samsung 75-inch R95H — $4,499.99
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Samsung 85-inch R95H — $6,499.99
Need something smaller than 65 inches? Sony does get credit for extending its True RGB technology to some smaller sizes. You can grab the 2026 Sony Bravia 7 II in 55 inches, or 50 inches later this summer.
Samsung S95H
Credit: Samsung
The Samsung S95H is the best OLED TV of 2026 so far. Though a single letter differentiates the S95H's title from the R95H, the S95H OLED serves a much different purpose. Due to its pixel-by-pixel dimming, OLED still provides the most elite contrast out of any type of TV backlighting.
The S95H's contrast ratio is as close to infinite as you could ask for. The black levels are deep and the shadows are sharp to the point of feeling lifelike. Naturally, this is a great option for cinephiles watching in dark rooms. In lit rooms, the S95H's peak brightness of up to 2,500 nits fares better than the vast majority of other OLEDs. (PCMag's Will Greenwald calls it "OLED's new benchmark breakthrough.")
When it was released in April, I referred to the S95H as a "curiously Frame Pro-like OLED TV." I mean, it checks off several art TV boxes: an anti-glare screen, a floating wall mount that lies flush with the wall, an artsy bezel that's silver instead of black... oh, and it's the first Samsung OLED to feature the Samsung Art Store.
The Samsung S95H comes in four sizes. Here's the price breakdown:
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Samsung 55-inch S95H — $2,499.99
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Samsung 65-inch S95H — $3,399.99
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Samsung 77-inch S95H — $4,499.99
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Samsung 83-inch S95H — $6,499.99
TCL X11L
Credit: TCL
The TCL X11L Google TV is the brightest TV of 2026 so far. Released in January, TCL didn't take the RGB route that most of its competitors did. Instead, TCL's new SQD (Super Quantum Dot) backlight absolutely beams at up to 10,000 nits of peak brightness. That unprecedented number is fueled by thousands and thousands of acute local dimming zones: 11,520 zones in the smallest 75-inch model or up to 20,000 in the 100-inch model.
Such a high zone count allows for extremely precise darkening around bright objects, cushioning against haloing. If you don't mess around when it comes to HDR, the TCL X11L would be a supreme choice for a heavy-duty home theater. The X11L would also fare well in rooms where the TV will be competing with lots of windows and direct sunlight.
The X11L's size range is limited to just three options. Here's the price breakdown:
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TCL 75-inch X11L — $4,999.99 ($3,999.99 on sale)
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TCL 85-inch X11L — $7,999.99 ($5,999.99 on sale)
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TCL 98-inch X11L — $9,999.99
If you need something smaller than 75 inches, TCL also dropped two more budget-friendly SQD TV tiers: The QM7L and QM8L.
Hisense U6 Pro
Credit: Hisense
The mini LED Hisense U6 Pro Fire TV is the best budget TV of 2026 so far. It was released in March, wedged comfortably between the entry-level Hisense U6 and the higher-tier Hisense U7.
The U6 Pro has quite a robust full-array local dimming setup for the price: the 65-inch model features 240 dimming zones and reaches 1,200 nits at peak brightness. Early reviewers note its vibrancy and deep black levels (for being a non-OLED TV, that is). Further adding to the U6 Pro's visibility in the daylight or in a lit room at night, the screen is coated with an anti-glare finish to minimize reflections and preserve shadows — a nice touch not often seen on the affordable end of the spectrum.
Its native 144Hz refresh rate, VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium, and two HDMI 2.1 ports make it an unbeatable choice for gaming or watching sports.
The U6 Pro also gets points for its size range. Here's the price breakdown:
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Hisense 55-inch U6 Pro — $849.99 ($597.99 on sale)
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Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro — $1,099.99 ($749.99 on sale)
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Hisense 75-inch U6 Pro — $1,399.99 ($848.99 on sale)
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Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro — $1,999.99 ($1,197.99 on sale)
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Hisense 100-inch U6 Pro — $3,499.99 ($2,297.99 on sale)
LG Gallery TV with Frame
The LG Gallery TV with Frame is the best art TV of 2026 so far. As a matte mini LED TV with interchangeable frames, this is the most direct competitor to The Frame or The Frame Pro that LG has ever released. If you're a fan of LG's Magic Remote, you finally have a true artsy non-OLED option that won't risk burn-in if left on all day.
Granted, the LG Gallery TV makes up most of the big art TV news of the year thus far. In the spring, Samsung made negligible updates to The Frame Pro, and Hisense added a 50-inch model to the CanvasTV lineup. We know that the TCL A400 Pro, a long-awaited update to the original NXTVISION TV, exists — it just hasn't been released in the U.S. yet.
It's a bummer that LG only offers the Gallery TV in two sizes as of June, but at least they're practical. Here's the price breakdown:
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LG 55-inch Gallery TV with Frame — $1,299.99
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LG 65-inch Gallery TV with Frame — $1,799.99
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