Should You Buy an 8K TV? Here’s What to Consider First

4K TVs have been around for a long time, but 8K TVs are becoming increasingly relevant. No longer are there only a few on the market that cost thousands and thousands of dollars. But should you get an 8K TV? We're here to help answer that question.

This article explains whether an 8K TV is worth it.

Who Should Buy an 8K TV?

Compared to the many 4K TVs out there, you should consider an 8K TV if the following apply to you:

• You have enough expendable income to make buying an 8K set make sense over a high-quality 4K TV.
• You want to be at the cutting edge of TV tech and don't plan on buying a new set for at least a few years if not five or more.
• You don't mind watching upscaled 4K content, as opposed to "naturally" 8K content, of which presently very little is available.

Who Shouldn't Buy an 8K TV?

The reality is that most people shouldn't buy an 8K TV. But if you're interested in one, make sure the following points don't apply to you, as you'll likely be better served by a high-quality 4K television set:

• You're looking for a great value or are on a budget.
• You're expecting to find a bunch of 8K movie and TV content.
• You're a gamer, especially on consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox.
• You're not planning on buying a very large TV.
  

Why You Should Buy an 8K TV

Some folks just want the best of the best, especially when it comes to technology. Early adopters are important, too, as these are the people who help companies work out the kinks in their technologies and support before a product truly hits the mainstream.

You've Got Cash to Spend

8K TVs aren't nearly as expensive as they once were. In fact, you can currently buy an 8K TV for around $2,000, which is similar to premium 4K TVs.

However, in general, putting your money toward an 8K TV instead of a 4K TV with great-to-have features like 120Hz support, an OLED panel, or just best-in-class picture quality, to name just a few, doesn't make a lot of sense—unless the 8K TV also has those.

So, to get the most bang for your buck, an 8K TV makes sense if you find a set that does everything an excellent 4K TV can do on top of supporting 8K, which won't be cheap. Expect to spend at least $3,000 or more on a television in most cases.

Think of it like buying a car. You can buy something with terrible mileage and poor safety that comes with the nicest interior you've ever seen. But, generally, a luxurious interior is only worth it when you're already getting more important features.

You Want the Most Cutting-Edge Tech

If you're the type to upgrade your iPhone every year just to have the most powerful hardware around and enjoy all the latest features, you may well be the kind of person perfect for an 8K TV.

However, if you're going to invest in an 8K set, which will likely be a pretty significant financial investment, you should plan on not buying another TV for a few years, at least.

An 8K TV is perfect for those who are content to upgrade infrequently and want to get more out of their purchases over time.

You Don't Mind Upscaled Content

The fact of the matter is that 8K content isn't widely available. And if you're a gamer, running games in 8K is still quite difficult to do with the hardware of today.

So, realistically, the best way to enjoy an 8K TV, at least for now, is upscaling. Upscaling, put incredibly simply, means making lower-resolution content look better on a higher-resolution TV. And, to be fair, this technology is only getting better.

Upscaled 4K content won't look like actual 8K, but it can look better than it would on a 4K display, depending on the TV and what it's upscaling. Either way, if you want an 8K TV, you're going to need to be okay with upscaling for now.

Why You Shouldn't Buy an 8K TV

8K TVs are just not great fits for most people. So, chances are good that you'll probably be better served by a high-quality 4K TV. If the following apply to you, you're not ready for the upgrade.

You're Looking to Save Money

8K TVs are cheaper than they once were, but these still aren't value buys. There are many more 4K or even 1080p TVs that offer far more features for the money.

Plus, if you're on a strict budget, you can find solid 4K TVs for well under $1,000, and you can't say the same about 8K TVs right now.

You're Expecting to Find Lots of 8K Content

8K content is extremely limited, whether you're talking about movies, TVs, games, or just videos on the internet. That's not to say there are none, but it's rare.

You definitely won't find all your favorite shows and movies in 8K, so if that's what you're after, an 8K TV just won't make a lot of sense for you. Though, this may change over time.

You're a Gamer

With the exception of the PS5 Pro, most consoles don't support 8K outside of several tech-demo-esque experiences you can count on one hand.

Gaming PCs can do 8K, but the reality is that most hardware and most games are just not designed to run in 8K without major sacrifices.

PC gamers are also better off increasing visual fidelity in other ways, like with higher graphical settings or frame rates.

You Don't Want a Big TV

With 8K, there are just so many pixels at hand that the benefits of such a high resolution aren't nearly as clear on smaller sets.

In general, you'll be hard-pressed to notice the difference between 8K and 4K content on a 55-inch TV, which is the most popular size. Unless you're planning on a 65-inch screen or bigger, you may be better off putting your money toward a high-quality 4K set.

Should You Wait for a 16K TV?

No.

Right now, 16K TVs don't exist in any meaningful sense, and there isn't good evidence that they'll ever be mainstream consumer tech products, even 10 or 15 years from now.

Whether or not 8K TVs themselves will become mainstream and if a plethora of 8K content will come to the market is still up in the air, so thinking about 16K is not worth it.