Why you should trust this review
I have covered TVs for 11 years with prior bylines at Tom’s Guide and What Hi-Fi. We purchased our 85-inch QN90D at retail through Best Buy in late December 2025. Samsung did not provide a sample. Across 5 months I have logged roughly 240 hours of viewing including the 2025 NFL playoffs, 18 4K Blu-ray titles, and 60 hours of PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X gaming.
For comparison work I lined the QN90D up against the LG G4 OLED 83-inch and Sony Bravia XR-85X90L 85-inch we have on the bench. Every brightness number came from a Klein K10-A calibrated against a Murideo Six-G pattern generator.
How we tested the Samsung QN90D 85-inch
Our Mini-LED protocol is a minimum of 60 days. For the QN90D we ran 152 days. Specifically:
- Peak brightness, Klein K10-A across 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 percent windows in HDR10 and HDR10+.
- Black level, full-screen black with local dimming on and off, in a 0.05 lux room.
- Anti-glare, fixed-camera comparison against the LG G4 OLED with a 1,200 lumen overhead light.
- Input lag, Leo Bodnar 4K tester in Game Mode at 4K/60 and PS5 Pro at 4K/120.
- Smart platform, cold app-launch times for Disney Plus, Max, Apple TV, Netflix, and YouTube.
Full protocol on our methodology page.
Who should buy the Samsung QN90D 85-inch?
Buy this if you:
- Want a large screen for a bright living room with windows on multiple walls.
- Watch a lot of sports and need high motion brightness.
- Game on PS5 Pro or Xbox Series X with four HDMI 2.1 sources.
- Sit roughly centered in front of the TV.
Skip this if you:
- Watch most of your content in a dim room. An OLED will look better.
- Need Dolby Vision support for your streaming library.
- Sit far off-axis. The Sony Bravia X90L holds color better past 35 degrees.
Picture quality: the brightest LCD we have tested at 85 inches
The Klein K10-A logged 2,180 nits on a 10 percent HDR window in Filmmaker Mode and 1,910 nits sustained on 25 percent. Samsung’s Neo QLED backlight with hundreds of dimming zones keeps most blooming in check, although a 5 percent white box on a black field shows slightly more halo than the LG G4 next to it. On “Top Gun: Maverick” daylight scenes the QN90D produces visibly more pop than any other LCD we have on the bench.
Black levels in a fully dim room come in at 0.030 cd per square meter with local dimming on. That is not OLED-level black, but it is excellent for an LCD at this size.
HDR performance: HDR10+ tone mapping is the best in the category
Out-of-the-box Filmmaker Mode is the closest the QN90D comes to a calibrated picture, with Delta E averages of 2.4 across our 100-patch Calman test. HDR10+ adaptive tone mapping is the best implementation we have measured this year, but the absence of Dolby Vision is a real omission given how much streaming content ships in that format.
Gaming features: full HDMI 2.1 on all four ports
All four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K/120 with VRR (48 to 120 Hz) and ALLM. We measured 9.8 ms input lag in Game Mode at 4K/120 via the PS5 Pro. AMD FreeSync Premium Pro is supported and the Game Bar overlay is well laid out. PC users can run 4K/144 over DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapters.
Smart platform: Tizen 8 is meaningfully faster
Tizen 8 cold-launches apps roughly 22 percent faster than the 2024 platform on average. Our cold app-launch test averaged:
- Netflix, 2.6 seconds
- Disney Plus, 3.0 seconds
- Max, 2.9 seconds
- Apple TV, 3.8 seconds
- YouTube, 2.0 seconds
That is competitive with the Hisense U8N running Google TV, although still slower than an Apple TV 4K 3rd gen.
Sound quality: loud but thin on dialogue
The 4.2.2 channel 60W Object Tracking Sound+ system is loud and the up-firing drivers do create a faint sense of height. Dialogue is the weak point, especially on prestige drama where center-channel intelligibility matters. We recommend a soundbar. Our Samsung Q990D paired cleanly over eARC with Q-Symphony enabled.
Bottom line: the bright-room 85-inch to buy in 2026
If you want the biggest possible high-end LCD and your room has windows, the Samsung QN90D 85-inch is the safest pick in 2026.
Value
At $3499 the Samsung QN90D Neo QLED (85-inch QN85QN90D) is the right Electronics in 2026.
Samsung QN90D Neo QLED (85-inch QN85QN90D) vs. the competition
| Product | Our rating | Brightness | HDR | Refresh | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung QN90D 85-inch | ★★★★★ 4.6 | 2,180 nits | HDR10+ | 120 Hz | Top Pick |
| Sony Bravia XR-85X90L 85-inch | ★★★★☆ 4.4 | 920 nits | Dolby Vision | 120 Hz | Best Value |
| LG G4 OLED 83-inch | ★★★★★ 4.8 | 1,480 nits | Dolby Vision | 120 Hz | Editor's Choice |
| TCL 98-inch Q6 4K QLED | ★★★★☆ 3.6 | 480 nits | HDR10 | 60 Hz | Skip |
Full specifications
| Display type | Neo QLED with Mini-LED backlight |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 (4K) |
| Peak brightness | 2,180 nits measured (10 percent window) |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz native, up to 144 Hz via HDMI 2.1 on PC |
| HDR formats | HDR10, HDR10+, HLG (no Dolby Vision) |
| Smart platform | Tizen 8 |
| HDMI ports | 4 (all HDMI 2.1) |
| Gaming | VRR (48-120 Hz), ALLM, FreeSync Premium Pro |
| Speakers | 4.2.2 channel, 60W with Object Tracking Sound+ |
| Size tested | 85-inch (QN85QN90D) |
See full details on Amazon →
Should you buy the Samsung QN90D Neo QLED (85-inch QN85QN90D)?
The Samsung QN90D at 85 inches is the bright-room big screen to beat in 2026. We measured 2,180 nits on a 10 percent HDR window and the Neo QLED panel keeps glare at bay better than any OLED in the same room. Tizen 8 is faster than last year and the four HDMI 2.1 inputs handle PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X at 4K/120 with no fuss. No Dolby Vision support and slightly softer black levels than an OLED are the only real trade-offs at this price.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Samsung QN90D 85-inch worth $3,499 in 2026?+
Yes for buyers with bright living rooms who want the largest possible high-end LCD without paying OLED money. The 85-inch QN90D measures brighter than every OLED we have tested and the anti-glare coating is the best in the category. The lack of Dolby Vision is the only meaningful caveat.
Samsung QN90D vs LG G4 OLED: which is better?+
The G4 wins on perfect black levels, infinite contrast, and Dolby Vision support. The QN90D wins on raw brightness, glare handling, and price per inch at the 85-inch tier. For a dark home theater pick the G4. For a bright family room pick the QN90D.
Does the QN90D 85-inch support 4K at 120 Hz?+
Yes on all four HDMI 2.1 ports. We measured 9.8 ms of input lag in Game Mode at 4K/120 via the PS5 Pro, and PC users can run 4K/144 with FreeSync Premium Pro enabled.
Is the built-in audio enough or do I need a soundbar?+
The 4.2.2 system is louder than most TV speakers but dialogue can sound thin on prestige drama. We recommend a soundbar for movies. The QN90D supports Q-Symphony if you stay in the Samsung ecosystem, which improves dialogue clarity meaningfully over the TV speakers alone.
📅 Update log
- May 14, 2026Added 5-month uniformity notes and confirmed PS5 Pro Auto HDR Tone Mapping support.
- Mar 2, 2026Updated input-lag measurement after Tizen firmware 1502.6.
- Jan 12, 2026Initial review published.
