In 2016, console gaming took a huge leap forward thanks to several exciting developments. Sony announced the release of the PlayStation 4 Pro, a suped-up machine that supports 4K graphics and HDR. Additionally, the company enabled HDR support on all existing PlayStation 4 units—over 50 million sold so far—through a firmware update. Microsoft also gave HDR gaming a huge boost with the introduction of the Xbox One S, which includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive that allows it to double as a disc player for movie lovers.The significance of the two most popular videogame platforms supporting HDR cannot be overstated: Gaming is an immensely popular activity that is bigger than the film industry with annual sales approaching $100 billion; in 2015, gaming hit $25 billion in the US alone.Gamers are as interested in high-fidelity AV experiences as cinephiles. There is a shared love of great picture quality, but the weight given to various performance parameters is informed by significantly different viewing habits.Today, thanks to 4K and HDR, anyone who is into gaming should take a good look at the available options in the world of HDR capable TVs. Specifically, it's worth considering the differences between quantum dot LED-LCD displays and OLED displays.OLED TVs currently enjoy an enviable reputation for eye-popping contrast that stems from an ability to render ultra-deep blacks in a dark room. However, the quality that makes OLED an attractive option for watching movies in darkness is of much less use to gamers, who are prone to leaving the lights on when they play. Enter quantum dot LED-LCDs, which offer superior performance in terms of peak luminance, and other qualities favorable to gamers seeking an optimal display for their consoles.Here's a rundown of the several reasons gamers should consider a quantum dot display instead of an OLED when looking for a TV for gaming.Emissive displays such as OLEDs, plasmas, and CRTs all suffer from some degree of image retention. This means that static image elements, if displayed for long enough, will leave a temporary impression upon the screen. When you consider that gamers can spend 30 or 40 hours in a single game, often played in marathon sessions, it's unsurprising that the status bar or other static elements will trigger image retention. This is not an issue with LED-lit LCDS, including quantum dot-based models.Vulnerability to image retention and burn-in is exacerbated by demands for more brightness. There is a significant chance of triggering image retention on an OLED when playing standard dynamic range games for extended periods; this tendency is compounded by the peak luminance levels required by HDR content.Unlike cinephiles, typical gamers are not focused on TVs that look best in absolute darkness. Deep blacks are desirable, but most gaming occurs in rooms with at least some ambient light. Once you add a light source to a room, the "infinite black" advantage of OLED melts away.Current generation OLEDs offer peak luminance levels in the 600-700 nit range and rely on deep blacks to achieve the high contrast levels required by HDR. Quantum dot LCDs can get significantly brighter than OLED, with the latest models surpassing 1000 nits and even 1500 nits. Under ambient light, this extra brightness can have as much or more impact as OLEDs blacks when it comes to providing a compelling HDR image.HDR content doesn’t just feature higher contrast, it is also more colorful than video formats that came before it. In this article I discuss why color volume is a crucial image quality parameter for getting the most out of HDR content that offers WCG (wide color gamut).For gamers, increased color volume means HDR titles will pop with super-rich and vibrant color, even when viewed in a bright room. Many video games are much more colorful than typical movies, so the ability to reproduce fully saturated hues in highlights is a significant factor in terms of picture quality. OLEDs are not able to maintain similar levels of color saturation in the highlights, versus quantum dot LED-LCD displays.Gamers crave displays that offer fast response and 4K graphics with HDR can tax TVs that are not equipped to handle it deftly. To that end, current-generation OLEDs are bogged down by comparatively high input lag (i.e. latency) that can literally spell death for your videogame character—if your TV is too slow to respond to your moves, it's game over.Quantum dot LED-LCDs vary in terms of HDR input lag, but as of today the best-performing TVs in this category are SUHD quantum dot displays from Samsung. The difference in latency (game mode HDR) is stark, with LG's B6 OLED clocking in at 53 milliseconds (edit - rtings.com lists a HDR latency of 38.2 ms for this model) versus Samsung's KS8000 at 22 milliseconds. The higher-end LG E6 OLED does a bit better with 36 milliseconds of latency, but Samsung's flagship KS9800 handily beats it with 22 milliseconds of latency.While OLEDs offer stunningly deep blacks, thus far they have struggled with rendering very deep shadow details, which is an important picture quality element of HDR. Each OLED pixel generates its own light out of electricity, but thus far "coming out of black" has represented a challenge for the technology. This effect, often referred to as "crushed blacks," is not a problem when rendering a starfield in space movie, but it could lead to a gamer missing a subtle detail such as an enemy hiding in the shadows during a game.Quantum dot LED-LCDs are a transmissive display technology, which relies on an LCD panel to block the backlight. This approach does not suffer from black crush. The result is that you'll find the secret door in a dark corner that might have escaped notice on a display that's not as good at rendering deep shadow details.Let's face it, cost is almost always a factor when it comes to choosing a TV. Whereas you can pick up a 4K HDR 55" quantum dot Samsung KU8500 for $1000 on Amazon, a 55" LG B6 OLED costs double that. There is a similar discrepancy between the 65-inch flagship models from the two TV giants, with LG's 65" G6 OLED currently selling for $6000 on Amazon versus Samsung's KS9800 model that sells for $3500 on Amazon. Given the specific needs of gamers, the extra cost of OLED is simply not worth it.Recently, I got a PlayStation 4 Pro to try HDR gaming on a 65" Samsung KS9800 quantum dot TV, which I reviewed here . Simply put, it's the most stunning gaming experience I've ever witnessed. HDR makes a huge difference when it comes to rendering fine details; when compared to SDR gaming everything has more pop and depth to it. Uncharted 4 looks incredible in HDR.The HDR gaming experience provides thrills I could only dream of as a kid in the early 1980s, popping quarters into Galaga and Pac Man machines at the local arcade. From the low latency that helps win races and beat enemies, to the peace of mind that comes from being able to walk away from a game and not worry that the status bar will show up as an image retention artifact, playing video games on a HDR-capable quantum dot TV is revelatory.What HDR offers gamers is as big an improvement in graphics quality as I've experienced since upgrading from an Atari 2600 to a ColecoVision (also back in the early 1980s) or perhaps the transition from the standard definition PlayStation 2 to the HD-capable PlayStation 3. In other words, it's a giant leap forward for gamers.There's no question the combination of the PlayStation 4 Pro's HDR graphics and a quantum dot based LED-LCD has upped the computer graphics ante to heretofore unseen levels of image fidelity. The future of gaming looks bright.