Samsung’s Second-Tier QD-OLED Provides Stunning Spectacle for Less

There are precious few things Samsung’s S90D TV doesn’t do well. As one of the brightest and most advanced OLEDs, its picture quality is nearly unbeatable for the money, marked by perfect black levels, fantastic viewing angles, and endlessly engaging colors. It’s fully loaded for both console and cloud gaming, and its design is simple yet elegant, with a pedestal-style stand anchoring an impossibly thin panel.

The decked-out display’s most notable drawbacks are those inherent to all Samsung TVs, including a sometimes-annoying Tizen smart interface and a stubborn lack of support for common tech like Dolby Vision HDR, the more prevalent of the two most advanced HDR formats.

Those are certainly points to consider, but they wouldn’t hold me back from grabbing an S90D. From its impressively well-rounded performance to its solid features and premium looks, Samsung’s second-tier OLED is one of the Best TVs you can buy.

Simple Stunner

It may seem counterintuitive, but the fanciest TVs are sometimes the hardest to set up. Not so with the S90D; its screwless feet snap into place in seconds, while a faux-metal cover plate creates a pedestal-style center stand. It’s a bit wobblier than the hefty metal stand from the step-up S95D (8/10, WIRED recommends), but it’s sturdy enough and provides a subtle aesthetic upgrade over the dual-pronged stand from last year’s S90C. Like most center stands, it may get in the way of larger soundbars, in which case mounting may be necessary.

The hardest part of the hardware setup may be moving the S90D’s ultraslim panel, but lifting with care (and from the center back) ensures success. The 65-inch model’s relatively light weight of just under 50 pounds makes it easy for two to set it in place. Once done, you may want to take a beat to admire the style; the TV’s microthin panel is matched by a similarly slim bezel for a clean look on or off. Only a few TVs, like the exorbitantly pricey QN900C (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and its “floating screen” design, offer a noticeable upgrade there.

Next, you’ll be relying on Samsung’s sometimes clunky Tizen smart interface to get things up and running. A piece of advice: Don’t get duped into using the smartphone setup option. In the past four or five Samsung TVs I’ve set up, this has not worked for me once, due to an error partway through. Luckily, the onscreen option is quick, including near-instant scanning for broadcast channels and relatively speedy setup for apps, connected devices, and even room-based sound optimization for surprisingly solid performance.

I’ve had my issues with Tizen, but it has made subtle improvements over the years. The Settings layout is still too cluttered and you’ll want to disable the unhelpful Intelligent Mode and Eco settings, but it is speedy, and offers your choice of Amazon Alexa or Bixby smart assistants. My primary complaint remains the difficulty in adding new apps. App search is harder than it should be, and there’s no good reason to add an app and not add it to the home screen, which Samsung makes you do manually. Other than that—and some odd freezing of the Paramount+ app while rewatching Top Gun: Maverick—Tizen worked fine over several days.

Gaming Guru

Tizen’s best feature is its dedicated Gaming Hub, providing an attractive layout and console-free cloud gaming from services like Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, Luna, and others. Four HDMI 2.1 inputs provide topline gaming features like ALLM (auto low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) for tearfree gaming at up to 144 Hz with select PCs, or 120 Hz with PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata