Last week, I was whisked away to Berlin for Philips' Unboxed event, in which the company unveiled its latest range of AV and hi-fi products.
While the retro audio range caught my eye, mostly thanks to the funky designs clad in canary-yellow plastic, my main focus was on the glorious new OLED TV lineup that Philips will be launching later this year.
My personal highlight was the OLED911, a new premium model that utilises LG Display's second-generation Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel technology, supports Dolby Vision 2 Max, and continues Philips and Bowers & Wilkins' partnership with an impressive built-in sound system.
While those attributes are exciting in their own right, there are two features included on this TV that I think make it the perfect gaming TV.
After years of accepting that Samsung and LG would be the only manufacturers to equip their high-end TVs with four HDMI 2.1 sockets, Philips has broken the mould and left the likes of Panasonic, Sony, TCL and Hisense behind.
The OLED911 features four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 sockets, all of which support up to 4K/165Hz signals with VRR and ALLM. Frankly speaking, it's about time some of the other manufacturers caught up, but I won't let that spoil my fun, as I'm delighted to see Philips make a play (quite literally) for the Best Gaming TV title.
This now means that users can attach either four consoles (or an HDMI 2.1-equipped streaming device) or three gaming devices and an HDMI eARC-equipped soundbar, without having to compromise on performance. That means gamers who have invested in an Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and a gaming PC will feel right at home on the OLED911.
It's worth noting that all of Philips new OLED models, including the OLED761, OLED811, and OLED951, will all feature four HDMI 2.1 sockets; but the OLED911 takes the edge by including the Bowers & Wilkins sound system and four-sided Ambilight.
That neatly takes us onto my next point: Ambilight. Philips is adding a huge upgrade to the ambient lighting system this year with AmbiScape, which will allow you to connect your TV to smart bulbs made by a handful of manufacturers (including Philips Hue, Nanoleaf and IKEA) to create an immersive light show that fills your entire room.
As someone who has gamed extensively on a Philips Ambilight OLED TV, I can vouch for how much more immersive and exciting the reactive lighting system makes the experience; so now I'm just picturing my entire room lighting up like some sort of festive gaming grotto.
Pair that with the abundance of HDMI sockets and that Dolby Atmos-touting built-in sound system, and the OLED911 becomes a very tempting proposition to gamers. However, what really seals the deal is the inclusion of a 48-inch model, which could be perfect for smaller dedicated gaming rooms, or even for desktop use.
While we currently believe that this model won't feature the brighter Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel technology, it retains the gaming goods that I'm interested in.
I'll have to wait until June for the OLED911 to launch, but in the meantime, I'll be fantasising about my new dream gaming TV set-up.
MORE:
Read our Philips OLED911 hands on review
As well as our full Philips OLED910 review
And check out our picks for the best OLED TVs
