Although the majority of current TVs have a 4k resolution, 8k TVs have been around for a few years. So, if you're looking for a new TV, what should you choose between a 4k vs. 8k TV? On paper, the benefits of 8k over 4k are clear. In practice, however, 8k TVs are rarely worth the extra cost, and in 2026, they've been largely abandoned by most major TV manufacturers.
If you're ready to start shopping, check out our picks of the best 8k TVs or the best 4k TVs.
What Is 8k Resolution?
A TV's resolution is defined by the amount of horizontal and vertical pixels, so you might be wondering what is 8k resolution? Similar to the naming of 4k TVs, the term "8k" refers to the number of horizontal pixels in an 8k display. 8k TVs have a native resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels, for a total of over 33 million pixels. This is four times the number of pixels on a 4k TV, and 16 times the resolution of a 1080p display.
| Name | Other Names | Horizontal Pixels | Vertical Pixels | Total Pixels | TV Availability In 2026 | Common Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 480p | Standard | 720 | 480 | 345,600 | None |
|
| 720p | HD HD Ready |
1280 | 720 | 869,760 | Very rare |
|
| 1080p | Full HD FHD |
1920 | 1080 | 2 million+ | Rare |
|
| 4k | 2160p Ultra HD UHD |
3840 | 2160 | 8 million+ | Very common |
|
| 8k | 4320p 8k UHD |
7680 | 4320 | 33 million+ | Uncommon |
|
When It Matters
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These extra pixels allow 8k TVs to display finer details. The two photos above illustrate this difference. They show an identical image at different native resolutions. On the right is a native 8k image, displayed on a native 8k TV, the Samsung Q900R 8k QLED. The second image is a native 4k image, displayed on a native 4k TV, the Sony X950G.
The Samsung delivers a sharper image, and you can see finer details in the brickwork. In reality, though, the difference in sharpness is only noticeable from extremely close to the screen. From a comfortable viewing distance, the two images appear nearly identical.
Size To Distance
There's a science to choosing the right size and resolution for your TV. As you can see in the chart above, you need to be sitting much closer to an 8k TV in order to make out the difference in pixels. 4k TVs simply work better and offer more flexibility in most room setups, unless you're looking at getting a very large TV. This is one reason why most 8k TVs are only available in 65-inch sizes and up. Very few people want to sit three feet from a 55-inch TV. As larger TVs become more affordable, 8k becomes more interesting, as you can still see the benefits of the increased sharpness without scorching your eyes by sitting right in front of the screen.
Content Availability
| 8k | 4k | |
|---|---|---|
| UHD Blu-Ray | No | Yes |
| Netflix | No | Yes |
| Amazon Video | No | Yes |
| Vudu | No | Yes |
| YouTube | Yes | Yes |
| OTA Antenna | No | Yes |
| Game Consoles | Yes | Yes |
| PC Games | Yes | Yes |
| PC Workstation | Yes | Yes |
One of the main reasons why there are so few 8k TVs available is the lack of content. As you can see in the 8k content availability table above, outside of a handful of YouTube demo videos, there's very little native 8k content available. The situation is a bit better for PC gamers, as many modern games support 8k resolutions, but you'll need an extremely high-end PC to be able to play AAA games with a decent frame rate. The PS5 Pro also supports 8k gaming, but very few games support it.
4k, on the other hand, is widely available. All major streaming providers support it natively, and there's a ton of content available. It's also far more accessible for gamers, as the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 all support 4k gaming natively. It's also easier to achieve decent framerates even with modest PC hardware, though you might have to drop your graphical settings a bit for more demanding games.
There's another area where 8k truly stands out: workstation use. The increased pixel density and higher sharpness on an 8k TV are great for working with CAD drawings or for editing. This configuration usually doesn't require particularly high-end computer components, either, so it's far more accessible for the average consumer.
4k Upscaling
If there's almost no 8k content available, then what's the point of 8k TVs? 4k upscaling is where these TVs can really showcase their power. Almost all 8k TVs have very powerful upscaling hardware that's designed to adjust an incoming 4k signal to fill the entire 8k resolution of the screen. These aren't simple scalers that stretch the image, though. Powerful onboard processors are able to fill in extra pixels, delivering a sharper image than the native 4k signal.
Gamers have a big advantage when it comes to upscaling. Whether you like it or not, AI upscaling features like NVIDIA's DLSS or Sony's PSSR are here to stay. It takes a lot of computing power to natively generate an 8k frame on a PC. It's much easier to start with a 4k image (or even lower) and scale it to 8k. The end result won't look as good as a native 8k image, but it's much easier to achieve with modest hardware.
Conclusion
8k TVs represent an impressive step-up in TV capabilities, but they've been held back by a lack of content for many years. Most manufacturers have largely abandoned them in 2026, so if you're trying to decide between 4k vs 8k, you're better off sticking with 4k for now. As computing power increases and content becomes more widely available, 8k TVs will likely make a comeback, but we're probably a few years away from that at least. So, for now at least, it's not worth upgrading to an 8k TV for most people.