The Samsung QN85A QLED is part of Samsung's Neo QLED series of TVs, which are a step up from regular QLEDs because they use Mini LED backlighting. The 55, 65, and 75 inch models of this TV use an ADS panel, which is very similar to IPS, giving it a low native contrast ratio, but thankfully the local dimming greatly improves it in most picture modes. The image remains accurate to a wide viewing angle, which is great if you have a wide seating arrangement. It has a very good response time, resulting in smooth motion and exceptional low input lag that makes gaming feel responsive. It supports both FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible variable refresh rate (VRR) technology, which reduces tearing in games, and it supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on one port, great for 4k @ 120Hz gaming from an Xbox Series X or PS5. The TV gets very bright and has superb reflection handling, so it's suitable for any lighting condition, and glare won't be an issue. It has incredible HDR brightness, so highlights in HDR content stand out incredibly well and look close to how the content creator intended.
Our Verdict
The Samsung QN85A is great for mixed usage. It performs very well in bright settings, thanks to its high brightness and superb reflection handling. It delivers a good viewing experience in dark rooms, but it has a low native contrast ratio, and there's some blooming around bright objects with local dimming enabled. The fast response time results in clear motion in sports or video games, and the low input lag makes the TV feel responsive. HDR content looks great as well due to its wide color gamut and high HDR brightness that makes highlights pop.
- Very good viewing angle.
- Bright enough to overcome glare.
- Superb reflection handling.
- Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
- Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
- Some distracting dirty screen effect.
The Samsung QN85A is excellent for watching TV shows in a bright room. It performs exceptionally well in bright environments thanks to its high brightness and superb reflection handling. It also has a wide viewing angle, ensuring that the image stays accurate when viewed from the side, which is great if you have a wide seating arrangement. Lower resolution content, like cable TV, is upscaled well without artifacts. The Tizen smart interface has a great selection of streaming apps, so you're sure to find your favorite shows.
- Very good viewing angle.
- Bright enough to overcome glare.
- Upscales lower resolution content well.
- Superb reflection handling.
- Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
- Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
- Some distracting dirty screen effect.
The Samsung QN85A is a great TV for watching sports in a bright room. It has a fast response time that makes motion look clear. It's incredibly bright with superb reflection handling, meaning glare won't be an issue in a bright room. It has a wide viewing angle, which is great for watching the big game with a group of friends in a wide seating arrangement, as the image remains accurate from the sides. Unfortunately, there's a bit of dirty screen effect in the center, which is distracting.
- Very good viewing angle.
- Bright enough to overcome glare.
- Very good response time that results in clear motion.
- Superb reflection handling.
- Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
- Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
- Some distracting dirty screen effect.
The Samsung QN85A is an impressive TV for gaming. It has a fast response time for smooth motion, and its input lag is low, making gaming feel responsive. It supports both FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible variable refresh rates, ensuring a nearly tear-free gaming experience, and it supports 4k @ 120Hz gaming from the Xbox Series X or PS5, but only on one HDMI port. It looks good if you're gaming in the dark, and the wide viewing angle is great for couch co-op gaming with a group of friends, as the image remains accurate from the sides.
- Exceptional low input lag.
- Very good response time that results in clear motion.
- Supports FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible VRR.
- Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
- Only 1 port with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
The Samsung QN85 delivers a good HDR movie experience in a dark room. It gets exceptionally bright in HDR, so highlights pop as they should, and the overall brightness of scenes is spot-on. Unfortunately, it has a low native contrast ratio, but the local dimming does a decent job of making blacks look deeper and increasing contrast. Thankfully, it has a wide color gamut for HDR, and it supports HDR10+, but like all Samsung TVs, it doesn't support Dolby Vision, meaning some streaming services will be limited to HDR10.
- Fantastic peak brightness in HDR, small highlights stand out.
- Completely judder-free from all sources.
- Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
- Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
- Doesn't support Dolby Vision.
- Mediocre black uniformity.
The Samsung QN85 is great for HDR gaming. It delivers a great gaming experience thanks to its quick response time, low input lag, and support for both FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible variable refresh rate technology (VRR). It also gets bright enough to make highlights in HDR content truly pop. It has a low native contrast ratio, but blacks look deep in a dark room thanks to its decent local dimming feature. If you're gaming in a bright environment, glare isn't an issue either since it has superb reflection handling.
- Fantastic peak brightness in HDR, small highlights stand out.
- Exceptional low input lag.
- Very good response time that results in clear motion.
- Supports FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible VRR.
- Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
- Only 1 port with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
The Samsung QN85A is an amazing TV to use as a PC monitor. Its wide viewing angle ensures that content doesn't look washed out at the edges, even when sitting up close or at an angle. It also displays chroma 4:4:4 properly, which is important for clear text from a PC, and it has an incredibly low input lag, making for a responsive desktop experience. Unfortunately, the backlight isn't flicker-free, which some people may be sensitive to, especially with long periods of use.
- Very good viewing angle.
- Displays chroma 4:4:4 properly for clear text.
- Exceptional low input lag.
- Very good response time that results in clear motion.
- Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
- Backlight isn't flicker-free.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 26, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 08, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Apr 17, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 11, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 55 inch QN85A (QN55QN85AAFXZA), which is also available in 65, 75, and 85 inch sizes. We expect our results to be valid for the 65 and 75 inch models as well. The 85 inch model uses a VA panel, so it has better contrast, but a worse viewing angle. Note that with Samsung TVs, the six letters after the short model code (AAFXZA in this case) can vary between regions, and even between different retailers.
There's also a variant at Costco and Sam's Club, sold as the Samsung QN85DA. Despite the different model number, it's the same TV.
| Size | US Model | Short Model Code | Panel Type | Ultra Viewing Angle Layer | Dimming Zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55" | QN55QN85AAFXZA | QN55QN85A | ADS | No | 576 |
| 65" | QN65QN85AAFXZA | QN65QN85A | ADS | No | 576 |
| 75" | QN75QN85AAFXZA | QN75QN85A | ADS | No | 576 |
| 85" | QN85QN85AAFXZA | QN85QN85A | VA | Yes | 1320 |
If you come across a Samsung QN85A with a different panel type, or if it doesn't correspond to our review, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Our unit was manufactured in February 2021 and you can see the label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Samsung QN85A is a great overall TV that makes use of the new Mini LED technology that's increasingly being implemented in 2021. Unlike most other Samsung models and competitors, the QN85A (barring the 85 inch version) uses an ADS panel, which is very similar to IPS panels. While the local dimming significantly improves black levels in normal usage, its native contrast ratio is much lower than other 4k LED TVs in this range.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs, the best QLED TVs, and the best 4k gaming TVs.
The Samsung QN90A sits higher up in the lineup than the Samsung QN85A, so it has better overall performance, but they use different panels. The QN90A uses a VA panel, providing a much higher contrast ratio to display deeper blacks. The QN90A also gets a bit brighter and has a slightly quicker response time, but neither should be too noticeable. On the other hand, the QN85A uses an ADS panel, so it has wider viewing angles, making it a better choice for wide seating arrangements.
The Samsung QN85B is slightly worse than the Samsung QN85A. The QN85A has much better reflection handling, so it's better suited for a bright room. The QN85A also has a wider HDR color gamut, so HDR content has a bit more "pop" to it. On the other hand, the QN85B has a better local dimming feature, with less blooming around bright highlights in dark scenes. Whereas the QN85A only supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on one port, the QN85B supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports, so it's a bit more versatile, especially if you have multiple game consoles or a recent PC.
The Samsung QN85A is a bit better than the LG QNED90 for most uses. The Samsung has much better reflection handling and higher peak brightness, so it's better for a bright room with lots of natural light. On the other hand, the LG has much better contrast with local dimming, so it's a better choice for dark rooms.
The Samsung QN85A is better overall than the Samsung Q80A. The QN85A sits higher up in the lineup and uses Mini LED as its backlighting, which the Q80A doesn't. Even though they each use the same ADS panel type, the QN85A is better for dark room viewing because it has a better local dimming feature that improves the contrast. The QN85A also gets much brighter, especially in HDR, and it has better reflection handling, so it's a better choice for use in a well-lit room.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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