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The Samsung Q8F is a 4K quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) TV from Samsung’s 2025 lineup. It sits one step above the entry-level Q7F and adds the features that matter most to gamers: full-bandwidth High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) 2.1 on all four inputs and a high refresh rate.
Don’t confuse it with Samsung’s 2018 flagship, the Q8FN, which carried a similar name. The 2025 Q8F is a mainstream model with a mainstream price, and it competes with budget favorites from TCL and Hisense rather than with Samsung’s premium Neo QLED and OLED TVs. This review explains what you get for the money, where it falls short, and who should buy it in 2026.
Samsung Q8F review: The quick verdict
Buy it if you want a Samsung TV with strong gaming features, accurate color straight out of the box, and Samsung’s smart TV ecosystem at a midrange price.
Skip it if you watch lots of movies in a dark room, you want Dolby Vision, or you’d rather pay a little more for the deeper blacks of a Mini light-emitting diode (Mini LED) TV.
Pros
- Accurate, natural-looking color with little or no calibration
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four inputs
- High refresh rate with variable refresh rate (VRR) for smooth gaming
- Samsung Gaming Hub for cloud gaming without a console
- Slim, attractive design
- Wide range of sizes, from 32 to 85 inches
Cons
- Edge-lit backlight limits black levels and contrast in dark rooms
- No Dolby Vision support
- Cluttered home screen full of ads and recommendations
- Remote layout takes some getting used to
Samsung Q8F specs at a glance
| Model year | 2025 |
| Screen sizes | 32, 43, 50, 55, 65, 75, and 85 inches |
| Resolution | 4K (3840 x 2160) |
| Display type | QLED with an edge-lit backlight |
| Refresh rate | Up to 144Hz on the 65-inch model; check the spec sheet for your size |
| High dynamic range (HDR) | HDR10, HDR10+, and hybrid log-gamma (HLG); no Dolby Vision |
| Ports | Four HDMI inputs, all with HDMI 2.1 bandwidth |
| Gaming features | VRR, auto low latency mode (ALLM), and Samsung Gaming Hub |
| Smart platform | Samsung Tizen |
| Audio | Object Tracking Sound, with Dolby Atmos support |
How much does the Samsung Q8F cost?
Prices vary by size and retailer, and sales are frequent. Recently, Best Buy listed the 65-inch Q8F at about $810, down from a regular price of about $900. The smaller sizes cost considerably less, while the 75- and 85-inch models cost more.
Samsung’s 2026 lineup has shifted its attention to Mini LED models, such as the M70H, M80H, QN70H, and QN80H. That leaves the Q8F on sale as a 2025 model, so holiday discounts can make it an even better value. Check the Samsung Q8F’s current price on Amazon or compare prices at Best Buy.
Picture quality: Accurate color, limited contrast
The Q8F’s biggest strength is accuracy. According to RTINGS.com, it maps colors well and uses a neutral color temperature right out of the box, so skin tones look natural and you won’t need to spend an evening tweaking settings. Quantum dots give it a wider range of colors than Samsung’s non-QLED Crystal UHD models, such as the U8000F.
Brightness is solid for a midrange TV. It handles moderately bright living rooms well, and RTINGS found it a bit brighter than the U8000F in both standard and HDR content. Bright HDR scenes look vivid, though they lack the intense highlights of a Mini LED TV.
The Q8F’s main weakness is its edge-lit backlight. Edge-lit TVs place their light-emitting diodes (LEDs) along the edges of the screen instead of behind it, so they can’t dim specific parts of the picture as precisely as full-array or Mini LED TVs can. In a dark room, black areas look grayish, and you may notice uneven brightness in very dark scenes. If you mainly watch movies with the lights off, a Mini LED TV will look noticeably better.
Gaming: The Q8F’s standout feature
Gaming is where the Q8F pulls ahead of the cheaper Q7F. All four HDMI inputs support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so you can connect a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X, and a gaming PC without swapping cables. Its high refresh rate lets supported console games run at up to 120 frames per second (fps), and PC gamers can go higher on models that support 144Hz.
VRR keeps the screen in sync with your console’s frame rate to prevent tearing, and ALLM switches the TV to its low-lag game mode automatically. Samsung Gaming Hub adds cloud gaming services, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now, so you can stream games with just a Bluetooth controller.
Motion and sports
The Q8F handles fast motion well. Sports, action movies, and high-frame-rate games look smooth, with little blur trailing behind fast-moving objects. Samsung’s motion settings can smooth out lower-frame-rate content further if you like that look, though movie fans may prefer to turn them off.
Smart features: Powerful but cluttered
Samsung’s Tizen platform is fast and responsive, and it offers nearly every major streaming app. It also doubles as a smart home hub, so you can control compatible lights, plugs, and cameras from the couch, and it supports built-in voice assistants.
The home screen is the weak spot. Ads and sponsored recommendations crowd the interface, and you can’t remove most of them. Once you pin your favorite apps, though, getting to your shows takes only a few clicks.
Sound quality
The Q8F uses Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound, which shifts audio across the screen to follow the action, so a car speeding from left to right sounds like it’s moving. Dialogue is clear for a TV in this price range. Bass is still limited, so a soundbar will make action movies and games feel much fuller. If you own a compatible Samsung soundbar, the TV can combine its speakers with the soundbar’s for a wider soundstage.
Samsung Q8F vs. Q7F vs. TCL Q77K
- Samsung Q7F: RTINGS rates the two models’ picture quality as similar. The Q8F earns its higher price with HDMI 2.1 on all four inputs and a higher refresh rate. If you don’t game, the Q7F saves you money.
- TCL Q77K: RTINGS rates the Q8F slightly better overall, mainly for its more accurate out-of-the-box color, while both offer excellent gaming features. The Q77K usually costs less and includes five years of coverage, but you can only buy it at Costco. Read our TCL Q77K review for details.
- Mini LED step-up: If dark-room movie watching matters most, a Mini LED TV, such as Samsung’s 2026 QN70H or the TCL QM6K, will deliver much deeper blacks and brighter highlights for a modest price increase.
Compare similar TVs on Amazon
| TV | Display type | Gaming features | Best for | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Q8F (2025) | QLED, edge-lit | High refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 on all four inputs | Gamers who want a Samsung TV | Check price on Amazon |
| Samsung Q7F (2025) | QLED | Fewer high-bandwidth inputs than the Q8F | Non-gamers who want similar picture quality for less | Check price on Amazon |
| Samsung U8000F (2025) | Crystal UHD LED | Basic | The tightest budgets | Check price on Amazon |
| TCL QM6K (2025) | QLED Mini LED | 144Hz refresh rate, VRR | Dark-room movies and bright HDR highlights | Check price on Amazon |
Who should buy the Samsung Q8F?
- Gamers who want HDMI 2.1 on every input and a high refresh rate from a major brand.
- Living room viewers who watch mostly with some lights on, where the edge-lit backlight matters less.
- Samsung households that already use SmartThings or a Samsung soundbar.
- Shoppers who hate calibrating and want accurate color out of the box.
Samsung Q8F FAQs
Is the Samsung Q8F a good TV?
Yes, for the right buyer. It offers accurate color, strong gaming features, and a polished smart platform at a midrange price. Its edge-lit backlight makes it less impressive for dark-room movie viewing.
Does the Samsung Q8F support Dolby Vision?
No. Like other Samsung TVs, the Q8F supports HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG, but not Dolby Vision. Streaming services fall back to HDR10 for Dolby Vision content.
What’s the difference between the Samsung Q7F and Q8F?
The two TVs deliver similar picture quality. The Q8F adds HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four inputs and a higher refresh rate, which makes it the better choice for gaming.
Is the 2025 Samsung Q8F the same as the 2018 Q8FN?
No. The 2018 Q8FN was a high-end model, while the 2025 Q8F is a mainstream QLED that sits just above Samsung’s entry-level Q7F.
Samsung Q8F review verdict: A smart pick for gamers
The Samsung Q8F won’t match the contrast of a Mini LED or OLED TV, and its cluttered home screen can frustrate. But it gets the fundamentals right: accurate color, solid brightness, smooth motion, and some of the best gaming connectivity in its class. If you game, watch in a reasonably bright room, and want a Samsung TV without paying premium prices, the Q8F is well worth considering, especially on sale.