Best Soundbar for Gaming in 2026

Gaming through a soundbar usually forces a trade. Either the bar has no HDMI 2.1 input and the TV carries the video, or the bar passes 4K/120 and you give up something else. The Q990F avoids that choice with two HDMI 2.1 inputs that carry 4K/120, VRR and ALLM, plus a real surround layout with four up-firing channels. It also decodes Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, so shooters and open-world games get genuine height cues.

You have a PS5 and an Xbox Series X on the same TV, or a TV that is short on HDMI 2.1 ports, and you want the bar to handle the traffic. You sit in a real living room, you can place rear speakers, and you want footsteps behind you to land behind you.

Because it works as the hub for your devices, one remote and one setup covers everything you play.

This is the bar that makes the most sense if your console is a PS5. It supports 4K120, VRR and ALLM, and when it sits under a compatible BRAVIA TV it unlocks PS5 features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode. Because it expands with an optional wireless sub and rear speakers, you can start with the bar and grow the system when your budget allows.

You play on a PS5, your TV is a BRAVIA or you are happy to match one, and you want flagship Atmos without wiring rear speakers on day one. One console goes through the bar, and anything else plugs into the TV.

You value a clean media console over a visible pile of speakers.

For gaming, the useful trick is the hookup. You plug the console into your TV's HDMI 2.1 port, so 4K/120 and VRR stay at the screen, and the TV sends lossless audio back to the Arc Ultra over eARC. That leaves the bar free to concentrate on sound, and it does: wide Atmos, readable dialogue and bass that is full for a single bar.

You game in a shared living room, you want the best sound you can get from one slim box and you do not want to run rear speakers. Your TV already has HDMI 2.1 ports for the console, so the bar only needs to handle audio.

If you later want more bass or surround, the Sonos Sub and Era 300 rears let the system grow without replacing the bar.

It has five internal speakers compared with eleven on the Arc, so it will not match the bigger bar for scale. What it does well is make a small screen sound much better than the speakers built into it, and you can add a sub or rear speakers later if the room allows. Console video goes to the TV and audio comes back by eARC, which is the setup most gamers should use anyway.

You play in a bedroom, a dorm or an apartment, on a smaller TV, and you want a bar that is easy to live with. Maybe you game on a 43-inch or 48-inch screen, and a huge soundbar would look out of place.

You want better dialogue and bass today and the option to add more later.

The up-firing speakers are what separate it from a plain 2.1 bar. They bounce sound off the ceiling, so rain, helicopters and spell effects come from above and not just in front. Samsung markets automatic 3D sound optimized for gaming, and the bar adds a bass-heavy wireless sub for big hits and engine rumble.

You want a real step up from TV speakers for console or PC-on-TV gaming and your budget stops well short of a flagship. You have a Samsung TV and want the bar and screen to work together, though it sounds good on any TV.

You would rather spend on a good sub and up-firing drivers than on extra HDMI inputs.

Rear speakers are the thing most budget bars fake. Here they exist, which helps in games where you need to know what is behind you. Hookup is the simple one: the console plugs into the TV and audio returns over eARC, so the lack of an HDMI input does not matter for most setups.

You want the most surround you can get for the least money, and you are comfortable placing two small speakers behind the couch. Your TV has an HDMI eARC port and handles the console's video.

You care more about enveloping effects than about a premium logo.

The extra low end is the first thing you notice: car engines, gunfire and explosions gain weight. The bar also includes auto room calibration, a setup feature more common in pricier models, and a full set of connections so it works with a console, a PC or a streaming stick.

You want a clear upgrade over built-in TV audio and every dollar counts. You play a mix of games, shows and music on one TV and want a bar you can set up in minutes.

You do not need surround from behind, only a bigger, clearer front stage with real bass.

It makes sense for rooms where rear speakers are impractical. The side-firing drivers widen the soundstage, the eARC input handles Atmos, and the app gives you a graphic EQ and presets, so you can shape the sound for shooters or story games.

You game on a small TV in a bedroom or spare room and want more width than a basic bar delivers. You are happy to run one cable to a sub and you do not want to place rear speakers.

You prefer a compact system that is easy to hide.

Most desktop bars are stereo and thin. The Leviathan V2 adds a down-firing sub and THX Spatial Audio to place sound around you, which helps in competitive shooters where direction matters. Razer's software lets you adjust the sound and lighting and it matches other Chroma gear.

You play on a PC at a desk with one or two monitors and want speakers instead of a headset for long sessions. You like RGB that syncs with a Razer setup.

You have room under the desk or beside the monitor for the small subwoofer.

Not every player has room for a sub. This bar upgrades laptop or monitor speakers with a wider stereo image and RGB presets, and Bluetooth 5.4 lets your phone play music through it while you game.

You have a compact desk, a laptop or a small monitor, and a limited budget. You want clearer audio and a bit of light for a bedroom setup without adding a subwoofer.

You do not plan to connect a console to a TV through HDMI.