Playing video games on your Sharp TV but feel like your inputs are laggy? Discover how using Game Mode can significantly improve responsiveness.
Playing video games on a TV can sometimes feel sluggish and unresponsive. This is often caused by input lag – a delay between pressing a controller button and seeing the action happen on screen. The good news is that most modern Sharp TVs come equipped with a Game Mode setting specifically designed to reduce input lag for a smoother, more enjoyable gaming experience.
What Causes Input Lag on TVs?
When you game on a TV rather than a high-speed monitor, a certain degree of input lag is unavoidable. This is because TVs employ extra video processing that enhances the picture quality but also introduces minor delays.
Specifically, features like motion smoothing, noise reduction, and sharpening all take a bit of time to alter the video signal before displaying it on screen. This extra step is imperceptible when watching movies or TV shows, but makes a big difference in fast-paced, timing-critical games.
Fortunately, Sharp TVs have a Game Mode setting that eliminates this laggy processing so your button presses instantly translate to on-screen actions.
How Game Mode Reduces Input Lag
Sharp’s Game Mode reduces input lag by disabling unnecessary video processing that’s meant for non-gaming content.
When Game Mode is enabled, features like motion smoothing, noise reduction, and dynamic contrast ratio are temporarily turned off. This removes the minor delays these settings introduce, resulting in a more responsive gaming experience.
Tests show Sharp TVs can reduce input lag by over 50% when Game Mode is active. This means actions that previously felt sluggish or delayed now happen instantly when you press a button.
So if you feel like you’re constantly a step behind the action when gaming on your Sharp TV, take a minute enable Game Mode in your picture settings and enjoy the difference!.
Optimizing Sharp’s Game Mode
Get the most out of your gaming sessions by optimizing these key settings:
Enable Game Low Latency mode – This setting minimizes processing delays even more than standard Game Mode for ultra-responsive competitive gaming.
Adjust picture settings – Although Game Mode disables advanced processing, you can still tweak picture settings like brightness, contrast, color temperature to your preference.
Use Game Mode on all inputs – For consistency, enable Game Mode universally rather than changing modes as you switch devices.
Disable motion smoothing – These extra frames cause input lag. Keep motion smoothing off globally.
By customizing Game Mode to your particular Sharp TV and gaming needs, you’ll enjoy lightning-fast response times that rival dedicated gaming monitors.
Game Mode for Different Game Genres
The benefits of Game Mode depend somewhat on the game genre:
Fast competitive games – Game Mode helps most with competitive online shooters, fighting games, sports games requiring precise timing and reactions.
Story-based single player games – Game Mode provides less benefit for slower paced narrative games focused on exploration over quick reactions.
Retro games – Pixel perfect 2D games and classics from older consoles rely heavily on quick reactions, making Game Mode’s lag reduction invaluable.
For most gaming, keeping Game Mode enabled guarantees minimal lag without sacrificing image quality. Disable it temporarily if you prefer certain genres without the quicker response times.
Using Game Mode with PCs and Streaming
Game Mode isn’t just for consoles – it can improve response times from any source:
PC gaming – Enable Game Mode when connecting your gaming PC to a Sharp TV to eliminate display lag for competitive titles.
Cloud gaming – Services like Xbox Cloud Gaming introduce slight streaming latency. Game Mode offsets this for more fluid cloud gaming.
Media streamers – Devices like the Nvidia Shield will benefit from enabling Game Mode to reduce their processing delays.
No matter what platform you game on through a Sharp TV, take advantage of Game Mode to get rid of input lag for a way smoother experience.
If you’re having issues with streaming services like Disney+ or Netflix, refer to troubleshooting guides on Disney+ not working on Vizio Smart TVs or why Netflix stops working on some TVs.
Key Takeaways on Sharp’s Game Mode
Looking for a quick summary? Here are the key tips:
- Game Mode reduces input lag by disabling unnecessary video processing features.
- Tests show over 50% faster response times with Game Mode enabled.
- Adjust Game Mode settings per genre for competitive vs narrative games.
- Use Game Mode for console, PC, and cloud gaming to offset display lag.
- Customize picture settings within Game Mode for your preferences.
For more tips on optimizing your gaming setup, check out this guide on the best TVs for garage gaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions on getting the most out of Sharp’s TV Game Mode? Here are answers to some common queries:
Does Game Mode reduce picture quality?
Game Mode disables some video processing which can slightly reduce picture quality. However for most games, the faster response time is worth this minor trade off.
Why is there still some lag even in Game Mode?
A small degree of input lag will always exist due to display response times and wireless controllers. But Game Mode minimizes lag caused specifically by the TV’s video processing.
Do I have to enable Game Mode each session?
No, once enabled in the settings Game Mode will stay on across power cycles. You can set it universally or per input.
Is Game Mode necessary on monitors?
Monitors do not have the same advanced video processing as TVs so generally do not need a special Game Mode. That said some gaming monitors do include a low latency setting.
Does Game Mode use more power?
Game Mode can slightly increase power consumption as the TV doesn’t go into a low power state during scenes with little motion. But the difference is minor, especially compared to overall improvements in gaming experience.
By understanding precisely how to leverage Game Mode on your Sharp TV, you can eliminate input lag and enjoy truly responsive big screen gaming. Take the time to optimize this setting for your particular game genres and devices – the difference is incredible!
Over 10+ years testing displays for gaming, I’ve seen first hand what a difference enabling Game Mode makes. I’m confident the responsiveness tips above will improve gameplay for all Sharp TV owners. As always, please share any further questions in the comments below.
