Home Theater Vault

Best Soundbars for Gaming

By the Home Theater Vault Editorial Team · How we test & rank

As an Amazon Associate, Home Theater Vault earns from qualifying purchases.

Most soundbar roundups are written with movies and TV shows in mind, and don't call out the one spec that actually matters for a current-generation console or gaming PC: whether the bar's HDMI ports can pass through 4K at 120Hz, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) without downgrading them. Plug a PS5 or Xbox Series X into the wrong soundbar's HDMI input and you can lose 120Hz or VRR entirely, even though the bar still plays sound just fine.

The picks below either pass those gaming features through cleanly or are built around skipping the issue altogether by connecting the console straight to the TV and sending audio back to the bar over eARC. Neither approach is 'better' on its own — it depends on how many free HDMI ports your TV has and whether you want the console's cable running through the soundbar or the TV.

If you're not gaming on a current-gen console or PC and just want better TV sound, our general best soundbars roundup is a better starting point — these picks are specifically for setups where HDMI 2.1 passthrough and low input lag matter.

How we picked: We prioritized soundbars with HDMI inputs explicitly rated to pass through 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM rather than just accept a 4K/60Hz signal, confirmed Dolby Atmos/DTS:X decoding doesn't noticeably add lag, and included one budget pick that skips passthrough entirely by relying on the TV's own HDMI 2.1 ports plus eARC.

At a glance

#PickWhy it stands outPrice
Sony HT-A7000Top Pickoverall for next-gen console gaming - Two HDMI 2.1 inputs pass 4K/120Hz and VRR straight through to the TV, so a console loses nothing by plugging into the bar instead of the TV directlyCheck Amazon
Samsung HW-Q800DRunner-upSamsung's Game Mode Pro passthrough at a lower price than the flagship bar - Game Mode Pro passes 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM through to the TV without adding noticeable lagCheck Amazon
LG S95QRBest Valuepairing with an LG gaming-focused OLED TV - HDMI 2.1 passthrough supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, and syncs picture settings automatically with LG's gaming OLED TVsCheck Amazon
JBL Bar 1000Also greatdiscrete rear surrounds plus HDMI 2.1 passthrough - Both the HDMI input and output pass through 4K/120Hz, so a console can stay plugged into the bar without giving up refresh rateCheck Amazon
Polk Signa S4Also greatbudget pick if you skip passthrough and use eARC only - Genuinely affordable while still decoding Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for console audioCheck Amazon

The picks in detail

Sony HT-A7000

Top Pick

9.6/10Editor’s score

Best overall for next-gen console gaming

  • Two HDMI 2.1 inputs pass 4K/120Hz and VRR straight through to the TV, so a console loses nothing by plugging into the bar instead of the TV directly
  • Built-in Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding sounds full even before adding a subwoofer
  • Sony's vertical surround engine adds a real sense of height from a single bar, no ceiling speakers needed

Watch out No subwoofer is included — Sony's matching wireless sub is a separate purchase, which raises the total cost of a full setup.

Check price on Amazon

Samsung HW-Q800D

Runner-up

9.3/10Editor’s score

Best for Samsung's Game Mode Pro passthrough at a lower price than the flagship bar

  • Game Mode Pro passes 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM through to the TV without adding noticeable lag
  • Includes a wireless subwoofer and decodes Dolby Atmos/DTS:X at a lower price than Samsung's flagship Q990 series
  • Q-Symphony adds extra fill from a compatible Samsung TV's own speakers

Watch out Only 3.1.2 channels, so separation is noticeably less precise than a full multi-speaker system once you add rear surrounds later.

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LG S95QR

Best Value

9.0/10Editor’s score

Best for pairing with an LG gaming-focused OLED TV

  • HDMI 2.1 passthrough supports 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM, and syncs picture settings automatically with LG's gaming OLED TVs
  • Wireless rear surrounds plus up- and side-firing drivers give genuine object-based Atmos placement
  • WOW Orchestra blends the bar's output with a compatible LG TV's own speakers for extra fill

Watch out The extra sync features are built specifically around LG TVs, so pairing it with a different TV brand loses some of the appeal.

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JBL Bar 1000

Also great

8.7/10Editor’s score

Best for discrete rear surrounds plus HDMI 2.1 passthrough

  • Both the HDMI input and output pass through 4K/120Hz, so a console can stay plugged into the bar without giving up refresh rate
  • Detachable, battery-powered rear surround speakers add real discrete rear channels instead of relying on virtual surround
  • MultiBeam processing widens the soundstage without needing a wall nearby to bounce sound off of

Watch out The detachable surrounds need occasional charging, which is one more thing to remember versus a wired rear speaker setup.

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Polk Signa S4

Also great

8.4/10Editor’s score

Best budget pick if you skip passthrough and use eARC only

  • Genuinely affordable while still decoding Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for console audio
  • Low enough processing overhead that dialogue and effects stay in sync with on-screen action
  • Optional wireless surrounds can be added later instead of paying for a full system up front

Watch out No HDMI passthrough on the bar itself — for 4K/120Hz or VRR you plug the console straight into the TV and only send audio back to the bar over eARC, which works fine but means the bar isn't doing any video switching.

Check price on Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need HDMI passthrough on a soundbar for gaming, or is eARC enough?
Either approach works. Plugging the console directly into the TV and sending audio back to the soundbar over eARC gets you full 4K/120Hz and VRR with zero risk of the bar interfering, as long as your TV has enough free HDMI 2.1 ports. Passthrough bars let you plug the console into the bar instead, which is mainly a convenience if your TV is short on ports — just confirm the bar's spec sheet explicitly lists 4K/120Hz and VRR passthrough rather than assuming any HDMI input supports it.
Does Dolby Atmos decoding add noticeable latency when gaming?
Not in any way most people can perceive — audio decoding happens far faster than a frame of video takes to display. If you notice input lag while gaming through a soundbar, it's almost always the TV's own game mode or picture processing settings, not the soundbar's audio decoding.
What are VRR and ALLM, and does my soundbar actually need to support them?
VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) lets the display match its refresh rate to the console's frame rate to reduce stutter, and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) automatically switches the TV into its low-lag game mode when it detects a console. They only matter for whichever device the console's video is physically running through — if you plug the console straight into the TV, the soundbar doesn't need to support either feature at all.
Will any soundbar work for gaming if I connect my console directly to the TV?
Yes — that's the approach the budget pick above relies on. As long as the TV itself has free HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K/120Hz and VRR, almost any soundbar can handle the audio side over eARC afterward, since it's only receiving a standard audio signal rather than passing through the video. See our guide on connecting a soundbar to your TV for the full HDMI ARC/eARC setup steps.

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