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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe reliable setup is straightforward: connect the computer or console directly to a model-supported HDMI input, turn on Game Mode, enable Input Signal Plus when the desired high-bandwidth signal requires it, and set the source to a resolution and refresh rate that the specific TV, port, cable, source and game can all deliver. Do not assume that every Samsung OLED has the same HDMI port, menu label, 4K/120 Hz support or 144 Hz limit. Check the label beside each port and your TV’s manual or specification sheet first.
Before you connect anything
Samsung’s HDMI features and menu names vary by model, software version and region. A port number that carries 4K at 120 Hz on one OLED may not have the same capability on another. Some newer sets provide more than one suitable input, while other models identify the preferred input with a gaming-controller icon. Treat the icon, the printed port label and the model-specific specifications as authoritative.
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Identify the target signal
Decide what you actually want the system to output before changing settings. Common targets are 4K at 60 Hz, 4K at 120 Hz, or a higher refresh rate supported by a particular PC and television. Add HDR and variable refresh rate (VRR) only if the TV, source, game and cable support them together. A high-refresh setting is not guaranteed merely because the panel is an OLED.
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- The TV’s model number and regional specification sheet.
- The HDMI labels and any gaming-controller icon beside the inputs.
- The PC graphics card or console’s maximum output.
- An HDMI cable rated for the signal you intend to use. Samsung recommends an HDMI 2.1 cable for the cited 4K/120 Hz console setup and a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable for its high-refresh PC instructions. You may already own a suitable cable; buying a new one is not automatically necessary.
Connect a console
1. Use a direct HDMI connection
- Turn off the console and TV if you are changing an existing installation.
- Connect the console directly to the TV rather than routing it through an older receiver, switch or soundbar that may limit bandwidth.
- For a console targeting 4K at 120 Hz, use the HDMI input marked with a gaming-controller icon when your model has one. The port number is not universal, so do not assume that a particular numbered input is always the gaming input.
- Use an HDMI 2.1 cable for that 4K/120 Hz target. Make sure both ends are fully seated.
2. Let the TV detect the console
Power on the TV and console. Samsung says Game Mode normally activates automatically after a supported console is connected and powered on. Automatic recognition can fail on some consoles, however, so verify the setting instead of assuming it is active.
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3. Check the TV-side signal option
If the console does not offer the expected resolution, refresh rate or HDMI 2.1 feature, open the input’s signal setting:
- Open Quick Settings.
- Select All Settings.
- Open Connection.
- Choose External Device Manager.
- Select Input Signal Plus.
- Enable it for the HDMI port used by the console.
Some Samsung televisions enable this option as part of console recognition. The exact path and label can differ by model and software.
4. Set the console’s output
In the console’s display settings, choose only modes supported by the connected TV input. Enable HDR, VRR or a related option on the console when the television and game support it. Samsung’s TV-side guide does not establish one universal menu path for every console, so use the console maker’s instructions for its display menu. If a mode is unavailable, return to the TV’s port specification, Input Signal Plus setting, cable and source capability rather than forcing an unsupported value.
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Connect a gaming PC
1. Select the right HDMI input
- Connect the graphics card’s HDMI output directly to a suitable HDMI input on the TV.
- Choose an input whose model specification supports the resolution and refresh rate you want.
- Use a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable for the high-refresh PC setup described in Samsung’s guidance. A cable must be suitable for the selected signal; the cable label alone does not make an incompatible TV port deliver 4K/120 Hz or 144 Hz.
2. Turn Game Mode on manually
Samsung specifically notes that PC Game Mode does not automatically turn on in its Canada guide. If the picture looks like a normal desktop rather than a low-latency gaming input, open Quick Settings > Game Mode > On. On some models, Game Mode appears under a different menu or is controlled by an automatic low-latency setting.
3. Enable Input Signal Plus for the PC input
When a high-bandwidth mode is missing, use Quick Settings > All Settings > Connection > External Device Manager > Input Signal Plus, then select the HDMI input connected to the PC. Samsung describes this setting as expanding the HDMI input signal range and enabling HDMI 2.1 features for the connected device. If the option is already on, leave it enabled while troubleshooting the source settings.
4. Choose a supported Windows output
Open the PC’s display settings and select a resolution and refresh rate that the GPU, cable, TV model and specific HDMI port all support. A game may still render below that rate if the GPU cannot produce enough frames; selecting 120 Hz in Windows does not make every game run at 120 frames per second. Samsung’s NVIDIA setup guidance names the 2023 S95C and S90C OLED models for that particular guide and says most Samsung TVs manufactured after 2019 support the HDMI 2.1 technology needed for its cited RTX 40 Series setup. That is not a compatibility guarantee for every Samsung model, regional variant or graphics card.
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5. Update before deeper troubleshooting
If the PC does not expose the expected mode, update the TV software and the graphics driver, restart both devices, and recheck the HDMI input. Samsung’s PC guidance also recommends current TV software and a certified HDMI 2.1 cable for the cited high-refresh configuration.
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Game Mode and ALLM
Game Mode is Samsung’s gaming-optimized picture mode. It is intended to use a lower-latency path than ordinary picture modes. Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) lets a supported source signal the TV to switch into a low-latency mode automatically. ALLM does not create a higher refresh rate or add VRR; it only automates the mode change when all relevant devices support it.
Input Signal Plus
Input Signal Plus expands the signal range accepted by the selected HDMI input. Samsung says enabling it allows HDMI 2.1 features on the connected device. It must be applied to the actual input in use; enabling it on another port does not change the PC or console connection.
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VRR
Variable refresh rate synchronizes the display’s refresh timing with the source’s frame delivery and can reduce screen tearing. The TV, source, game and selected output mode must support the relevant VRR implementation. If any one of those components lacks support, the VRR status may remain unavailable.
HDR
HDR is a separate signal feature from Game Mode, refresh rate and VRR. Enable it on the source only after the TV input and cable can carry the chosen combination. A TV reporting HDR does not prove that a game is rendering HDR correctly; verify the game’s own HDR setting and its calibration screen.
Refresh rate limits
Refresh-rate capability belongs to the exact model and input, not to the Samsung OLED name alone. Samsung’s 2023 US S90C specification sheet lists FRL up to 4K at 144 Hz, a 144 Hz refresh rate, ALLM and VRR on all four HDMI ports for that S90C model. That is a model-specific example, not a promise for every OLED television or every regional edition. Never select 4K/144 Hz or 4K/120 Hz solely because another Samsung model supports it.
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Verify the connection on the TV
Use Game Bar when available
Samsung’s Game Bar instructions say to enable Game Mode and press and hold the remote’s Play/Pause button. On supported models, the overlay can show current information such as FPS, HDR and VRR. Availability, displayed fields and controls depend on the model year and software, so the absence of a particular field is not by itself proof that the hardware is defective.
Run a controlled check
- Display the TV’s input information and confirm that the active HDMI port is the one connected to the PC or console.
- Check the source’s selected resolution and refresh rate.
- Open Game Bar, where supported, and inspect the reported FPS, HDR and VRR state.
- Launch a game known to support the feature you are testing. A console or PC menu can offer a capability that a particular game does not use.
Choosing between common configurations
Compare configurations in this order: supported resolution and refresh rate, VRR and ALLM, HDR, then cable certification and port availability. The source’s GPU or console and the game’s rendering load are part of the comparison.
| Target configuration | What must be true | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| 4K at 60 Hz | The TV input, source and cable must support 4K/60. | Correct HDMI input and source resolution setting. |
| 4K at 120 Hz | The specific TV port, source, cable and game path must support 4K/120. Samsung recommends an HDMI 2.1 cable for the cited console setup. | Gaming-controller-marked input, Input Signal Plus and source refresh-rate menu. |
| 4K at 144 Hz on PC | The exact TV model and port must list that mode, and the GPU, cable and game must sustain it. Samsung lists this capability for all four ports on its 2023 S90C specification sheet. | Model specification sheet, certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable and Windows refresh-rate setting. |
| VRR with HDR | The TV, source, game and selected output must support both features together. | Enable each feature on the source, then verify VRR and HDR in Game Bar where supported. |
Troubleshooting by symptom
The PC shows a desktop-like picture or Game Mode is off
- Open Quick Settings > Game Mode > On.
- Confirm that the PC is connected to the intended HDMI input.
- Check Input Signal Plus for that input.
- Inspect Windows’ resolution and refresh-rate choices.
- Restart the TV and PC after changing the setting.
PC Game Mode not turning on automatically is expected in Samsung’s Canada guidance; manual activation is the remedy, not evidence that the TV cannot be used with a PC.
4K/120 Hz or 144 Hz is missing
- Confirm that the model and exact port list the desired mode. Do not infer it from another Samsung OLED.
- Use the gaming-marked input where the model specifies one.
- Enable Input Signal Plus on the connected port.
- Replace an unverified cable with a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable appropriate to the target signal.
- Update TV software and the source’s graphics software.
- Check that the source, not only the TV, is set to the desired refresh rate and that the game can render at that rate.
The console did not activate Game Mode
Power-cycle the console and TV, verify the direct HDMI connection, then check Game Mode manually. Samsung says automatic activation is normal for a supported console but may not occur with certain consoles. Recheck Input Signal Plus if the desired high-bandwidth option is also absent.
VRR is unavailable or tearing remains
Verify VRR support on the exact TV model and input, enable it on the PC or console, and confirm that the game supports it. Check the Game Bar status where available. If the source is outputting a mode outside the TV’s supported VRR range, choose a supported resolution or refresh rate instead.
HDR is unavailable or incorrect
Confirm that HDR is enabled on the source and in the game, that the HDMI input accepts the selected signal, and that the cable and source can carry HDR at the chosen resolution and refresh rate. Use Game Bar’s HDR status where supported. Do not treat an HDR label in a menu as proof that every game is outputting HDR.
Quick Recap
No picture after changing a mode
- Wait for the source and TV to renegotiate the signal.
- If the picture does not return, revert the source to a lower supported resolution or refresh rate.
- Reconnect directly to the TV, bypassing intermediate equipment.
- Try the model’s documented gaming input and recheck Input Signal Plus.
- Update the TV software before testing the target mode again.
A practical final checklist
- The TV model manual or specification sheet confirms the desired resolution and refresh rate.
- The HDMI input is the model-supported port, identified by its label or gaming icon rather than a universal port number.
- The PC or console is connected directly to the TV.
- The cable is suitable for the target signal; Samsung recommends HDMI 2.1 for the cited 4K/120 Hz console use and a certified Ultra High Speed cable for its cited high-refresh PC setup.
- Game Mode is on, manually for PC when necessary.
- Input Signal Plus is enabled on the connected input when the high-bandwidth signal requires it.
- The source output matches a mode supported by the TV, port, cable and game.
- HDR and VRR are enabled only where the TV, source and game support them together.
- Game Bar verification is used where the model supports it, with Play/Pause held on the remote.
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