Samsung QN90AA QN98QN90AA 98 Inch Neo 98" 2021 Review
The Samsung QN90AA is a 98-inch beast built for gamers and sports fans, with shocking audio quality. But its middling movie performance and clunky smart platform hold it back from being a true all-rounder.
The 30-Second Version
Buy this 98-inch Samsung if you want a stunning gaming and sports arena for your living room. Skip it if you're a movie buff or hate Samsung's Tizen OS.
Overview
This Samsung QN90AA is a massive, loud, and fast TV that's built for one thing: dominating your living room. The one thing to know? It's a gaming and sports powerhouse first, and a movie TV second. At 98 inches, it's an absolute statement piece, and with performance rankings in the top 5% for audio and gaming, it's designed to impress a crowd, not just a cinephile.
Performance
What surprised us was just how good the sound is. A 4.2.2 channel, 60W system hitting the 95th percentile means you might not even need a soundbar, which is wild for a TV this thin. The gaming performance is also a standout, with that 120Hz panel and FreeSync Premium Pro delivering buttery smooth action. The picture quality score in our database is more middle-of-the-pack, which tells us its strengths are in brightness and motion, not necessarily perfect black levels.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Audio quality is shockingly good and best-in-class. 95th
- Gaming features and responsiveness are top-tier. 94th
- The sheer 98-inch size is an immersive experience for sports and parties. 93th
- Bright, vibrant HDR that punches through ambient light. 87th
Cons
- The smart TV platform is a letdown, ranking in the bottom 15%. 13th
- Picture quality for critical movie watching is just average.
- It's a 2021 model, so you're not getting the latest processor or features.
- At this price, the mediocre smart system feels like a real miss.
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Display
| Size | 98" |
| Resolution | 3840 (4K UHD) |
| Panel Type | Neo QLED |
| Backlight | Neo QLED |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Year | 2021 |
Picture Quality
| Processor | QUANTUM PROCESSOR 4K |
HDR
| HDR Formats | HDR10+ |
| Dolby Vision | No |
| HDR10+ | Yes |
| HLG | No |
Gaming
| Refresh Rate | 120 Hz |
| VRR | FreeSync Premium Pro |
| ALLM | Yes |
| Game Mode | Yes |
Audio
| Speaker Config | 4.2.2 |
| Wattage | 60 |
Connectivity
| HDMI Ports | 4 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Ethernet | Yes |
| Optical Audio | Yes |
| VESA Mount | 600x400 |
Power & Size
| Energy Star | Yes |
Value & Pricing
At nearly $6,500, this is a huge investment. You're paying a premium for the massive 98-inch screen and its elite gaming and audio performance. If those are your top priorities, the value is there. If you care more about a perfect movie experience or a slick smart interface, this price tag starts to look hard to justify.
vs Competition
The most direct competitor is the Sony Bravia K98XR50. Sony typically beats Samsung on out-of-the-box color accuracy and processing for movies, but Samsung often wins on brightness and gaming features. For a 98-inch screen, it's really between these two. Don't get distracted by the 77-inch LG OLED listed; that's a completely different beast with perfect blacks for movies, but it's much smaller and can't match this Samsung's raw brightness for a bright room.
| Spec | Samsung QN90AA QN98QN90AA 98 Inch Neo 98" | Sony Bravia Sony BRAVIA 5 98" 4K HDR Smart Mini-LED TV | LG OLED evo - C5 series LG - 77" Class C5 Series OLED evo AI 4K UHD Smart | Hisense U65QF Mini-LED Hisense - 55" Class U6 Series MiniLED QLED UHD 4K | Roku Mini-LED QLED 4K - Pro Roku - 65" Class Pro Series 4K QLED Mini-LED Smart | TCL QD Mini LED - QM7K TCL - 98" Class QM7K Series 4K UHD HDR QD Mini LED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | 98 | 98 | 77 | 55 | 65 | 98 |
| Resolution | 3840x2160 | 3840x2160 | 3840x2160 | 3840x2160 | 3840x2160 | 4K (2160p) |
| Panel Type | Neo QLED | MiniLED | OLED | MiniLED | MiniLED | MiniLED |
| Refresh Rate | 120 | 120 | 120 | 144 | 120 | 144 |
| Hdr | HDR10+ | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG |
| Smart Platform | - | Google TV | webOS | Fire TV | Roku TV | Google TV |
| Dolby Vision | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Dolby Atmos | - | false | true | true | true | true |
| Hdmi Version | - | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Hdr | Audio | Smart | Gaming | Display | Connectivity | Social Proof | Picture Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung QN90AA QN98QN90AA 98 Inch Neo 98" | 86.5 | 95 | 12.7 | 94.3 | 93 | 78.3 | 57.4 | 43 |
| Sony Bravia K98XR50 98" LED Compare | 92.9 | 73.8 | 91.6 | 94.9 | 75.4 | 97.2 | 99.5 | 86.1 |
| LG OLED evo - C5 series 77" Class C5 Series Compare | 92.9 | 90.4 | 95.3 | 99.9 | 95.6 | 98.6 | 99.5 | 43 |
| Hisense U65QF Mini-LED 55" Class U6 Series MiniLED Compare | 98.8 | 90.4 | 93.8 | 96.5 | 56.8 | 97.2 | 94.3 | 97.1 |
| Roku Mini-LED QLED 4K - Pro 65" Class Pro Series Compare | 96.5 | 90.4 | 92.5 | 97.4 | 62.4 | 99 | 98.8 | 86.1 |
| TCL QD Mini LED - QM7K 98" Class QM7K Series Compare | 98.8 | 90.4 | 98.6 | 98.4 | 37.3 | 96 | 97.6 | 99 |
Common Questions
Q: Do I need a soundbar with this TV?
Probably not. The audio system is one of the best we've tested on any TV. Try it first; you might save a grand.
Q: Is the picture good for movies?
It's solid, but not amazing. It's very bright, so blacks aren't as deep as an OLED. For dark room movie nights, there are better choices.
Q: Why is the smart score so low?
It uses Samsung's Tizen OS. Our data shows it's less responsive and has a more cluttered ad-heavy interface than Google TV or Roku.
Who Should Skip This
If you're looking for the ultimate home theater TV for watching films in a dark room, this isn't it. Go get a large LG OLED instead for those inky blacks. Also, skip this if you hate ads and slow menus; the smart system here will drive you nuts.
Verdict
We recommend the Samsung QN90AA if you have a massive wall, play a lot of fast-paced games, watch sports with friends, and hate the clutter of a soundbar. It's a fantastic social TV. But if you're a film purist who watches in a dark room, or if you live inside streaming apps and want the best interface, look at that Sony or step down to a smaller, newer OLED.