AMD achieves 8K 120Hz Gaming over HDMI with Samsung
AMD and Samsung have become the first companies to deliver an 8K 120Hz gaming experience over HDMI 2.1
AMD and Samsung appear to have achieved a world first. At the NAB Show 2025 (via WCCFTECH), the 8K Association showcased a game running at 8K 120Hz over HDMI 2.1 using an AMD-powered gaming PC and a “special 65-inch TV” from Samsung. Note that this “special” TV was a modified Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV.
The system used HDMI 2.1b with DSC (Display Stream Compression) to deliver an 8K 120Hz output. The system ran Horizon Forbidden West at 5K, and upscaled the game to 8K using FidelityFX Super Resolution 3. This tech demo was run at the 8K Association booth alongside other 8K hardware. Note that AMD’s test system came from Mangear and used a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and a Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card.
8K Association Shows 120Hz 8K Gaming – A World First?
The 8K Association was at the show with several areas of interest. At one end of the booth, there was a demonstration of real time gaming using an AMD-based gaming PC and a special 65″ TV flown in from Korea by 8K Association member, Samsung, that supported 120fps display. The game was Horizon Forbidden West and the TV was a modified Neo QLED 8K set with
- Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
- FreeSync Premium Pro
The PC was from Maingear and used an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU. The game supports the Steam platform which allows analytics to be shown and confirming the 120Hz operation. The game was rendered at 5K and was then internally upscaled using AMD ML-based FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 technology.
The signal was sent to the TV using HDMI 2.1b with DSC support and the impressive smooth visuals attracted a lot of attention from visitors, especially those that were already aware of the game, which is visually very impressive.
(AMD/Samsung 8K 120Hz Tech Demo – Video from rAVE)
This tech demo showcases the potential of 8K and points towards a future with high refresh rate 8K gaming displays. If 8K at 120Hz is possible over HDMI 2.1, what will be possible with the upcoming HDMI 2.2 standard? Would it make 8K at 240Hz possible?
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