5 reasons you need Wi-Fi 6 for your smart TV

Summary

Wi-Fi 6 is ideal for streaming services and new titles with support for top video formats.
The connection supports multiple devices online simultaneously.
A stronger signal means Wi-Fi 6 better supports online gamers.

There are a lot of different components that go into making quality home entertainment possible, including finding the perfect smart TV for your viewing preferences and a compatible sound system to create an immersive audio experience. When it comes to how you’re watching your favorite media, if you opt for streaming content over using physical media, then you also need a reliable Wi-Fi connection.

It can be easy to forget about Wi-Fi; when you get a new smart TV, you tend to connect it to your internet and then forget it. As long as things run fairly well, you probably don’t tend to think too much about it. Still, it’s worth thinking about how things can get better. If you don’t have Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, already enabled in your home set up, then you might be missing out. If you have a high-end smart TV that you use regularly for all sorts of entertainment like I do, here’s why you need to make sure you’re on Wi-Fi 6.

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Suited to streaming new titles

High-end formats require more bandwidth

Wi-Fi 6 is better able to handle aspects of big streamers better than its predecessors. Namely, with a higher bandwidth and faster data rates, it’s suited to streaming 4K resolution and the top HDR formats in HDR10+ or Dolby Vision. Since most new smart TVs offer one or both of these formats, and similarly, most streaming services provide titles in one or both of these formats, it’s imperative you have a Wi-Fi network that can handle it.

You want every step along the entertainment journey to be on the same page. Even if you have a source (Netflix) and a destination (your TV screen) that supports high-quality video, if you don’t have the means to get it to where it’s going (including Wi-Fi and the proper HDMI cables), then you’re not enjoying your investments to their fullest.

Wi-Fi 6 also sets you up for the future, as it’s best able to handle 8K streaming. While that resolution isn’t commonly available, it will be coming in the years ahead, and with Wi-Fi 6 you’ll be ready to stream.

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Wi-Fi 6 is better equipped at multitasking

Ideal for juggling connections in a busy home

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One of the advantages of Wi-Fi 6 is that it’s better suited to juggle numerous devices on the network at a single time. As your smart home becomes increasingly crowded with electronics that connect to Wi-Fi, from lighting to speakers to appliances, you’ll need a connection that supports everything.

Particularly when it comes to modern entertainment consumption, being able to handle multiple devices simultaneously is imperative. Netflix, Prime Video, and others like to put out expensive, mindless blockbusters that they want to watch while you’re also doing other things on other devices. Netflix is putting out 4K and HDR10+ films that eat up a lot of bandwidth, but they are so boring and trivial that they require you to also be on your phone to be fully entertained (Netflix would argue you are already on your phone, and that’s why they make silly movies. But I disagree).

So if you’re streaming a movie, and you (and maybe someone else) are using a phone at the same time, then Wi-Fi 6 is going to help a lot.

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Wi-Fi 6 provides a stronger signal

Arrange your devices with intention

Another reason it’s worth the upgrade is that you have a bit more leeway over where you place your router and how you set up your TV. While a wired connection has its advantages, it might be more important to you to set up your TV, whether on a stand or on the wall, in a place that makes both practical and aesthetic sense. You don’t really want to be beholden to where your router is, especially if you don’t already have a lot of options when it comes to where you set up your TV.

With Wi-Fi 6, you get a stronger signal and a wider range, meaning you can toy a little bit with where you’re putting your TV. Especially if you’re investing in an art TV that’s all about looking its best on the wall, you don’t want to have to worry about where the router is.

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Gain an advantage in the online realm

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Smart TVs are making a big push to attract gamers with console-less opportunities. Samsung, for example, offers consumers a chance to play Xbox through its operating system without having an actual Xbox console. You just need a controller and a subscription to the Xbox Game Pass. There are similar offerings by other manufacturers, all in the pursuit of online gaming using top smart TVs as monitors and game systems rolled into one.

In order to stream titles, especially newer ones and those that feature vast, crowded online realms, you need to ensure there is as little delay as possible. Wi-Fi 6 offers the best chance to reduce lag, maintain a fast input speed, and generally avoid any dreaded buffering, pixelation, or freezing. These slight advantages can determine the difference between winning and losing, or at least determien whether you’ll have an enjoyable gaming experience.

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Wi-Fi 7 is waiting to take over

The next iteration is here as Wi-Fi 6 gains steam

Lastly, you want to get up to date with Wi-Fi 6 soon because there’s another iteration inevitably coming down the way. In fact, Wi-Fi 7 is already here to an extent, though it’s still in its infancy and far from commonplace. It’s expensive to start with, and like other new technologies, it may not be worth the upgrade so quickly simply because other products need to catch up for it to actually be of use. It feels like 8K resolution: the tech is here, but it’s not worthwhile yet until everyone in the industry adopts it.

Still, as Wi-Fi 7 looms, it means Wi-Fi 6 will become more accessible and widespread (and cheaper), meaning it’s the perfect time to get on board and reap all its benefits.