Are you experiencing issues with the Game Mode feature on your Samsung TV? If so, you’re not alone.
Many Samsung TV owners have reported problems with Game Mode, such as it being greyed out, displaying a message saying “this function is not available,” or turning on and off unexpectedly.
These issues can be frustrating for gamers, as Game Mode is designed to optimize the TV’s settings for a more responsive gaming experience or say by reducing the input lag.
I will discuss the common issues faced with Game Mode on Samsung TVs, get them sorted, and help you get back to gaming as soon as possible.
The most common, as well as major Samsung Game Mode issues, are:
- It being greyed out
- Keeps turning on and off
- Getting an error message as “this function is not available”
So, Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or just enjoy playing the occasional game and facing any of the above issues, this post is for you. So, let’s dive in and help you troubleshoot those pesky Game Mode problems.
Troubleshooting Samsung TV Game Mode Issues
Samsung Game Mode Keeps Turning On and Off
It has been reported by many Samsung TV users that Samsung TV’s Game Mode repeatedly turns off and on.
Basically what happens is that the game mode will turn off and then immediately turn on again without any warning or notification from the TV, interrupting the gaming experience.
I can relate to it and this can be very annoying as gamers have to constantly switch back into game mode after it randomly turns off.
Solution:
When you are experiencing this, it happens due to compatibility issues and a faulty HDMI cable connection.
That’s why It is important to check the display settings on your Xbox or PS5. In order to eliminate any compatibility issues, make sure that “Allow YCC 4:2:2” is turned off and that “Video Fidelity & overscan” has 10-bit enabled.
This will help ensure a better gaming experience when using Game Mode on your Samsung TV.
Moreover, make sure the HDMI cable is in good condition and properly plugged and If these settings are not properly configured or the cable is not tightly plugged into the correct HDMI port, the performance of your game will be impacted and you may even encounter video distortion during play.
Samsung TV Game Mode “this function is not available”
I have personally faced this issue and while researching it I found there were numerous others who also faced it when they tried connecting their gaming consoles.
Basically what happened in my case is when I connected my PS5 to my Samsung TV, the Game Mode feature is disabled and a message appeared when I tried to turn it on that read “this function isn’t available”.
Solution:
In order to resolve this issue, it is important to note that Game Mode is a feature of Samsung TVs, not something caused by the PS4.
This error message usually appears when you are trying to enable Game Mode on an HDMI input that does not come from a game console.
For example, if you have an HDMI input from your PC, DVD player, Blu-ray player, etc., and you try to enable Game Mode on these inputs then the TV will display the message “This function isn’t available”.
To ensure that this issue does not occur again in the future make sure that game consoles are connected via HDMI to the correct HDMI Port on TV when using Game Mode.
Game Mode Greyed Out On My Samsung TV
Now, this is the most reported issue by Samsung TV users, in this, the Game Mode option will be visible in the menu but it will be greyed out and can’t be modified, changed, or selected.
Game Mode becomes greyed out on a Samsung TV due to several reasons, let’s check them out along with troubleshooting:
- If the HDMI port that the gaming console is connected to is labeled as “PC”
- Solution: Try connecting the gaming console to a different HDMI port, as different ports on Samsung TVs have different settings and capabilities,
- Also, Change the label of the port to “Game Console”
- If certain settings, such as Color Plus or HDR, are enabled
- Solution: Try resetting the TV to factory settings and then enabling Game Mode before making any further adjustments
- If the gaming console is off
- Solution: Make sure the gaming console is powered on and connected to the TV properly or else the game mode will be greyed out if the ps4/Xbox is off.
Troubleshooting Samsung TV Game Mode on PC
If you are getting issues while using your PC to play games on your Samsung TV instead of a Gaming console, don’t worry, I have covered that as well.
When Game Mode doesn’t work on your Samsung TV while using your PC, performing a clean install of the Nvidia driver and selecting input signal plus is needed to get it sorted.
This should be followed for any problems with Samsung TV Game Mode on PC.
To do this, open the Nvidia Control Panel in Windows 10, select ‘Clean Install’ from the menu options, then select Input Signal Plus from the drop-down menu that appears.
Once you’ve done this, you should notice an improvement in your gaming performance as well as improved resolution settings. Be sure to save all changes before exiting the control panel.
Bonus Tip
Step-by-Step Guide to Optimise Samsung TV for Gaming without Game Mode:
- Go to your TV’s settings, select the HDMI port your gaming console will be connected to, and then turn on UHD Colors.
- Connect your gaming console to your TV using a high-speed HDMI cable.
- Turn on your gaming console.
- On your TV remote, press the “Source” button and navigate to the HDMI port that your gaming console is connected to. Press “Enter/Select” on your remote to select this port.
- Press the “Source” button on your remote again and press the “Tools” button. A menu will appear. Select “Rename” and choose “PC” as the label for this port.
- Set all the video settings on your gaming console to “Auto”.
- You can set the colors of your TV however you want
- That’s it. As long as everything is set up correctly, you should be able to achieve 2160P @ 60Hz with 4:4:4 Chroma and full RGB colors, and HDR if your TV supports it.
Bonus Tip: It’s been noted that using “PC Mode” on Samsung TV may also result in less input lag when compared to “Game Mode”, and using the HDMI DVI port, will also give similar results.
How to Enable Game Mode On Samsung TV?
Step-by-step process to put Samsung TV in game mode:
- Press the home button on the remote control to bring up the menu.
- Navigate to the left using the arrow buttons on the remote until you reach the settings option.
- Go directly up to access the sub-menu and then navigate to the right using the arrow buttons until you reach the game mode option.
- If the game mode option is greyed out, ensure that the TV is connected to an external device such as a PS4 or Xbox before proceeding.
- Once the external device is connected, the game mode option should be selectable.
- Select the game mode option to enable it on your TV.
- Your TV should now be in game mode, which should result in improved response times.
Do all Samsung TVs have Game Mode?
Yes, all Samsung TVs come equipped with a Game Mode feature.
In order to use the game mode feature on your Samsung TV, you need to check the user manual for your particular model of television. This will let you know which HDMI port is compatible with the game mode feature.
Not all of the ports on a Samsung TV are capable of running in game mode, so it is important to double-check before trying to enable this feature. Once you have identified which port supports game mode, simply plug in an appropriate device (such as a gaming console) and enable game mode through your settings menu.
Lastly, With some models, activating game mode may require additional steps such as changing certain picture settings or disabling features like motion smoothing.
Conclusion
Having a Samsung TV with Game Mode can be a great experience, as it allows you to use your television for gaming without sacrificing performance.
It is common for us to encounter issues with Samsung TVs Game Mode, sometimes due to the incorrect setup, the lack of awareness of requirements, or occasionally due to temporary glitches. I hope with the above guide, you will be able to resolve the issue you are facing to wrap it up, here are the key points.
- To troubleshoot Game Mode automatic turning off and on issue
- Make sure that “Allow YCC 4:2:2” is turned off and
- “Video Fidelity & overscan” has 10-bit enabled.
- To troubleshoot Game Mode greyed-out issue,
- Try resetting the TV to factory settings
- Check the port labeling
- Check the settings of the TV
- Check the connection of the gaming console.
- To troubleshoot Game Mode “this function is not available”
- Connect the gaming console to the correct HDMI port
- Reboot TV and gaming console
