At the NAB 2025 Show, the 8K Association unveiled a pioneering real-time 8K gaming demonstration featuring a seamless 120 Hz refresh rate. The highlight of the booth was a custom 65-inch Neo QLED 8K television from Samsung, outfitted for high-performance with enhancements such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and FreeSync Premium Pro. This display received its video feed from a high-end MAINGEAR gaming PC powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU, specifically chosen to handle ultra-high-resolution gaming demands.
The game used for the demo was ´Horizon Forbidden West,´ running via the Steam platform, which allowed visitors to confirm the 120 Hz operation through live analytics. While the game was rendered natively at 5K resolution, it was upscaled internally to 8K using AMD´s Machine Learning-based FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 technology, taking advantage of the latest advancements in real-time graphics upscaling. The video signal traveled over HDMI 2.1b with Display Stream Compression (DSC), delivering smooth and visually stunning graphics that drew crowds, particularly among gaming enthusiasts familiar with the title´s rich visuals.
The central area of the booth featured the latest ´sizzle reel´ from the 8K Association, showcasing video contributed by IMAX and highlighting content scanned from 70 mm film for exceptional image quality. BZBGear, another association member, demonstrated a selection of 8K-compatible switches, splitters, and HDBaseT transmitters/receivers, emphasizing the expanding ecosystem of 8K-ready equipment. The display underscored the strides made in 8K content delivery, high-refresh-rate gaming, and collaboration among industry leaders like AMD, Samsung, and IMAX to advance next-generation entertainment technology.
