La Réaction Clubic June 03, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Sponsored by Sony10 Sponsored by Sony

Last year, next-gen consoles arrived with an even stronger case for performance, visuals, and features. To enjoy and make the most of the potential of these consoles, there is no doubt that the choice of the associated television is extremely important.

We had to be patient to see the different television manufacturers update their respective catalogs and offer products that fully meet the requirements of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Sony's 2021 novelties leave no room for doubt: most of the catalog focuses on video games as well as the usual elements thanks to which these televisions are widely acclaimed. Why? We take a closer look below.

An XR cognitive processor that makes the difference

First of all, it is necessary to mention the great novelty developed by Sony in 2021 on its new ranges of televisions: the Sony XR processor and its cognitive intelligence.

What is cognitive intelligence? It is an artificial intelligence that seeks to reproduce the way the human brain thinks and acts. Concretely, compared to the processors found in other manufacturers, Sony's is able to analyze many elements of the image simultaneously to ensure that it acts as our eyes and our brain do in time. normal. To do this, it performs cross-analysis which makes it possible to adjust the various image treatments (colors, contrast, sharpness, movements, etc.) individually, but above all in relation to each other. The result is a deep and harmonious image, for ever more natural and therefore realistic scenes. The experience offered by this processor, coupled with LED or OLED panels, is not insignificant because it allows Sony to design televisions that show great potential for all types of use; starting with cinema of course, as well as sport, television in general, or even video games.

A rich and complete gaming experience

So why are the new series of Sony televisions today ideal for accompanying the latest home consoles and other PCs equipped with the latest graphics cards? Unless you've completely missed out on tech news in recent months, you must have heard of HDMI 2.1! This is indeed, and unsurprisingly, a major argument for gamers, whether connecting a console or a PC to the TV. Thanks to its much more generous bandwidth, this HDMI protocol allows us to enjoy a more qualitative gaming experience than before, especially since Sony and Microsoft were among the first to adopt this new HDMI format with their respective consoles. Thus, if the majority of televisions today display a 4K UHD definition, not all are yet equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports. In fact, before the launch of the new consoles, there was almost no source capable of sending 120 frames per second to such a television.

Before going into a little more detail, be aware that between June 1 and July 31, 2021, Sony is offering you the possibility of recovering a €50 PlayStation Store gift card for any purchase of a Bravia XR television.

HDMI 2.1: the ultimate weapon for playing on a TV

This is the great evolution authorized by HDMI 2.1 and the devices that benefit from it, televisions and consoles: producing and displaying 4K at 120 Hz, while taking advantage of additional features, starting with HDR, ALLM, the VRR, or even the eARC. Sony TVs equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports thus support ALLM. This function aims to automatically detect the source. Concretely, the TV goes into “game mode” and switches to the correct HDMI port as soon as the console is turned on. This has the effect of simplifying the user experience since the game mode of these televisions displays a much lower input lag than the standard or cinema modes for flawless responsiveness. Sony is also fortunate to work directly in collaboration with PlayStation to best optimize this game mode with the brand's consoles, in particular the PlayStation 5.

The Variable Refresh Rate is a feature eagerly awaited by players. This makes it possible to automatically adapt the refresh rate of the television to the number of images per second transmitted by the console. Already present on the Xbox Series X|S, its arrival on the PlayStation is imminent and will be accompanied by an update for all compatible Sony televisions. An important point for the fluidity of the image and to avoid any phenomenon of image tearing or other problems related to this synchronization between console and television, graphics card and display. While waiting for the VRR, Sony has refined its X-Motion Clarity image processing. Improved version of MotionFlow XR, it consists of improving the fluidity and sharpness of moving objects, without this resulting in a drop in brightness. The algorithm deployed here optimizes the brightness on certain areas of the image by adjusting the duration of the backlight or by individually turning off certain pixels on OLED televisions. The objective achieved is to preserve sharpness where the movements are fast, which is often the case in video games, for example with car racing games to name a few.

LED or OLED: spoiled for choice

The other major asset of Sony's 2021 catalog is to offer both Full Array LED models and OLED televisions, or even more affordable LED references, all equipped with the Sony XR processor and HDMI 2.1 ports.

In these different scenarios, Sony has made sure to offer a coherent offer, with which we find Japanese know-how, at the top as well as at the entry level. If LED televisions have a strong argument for gamers, in particular thanks to their bright peak which offers an excellent experience with games that manages HDR, OLED televisions also have a major argument in their pocket: a response time almost instant thanks to self-emissive pixels.

Sony Bravia XR A90J

Less than 0.1 ms on OLED panels, the response time of a television or monitor indicates the ability of a pixel to change from one state to another. The shorter it is, the less ghosting phenomena (trails behind a moving image) will be visible. Suffice to say that OLED televisions, in 120 Hz, are doing perfectly on this point since their response time is almost zero. The LCD therefore outweighs the light peak, but the gap is less and less widened with certain OLED models, as we have seen during the test of the Sony Bravia XR-55A90J which shows an improvement in brightness compared to last year thanks to a heat dissipation system developed by Sony and integrated within the panel.

Sony Bravia XR A80J

Panel size may be important for some users. On this point, LCD panels offer more choice than OLED panels, but once again the gap between the two is small. This year the Sony catalog focuses on diagonals of 50 to 85 inches on LCD panels and 55 to 83 inches for OLED panels. Note that we do not currently find OLED televisions with a diagonal greater than 83 inches.

Sound and image in harmony for perfect immersion

The gaming experience wouldn't be what it is without a sound system to match. It is expected that the ideal television for video games will deliver impeccable sound in order to promote immersion without the need to put headphones on. On this point, Sony intends to transform our living rooms into a real cinema. It must be said, as much as the image, the sound is particularly useful for immersion and if this is true for a film, it is all the more so for a video game.

Two technologies stand out in Sony's catalog, with Acoustic Multi-Audio for LED panels, and Acoustic Surface Audio + for OLED models. In the first case, Sony has positioned X-Balanced Speaker broadband speakers in the lower part of the TV, as well as tweeters in the upper part. Coupled with the audio processing carried out by the XR processor, this system creates enveloping sound in perfect synchronization with the image. The audio system of OLED televisions is made up of two actuators placed behind the television. These gently vibrate the glass slab, resulting in the sensation that the sound comes directly from the screen. The major advantage of this system is to offer very precise monitoring of an action, but also to make us perceive dialogues and other special effects at the place where they occur on the screen.

A do-it-all remote control

To make the most of the immersive sound of these televisions, nothing beats carrying out an audio calibration in order to optimize the sound reproduction according to your environment For that nothing more since it is possible to calibrate the audio system using very just the microphone built into the remote. This makes it possible to take into account the position of the viewer in relation to his television, then to detect (thanks to the sounds) the presence of an object or the structure of the room which hosts the television.

Finally, note that the Sony television remote control can very well control your Playstation 4 and 5 consoles. Practical, this will allow you, for example, to manage the playback of a Blu-Ray, or even a streaming application like Spotify.

The best Sony TVs for gaming

We have selected three Sony televisions, tested and validated by the Clubic editorial staff, which meet all the criteria detailed in this article. Note that if our tests were carried out with 55-inch models, these references are available in many diagonals.

The Bravia XR televisions eligible for the special Gamers offer, however, include other models. There are the X90J and X95J references for 4K Full Array LED panels, the A80J and A90J for 4K OLED models, and finally the Z9J series which includes two 8K OLED references.

Our selection begins with the Sony Bravia XR-A90J which is arguably the best OLED TV Sony has produced in recent years. Offering an above-average light peak for this type of panel, it delivers a sublime and ideal image in all circumstances for cinema and gaming. Available in 55, 65 and 83 versions, it has two HDMI 2.1 ports, 'ALLM and a game mode that is almost as well calibrated as its expert mode. Inevitably, the qualities of OLED make all the difference here with incredible contrast and black levels and an excellent HDR experience, even if the light peak remains below LCD models.

2690,00 € Read the review 10Sony BRAVIA XR-55A90J

Sony has once again pulled out all the stops for its Master Series televisions. The A90J is the logical and coherent evolution of the A9G, with a multitude of advantages and few disadvantages except those of the OLED technology itself. With an increase in light peak and a gaming experience that lives up to expectations, this television sets itself as a benchmark in the high-end segment.

Sony has once again pulled out all the stops for its Master Series televisions. The A90J is the logical and coherent evolution of the A9G, with a multitude of advantages and few disadvantages except those of the OLED technology itself. With an increase in light peak and a gaming experience that lives up to expectations, this television sets itself as a benchmark in the high-end segment.

The Sony Bravia XR-A80J is the most affordable OLED TV from the Japanese manufacturer, which doesn't mean its potential isn't too down. The main difference with the A90J is that it does not have the brighter OLED panel, alongside that we find all the features related to the XR processor, 4K at 120 Hz, Google TV and so on. right now.

See price Read review 9Sony BRAVIA XR-55A80J

Sony has been able to develop an OLED television at a contained price, which does everything, or almost, as well as its high-end model. The A80J is thus an excellent choice whose only limit, compared to the A90J, lies in a lower light peak.

Sony has been able to develop an OLED television at a contained price, which does everything, or almost, as well as its high-end model. The A80J is thus an excellent choice whose only limit, compared to the A90J, lies in a lower light peak.

Among the more accessible references, the X90J deserves a look. Also adopting the new XR processor, it is one of the most interesting FALD backlit televisions of the moment and is undoubtedly one of the best companions for the PlayStation 5 at this price. In short, a good alternative to OLED panels, which benefits from the developments made by Sony engineers to this entire range for 2021.

See price Read review 8Sony BRAVIA XR-55X90J

The X90J marks an interesting development that will easily satisfy those looking for an LCD television with good potential, which delivers good image quality in both dark and bright rooms.

The X90J marks an interesting development that will easily satisfy those looking for an LCD television with good potential, which delivers good image quality in both dark and bright rooms.

See the Sony Televisions offer at FnacSee the Sony Televisions offer at DartySee the Sony Televisions offer at BoulangerArticle proposed and designed by La Rédaction Clubic in partnership with Sony.Read the charter of confidence