Sony is pitching its Bravia XR television set as the perfect set for gamers lucky enough to snare a PS5 in the last 11 months.
As a company that sells both the consoles and high-end television sets, it’s not surprising to see Sony seek some brand synergy here, but the set does seem to have a legitimate claim to the monicker Sony has bestowed upon it.
An update coming to the PS5 and the Bravia XR sets in January will unlock the enhancements, so if you’re hoping for a PS5 and new telly on Black Friday or in the January sales, this might be the combo you’ve been waiting for.
The company says the Bravia XR gaming TV is the only set that can automatically “adjust and optimise the best settings for your PlayStation 5 console”. That means it’ll automatically switch between Game Mode and Standard Mode to ensure input lag is kept to a minimum.
The return to Standard Mode for movies will ensure a greater focus on picture processing “for more expressive scenes,” Sony says on its Bravia Gaming site.
The set’s Auto HDR Tone Mapping tech will kick in during the initial PS5 set-up in order to select the best HDR setting for the telly. The image below is an example of the difference when the setting is turned on and off, and it’s quite stark.
Beyond this update, the Bravia XR already promises 4K imagery at 120fps with a 120Hz refresh rate. There’s also HDMI 2.1 compatibility. The Bravia XR range includes the MASTER Series Z9J 8K LED, MASTER Series A90J/A80J OLED, and X95J/X90J 4K LED and all run on a new Cognitive Processor XR.
Our own A/V editor Kob Monney explains how it works: “It uses a new processing method that Sony says goes beyond conventional Artificial Intelligence, working in a similar manner as our brain does. It replicates the ways humans see and hear, dividing the screen into zones to detect where the focal point of the picture is.”
“According to Sony, while conventional AI detects and analyses picture elements such as colour, contrast and detail individually; the new processor cross-analyses all these elements at once. By performing these tasks simultaneously (much like our brains), these elements are adjusted in conjunction with each other and that should make for an image that’s more synchronised and lifelike.”
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Sony recommends the 8K ZJR television, which also offers the Google TV interface and costs £5,999 for the 75-inch model, but more affordable sets are available.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.