I test TVs, and Sony’s contemporary Bravia 8 II OLED affords an unbeatable combination of describe and sound quality

If you purchase thru hyperlinks on our articles, Future and its syndication companions may per chance well compose a commission.

Sony Bravia 8 II: Two-minute analysis

The Sony Bravia 8 II is the firm’s flagship OLED TV for 2025. Whereas its Sony Bravia 8 predecessor frail a mid-fluctuate W-OLED show panel, the Bravia 8 II uses a QD-OLED panel, the identical form came upon within the Samsung S95F.

Including QD-OLED to the Sony Bravia 8 II mix has resulted in a TV with a seriously brighter describe than the Bravia 8. It additionally improved coloration gamut coverage, with colors trying repeatedly prosperous, yet accurate on the Bravia 8 II. The TV’s effective anti-reflective show lets it elevate over those describe quality benefits for shiny-room viewing, even supposing the Bravia 8 II’s detailed, refined describe is easiest liked will ought to you black the lights.

On most of the easiest TVs, the Bravia 8 II’s slim compose may per chance well uncover potentially anemic audio –it be essential to place respectable-sized audio system somewhere to score accurate sound, and slim TV frames don’t accommodate that. But Sony gives an ingenious workaround with its Acoustic Surface Audio+ characteristic, which positions actuators behind the TV’s QD-OLED panel that flip the total show precise into a speaker. In consequence, the Bravia 8 II gives moderately fleshy and grand sound for a TV, and its Acoustic Center Sync characteristic additionally helps you to make snarl of it as a dedicated center channel with a like minded Sony soundbar or speaker plot.

Google TV is frail because the Bravia 8 II’s elegant TV platform, and it’s a straightforward-to-navigate plot. A built-in mic helps you to defend watch over the TV using Google Instruct Voice, and also that you simply may per chance additionally defend watch over it using a mic button on the far flung or with Alexa audio system within the occasion you’re allotment of the Alexa ecosystem.

PlayStation 5 users unsurprisingly be pleased gaming benefits on the Bravia 8 II, which automatically switches to a preset Sport mode and engages auto HDR tone mapping when a linked PS5 console is became on. The TV additionally helps 4K 120Hz input, nevertheless with only two HDMI 2.1 ports, players trying to additionally connect each and each an Xbox Series X console plus one of many easiest soundbars will be disillusioned.

The Bravia 8 II is rarely any doubt one of many easiest OLED TVs to be launched in 2025, nonetheless it has stiff competition from flagship OLEDs such because the Samsung S95F and LG G5, each and each of that are brighter and more characteristic-packed. All three sets are currently priced spherical the identical, making the Bravia 8 II moderately of a advanced cost call, nevertheless its charms are many, and its immense general describe and sound quality let it effectively compete with other flagship TVs.

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Imprint and release date

• 55-scamper: $2,999 / £2,499 / AU$3,999

• 65-scamper: $3,499 / £2,999 / AU$4,999
  

Unlike its Bravia 8 OLED TV predecessor, which became readily available in 55-, 65-, and 77-scamper show sizes, the Bravia 8 II is proscribed to 55- and 65-scamper objects (even supposing the older Sony A95L TV is being saved spherical in a 77-scamper mannequin only, within the occasion you decide a bigger option).

Since its April unveiling, costs for each and each sizes have dropped within the US and Australia, with the 55-scamper now priced at $3,299 / AU$2,999 and the 65-scamper at $2,999 / AU$3,999.

The Bravia 8 II’s reduced tag more carefully aligns it with other flagship OLED TVs such because the Samsung S95F ($3,399 / £3,399 / AU$5,295 at originate) and LG G5 ($3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299 at originate). Both those objects have additionally considered early discounts within the US, with the S95F shedding as low as $3,099 and the G5 to $3,199.

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Specs

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Benchmark results

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Aspects

• QD-OLED show panel with real anti-reflection layer

• Acoustic Surface Audio+ sound

• Supreme for PlayStation 5 gaming tech, nevertheless restricted other aspects

The Sony Bravia 8 II aspects a QD-OLED show panel – an upgrade over the everyday W-OLED panel frail by its Bravia 8 predecessor. It additionally uses Sony’s XR Processor, which gives AI-basically based scene recognition to enhance images, along with a bunch of describe processing aspects that approach under the XR umbrella, resembling Incompatibility Booster, Sure Image, and OLED Stream. The Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10, and HLG high dynamic fluctuate codecs are supported, nevertheless not HDR10+.

A still show with an anti-reflective coating helps to attenuate show glare from indoor light sources on the Bravia 8 II. There’s no Filmmaker Mode, nevertheless a fluctuate of custom presets, along side IMAX Enhanced, Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode, and Top Video Calibrated Mode, are readily available to optimize images for movies, TV reveals, and sports.

Sony TVs on a normal basis wrong amongst the easiest TVs for sound, and the Bravia 8 II gives a fluctuate of aspects that assist distinguish it from other TVs relating to audio efficiency. The key one is Acoustic Surface Audio+, which positions actuators behind the TV that flip the total show dwelling precise into a speaker.

There’s additionally Acoustic Center Sync, a characteristic that accepts an audio input from a like minded Sony soundbar or audio system so the TV’s built-in audio plot may per chance even be frail as a center-channel speaker.

Sony’s 3D Encompass Upscaling does precisely what its title implies by boosting two-channel and 5.1-channel soundtracks to an immersive audio presentation, whereas Instruct Zoom 3 uses AI to acknowledge voices in soundtracks and affords them an further volume boost. Both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio codecs are supported by the Bravia 8 II.

Sony TVs snarl the Google TV elegant TV platform, and the Bravia 8 II has a built-in mic that lets in you to make snarl of Google Assistant for relate instructions. A mic button on the TV’s far flung defend watch over can additionally be frail for relate instructions, which has the income of not having to head away the TV’s microphone with no end in sight on (there’s a mic on-off switch on the TV’s input panel).

You may per chance also wirelessly spin issue to the Bravia 8 II using Google Solid and AirPlay. And within the occasion you’re allotment of the Alexa universe, with Alexa audio system for your residence, that you simply may per chance additionally defend watch over the TV using Alexa relate instructions.

The Bravia 8 II’s gaming aspects encompass enhance for 4K at 120Hz, variable refresh price, auto low-latency mode, and Dolby Imaginative and prescient gaming. It additionally has a brand contemporary Gaming Menu 2 for making gaming-connected modifications, and is “Supreme for PlayStation 5,” with an auto HDR tone mapping and auto genre mode aspects kicking in when a PS5 console is linked.

Unlike the easiest gaming TVs, which on the total provide four HDMI 2.1 inputs, the Bravia 8 II’s HDMI 2.1 input count is proscribed to 2 ports out of its four HDMI ports in total.

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Portray quality

• Upright brightness for an OLED TV

• Inky, detailed shadows and black tones

After we tested the Sony Bravia 8 in 2024, it yielded only moderate HDR brightness levels, topping out at 817 nits peak and 182 nits fullscreen brightness within the Favorite describe mode.

The contemporary mannequin’s QD-OLED panel pushes peak HDR brightness levels substantially larger, with the Bravia 8 II measuring 1,439 and 1,067 nits in Cinema and Favorite modes, respectively. Fullscreen brightness, on the opposite hand, is barely moderately larger, with the Bravia 8 II measuring 183 nits in Cinema mode and 250 nits in Favorite mode.

The Bravia 8 II’s brightness results, whereas a fearless bounce over final year’s mannequin, aloof tumble short as compared with other 2025 flagship OLED TVs we’ve tested, such because the LG G5 and Samsung S95F, each and each of which attain neatly into the 2,000 nits of peak brightness fluctuate, and over 350 nits of fullscreen brightness.

That’s not to mutter that the Bravia 8 II isn’t sufficiently shiny; its describe accurate doesn’t stand up equally neatly in shiny room lights stipulations as those two TVs.

I measured the Bravia 8 II’s coverage of the UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 coloration spaces in Cinema mode at 99.9% and 87.5%, respectively. These are each and each fantastic results and are much like what we measured on the Samsung S95F.

Color point accuracy within the identical mode averaged a 2.6 Delta-E cost (which is the margin of error between the test sample supply and what’s proven on-show, with a result lower than 3.0 being undetectable by the human ogle). In distinction, Cinema mode grayscale accuracy became 5.4 – a much less spectacular result.

Viewed in dimmed lights stipulations, a 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient spin of the film Civil Battle looked impressively punchy, with the shiny highlights from spotlights and bonfires in a heart of the evening encampment scene contrasting neatly with the black evening sky. Shadow ingredient became additionally real, and the just a few modifications within the TV’s describe Brightness submenu will possible be frail to magnificent-tune black levels to ship out necessary more ingredient.

I had the identical influence when I watched another film, Alien: Romulus, in 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Blacks within the ship’s black chambers looked inky and deep, and the coloured lights of the defend watch over panels popped with a high level of brightness.

These and other reference movies I watched with my room’s overhead lights became on misplaced just a few of their distinction punch, nevertheless black levels remained largely constant. The TV’s anti-reflection show additionally did an real job of pushing aside glare, even supposing lamps positioned all the blueprint thru from the TV were reflected in a replicate-esteem contrivance.

The Bravia 8 II does an fantastic job upscaling older movies and TV reveals. Streaming an episode of the detective indicate Columbo from the 1980s, the image looked impressively solid and trim, and I may per chance well even contrivance out textures within the mullet haircuts of visitors in a wedding scene.

Colours in each and each older and more contemporary movies looked repeatedly pure, and the Sony became ready to point accurate pores and skin tones whereas additionally vividly rendering brightly coloured objects, resembling a magenta flower bush and a yellow younger of us’s toy, in a scene from Civil Battle.

Stream handling is extremely accurate on the Bravia 8 II. Looking at a reference scene from the film No Time to Die, where James Bond walks all the blueprint thru a hillside cemetery, there became only a runt diploma of judder and blur considered, and it will possible be without misfortune lessened by environment the TV’s Motionflow Smoothness settings to Film (2) and Digicam (2).

• Portray quality fetch: 5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Sound quality

• Acoustic Surface Audio+ turns the show precise into a speaker

• Dolby Atmos and DTS:X enhance

• Acoustic Center Sync helps you to connect TV with external audio system
  

Acoustic Surface Audio+ on the Bravia 8 II uses actuators positioned behind the TV’s show that remodel the total show precise into a speaker. This compose gives a technique of dialogue emanating straight from the characters on-show, and it additionally lets sound results monitor accurately with the motion.

Both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound codecs are supported by the Bravia 8 II, along with IMAX Enhanced. The latter contrivance that you simply may per chance spin the library of films with DTS:X soundtracks contained in each and each the Sony Images Core and Disney+ apps, and skills them with IMAX Enhanced publish-processing, which is supposed to ship the identical prolonged dynamic fluctuate you hear in IMAX cinemas.

Dialogue in movies esteem Civil Battle sounded positive and neatly-outlined on the Bravia 8 II, and the Instruct Zoom 3 characteristic helped to elevate voices in battle scenes with a total bunch background noise. The TV’s Acoustic Center Sync characteristic, within the period in-between, let me snarl it as a center channel speaker by connecting a cable from the TV to Sony’s Bravia Theater Quad wireless audio system, whereas the Bravia Join app made it straight forward to calibrate the heart channel level for a soft mix with the remaining of the plot.

As soon as I had that dwelling up, the TV labored very effectively as a center channel speaker, with voices sounding pure and complete-bodied. Listened to on its have without the Bravia Theater Quad setup, the TV’s built-in audio system delivered moderately fleshy sound with movies, with an real sense of ambience, nevertheless bass became restricted – something to be expected from a TV with the form of slim profile.

• Sound quality fetch: 4.5 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Variety

• Two-contrivance aluminum enhance toes

• Stout-sized, backlit far flung defend watch over
  

Sony’s Slim One Slate compose for the Bravia 8 II gives the TV a bezel-free ‘all-describe’ look, and its textured assist panel makes issues look accurate even from the assist and sides. Sturdy aluminum enhance toes on the TV’s outer edges may per chance even be dwelling for either a flush set up with the show positioned straight on a stand or an elevated one, with three inches of residence cleared for a soundbar.

Connections will possible be found in a aspect-mounted panel and encompass four HDMI ports with two HDMI 2.1 inputs providing 4K 120Hz enhance, a mini-jack speaker input for the Acoustic Center Sync characteristic, USB-A and Ethernet ports, and an antenna input for the TV’s ATSC 3.0 broadcast tuner (US-only). Sony gives you detachable panels to cowl the input and energy wire sections publish-set up, which is able to attenuate cable muddle and defend the TV’s 360-diploma accurate looks.

Sony’s medium-sized far flung defend watch over sits with ease within the hand and incorporates a fleshy enough array of defend watch over buttons that you simply obtained’t ought to consult with the TV’s onscreen menus to fabricate something as straight forward as switch inputs. Stutter score admission to buttons are provided for key apps esteem Netflix and Top Video, and additionally for more vague ones such because the Crunchyroll Anime provider.

Oddly, the Bravia 8 II’s far flung isn’t the identical Eco Some distance away version equipped with final year’s Bravia 8 and Sony Bravia 9 TVs, one which uses a USB-C port for charging. It’s far constituted of 79.7% recycled plastic, nonetheless.

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Neat TV and menus

Image 1 of three

Image 2 of three

Image 3 of three

• Are residing program grid integrates FAST and broadcast channels

• Swiftly Settings menu gives straight forward score admission to to modifications

Sony TVs snarl the Google TV elegant TV platform, one with a homescreen dominated by a astronomical rotating banner up high with adverts for reveals. About a of those adverts, along with the row of ‘Top picks for you’ issue solutions straight below, are in line with your viewing and net trying snarl, which is something you give Google score admission to to will ought to you signal in with a Google tale.

Google TV affords a total array of streaming apps, and these are arrayed in a row on the underside of the homescreen in an uncover that may per chance even be custom-made. Tabs on the live of the homescreen assist you score admission to Are residing TV and Sony monitors, amongst other alternate solutions, with the Sony show providing score admission to to Sony Images Core film streaming choices as neatly as academic videos on how to honest the TV.

The Are residing TV show is worth commenting upon on tale of it effectively integrates Google Freeplay free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels with broadcast TV ones pulled in by the TV’s ATSC 3.0 tuner. Both FAST and broadcast channels may per chance even be browsed in a time-basically based program grid, with program data provided for every channel.

As with other Google TVs, having access to describe, sound, and plot settings on the Bravia 8 II entails pressing the instruments icon on the far flung, or the identical part on the live pleasing nook of the Google TV homescreen. Sony gives an intensive fluctuate of modifications for dialing within the Bravia 8 II’s describe, even supposing getting to these entails wading deep thru menus.

A more uncomplicated option for making modifications is to press the wrench icon button on the far flung, which calls up the TV’s Swiftly Settings menu on the underside of the show. From right here that you simply may per chance scroll thru alternate solutions esteem describe settings, describe modes, brightness, and loads of audio modifications, and also that you simply may per chance additionally edit the menu so as to add or remove alternate solutions.

• Neat TV & menus fetch: 4 / 5

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Gaming

• Two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 120Hz enhance

• Supreme for PlayStation 5 aspects

• Comparatively high 16.3ms input proceed

The Bravia 8 II affords a pleasing decide of gaming aspects, basically the most principal being ‘Supreme for PlayStation 5’ aspects, which encompass an Auto HDR Tone Mapping mode when input from a PS5 gaming console is detected to test the dynamic fluctuate of the generated images to precisely what the show is capable of revealing.

An Auto Genre Portray Mode characteristic will additionally automatically flip on the TV’s Sport describe mode for the PS5, and Sony’s Sport Menu 2 helps you to contrivance onscreen gaming-connected describe and other modifications.

Diversified gaming aspects supported by the Bravia 8 II encompass Dolby Imaginative and prescient gaming, variable refresh price, and auto low-latency mode. Two of the TV’s four HDMI 2.1 inputs enhance 4K 120 Hz input for gaming consoles, even supposing on the present time it’s becoming more general to head trying three or more HDMI 2.1 inputs on TVs.

Utilizing a Leo Bodnar 4K meter, I measured input proceed in Sport Mode on the Bravia 8 II at 16.3ms, a seriously larger level than on other TVs we’ve recently tested, just a few of which measure below 10ms on the identical test.

Sony Bravia 8 II analysis: Worth

• Priced roughly the identical as high OLED competition

• Decrease general brightness than high OLED competition

• Much less intensive gaming aspects than competition
  

At its $2.999 reduced tag within the US, the Bravia 8 II currently costs not as much as the 2025 flagship OLED TVs from LG and Samsung. But does that contrivance it a immense OLED TV cost?

The Bravia 8 II has unprecedented general describe quality, with high brightness for an OLED TV. Its describe lacks the mini-LED-rivalling brightness levels of the Samsung S95F and LG G5, nonetheless, and it looks easiest in dimmed lights stipulations, where the TV’s necessary distinction, prosperous coloration, and magnificent ingredient may per chance even be fully liked.

Sony’s high OLED additionally has spectacular sound quality for the form of slim and trendy TV, and it gives several aspects that enable it without misfortune integrate with like minded Sony soundbars and wireless audio system for even better sound efficiency.

The Bravia 8 II’s Gaming aspects, whereas accurate, aren’t as intensive as what you’ll fetch on high TVs from Samsung and LG, even supposing there are explicit benefits for PlayStation 5 console house owners.

Seemed at relating to cost, the Bravia 8 II is particularly a easiest wager for film followers who don’t mind dimming the lights moderately, even supposing its describe is additionally shiny enough to defend up in neatly-lit rooms. It doesn’t precisely beat this year’s flagship OLED TV competition, nevertheless with tag reductions having already kicked in, on the very least it’s competitively priced.

Would possibly per chance per chance per chance also merely aloof I purchase the Sony Bravia 8 II?

Aquire it if…

You wish a immense TV for movies
The Bravia 8 II has immense general describe quality, and its describe processing makes all the pieces, even used TV reveals and YouTube videos look accurate, nonetheless it in actuality shines with 4K movies on streaming and Blu-ray disc.

You have to make snarl of it with a Sony soundbar or wireless audio system
The Bravia 8 II has audio aspects that enable it be frail as a center speaker in a Sony encompass sound plot with like minded Sony soundbars and wireless audio system.

You basically look in shiny rooms
Whereas the Bravia 8 II has high brightness for an OLED TV, it doesn’t hit the identical mini-LED brightness levels as its flagship competition, a quality that makes those TVs an real option for shiny room viewing.

Don’t purchase it if…

You wish basically the most basic TV for gaming
The Bravia 8 II has a solid dwelling of gaming aspects, nevertheless there are only two HDMI 2.1 ports, and it lacks the identical cloud-basically based gaming alternate solutions came upon on LG and Samsung TVs.

You basically look in a shiny room
Whereas the Bravia 8 II has high brightness for an OLED TV, it doesn’t hit the identical mini-LED brightness levels as its flagship competition that makes them an real option for shiny room viewing.Behold Deal

You have to construct cash
The Bravia 8 II is a top class OLED TV that sells for a top class tag. More cost-effective mini-LED TV alternate solutions are widely readily available that supply very accurate describe quality at a necessary lower tag.

Sony Bravia 8 II: Also take into consideration…

LG G5
The LG G5’s modern ‘four-stack’ OLED panel delivers necessary brightness levels for an OLED TV. It additionally has a superior dwelling of gaming aspects as compared with the Bravia 8 II, along with a more evolved elegant TV platform.

Right here’s our LG G5 analysis

Samsung S95F
Samsung’s flagship OLED TV is another OLED that delivers mini-LED-rivalling brightness levels, and its Glare Free 2.0 show effectively eliminates reflections when viewing in shiny rooms. Bask in the LG G5, it additionally has a superior dwelling of gaming aspects and a more evolved elegant TV platform.

Right here’s our Samsung S95F analysis

Sony Bravia 8
The Bravia 8 is aloof readily available, and it gives loads of the identical audio and gaming aspects because the Bravia 8 II. Its describe has seriously lower peak brightness than the Bravia 8 II, nevertheless within the occasion you’re okay with dimming the lights, you’ll score a immense OLED describe at a necessary reduced tag.

Right here’s our Sony Bravia 8 analysis

How I tested the Sony Bravia 8 II

• I spent about 15 viewing hours in total, measuring and evaluating

• Measurements were made using Calman coloration calibration software program

• A fleshy calibration became made earlier than proceeding with subjective assessments

When I test TVs, I first spend just a few days or even weeks using them for casual viewing to evaluate the out-of-box describe presets and score conscious of the elegant TV menu and film modifications.

I next select basically the most accurate preset (in general Filmmaker Mode, Movie or Cinema) and measure grayscale and coloration accuracy using Portrait Shows’ Calman coloration calibration software program. The resulting measurements provide Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test sample supply and what’s proven on-show) for every category, and enable for an evaluate of the TV’s general accuracy.

On the side of those assessments, I contrivance measurements of peak light output (recorded in nits) for each and each traditional high-definition and 4K high dynamic fluctuate using 10% and 100% white window patterns. Protection of DCI-P3 and BT.2020 coloration house is additionally measured, with the consequences providing a technique of how faithfully the TV can render the prolonged coloration fluctuate in ultra high-definition sources – that you simply may per chance read more about this route of in our handbook to how we test TVs at TechRadar.

For the Sony Bravia 8 II, I frail the Calman ISF workflow, along with the TV’s evolved describe menu settings, to calibrate the image for easiest accuracy. I additionally watched a fluctuate of reference scenes on 4K Blu-ray discs to evaluate the TV’s efficiency, along with 4K HDR reveals streamed from Max, Netflix, and other services and products.

• First reviewed: June 2025

• Read TechRadar’s studies guarantee