Bravia X85K: Sony's cheapest 120Hz TV gets basically no improvements over last year's model according to a new review

Some exciting innovations have been introduced to the TV market in 2022, such as Samsung's brand new QD-OLED panels and LG's new generation of traditional OLED displays. While these technologies are usually found in higher-priced television sets, the direct-lit VA panels of cheaper TV models from manufacturers like Sony unfortunately seem to stagnate from a technical point of view.

In a recently published comprehensive review, the TV experts at Rtings.com have taken a closer look at Sony's cheapest LED TV with a native 120 Hz panel, the Bravia X85K. Unfortunately, the results are once again quite disappointing - with an overall score of 7.6 out of 10 possible points, the new 4K HDR TV does not offer a better picture quality than its affordable predecessor, the X85J. The direct-LED backlight of the Sony Bravia X85K still doesn’t have a local dimming function, and the native contrast ratio of 5,392 to 1 is slightly worse than on last year’s equivalent.

This also applies to the all-important peak HDR brightness of the Sony Bravia X85K, which was measured at 521 nits or about 5 percent dimmer than the X85J. On a more positive note, the new panel has a marginally better color space coverage, but that won’t be noticeable when watching regular TV content. The most significant improvement of the Sony Bravia X85K 4K HDR TV is only relevant for gamers, as the VRR range at 1080p has been increased to 20-120 Hz from 48-60 Hz on last year’s model.

In conclusion, prospective buyers of a new budget-friendly 4K HDR TV can safely buy the practically identical predecessor according to Rtings’ review of the Sony Bravia X85K. This would also save some hard-earned cash, since the 55-inch X85J is currently US$200 cheaper on Amazon than the new entry-level 120 Hz set.