Sony has once again proved that they're one of the top TV designers in the world. While the price might be a touch higher than competitors offering similar stats, you're paying for that Sony prestige. The X90H delivers everything you want from a smart TV, with an excellent set of connections and features, a surprisingly solid range of sound and a display that we're still getting used to. It really is one of our favourite TVs Sony has made yet.
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Sound
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UI
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Design
Frankly, there wasn’t a better time for the Sony Bravia X90H to land on our doorstep. Sony itself has positioned this 65″ mammoth of a TV as the best mid-ranged companion to the PlayStation 5 or, if you’re not feeling liking matching brands, the Xbox Series X. Lifting it out of the box and setting it up, it makes a compelling argument as to why you should be taking it seriously as a device that will enhance both your gaming and general entertainment life.
We’re happy to report that it didn’t take long to really get used to the idea of using the X90H. It’s a tremendous TV, one that packs and incredible amount of features into it’s sizable chassis. Sure, there are some faults here and there but for the most part, Sony has proven once again that its engineers know what they’re doing when the design and build a TV.
Design
In case you didn’t know, Sony released six ranges of it’s LCD 4K TVs in 2020 and the X90H is the second highest position in that tier-list. Yet if we hadn’t been told this, you could have easily tricked us into thinking it was their highest-range model. It’s a stunning TV to look at even when there isn’t an image on the screen (more on that in a second). The bezel surrounding the 65″ screen, which was the size we were given to test, is hardly noticeable, really going the extra mile to immerse you in your viewing experience. While it does come with two feet to stand the TV on, one has to imagine that a TV on this scale will be most at home mounted on a wall.
Given the 33kg weight and the price tag of the X90H, we didn’t trust ourselves to actually mount the thing. So we had to clear a decent chunk of counter to make it fit but in the end, it was worth it. While the TV itself doesn’t require a lot of depth, the v-shape of the feet can lead to some awkward spacing depend on the surface you’re placing it down on. Yet they still managed to keep it all stable, which is obviously want you want (and need) most for a TV like this.
Quality and Performance
This is obviously the most important category because odds are, you’re buying a TV like the X90H for it’s HDR and 4K functionality. The actual display is a VA-type LCD screen which goes a long way in making the images displayed pop; such is the benefit of using a VA panel over more outdated yet still useable tech. All you have to know is that footage viewed in 4K is utterly gorgeous and the HDR used by the X90H enhances it even further. TVs this size often struggle with duller colours and issues with saturation but Sony’s implementation of both features creates an image that’s gorgeous from corner to corner with very little discrepancies in the overall range.
What’s even more impressive is how the X90H upscales non-4K content. Sure, it won’t exactly match the genuine article but Sony has impressed with its upscaling tech in the past and this is no different. 1080p is upgraded to an almost shocking degree. We spent some time watching a Blu-ray copy of Alien and have been convinced to maybe never watch one of our favourites on anything that isn’t the X90H again. While it’s certainly not perfect at getting the contrasts and definition right all the time, it does enough well that we hardly noticed when it was struggling to keep up.
Sound
If you’re one of those stubborn folks that hasn’t just adopted sound bar listening into your life yet (shame on you) then you might be surprised by what the X90H has to offer. Using Sony’s Acoustic Multi Audio system, it actually manages to produce some generally impressive audio. The range on the internal speakers is impressive with some throaty bass and clear yet non-shrill highs on display even during the most chaotic and turbulent of scenes. It’s no replacement for a dedicated sound system, mind you. Yet if you don’t want to splash out on one then you should be happy with what’s on display.
What about gaming?
That’s the big question of the moment, right? Sony has positioned the X90H as the essential entry-ish level for TV that will pair well with your next gen console and after hooking up both a PS5 and an Xbox Series S to it, we were impressed. We were fortunate enough that our review unit was delivered after a range of firmware updates that added a whole bunch of features that feel purposefully added to cater to users playing games like Demon’s Souls or Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The update included support for variable refresh rates, an Auto Low Latency Mode and, best of all, support for HDMI 2.1
We don’t want to turn this into a review of the PS5 (you can read about that here) but we did want to say that there might not be a better TV to use with Sony’s latest console. Playing Miles Morales was a visual treat and the HDR and 4K resolution helped make Demon’s Souls one of the best looking games we’ve ever seen. Seriously, if you’re going all in anyway, there isn’t a better TV to splurge out on if you want to make the most of the PS5.
Sony Bravia X90H TV Verdict
Sony has once again proved that they’re one of the top TV designers in the world. While the price might be a touch higher than competitors offering similar stats, you’re paying for that Sony prestige. The X90H delivers everything you want from a smart TV, with an excellent set of connections and features, a surprisingly solid range of sound and a display that we’re still getting used to. It really is one of our favourite TVs Sony has made yet.
