Sony Bravia 7 II Review: A Fantastic RGB 4K TV for Movies and PS5 Gaming, but Lackluster Glare Resistance

6 min readThe Bravia 7 II 4K TV, along with the higher-end Bravia 9 II, are among Sony’s first to feature an RGB mini-LED display panel. It joins other leading TV makers such as TCL, Hisense, and Samsung that offer sets with this advanced technology. Dubbed True RGB by Sony, the novel screen tech replaces traditional white LED backlighting with separate red, green, and blue diodes (hence the RGB abbreviation). As a result, TVs with these displays can produce richer, more accurate colors.ProsSuperb picture quality with true-to-life colorsSony Bravia Core offers a great selection of content to enjoy the TV to the fullestAmazing performance as a PlayStation 5 monitorAvailable in many sizesConsDirect light reflections negatively impact the picture qualityNo HDR10+Key SpecsDisplay TypeTrue RGB Mini-LEDScreen Sizes50-, 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-, 98-in.HDRDolby Vision, HDR10, HLGPlatformGoogle TVConnectivityFour HDMI ports (two HDMI 2.1), WiFi 6E, Apple AirPlay 2, Google ChromecastSoundMulti-speaker audio systemHaving already experienced a couple of this year’s finest RGB mini-LED TVs firsthand, I put the Bravia 7 II to the test with high expectations. Given its novel display type, its agreeable price for a top-tier Sony TV, and the brand’s history of producing quality sets, I was eager to see how the Bravia 7 II fits into today’s TV landscape, which is chock-full of great mini-LED and OLED offerings.Fresh off a couple of weeks with the Sony Bravia 7 II True RGB 4K TV as my primary source of home entertainment, I can confirm that it is handily one of today’s best on the market, particularly for watching movies and PlayStation gaming, but not my top pick in its highly competitive price category. Below is a breakdown of what I like about the TV, along with a few shortcomings I encountered.Fantastic Picture Quality With True-to-Life ColorsColor reproduction is rightly touted as the biggest strength of RGB Mini-LED TVs, and the Bravia 7 II proves it. The TV delivers gorgeous visuals with accurate colors and deep contrast out of the box. Unless direct light reflections—a topic I’ll elaborate on later in this review—are in play, the viewing experience is phenomenal. Paired with high peak brightness and a sophisticated onboard processor to manage it, its RGB backlighting made every scene look lifelike and highly entertaining.Stefan VazharovDelivering vibrant colors without sacrificing accuracy is the TV’s strongest selling point.Whether I was streaming a blockbuster movie, keeping up with the news, or watching a live Formula One race in 4K, the picture quality was consistently excellent. All colors—from skin tones to day and night cityscapes to nature hues—were faithfully rendered, without pesky oversaturation or haloing around bright objects in dark scenes. In this regard, the Bravia 7 II TV convincingly met the expectation set by its “True RGB” moniker.A dedicated Studio Calibrated mode that’s easy to enable via the TV’s quick settings menu is the primary reason why movie buffs should consider the Sony Bravia 7 II over its rivals. As its name suggests, the feature changes the device’s picture settings to present the footage as its original creators intended. Translation? The footage will look as it did after it was prepared in the studio ahead of the movie release.Studio Calibrated Mode is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. There’s plenty of content that can benefit from it, ensuring this isn’t just a gimmick.The Sony Pictures Core app, accessible via a prominently placed button on the remote, elevates the TV’s cinephile credentials by offering a curated selection of movies from the media giant’s vast library. There are five included credits for up-to-date blockbusters plus a robust selection of free titles. The content is delivered with audio and video quality on par with that of a 4K Blu-ray disc—an industry benchmark for audio and video fidelity.Stefan VazharovSony Bravia Core has a dedicated remote control button.Using Studio Calibrated mode on the Bravia 7 II brought more of a sense of occasion to the new movies and series I streamed on Netflix and Prime Video. Sony Pictures Core, on the other hand, transformed my living room into a movie theater, reminding me of the modestly sized neighborhood cinema I frequented in my teenage years. I had a blast rewatching Jerry Maguire—a mid-1990s blockbuster—and catching up on the Spider-Man movies with Tom Holland to get ready for the latest one.The Ideal Sony PlayStation 5 SidekickBecause Sony makes Bravia TVs and the PlayStation 5 family of gaming consoles, the company made sure the two work well together. In addition to maxing out the console’s refresh rate at 120 hertz, the TV has a dedicated game play mode that reduces screen lag and makes input responses feel instantaneous. Such features are mandatory for a fine TV in the mid-2020s, so I wasn’t surprised to encounter them.Stefan VazharovThe TV is predictably an excellent match for any Sony PlayStation 5 console.What impressed me more about the TV’s PlayStation 5 gaming credentials is its ability to optimize the HDR settings when linked to the console, delivering enhanced visuals. Finer details, like shadows and light reflections, add more depth to the gameplay than on TVs from other brands. Gran Turismo 7 and Ghost of Yōtei—two of my favorite PS5 games and Sony’s own blockbuster titles—looked incredible in 4K on the Bravia 7 II when I paired it with my PlayStation 5 Pro console.Other Bits I LikeI like the TV’s sleek design, headlined by slim bezels and a minimalist metal stand with a removable magnetic panel. The last-mentioned bit gives the TV a unique look and makes it appear to float above its stand. TVs from other brands look more generic in comparison.Stefan VazharovThe stand’s removable transparent panel is a great conversation starter.I tip my hat to Sony for offering the Bravia 7 II TV in sizes as small as 50 inches. RGB mini-LED TVs from other makers aren’t available in this compact screen size, leaving the Sony product as the best option for small rooms in its class.On the audio front, the TV delivered a respectable performance during my testing. The sound was rich and immersive during action-packed scenes, and voice conversations came out surprisingly crisp and clear.If you place the set in a small room, you might not need to invest in a soundbar. Still, an audio upgrade is definitely necessary for larger spaces, as the TV’s beautiful picture quality deserves a sonic experience to match.The ShortcomingsDirect light reflections from windows and lamps are traditionally a weak spot for mini-LED TVs. The Sony Bravia 7 II showed the same shortcoming during my testing. Despite its robust peak brightness, the TV’s picture lost quite a bit of detail when I opened the curtains in my southwest-facing living room on a late sunny afternoon, especially in dark scenes. Daytime sports looked great, but I could still see my window reflected in the green pitch during Premier League soccer games.The pesky phenomenon I described isn’t uncommon, but it’s fairly easy to resolve. All you need to do is be mindful about light sources when choosing a spot for the TV. If wall-mounting the set, consider a highly adjustable mount before installation.Another shortcoming I couldn’t help but notice is the lack of support for the immersive HDR10+ format on the Bravia 7 II. Aside from OLEDs, which make up for the omission with stunning visuals, every TV that starts north of $2,000 for a 55-inch model should support all popular HDR formats, in my book. TCL and Hisense sets tick these important boxes, and that’s one reason they are more popular.This might sound like nitpicking, but I was surprised that the Bravia 7 II remote wasn’t backlit when I began setting up the TV. This is another omitted feature that’s standard on many rivals and, to me, mandatory at this price.Should You Upgrade to the Sony Bravia 7 II?You should order the Sony Bravia 7 II if you prioritize pristine picture quality for movies and have a spot for the TV that isn’t facing direct light sources. Its unique features show that Sony is a powerhouse in this industry and go a step beyond the Filmmaker Mode some rivals offer. As a film aficionado myself, I feel better knowing that the TV I’m using is from the maker of movie production monitors that cost 10 times as much.Frequent PlayStation gamers should also have the Bravia 7 II on their shortlist of options, as should consumers who are in the market for a small TV that doesn’t skimp on flagship features.Shop Sony Bravia 7 IISony Bravia 7 II True RGB 4K TVNow 13% OffSony Bravia 7 II True RGB 4K TVNow 29% OffSony Bravia 7 II True RGB 4K TVNow 31% OffSony Bravia 7 II True RGB 4K TVNow 26% OffSony Bravia 7 II True RGB 4K TVNow 18% OffSony Bravia 7 II True RGB 4K TVWhen it comes to rivals, the Hisense UR9 RGB Mini-LED TV deserves your attention for offering higher peak brightness than the Sony Bravia 7 II and a superior ability to withstand direct light reflections. The lower-priced Hisense UR8 RGB Mini-LED TV is also brighter than the Sony and is available with a 55-inch screen.Speaking of brightness, the TCL QM8L SQD Mini-LED TV trades a different display setup for much higher peak brightness. The Hisense and TCL products tick all the boxes in HDR support, too, but they don’t have the same show-business credentials as this Sony.The brighter Sony Bravia 9 II True RGB TV addresses the light-reflection shortcoming of the Bravia 7 II with an anti-glare screen finish, but the 65-inch version costs twice as much. If money is no object, the flagship option is a great buy for similar reasons as its more affordable sibling.Stefan is an award-winning consumer technology editor with over a decade of experience in reviewing gadgets, particularly smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, desktop and laptop computers across multiple form factors and platforms, as well as accessories for them. He also covers televisions and audio equipment, including headphones, earbuds, wireless speakers, and soundbars. Since joining Hearst in 2015, Stefan has contributed to BestProducts, Popular Mechanics, and numerous other publications. Prior to his current role, he served as the US Editor for GSMArena.com.