Sony Bravia XR8B 77" 76.7" 2025 Review

The Sony XR8B OLED is built for gamers, with perfect blacks and a 120Hz panel. But our data shows its picture processing isn't the best, making it a specialized pick rather than the overall champion.

Screen Size 77
Resolution 3840x2160
Panel Type OLED
Refresh Rate 120
Hdr Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
Smart Platform Google TV
Dolby Vision Yes
Dolby Atmos No
Hdmi Version 2.1
Sony Bravia XR8B 77" 76.7" 2025 tv
95.6 Overall Score

The 30-Second Version

A gamer's OLED that doesn't quite win the picture quality crown. Fantastic for PlayStation, just good for everything else.

Overview

The Sony XR8B is a fantastic TV that gets one thing absolutely right: it's a gamer's OLED. With a 120Hz panel, HDMI 2.1, and Sony's excellent motion processing, it's built for the PlayStation crowd. But here's the one thing you need to know: its picture quality, while good, lands in a surprisingly low percentile in our database. For a premium Sony OLED, we expected it to be a top-tier performer, but it's sitting in the middle of the pack. That doesn't make it bad, but it changes the conversation.

Performance

The numbers tell a story. Its gaming performance is in the 88th percentile, which is excellent, and the display itself is in the 93rd. But the overall picture quality score? A head-scratching 47th percentile. That means a lot of other TVs in our database are scoring higher for pure image processing. The XR processor is smart, but in real-world viewing, it doesn't seem to push color and contrast as aggressively as some competitors. It's still a great picture, just not the knockout we anticipated from Sony.

Performance Percentiles

Hdr 92.9
Audio 73.3
Smart 92
Gaming 94.9
Display 95.6
Connectivity 99
Social Proof 97.6
Picture Quality 43

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Strong connectivity (99th percentile) 99th
  • Strong social proof (98th percentile) 98th
  • Strong display (96th percentile) 96th
  • Strong gaming (95th percentile) 95th

Cons

The Word on the Street

4.8/5 (304 reviews)
👍 Owners are blown away by the OLED picture, calling the colors vibrant and the blacks incredibly deep.
🤔 Many people love the TV but immediately note the built-in sound is weak, making a soundbar a mandatory purchase.
👎 A common frustration is with HDMI ARC/eARC setup and getting the TV remote to control older or third-party audio gear.

Specifications

Full Specifications

Display

Size 77"
Resolution 3840 (4K UHD)
Panel Type OLED
Backlight 4K HDR
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Curved No
Year 2025

Picture Quality

Contrast Ratio Near Infinite (Black Pixels Emit
Color Gamut Not Specified by Manufacturer
Motion Tech XR OLED Motion technology
Processor Cognitive Processor XR

HDR

HDR Formats Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
Dolby Vision Yes
HDR10+ No
HLG Yes

Gaming

Refresh Rate 120 Hz
VRR VRR
ALLM Yes
Game Mode Yes

Smart TV

Platform Google TV
Voice Assistant Google Assistant
Screen Mirroring Miracast, Apple AirPlay 2

Audio

Dolby Atmos No
Surround Sound Dolby Surround, DTS, DTS Digital Surround, DTS-HD, DTS:X
eARC Yes

Connectivity

HDMI Ports 4
HDMI Version 2.1
USB Ports 2
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.3
Ethernet Yes
Optical Audio Yes
VESA Mount 300x300

Power & Size

Energy Star No
Weight 32.3 kg / 71.2 lbs

Value & Pricing

Prices are all over the place, ranging from $1798 to $2100. At the lower end of that spread, this TV is a solid deal, especially for gamers. At $2100, you're paying a premium for the Sony name and the OLED panel, but you might want to look at competitors that offer better pure picture quality for the money. Shop around, because that $302 difference is real.

Price History

New Refurbished
$1,200 $1,400 $1,600 $1,800 $2,000 $2,200 Mar 11Mar 28Apr 23 $2,098

vs Competition

This sits in a crowded field. The LG C5 Series OLED is its direct rival, often beating it on pure picture processing and offering better smart features with webOS. If movies are your main thing, the LG is probably the better choice. The Sony BRAVIA 9 Mini LED is Sony's own step-up model; it's brighter and has better HDR, but it's also more expensive and not OLED. For a budget-friendly alternative with great brightness, the Hisense U6 Series Mini-LED gets you a huge, bright picture for less, but you sacrifice the perfect blacks of OLED.

Spec Sony Bravia XR8B 77" 76.7" LG OLED evo - C5 series LG - 77" Class C5 Series OLED evo AI 4K UHD Smart Samsung Neo QLED Samsung - 65” Class QN80F Series Neo QLED Mini LED Hisense U65QF Mini-LED Hisense - 75" Class U6 Series MiniLED QLED UHD 4K TCL QD Mini LED - QM6K TCL - 85" Class QM6K Series 4K UHD HDR QD Mini LED Roku Mini-LED QLED 4K - Pro Roku - 65" Class Pro Series 4K QLED Mini-LED Smart
Screen Size 77 77 65 75 85 65
Resolution 3840x2160 3840x2160 3840x2160 3840x2160 4K (2160p) 3840x2160
Panel Type OLED OLED Neo QLED MiniLED MiniLED MiniLED
Refresh Rate 120 120 120 144 144 120
Hdr Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG HDR10+, HLG Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG
Smart Platform Google TV webOS Tizen Fire TV Google TV Roku TV
Dolby Vision true true false true true true
Dolby Atmos false true true true true true
Hdmi Version 2.1 2.1 - 2.1 2.1 2.1
Compare Compare Compare Compare Compare
Product HdrAudioSmartGamingDisplayConnectivitySocial ProofPicture Quality
Sony Bravia XR8B 77" 76.7" 92.973.39294.995.69997.643
LG OLED evo - C5 series 77" Class C5 Series Compare 92.990.495.399.995.698.699.543
Samsung Neo QLED 65” Class Series Neo Compare 89.990.496.692.88092.497.686
Hisense U65QF Mini-LED 75" Class U6 Series MiniLED Compare 98.890.493.896.56997.297.697.1
TCL QD Mini LED - QM6K 85" Class QM6K Series Compare 96.590.498.698.437.29694.386
Roku Mini-LED QLED 4K - Pro 65" Class Pro Series Compare 96.590.492.597.462.39998.886

Common Questions

Q: What's the difference between the XR8 and XR8B?

Honestly, it's often just a retailer-specific model number. The specs and performance are identical. Don't sweat the letter.

Q: Will my old 4K@60Hz AV receiver ruin the picture if I run this TV through it?

Yes, you'll bottleneck it. You'll lose 120Hz gaming and might not get the full HDR signal. For the best experience, connect your game console or streaming box directly to the TV and use eARC to send audio back to your receiver.

Q: Can the remote control a Bose soundbar?

It should, via HDMI-CEC. It's a bit finicky to set up sometimes, but once paired, the TV remote can usually handle power and volume for most soundbars, Bose included.

Who Should Skip This

If you're a pure cinephile chasing the absolute best HDR pop and shadow detail, this isn't your champion. Go get the LG C5 OLED instead. And if you hate buying extra gear, skip this too, because you'll need a soundbar the day it arrives.

Verdict

We recommend the Sony XR8B if you're a gamer first and a movie watcher second. Its combination of OLED response, high refresh rate, and Sony's reliable motion tech makes it a fantastic living room centerpiece for a PS5 or Xbox Series X. If your primary goal is the absolute best cinematic picture quality for film buffs, you should look at the LG C5 or step up to the Sony BRAVIA 9. This is a great TV, but it's specialized.