Sony BRAVIA 5 Sony BRAVIA 5 98" 4K HDR Smart Mini-LED TV Review

The Sony BRAVIA 5 98-inch Mini LED TV is a stunning, massive home theater centerpiece. It offers incredible brightness, excellent HDR performance, and a huge screen for a immersive experience. Just make sure you have the space and a dark room to get the most out of it.

If you're shopping for a 98-inch TV, you're not just buying a screen, you're buying a statement. The Sony BRAVIA 5 Mini LED is that statement, and it's a loud one. This massive 4K set uses a full-array Mini LED backlight with local dimming, driven by Sony's Cognitive Processor XR, to deliver a picture that aims for the home theater big leagues. It's packed with features like Dolby Vision HDR, a 120Hz panel for gaming, and Google TV built right in. With prices hovering around the $4,000 mark, it's a serious investment for a seriously big screen. People searching for a '98-inch TV' or a 'large screen Mini LED' are landing here, and for good reason—this is one of the flagship options in that ultra-niche category.

The numbers from our database back up the hype. This TV scores in the 94th percentile for HDR performance and the 90th for overall picture quality. That means it's brighter and has better contrast than almost any other TV we track. The Mini LED backlight with local dimming is the star, delivering those deep blacks and eye-searing highlights that make Dolby Vision content pop. The 120Hz refresh rate is solid for gaming, landing in the 84th percentile, so you'll get smooth motion in fast-paced games. While the audio performance is decent at the 80th percentile, let's be real: for a screen this size and at this price, you're going to want a proper soundbar or surround system to match the visual spectacle.

At roughly $4,000, the Sony BRAVIA 5 98-inch sits in a weird spot. It's not the most expensive giant TV out there, but it's also not a bargain. You're paying for the Sony brand, their excellent processing, and that massive Mini LED panel. If pure size is your goal, you might find slightly cheaper options from brands like Hisense or TCL, but they often trade blows in picture processing and brand reliability. This TV makes the most sense if you want a 'set it and forget it' flagship experience from a trusted name, and you have the room (and the friends) to show it off.

This isn't a crowded field, but there are a few key competitors. The most direct is probably the LG OLED evo AI G5 in a 97-inch size. The LG will have perfect blacks and better viewing angles, but the Sony will likely win in sheer brightness for HDR impact. Then you have value players like the Hisense U6 Series or TCL QM8, which offer Mini LED tech in smaller sizes for much less money, but you lose the sheer scale and some of Sony's processing polish. The Samsung Neo QLED is another bright Mini LED contender, but its 8K resolution is overkill for most. For a 98-inch screen, the BRAVIA 5's main battle is against the LG OLED: brightness versus perfect contrast.

Skip this TV if your living room is very bright with lots of windows—glare will be an issue. Also, if you're on a strict budget, a smaller high-end TV from Sony or another brand will give you better performance per dollar. And obviously, if you don't have a wall that can physically fit an 8-foot-wide television, this isn't for you. For a bright room, consider a Samsung Neo QLED. For a more balanced price-to-size ratio, look at 85-inch models from the same series.

So, should you buy this? If you have a dedicated media room, a blank wall begging to be filled, and a budget that can handle a $4,000 TV, then absolutely. The Sony BRAVIA 5 98-inch delivers a spectacular, bright, and detailed picture that makes movies and shows feel like an event. It's a purpose-built home theater monster. But if your room has lots of windows, if you're on a tighter budget, or if you just don't have a wall that can fit a screen nearly as wide as a king-size bed, then this is overkill. For most people, a great 75 or 85-inch TV will be more practical and save you a couple thousand dollars.