On today’s episode of You Asked: What does Sony plan to replace the Bravia 9, and should you still consider buying a Bravia 9 in 2026 compared to newer competition? And why does the image quality decrease in game mode?
What will replace the Sony Bravia 9 in 2026?
@willgatlin8229 asks: What will replace the Sony Bravia 9 in 2026?
That would be everything Sony has up its sleeve for its RGB backlit TV. The term “OLED killer” gets thrown around a lot, and who knows if that term fits that description, but I bet it will be among the top mini-LED options we see this year, probably called the Bravia 10.
Will it actually match OLED black level or get that close? We’ll see. But what makes me confident is how much time Sony had to work.
In recent years they have staggered their major releases. We saw the A95L QD-OLED in 2023, and their next QD-OLED only followed with the Bravia 8 Mark TWO in 2025. The same goes for Mini LED. The Bravia 9 was released back in 2024, and its successor will only arrive this year, 2026. And honestly, it doesn’t bother me, considering how much we’re constantly exposed to new things. Not to mention that Sony’s TVs, and indeed every brand’s high-end TVs, are so good now that we probably do NOT need new releases in every category every year. But I think that would be boring.
Anyway, I got off topic. I think Sony has taken the time to study the field a bit and see how they can make the Bravia 10 another banger. At least I hope so. In the meantime, however, the Bravia 9 is no problem and remains one of the best televisions on the market. Also, the price is relatively much cheaper than when it was released. If I was looking for a new TV and it fits my budget, it would be on my short list.
Why image quality drops in game mode
@tonygicz8 asks: Why do we lose image quality in game mode? I’ve tried everything and the colors stand out more in other TV picture modes than in gaming mode on a console or PC. I have a TCL QM6K.
One of the things that makes Game Mode optimal for gaming is fast input lag. Especially with first-person shooters and online gaming, you want to see what’s coming from the console or PC on your TV as quickly as possible. In order to achieve this and send the video signal quickly, the television switches off part of its image processing.
If you want the best in color and picture quality, the TV will have to do a little more work to make it shine. But these precious milliseconds can be fatal for gamers. Fatal in the sense of its online character.
If you don’t like the image and it’s probably a little cooler than you’d like, I’d recommend making a few game mode changes yourself. You can adjust the color by making changes to color temperature, hue, and saturation in the calibration settings. You can also make some brightness and contrast adjustments. Just be careful not to go too far lest you end up with an overly sharp, overly saturated, bright and crunchy image.
Sometimes you will even find that games have different modes that also affect the image quality. For example, Spiderman 2 can be played in Fidelity or Performance mode. Fidelity gives you a more detailed picture with more clarity and some nuances on different surfaces in the game. Performance mode, on the other hand, prioritizes frame rate stability, which can ensure smoother action scenes in combat and moving around the city.
No matter what game you play, you may want to check these settings and your console’s settings to find what works best for you.
Choose between TCL, Hisense and Sony TVs
@JustStay16 asks: I’m trying to decide between the 85-inch TCL QM8K for $2,000, the 98-inch TCL QM7K for $2,500, or the 100-inch Hisense U8Q or the 85-inch Sony Bravia 9, both of which are $3,000. They say: Which of these four would you choose? I’m torn. I want bigger since I’m coming from a 77 inch LG CX. However, my concern with Hisense and TCL, especially at 98 inches, is the loss of image quality and detail. Is there a noticeable difference to the Bravia 9?
I think there is a small noticeable difference when you put them all next to each other. But taken in their own right, they are all beautiful televisions.
Speaking of something noticeable, I’m more interested in you noticing the difference between 77 and 85. You mention wanting to go bigger, but will going to an 85 inch TV be as impactful as going to a 98 or 100? Probably not.
As long as you have the space and can handle a TV that dominates the room with its size, these extra-large TVs are a lot of fun and I think you’ll enjoy them. I would say go for the Hisense U8QG. Image quality, contrast and brightness are a step above the QM7K.
The only thing that worries me is that you’re assuming an OLED TV, and in this case I think the Bravia 9 comes close to that level of contrast and image processing.
Otherwise, go big. You will be blown away by everything you see. And a TV of the caliber of the U8QG does an excellent job of processing and upscaling. This means you get a clean image even at this particularly large size.
