The Sony X80K/X80CK is an entry-level TV in Sony's 2022 lineup. It replaces the Sony X80J and sits between the Sony X75K and the Sony X85K. Compared to the higher-end models, it's bare in terms of features as it lacks any variable refresh rate (VRR) support and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it's limited to a 60Hz panel in all available sizes except the 85-inch version. Still, it comes with the same Google TV interface as the other Sony TVs, and it's compatible with Sony's proprietary TV webcam, so you can use it to make video calls or for hands-free gestures. Its remote has a built-in mic for voice control, letting you use various voice commands. Its picture processing capabilities are powered by Sony's entry-level 4k HDR Processor X1, and the TV offers a few motion enhancement features powered by Sony's 4K X-Reality PRO processor.
Our Verdict
The Sony X80K is okay overall. It's a good TV for watching sports or TV shows in wide seating areas due to its wide viewing angle, so the image stays consistent when viewed from the sides. It also has decent reflection handling and SDR peak brightness, so it's fine for rooms with a few lights around. However, it isn't good for watching movies or for gaming in dark rooms because it has a low contrast ratio and lacks a local dimming feature. Its HDR performance is also sub-par, as it has a low HDR peak brightness.
- No issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
- Wide viewing angle.
- Fine for rooms with a few lights around.
- Low native contrast ratio.
- Lacks a local dimming feature.
- Not bright enough to fight intense glare from bright windows.
- Poor low-quality content smoothing.
The Sony X80K is decent for watching TV shows. The image looks consistent when viewed from the sides, thanks to its wide viewing angle, so it's a good choice for wide seating arrangements. It also has decent peak brightness and reflection handling, so it's fine for rooms with a few lights around, but it struggles in really bright rooms. It doesn't have any issues upscaling lower-resolution content, but as its low-quality content smoothing is poor, content from cable channels and DVDs have noticeable visual issues, like macro-blocking in dark scenes.
- No issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
- Wide viewing angle.
- Fine for rooms with a few lights around.
- Not bright enough to fight intense glare from bright windows.
- Poor low-quality content smoothing.
The Sony X80K is good for watching sports. It's a decent choice to use in well-lit rooms due to its decent reflection handling and peak brightness. It's also good if you want to watch the game in a wide seating area as it has a wide viewing angle, meaning the image stays consistent when you're watching off-center. The TV's gray uniformity is very good, so sports with large areas of bright uniform color, like hockey, are mostly free of any distracting dirty screen effect. It has a decent response time, but there's some blur behind fast-moving players or balls.
- No issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
- Wide viewing angle.
- Fine for rooms with a few lights around.
- Not bright enough to fight intense glare from bright windows.
- Some blur trail behind fast-moving objects.
- Poor low-quality content smoothing.
The Sony X80K is mediocre for gaming. It's an entry-level TV that lacks many gaming features, like variable refresh rate support or HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, meaning you can't use it for high-frame-rate gaming from a gaming PC, a PS5, or an Xbox Series X. Still, it has a low input lag for a responsive feel, but its response time is only decent, so faster motion looks a bit blurry.
- No issues upscaling lower-resolution content.
- Low input lag for responsive feel.
- Low native contrast ratio.
- Some blur trail behind fast-moving objects.
- No VRR support.
The Sony X80K is sub-par for watching HDR movies. Although it supports Dolby Vision and displays a wide color gamut, HDR content doesn't look good due to the TV's low contrast ratio. This means that blacks look gray in the dark, and it doesn't have a local dimming feature to improve its dark scene performance. Also, it has low HDR peak brightness, meaning that highlights don't pop the way they should.
- Not much stutter with low-frame-rate movies.
- Displays a wide range of colors.
- Only removes judder from native 24p sources.
- Low native contrast ratio.
- Lacks a local dimming feature.
- Disappointing black uniformity.
- Low HDR peak brightness.
- Poor low-quality content smoothing.
The Sony X80K is alright for HDR gaming, but it isn't anything special. It has low input lag for a responsive feel, but its response time is only decent, so fast-paced action in games is a bit blurry. Unfortunately, HDR content looks mediocre due to blacks looking gray in the dark, disappointing black uniformity, and the lack of a local dimming feature. Also, it has low HDR peak brightness, so highlights don't pop.
- Low input lag for responsive feel.
- Displays a wide range of colors.
- Low native contrast ratio.
- Lacks a local dimming feature.
- Some blur trail behind fast-moving objects.
- No VRR support.
- Low HDR peak brightness.
The Sony X80K is good as a PC monitor. The wide viewing angle means that the edges of the image remain consistent even when you're sitting close to the screen. Large areas of bright, uniform colors, like on a white webpage, look good due to the TV's good gray uniformity and minimal dirty screen effect. It also displays text well with 1080p and 4k signals as it displays proper chroma 4:4:4, and your mouse movements feel responsive thanks to the low input lag.
- Wide viewing angle.
- Fine for rooms with a few lights around.
- Low input lag for responsive feel.
- Displays proper chroma 4:4:4.
- Not bright enough to fight intense glare from bright windows.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 26, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 08, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Apr 17, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 11, 2025: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 65-inch Sony X80K, which is also available in 43, 50, 65, and 75-inch sizes. The results are valid for all models, but the 50-inch version may have a different panel type. Many of the 50-inch TVs have a VA panel, but it's also possible they still have an ADS panel, so if you have this model, let us know how it performs. There are also variants of the 55, 65, and 75 inch models with the model code Sony X80CK sold at Costco, which come with a three-year warranty and a one-year subscription to the Bravia Core Streaming service. In Europe, it's also called the X81K, depending on the size of the model. The 85-inch version of the TV is the only size variant that comes with a 120Hz panel.
| Size | US Model | Alternate Code | Panel Type | Refresh Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43" | KD-43X80K | ADS | 60Hz | |
| 50" | KD-50X80K | Unknown | ||
| 55" | KD-55X80K | KD55X80CK | ADS | 60Hz |
| 65" | KD-65X80K | KD65X80CK | ADS | 60Hz |
| 75" | KD-75X80K | KD75X80CK | ADS | 60Hz |
| 85" | KD-85X80K | KD85X80CK | ADS | 120Hz |
Our unit was manufactured in February 2022. You can see the label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Sony X80K is an okay overall TV, but there's nothing special about it versus other TVs. You can get higher-end Sony TVs like the Sony X85K or Sony X90K/X90CK, which have more gaming features. Other budget models from budget brands like Hisense and TCL also provide better value, like the Hisense U6/U6H or the TCL 4 Series/S455 2022. However, it's an adequate choice if you want something small to use as a PC monitor and you want a wide viewing angle, and it's better than some of the newer budget Sony TVs like the Sony X77L/X77CL.
Also, see our recommendations for the best TVs to use as PC monitors, the best smart TVs, and the best sports TVs.
The Sony X80K/X80CK is the replacement for the Sony X80J, and both TVs are nearly identical, with only a few differences between them. The X80J is a bit better in a few areas like its improved color accuracy and faster response time, but the X80K also has less stutter. The X80K comes with the updated version of the Sony remote, but it has the same voice control features as the remote with the X80J anyway.
The Sony BRAVIA 3 is a bit better than the Sony X80K/X80CK. The BRAVIA 3 is a bit brighter overall, so it fights more glare in a room with the lights on, and highlights stand out slightly more in HDR content. The BRAVIA 3 has better PQ EOTF tracking and pre-calibration accuracy, so it's more accurate in SDR and HDR. Finally, the BRAVIA 3 has significantly better low-quality content smoothing, so it does a better job at removing artifacts in low-bitrate content.
The Sony X90L/X90CL is better than the Sony X80K/X80CK. The X90L has a wider color gamut and better color volume that delivers more vibrant and lifelike colors, and it's a much brighter TV, so highlights stand out more in HDR content, and it can handle a lot more glare in a bright room while watching SDR content. Blacks are significantly deeper on the X90L due to its much higher contrast ratio and local dimming feature, and its faster response time means there is less blur behind quick motion. Finally, the X90L is better for gamers due to its HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for up to 4k @ 120Hz and VRR support.
The Sony X85K is a higher-end TV than the Sony X80K/X80CK, and it's better for most uses. If you're a gamer and tend to watch content in dark rooms, the X85K is the better choice as it has a higher native contrast ratio and more gaming features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. The X85K is also better for well-lit rooms as it gets brighter. However, the only advantage the X80K has is that it has a wider viewing angle, meaning the image remains consistent from the sides.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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