Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

Sony X95J TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.9
Reviewed Sep 09, 2021 at 10:45 am
Latest change: Retest Oct 12, 2023 at 08:20 am
Sony X95J Picture
8.4
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.6
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.3
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.0
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.7
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.4
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.6
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
8.3
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
This TV was replaced by the Sony X95K

The Sony X95J is a 4k TV with an LED backlight and full-array local dimming feature. Released as part of Sony's 2021 BRAVIA XR lineup, it's Sony's flagship 4k LED model and replaces the Sony X950H. It delivers an impressive experience, with excellent peak brightness in HDR, an amazing local dimming feature, and amazing gradient handling. Like many flagship LED-backlit models from different brands, it has an additional filter layer that improves viewing angles, but this comes at the expense of contrast, which is a bit low for a VA TV. Like the Sony X90J, it can't quite display a wide color gamut, but we don't expect most people to notice this. It also supports variable refresh rate technology, for a nearly tear-free gaming experience.

Our Verdict

8.4 Mixed Usage

The Sony X95J is a great TV for most uses. It's a great TV for watching movies in both SDR and HDR, as it's bright and has good contrast. It's bright enough to overcome glare, and it has surprisingly fair viewing angles, making it a very good choice for watching sports. Gamers will appreciate its low input lag, great response time, HDMI 2.1 support, and has variable refresh rate (VRR) support, but it doesn't support FreeSync.

Pros
  • Bright enough to overcome glare.
  • Huge selection of streaming apps.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
Cons
  • Some uniformity issues in dark scenes.
8.6 Movies

The Sony X95J is a great TV for watching movies in a dark room. It has a good contrast ratio, and the amazing local dimming feature helps to improve dark room performance. It upscales lower resolution content well and has a huge selection of apps if you like to stream movies. It can remove judder from any source, but there's some noticeable stutter when watching movies.

Pros
  • Amazing local dimming feature.
  • Can remove judder from any source.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
Cons
  • Some noticeable stutter in low frame rate content.
  • Some uniformity issues in dark scenes.
8.3 TV Shows

The Sony X95J is an impressive TV for watching TV shows during the day. It has excellent reflection handling and gets bright enough to easily overcome glare in a bright room. There's a huge selection of streaming apps, so you're sure to find your favorite shows, and it upscales older content well. Although it has surprisingly fair viewing angles, it's not the best choice if you like to move around the house with the TV on.

Pros
  • Bright enough to overcome glare.
  • Huge selection of streaming apps.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
Cons
  • Image degrades at a moderate angle.
8.0 Sports

The Sony X95J is a very good TV for watching sports in a bright room. It gets plenty bright enough to overcome glare, and it has excellent reflection handling. It has a great response time, so you can see what's going and not just a blurry mess in fast-paced sports. Although the viewing angle is fair, it's not the best choice for a wide seating area. Unfortunately, it has just decent gray uniformity, and there are some uniformity issues on our unit.

Pros
  • Bright enough to overcome glare.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
  • Great response time.
Cons
  • Image degrades at a moderate angle.
8.7 Video Games

The Sony X95J is an excellent TV for playing video games. It has a great response time, with very little blur behind fast-moving objects, and it has outstanding low input lag. It's also future-proof, with two HDMI 2.1 inputs for next-gen consoles or a PC. It supports VRR technology to reduce screen tearing once you update it to the latest firmware, but it doesn't support FreeSync.

Pros
  • Amazing local dimming feature.
  • Outstanding low input lag.
  • Bright enough to overcome glare.
  • HDMI 2.1 support.
  • Great response time.
  • HDMI Forum VRR support and G-SYNC compatibility.
Cons
  • No FreeSync support.
  • Some uniformity issues in dark scenes.
8.4 HDR Movies

The Sony X95J is a very good TV for watching HDR movies in a dark room. It has good contrast and an amazing local dimming feature. It has excellent peak brightness in HDR, so bright highlights stand out. Unfortunately, there are some uniformity issues in dark scenes, and it can't display a wide color gamut, but this likely isn't very noticeable for most people.

Pros
  • Amazing local dimming feature.
  • Can remove judder from any source.
  • Excellent peak brightness in HDR.
  • HDMI Forum VRR support and G-SYNC compatibility.
Cons
  • Some noticeable stutter in low frame rate content.
  • Can't quite display a wide color gamut.
  • Some uniformity issues in dark scenes.
8.6 HDR Gaming

The Sony X95J delivers an excellent gaming experience in HDR. It has a great response time, resulting in clear motion. It has low input lag for a responsive gaming experience. It has excellent peak brightness in HDR, so bright highlights stand out. Although it has good contrast, it has just okay black uniformity, and there are some noticeable uniformity issues in dark scenes. It supports VRR technology, which helps reduce screen tearing when gaming.

Pros
  • Amazing local dimming feature.
  • Outstanding low input lag.
  • HDMI 2.1 support.
  • Excellent peak brightness in HDR.
  • Great response time.
Cons
  • No FreeSync support.
  • Can't quite display a wide color gamut.
  • Some uniformity issues in dark scenes.
8.3 PC Monitor

The Sony X95J is a great TV for use as a PC monitor. It has excellent reflection handling and amazing peak brightness, so it can easily overcome glare in a bright room. It supports most common resolutions and can display chroma 4:4:4 properly in most of them, which is important for clear text. Unfortunately, although it has fair viewing angles, the edges of the screen might appear non-uniform if you're sitting too close.

Pros
  • Outstanding low input lag.
  • Bright enough to overcome glare.
  • HDMI 2.1 support.
  • Great response time.
Cons
  • Some uniformity issues in dark scenes.
  • 8.4 Mixed Usage
  • 8.6 Movies
  • 8.3 TV Shows
  • 8.0 Sports
  • 8.7 Video Games
  • 8.4 HDR Movies
  • 8.6 HDR Gaming
  • 8.3 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Oct 12, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  2. Updated Jul 09, 2023: Sadly, while trying to diagnose the uniformity issues this TV has developed, the LCD panel broke. We've added a note to the Accelerated Longevity Test section of the review with more details.
  3. Updated Jun 07, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  4. Updated Apr 03, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for four months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  5. Updated Mar 09, 2023: We retested the variable refresh rate feature with the latest firmware (PKG6.6070.0711NAA), confirming that VRR now works across the full refresh rate range.
  6. Updated Feb 06, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for two months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  7. Updated Dec 21, 2022: Unfortunately, our unit has developed a serious uniformity issue a few weeks into our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  8. Updated Dec 12, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.9, modifying our Contrast testing and splitting our local dimming testing into multiple sections covering Blooming, Black Crush, and Lighting Zone Transitions. You can see our full changelog here.
  9. Updated Nov 17, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.8, adding a new box for PQ EOTF tracking and updating our Color Volume and Color Gamut tests to better reflect real world usage. You can see our full changelog here.
  10. Updated Nov 17, 2022: We uploaded the initial brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  11. Updated Oct 26, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.7 with an updated HDR Brightness test that better reflects real world usage. We've also split the console compatibility boxes into separate PS5 Compatibility and Xbox Series X|S Compatibility tests. You can see our full changelog here.
  12. Updated Jun 30, 2022: Sony rolled out a new firmware for this TV, v6.5929, which enables local dimming in VRR mode. There's some flickering when navigating menus, but it works well overall.
  13. Updated Jun 14, 2022: Clarified that you can't enable VRR with local dimming.
  14. Updated Mar 04, 2022: Checked for VRR support after latest firmware update.
  15. Updated Nov 02, 2021: Filmed the local dimming videos again.
  16. Updated Oct 26, 2021: The pixel photo was incorrectly cropped.
  17. Updated Sep 20, 2021: We retested local dimming with a 4k @ 120Hz source, and we retested audio passthrough for DTS-X support.
  18. Updated Sep 09, 2021: There was a mistake in the motion interpolation results. This TV can interpolate from 60 to 120 FPS.
  19. Updated Sep 09, 2021: Review published.
  20. Updated Sep 07, 2021: Early access published.
  21. Updated Aug 23, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  22. Updated Aug 20, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  23. Updated Aug 14, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 75 inch Sony X95J Bravia XR TV (XB75X95J), and it's also available in a 65 inch and 85 inch size. We expect most of our results to be valid for the other sizes, but there are some slight differences in the 65 inch model.

Size US Model Reflective Layer Stand Positions
65" XR-65X95J N/A Standard & Soundbar
75" XR-75X95J X-Anti Reflection layer  Standard, Narrow, & Soundbar
85" XR-85X95J X-Anti Reflection layer Standard, Narrow, & Soundbar

If you come across a different type of panel or your Sony X95J doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like the gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.

Our unit was manufactured in July 2021; you can see the label here.

Compared To Other TVs

The Sony X95J is a great TV with an amazing local dimming feature. It delivers an impressive experience, but there are a few oddities that stand out as potential deal-breakers for some buyers.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs, the best 4k gaming TVs, and the best movie TVs.

Sony X90J
50" 55" 65" 75"

The Sony X95J is slightly better than the Sony X90J. The X95J has much better reflection handling, better viewing angles, and a better local dimming feature. The X95J is also much brighter, and small highlights stand out better in HDR. The X90J, on the other hand, has better native contrast and better black uniformity, with less cloudiness in dark scenes.

Samsung QN90A QLED
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

The Samsung QN90A QLED is better than the Sony X95J, but if you really care about an accurate movie experience, some people might prefer the Sony. The Samsung has much better black uniformity and better contrast, but the Sony has a better local dimming feature, despite the Mini LED backlight on the Samsung. On the other hand, some people might prefer the Sony for watching HDR movies, as it tracks the EOTF more accurately, and many people prefer the processing on Sony TVs.

Sony X95K
65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95K is the newer model of the Sony X95J, and it's a noticeable improvement. The X95K uses a new Mini LED backlight, delivering much brighter highlights and finer control of the local dimming zones. The X95K also has significantly better colors and can display a much wider color gamut with HDR content.

Sony X90K/X90CK
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95J is higher-end than the Sony X90K/X90CK, meaning it provides better picture quality. If you want the best picture quality, especially for a wide seating arrangement, the X95J is the better choice because it has a wider viewing angle and better local dimming. However, if you want to spend a bit less, the X90K is also a great choice for dark room viewing because it has a better native contrast ratio, so blacks look deeper.

Sony X950H
49" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95J is a bit of a downgrade from the Sony X950H in some ways. The X95J has a much better local dimming feature, but the X950H has better black uniformity and better contrast. The X95J is a bit better for gaming, though, with two HDMI 2.1 ports and VRR support.

Sony X900H
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95J is slightly better than the Sony X900H. The X95J has better reflection handling, a significantly improved local dimming feature, and better viewing angles. The X900H we tested has better uniformity, but this can vary between units. The X95J is also significantly brighter, especially in HDR, and delivers a more impactful HDR experience.

Sony X85J
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95J is much better than the Sony X85J. The X95J has an excellent full array local dimming feature, whereas the X85J has no local dimming. The X95J also has much better reflection handling, a wider viewing angle thanks to the 'X-Wide Angle' layer, and much higher peak brightness.

Sony X950G
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95J is a bit better than the Sony X950G. The X95J has a much better local dimming feature and better viewing angles. It's also a bit better for gaming, as it supports HDMI 2.1 and has VRR support after a firmware update. The X950G, on the other hand, has better contrast and better black uniformity.

Sony A80J OLED
55" 65" 77"

The Sony A80J OLED and the Sony X95J use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The A80J uses an OLED panel, which delivers true inky blacks with perfect black uniformity, whereas the X95J uses an LED backlight. The X95J is a lot brighter, but the A80J has better dark room performance, better uniformity, and better viewing angles. The A80J also has a nearly instantaneous response time, so it's a better choice for gamers.

Sony A90J OLED
55" 65" 83"

The Sony A90J OLED and the Sony X95J use different panel types, each with strengths and weaknesses. The A90J uses an OLED panel, which delivers true inky blacks with perfect black uniformity, whereas the X95J uses an LED backlight. The X95J is a lot brighter, but the A90J has better dark room performance, better uniformity, and better viewing angles. The A90J also has a nearly instantaneous response time, so it's a better choice for gamers.

LG QNED90
65" 75" 86"

The Sony X95J is much better than the LG QNED90. The Sony has a much higher contrast ratio and a better full array local dimming feature, resulting in much deeper blacks in a dark room and better picture quality overall. The Sony is also a lot brighter and has better reflection handling, meaning it can handle more glare in a bright room.

LG C2 OLED
42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The Sony X95J and the LG C2 OLED use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The Sony looks good in a dark room, but it excels in a bright viewing environment, as it's considerably brighter than the LG, and bright highlights stand out better. On the other hand, the LG uses an OLED panel, which delivers deep inky blacks in a dark room, with no blooming around bright objects and perfect black uniformity.

LG C1 OLED
48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The LG C1 OLED and the Sony X95J use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses. The LG delivers a much better dark room viewing experience, as it has perfect uniformity with inky blacks. The LG is better for gaming, with a good selection of additional gaming features. On the other hand, some people might prefer the Sony for watching HDR movies, as it's much brighter, and many people prefer the processing on Sony TVs, although this isn't something we can test for at the moment.

Samsung QN90B QLED
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED is better than the Sony X95J for most users. The Samsung has better contrast and a wider viewing angle, and it's significantly brighter, so small highlights stand out much better in dark scenes. On the other hand, the Sony TV has better processing, with better gradient handling and better tone mapping, so it's a slightly better choice for cinephiles. The Sony also has a slightly better local dimming feature, especially in 'Game' Mode.

Sony X900F
49" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95J is better than the Sony X900F. The X95J has a much better local dimming feature, better viewing angles, and slightly better reflection handling. The X95J is also much better for gaming, as it has significantly lower input lag, it supports HDMI 2.1, and it also has VRR support to reduce screen tearing.

Samsung QN85A QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN85A QLED and the Sony X95J use different panel types, each with strengths and weaknesses. The Samsung has better viewing angles and higher peak brightness, so it's a better choice for a bright room or a wide seating area. The Sony looks much better in a dark room, as it has a much better local dimming feature and better contrast.

Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED is better than the Sony X95J. The Samsung has better contrast, better reflection handling, and better viewing angles. The Samsung is better for gaming as it has lower input lag for a more responsive feel. The Sony has a better local dimming feature, and many people prefer Sony's picture processing system.

Sony X91J
85"

The Sony X95J and the Sony X91J are both great TVs. The X95J sits higher up in the lineup, so it's a bit better in a few areas, like its superior local dimming feature and higher peak brightness, especially in HDR. The X95J also has wider viewing angles thanks to Sony's 'X-Wide Angle' technology, but that means the X90J has a better native contrast ratio. The X95J is a better choice to use in well-lit rooms because it also has much better reflection handling. While the X91J is only available in an 85 inch size, the X95J is available in 65 and 75 inches, as well as 85 inches.

Samsung QN85B QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95J is better than the Samsung QN85B QLED overall. The X95J has much better native contrast, resulting in better black uniformity with less blooming around bright objects in dark scenes, and it has a slightly better local dimming feature. The Sony also has much better reflection handling, so it's a better choice for a bright room. On the other hand. While the Sony only supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on two ports, the Samsung TV supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports, so it's a bit more versatile, especially if you have multiple game consoles or a recent PC.

Hisense U8G
55" 65"

The Hisense U8G is a bit better than the Sony X95J. The Hisense has better contrast and much better black uniformity. The Hisense is also much better for gaming, as it has lower input lag. On the other hand, the Sony has higher peak brightness, a better local dimming feature, and a better viewing angle.

TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED
55" 65" 75"

The Sony X95J and the TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED are both great LED TVs. The Sony is a flagship model with Sony's 'X-Wide Angle' technology that allows it to have much better viewing angles than on the TCL. Even though the TCL has Mini LED backlighting, the local dimming is much better on the Sony because it improves the picture quality in dark scenes. Each TV has HDMI 2.1 inputs for gaming, but the TCL has lower input lag.

Hisense U9DG
75"

The Sony X95J and the Hisense U9DG have different strengths and weaknesses, so the best one depends on your usage. The X95J has much better motion handling, so it's a better choice for gaming or watching sports. The Hisense has better contrast and a slightly better local dimming feature, so it's a bit better in some ways for watching movies. On the other hand, the Sony has better processing, and it's a lot brighter in HDR, so it's a better choice if you care about an accurate image when watching movies.

+ Show more

Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The Sony X95J has a very nice design, with a flat metal border that goes around the screen, delivering a more premium feel than the Sony X90J. It has a very clean look, with panels that cover the inputs on the back, but there's no real cable management.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures

Unfortunately, a few weeks into our longevity test, this TV developed a serious uniformity issue. The left side of the screen is noticeably brighter and discolored compared to the right side of the screen.

We dismantled our unit to find the source of the uniformity issues. After inspecting the main board, electronics, and LEDs, we determined that the issue was likely in the LCD panel itself and not a backlight failure, as we initially suspected. Sadly, while trying to dismantle the LCD stack, it broke, and we're unable to repair it. This TV has now been removed from the longevity test, as we can't repair it and add it back to the test.

Design
Stand

The feet are very small but support the TV well, with just a bit of wobble. You can attach the feet in three different positions on the 75 inch and 85 inch models. The photo shown here is in the narrow position, but there's also a wide position that offers better support (but requires a larger table), and a soundbar position that leaves enough room to place a soundbar in front of the TV without blocking the picture. Note that the narrow position shown here isn't available on the 65 inch model.

The footprint of the 75 inch model we bought varies depending on the position the feet are installed in. The height listed here is from the top surface of the table to the bottom of the screen and represents the tallest soundbar you can place in front without blocking the screen.

PositionWidthDepthHeight
Narrow 24.1" 15.4" 1.7"
Wide 65.5" 15.4" 1.3"
Soundbar 65.5" 15.4" 3.6"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 300x300

The back of the TV has a nice textured panel that looks great. There are plastic covers that hide the inputs and attachment points for the feet, but no real cable management.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.35" (0.9 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 2.40" (6.1 cm)
8.5
Design
Build Quality

The Sony X95J has excellent build quality. The stand supports the display well but still wobbles. The plastic used in the back panel seems well-built, but there's some flex to them. The metal border around the display seems well-built, with no noticeable issues.

Picture Quality
9.0
Picture Quality
Contrast
Contrast
37,691 : 1
Native Contrast
2,853 : 1

The Sony X95J has good contrast. Native contrast with local dimming disabled is lower than usual for a VA panel, likely due to the X-Wide Angle filter, but this can also vary between individual units. The local dimming feature is extremely effective at boosting contrast but struggles with the checkerboard pattern used. With a half white/half black screen, we measured a contrast ratio with local dimming of 8916:1. With alternating full white/full black screens, we measured a contrast ratio of 22489:1 with local dimming enabled. Although the posted measurements are good, in practice with real content, this TV looks much better than these numbers suggest.

8.0
Picture Quality
Blooming
8.5
Picture Quality
Black Crush
7.5
Picture Quality
Lighting Zone Transitions
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array
Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
84
8.5
Picture Quality
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

The local dimming feature performs identically in Game Mode. There's no difference in blooming or zone transitions, and there's still almost no black crush and very little noticeable blooming with real content.

8.8
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
662 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
927 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,046 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,082 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
669 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
603 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
890 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,014 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,057 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
668 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
601 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.034

The Sony X95J has amazing peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to overcome glare in almost any room. Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of variation in peak brightness between different scenes, but this shouldn't be very noticeable with regular content.

We measured the SDR brightness after calibration in the 'Custom' Picture Mode, with Brightness at max, Contrast at '90', Color Tone set to 'Expert 1', Auto Local Dimming set to 'High', and Peak Luminance set to 'High'.

If you want a brighter image and don't mind losing image accuracy, set the Picture Mode to 'Vivid', Contrast to max, and Color Temperature to 'Cool'. We reached 1095 cd/m² in the 25% window with these settings.

We also tested the SDR brightness with Peak Luminance disabled. Turning it off makes the real scene brightness drop to 442 cd/m². It's more consistent, with most windows measuring between 470 cd/m² and 536 cd/m², but there's some frame dimming in the 2% windows, with both peak and sustained measuring around 410 cd/m².

8.1
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
530 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
407 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
222 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
883 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
972 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,084 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
646 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
584 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
845 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
929 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,056 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
645 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
583 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.033

The Sony X95J has excellent peak brightness in HDR. Small specular highlights in some scenes really stand out, and it's bright enough to deliver an impactful HDR experience, close to the content creator's intent in most scenes. If you want a TV with even higher peak brightness, then look into its replacement, the Sony X95K.

We measured the HDR brightness in the 'Custom' Picture Mode with Brightness at max, Contrast at '90', Color Tone set to 'Expert 2', HDR Tone Mapping set to 'Gradation Preferred', and Auto Local Dimming and Peak Luminance set to 'High'.

With Peak Luminance disabled, the brightness drops considerably, with all windows measuring between 562 cd/m² and 649 cd/m², except the 2% peak and sustained windows, which are around 497 cd/m² and 491 cd/m², respectively.

8.1
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
533 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
392 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
232 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
879 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
969 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,075 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
645 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
584 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
839 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
926 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,050 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
645 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
583 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.033

There's a slight decrease in peak brightness in HDR with Game Mode enabled. With test slides, Game Mode appears to be slightly less bright, so it's not just a margin of error difference, but it's not a significant difference.

9.7
Picture Quality
PQ EOTF Tracking
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0020
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0021
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0022

It tracks the EOTF perfectly, so content is displayed at the correct brightness level. As the TV approaches its peak brightness, there's a sharp cutoff and actually a slight dip in peak brightness, so there can be a small loss of fine details in really bright scenes. Near-black scenes are displayed properly, with no noticeable black crush.

8.8
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit
Red (Std. Dev.)
0.067
Green (Std. Dev.)
0.089
Blue (Std. Dev.)
0.055
Gray (Std. Dev.)
0.120

The Sony X95J has amazing gradient handling. There's some banding in darker shades of gray and green, but it's not very noticeable. There's a smooth gradation feature that can significantly reduce banding on the 'Medium' or 'High' setting; we don't recommend leaving it enabled, as it causes a loss of fine details.

7.4
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.002%
50% DSE
0.200%
5% Std. Dev.
0.365%
5% DSE
0.087%

The Sony X95J has decent overall gray uniformity, but this can vary between individual units. The sides of the screen are a bit darker than the center, and there's some noticeable dirty screen effect, which can be distracting when watching sports or browsing the web. In near-dark scenes, the uniformity is much better, with no noticeable issues.

6.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Std. Dev.
1.898%
Native Std. Dev.
1.222%

Unfortunately, the Sony X95J has just okay black uniformity. The screen is a bit cloudy with local dimming disabled, which is disappointing from a VA panel, but this can vary between units. Enabling local dimming removes all of the cloudiness, but there's still a bit of blooming around the test cross due to the relatively large size of the dimming zones.

6.7
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
41°
Color Shift
38°
Brightness Loss
50°
Black Level Raise
41°
Gamma Shift
17°

The Sony X95J has surprisingly fair viewing angles for a TV with a VA panel, thanks to Sony's X-Wide Viewing Angle layer. At moderate angles, the screen looks washed out a bit, as brightness fades and colors wash out, but most people shouldn't have any issues with it.

8.7
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
2.6%
Indirect Reflections
1.6%
Calculated Direct Reflections
0.9%

The Sony X95J we bought has excellent reflection handling. The anti-reflective coating on the 75 inch model disperses bright lights across the screen, significantly reducing their intensity but creating a rainbow pattern that can be distracting in some cases. The 85 inch model has the same reflective coating, so we expect it to perform about the same, but the 65 inch model doesn't, so we expect it to have worse reflection handling.

8.4
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
2.48
Color dE
1.72
Gamma
2.18
Color Temperature
6,677 K
Picture Mode
Custom
Color Temp Setting
Expert 1
Gamma Setting
0

Before calibration, the Sony X95J we bought has impressive accuracy. Gamma follows our target almost perfectly, and the color temperature is very close to our target. The white balance is great overall, but some brighter scenes are a bit off. Colors are excellent, but all colors are undersaturated a bit. This can vary between units, but Sony TVs are generally pretty accurate out of the box.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.28
Color dE
1.06
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,508 K
White Balance Calibration
10 point
Color Calibration
Yes

After calibration, the Sony X95J has nearly perfect accuracy. Any remaining issues with the white balance aren't noticeable without a colorimeter, gamma is still almost perfect, and the color temperature is nearly perfect. We couldn't improve color accuracy very much, but most colors aren't undersaturated anymore and any remaining issues aren't noticeable.

You can see our recommended settings here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

480p content, like DVDs, is upscaled well, with no noticeable issues.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content, including from a cable box, is upscaled well with no noticeable issues.

9.0
Picture Quality
1080p Input

1080p content looks almost as good as native 4k.

10
Picture Quality
4k Input

Native 4k content is displayed perfectly, with no subpixel dithering or other noticeable issues.

0
Picture Quality
8k Input

This is a 4k TV, it can't display an 8k signal.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Subpixel Layout
BGR
Type LED
Sub-Type
VA

The Sony X95J uses a BGR subpixel layout. It doesn't affect picture quality, but it can cause blurry text in some applications when using it as a PC monitor. You can read more about it here.

7.7
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
86.83%
DCI P3 uv
89.20%
Rec 2020 xy
64.15%
Rec 2020 uv
68.15%

The Sony X95J has a good color gamut, but like the Sony X90J, it can't quite display a wide color gamut. We're not sure why these two TVs behave this way, but in a side-by-side comparison with a TV with a wider color gamut, the difference is noticeable with test slides. In real content the different isn't that noticeable, though. We also did a check with a 50% stimulus instead of our usual 75% slide:

With a 50% stimulus the X95J can display a wide color gamut, but the difference isn't significant. For consistency with our other TV reviews, the official results are with the 75% stimulus. Even though it falls short of what we consider to be a wide color gamut, unless you're comparing two displays side-by-side, most people won't notice the difference.

8.1
Picture Quality
Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
78.5%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
36.1%
White Luminance
873 cd/m²
Red Luminance
164 cd/m²
Green Luminance
580 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
57 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
679 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
249 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
800 cd/m²

The Sony X95J has decent color volume. It's limited by the incomplete color gamut, as it can't display the full range of colors in either DCI P3 or Rec. 2020.

Motion
8.3
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
3.5 ms
100% Response Time
11.7 ms

The Sony X95J has a great response time. Like most VA panels on the market, it's significantly slower to transition out of dark scenes, so some black smearing is noticeable in certain content. There's very little blur behind fast-moving objects in most scenes.

9.5
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
720 Hz

Unfortunately, like most Sony TVs on the market, the backlight isn't quite flicker-free. It flickers at a high frequency in all picture modes and at all backlight settings, so it shouldn't bother most people.

Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
120 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
No
120Hz For 120 fps
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
120 Hz

The Sony X95J has an optional backlight strobing feature that can improve the appearance of motion at the expense of peak brightness. Unfortunately, it can only flicker at 120Hz, even when playing 60Hz content, which can cause noticeable duplications in motion. Our scoring is based only on the flicker frequencies supported and doesn't indicate how well the backlight strobing feature works.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

Update 09/09/2021: There was a mistake in the motion interpolation results. This TV can interpolate from 60 to 120 FPS.

The Sony X95J has an optional motion interpolation feature to improve the appearance of motion. It works well in slower scenes, but there are significant artifacts around fast-moving objects. Like the Sony X90J, we noticed glitches and issues in some content.

7.2
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
29.9 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
4.9 ms

Due to the relatively fast response time of the Sony X95J, there's some stutter when watching low frame rate content like movies. This is especially noticeable in slow panning shots.

10
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The Sony X95J can remove judder from all sources. For native 24p sources, like a Blu-ray player or some external video players, no additional settings are required. For sources that can only send a 60p/60i signal and for the native apps, additional settings are required.

9.4
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
4k VRR Maximum
120 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1440p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1440p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR + Local Dimming Yes

The Sony X95J has a variable refresh rate feature to reduce screen tearing when gaming. The VRR feature works across the TV's entire refresh rate range, and it supports Low Framerate Compensation (LFC), so even if your frame rate drops low, it'll remain nearly tear-free. It supports HDMI Forum VRR, meaning it can take full advantage of the Xbox Series X, PS5, or any recent NVIDIA graphics card, but it still doesn't work properly with AMD graphics cards.

Inputs
9.2
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
17.9 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
161.1 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
9.8 ms
1080p @ 144Hz
N/A
1440p @ 60Hz
17.7 ms
1440p @ 120Hz
N/A
1440p @ 144Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
17.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
17.8 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
17.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
144.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
137.0 ms
4k @ 120Hz
9.6 ms
4k @ 144Hz
N/A
8k @ 60Hz
N/A

Update 03/04/2022: Sony released an update to include VRR support with firmware PKG6.5660.0668NAA. However, we couldn't get proper VRR input lag readings because the TV kept crashing. We experienced the same issue with other TVs like the Sony X90J, and we're looking into it.

The Sony X95J has outstanding low input lag, as long as you're in the 'Game' Picture Mode. Outside of Game Mode, or with motion interpolation enabled, the input lag is too high for most gamers.

9.3
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 144Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes (forced resolution required)
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 144Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
Resolution 4k
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 144Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

The Sony X95J supports most common resolutions natively. 1440p requires a forced resolution for 60Hz, but even then, it can't display chroma 4:4:4 properly, so text looks blurry from a PC. It displays 4:4:4 properly in all of the other formats we tested, which is important for clear text.

Some recent Sony TVs, including the Sony X85J, haven't been able to display a 4k @ 120Hz signal with proper chroma 4:4:4, even from an HDMI 2.1 source. We tried to reproduce the issue on the X95J, but as far as we can tell, there's no blur when displaying 4k @ 120Hz on this TV. We tested this from an RTX 3080 and double-checked with a PS5 and Xbox Series X, both on the home screen and in a few games that support 4k @ 120Hz, and there isn't any problem.

Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

Update 03/04/2022: The Sony X95J now supports both VRR and ALLM with the Xbox Series X after a firmware update (PKG6.5660.0668NAA).

The Sony X95J supports most features of the PS5 and Xbox Series X. It doesn't support 4k @ 120Hz with Dolby Vision, so you have to decide between 4k @ 120Hz or 4k @ 60Hz in Dolby Vision. The supported formats from an Xbox vary depending on the HDMI Signal Format selected. Setting it to 'Enhanced Format (Dolby Vision)' limits the supported features, and blocks the TV from accepting a 4k @ 120Hz signal.

Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
No
Dolby Vision
Yes
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 3,4)
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
ATSC Tuner
3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
USB 3.0
Yes (1)
Variable Analog Audio Out Yes
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

The Sony X95J has two HDMI 2.1 ports, but one of them is also the eARC port, so if you're planning on connecting a receiver or soundbar over eARC, you'll only be able to take full advantage of one next-gen console.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 3
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 1
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 1 (adapter required, not incl.)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 1
Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC
Yes (HDMI 3)
eARC support
Yes
Dolby Atmos via TrueHD via eARC
Yes
DTS:X via DTS-HD MA via eARC
Yes
5.1 Dolby Digital via ARC
Yes
5.1 DTS via ARC
Yes
5.1 Dolby Digital via Optical
Yes
5.1 DTS via Optical
Yes

Update 09/20/2021: We retested the audio passthrough over eARC. DTS-X is working properly, but the Sound mode sync setting has to be enabled for it to work.

The Sony X95J supports all of the high-end audio formats, and can supports passthrough to supported audio receivers or soundbars through ARC or eARC.

Sound Quality
7.2
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
95.14 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.46 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.78 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.72 dB
Max
91.7 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
5.07 dB

The Sony X95J has a decent frequency response. Like most TVs, it lacks thump or rumble in its bass response. The frequency response is balanced above the low-frequency extension, resulting in clear dialogue. It can get very loud, which is good for large or noisy environments, although there's some compression when playing at max volume. There's a digital room correction feature that tunes the frequency response to best suit your rooms' acoustics.

7.3
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.196
Weighted THD @ Max
3.117
IMD @ 80
3.73%
IMD @ Max
1.43%

The Sony X95J has decent distortion performance. The amount of total harmonic distortion is low at moderate volume levels but increases significantly near max volume. Note that the amount of distortion present varies depending on the content, and some people may not hear it.

Note: Our distortion measurements show that there's less intermodular distortion at max volume. This is unexpected and doesn't match what we hear from the TV. We checked these results three times, and they were consistent. We're not sure why this is, but it's most likely an issue with our testing or room setup. We're looking into it, and we'll update the review if we can identify the issue.

Smart Features
8.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Google TV
Version 10
Ease of Use
Average
Smoothness
Very Smooth
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
2 s
Advanced Options
Many

Like other 2021 Sony TVs, the Sony X95J runs on Google TV, which is mainly a cosmetic upgrade over the previous Android TV interface. It's fairly easy to use and runs very smoothly. We didn't notice any issues or bugs with the interface during testing.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Unfortunately, there are ads throughout the main page and in the app store, and they can't be disabled.

9.0
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Very Smooth
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

The built-in Google Play Store has a massive selection of apps, so you're sure to find your favorite streaming service. It also has built-in Chromecast and Apple AirPlay support, so you can cast from pretty much any mobile device.

8.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Large
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
No
Remote App Android TV

The included remote is sleek and easy to use. There are quick-access buttons for a few streaming services and a built-in mic for voice control. The TV also has its own built-in mic. Voice control can be used to change inputs, open apps, search for basic information online, and even change some of the TV's settings.

Smart Features
TV Controls

Unlike most recent Sony TVs, the power button is no longer located under the center bezel. Instead, it's on the back of the TV near the inputs. Below the inputs on the same panel, there's also a switch that disables the built-in mic.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Remote
  • Batteries
  • Cable tie
  • Manuals

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 95 W
Power Consumption (Max) 164 W
Firmware PKG6.3641.0455NAA