Finding the right TV to pair with one of the best gaming consoles, such as the PlayStation 5, can be tricky given the sheer number of gaming TVs on the market. While factors like screen size, resolution, sound quality, and display technology should be considered, price should not be ignored, especially if you’re on a tight budget.
Fortunately, there are a handful of budget TVs that pair nicely with the PS5. The Sony Bravia 3 is one of them, and packs in many incredible features too. Despite being a relatively new model, it makes for a great offering within the capable, yet affordable TV market. Here’s why it might be the best display to complement the PS5 on a budget.
Sony 43-Inch Class 4K Ultra HD BRAVIA 3
$500 $600 Save $100
The Sony Bravia 3 is an amazing budget TV that’s excellent for gaming, streaming, and just about anything home entertainment. It features a native 4K display which renders crisp and life-like images that make each movie and gaming session feel enjoyable. The Bravia 3 is available in a variety of screen sizes, offering shoppers different options to choose from depending on their needs.
Comes With Exclusive PS5 Features
The PlayStation 5 is Sony’s current-gen console that promises high performance with realistic graphics. Finding a budget-friendly TV to pair with this console can be tricky due to the plethora of options on the market. However, the Bravia 3 is the best shot at PS5 gaming on a limited budget. Although it is limited to 60Hz and skips on VRR, which allows players to unleash the full potential of their consoles, it still offers a handful of decent perks. To help players enjoy immersive gameplay, the Bravia 3 comes with the same exclusive PS5 features you’ll find on high-end Sony TVs such as A80L.
You get Auto HDR Tone Mapping, an exciting feature that allows you to enhance HDR settings while pairing the TV with the console for the first time. Doing this ensures that you get to see fine details and life-like colors, even during scenes that are too dark or too bright. Another PS5 feature you won’t find on non-Sony TVs is Auto Genre Picture Mode, which allows your screen to switch between Standard Mode and Game Mode. While Standard Mode is for watching movies, Game Mode is best for gaming, offering the lowest input lag and making gameplay feel highly responsive.
Decent Picture Quality With Wide Viewing Angles
As a budget TV for gaming, it’s unsurprising that the Bravia 3 doesn’t get the same top-tier features that you’d find on premium displays. Despite this fact, it is still competent when displaying an in-game scene or movie scene. Whether you like to game in a dark or bright room, the TV is designed to offer the best brightness. A built-in light sensor sets the TV’s brightness settings according to room conditions. This means that brightness is significantly lowered in dark rooms and increased in bright ones.
It also offers wide viewing angles, an important feature for any TV, but especially so for those who play with friends all the time. Wide viewing angles are ideal for a group setting as they deliver a better viewing experience, with everyone able to see the images clearly without having to squint or change their sitting position. Although the Bravia 3 renders content in stunning picture quality thanks to its native 4K resolution, it goes further by upscaling movies and shows at lower resolutions to a near-4K standard using its 4K X-Reality PRO feature.
It’s worth mentioning that you may notice some blur during fast-paced scenes in live sports games. The overall experience when watching sports is excellent on the Bravia 3, but it struggles to deliver maximum responsiveness in scenes where players are sprinting across the field. Fortunately, it has Dolby Vision, a technology that makes games and movies look life-like, with vibrant colors that make each viewing experience a memorable one.
Offers a Modest Sound Quality
The Bravia 3 does just fine when it comes to sound, with Sony’s built-in X-Balanced speaker delivering spacious sounds that fill the room for an enjoyable listening experience. The speakers have been optimized for a more intelligible sound and a more pronounced bass. Additionally, it ships with Dolby Atmos sound technology which allows you to hear tiny details such as footsteps or rain landing on the ground. With Dolby Atmos, you get to experience the diverse sounds in an in-game environment.
Some user reviews faulted the TV’s speakers, claiming that they’ve been downgraded compared to the previous line of Sony TVs. Some stated that the bass has been greatly reduced, making it difficult to hear the TV when you’re in a different room in the house. If you crave cinematic-grade sound quality for gaming and streaming your favorite shows, you may want to consider getting a gaming soundbar to supplement the Bravia 3’s sound quality.
The Verdict
The Bravia 3 is an exceptional budget TV for gaming thanks to its suite of terrific features. You get the same exclusive PS5 features that are found on top-tier Sony TVs with Dolby Vision, 4K native resolution with an upscaler feature, and more. Although it has some shortcomings, particularly in the sound department, it is still a great deal for less than $500. Besides, a soundbar can easily complement the TV’s subpar sound. If you’re not keen on spending too much, then one of the best soundbars under $200 should do just fine.
The Bravia 3’s 60 Hz is another drawback, but unless you crave 4K/120Hz gaming, then this shouldn’t be an issue. You could find other 4K TVs with a 120Hz refresh rate on the market, but they are usually more expensive. If it’s not possible to upgrade your budget, then choosing to stick with the Bravia 3 should do you just fine.
The Best Sony TVs for Gaming
Sony 43-Inch Class 4K Ultra HD BRAVIA 3
$500 $600 Save $100
The Sony Bravia 3 is an amazing budget TV that’s excellent for gaming, streaming, and just about anything home entertainment. It features a native 4K display which renders crisp and life-like images that make each movie and gaming session feel enjoyable. The Bravia 3 is available in a variety of screen sizes, offering shoppers different options to choose from depending on their needs.
Sony BRAVIA XR A80L
$1200 $1700 Save $500
The Sony XR55A80L is a 55-inch OLED TV that boasts 4K resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate, offering a suite of supported internet services including Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, and more. This model includes features like a NEW Eco Dashboard, Acoustic Surface Audio+, and compatibility with Google/Alexa assistants, all within a 13″D x 48.38″W x 29.13″H frame.
Sony 43-inch 4K Ultra HD TV X77L Series
$428 $450 Save $22
The Sony X77L is one of the most affordable ways to experience 4K gaming and streaming. It’s available in different screen sizes, with 43” being the minimum and 85” being the maximum. Its X1 Processor makes non-4K content look better than it originally did by upscaling it to near-4K resolution. Equipped with PS5 features exclusive to Sony TVs, players are treated to highly responsive gameplay with excellent graphics.
Sony KD43X85K 4K Smart TV
$570 $600 Save $30
The Sony KD43X85K TV provides a clear picture, vibrant colors, and sharp details, thanks to its 4K HDR Processor X1. The picture stays smooth and clear when watching fast action like sports or movies – and especially while gaming – because of a 120 Hz refresh rate and Motionflow XR technology.
This TV can show more than a billion colors, giving a very real and accurate image thanks to TRILUMINOS Pro technology. The TV comes with Google TV and Google Assistant, which combines all the apps and streaming services in one place.
Sony X80K 65-inch 4K LED TV
The 65-inch Sony X80K is a great TV for the PlayStation 5 primarily because it ships with exclusive features for the phenomenal game console. Furthermore, it also features Google TV’s Game Menu, a hub for customizing gameplay settings like motion blur reduction and crosshair. Aside from gaming purposes, the X80K also allows casting, streaming, the upscaling of near-4K content to 4K resolution, and more.
FAQ
Q: Does PlayStation work better on Sony TVs?
There are certain advantages of pairing a Sony TV with a PlayStation console. Most modern Sony TVs come with exclusive features such as Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode which enhance HDR settings and activate Hame Mode for a better experience.
Q: Is Hisense TV good for PS5?
Of course. High-end Hisense TV models like the U7 are designed to pair nicely with the PS5, with players able to experience the thrill of 4K/120Hz gaming.
Q: Can I play PS5 on any TV?
Provided the TV has an HDMI port, then it’s compatible with the PS5 and other modern consoles. Depending on the grade of HDMI (2.0/2.1), you may enjoy 4K/120Hz gaming which is the true potential of the PS5.
