The Sony Bravia 9 II — the brand’s top True RGB TV in 2026 — is one of the best TVs of the year, thanks to its astoundingly bright, colorful picture and incredible engineering. It’s also one of the priciest TVs on shelves right now.
The Bravia 8 II OLED takes a different path to top-shelf performance. While nowhere near as bright as Sony’s True RGB flagship, its razor-sharp picture excels in ways only an OLED can: with perfect black levels, zero haloing and eye-popping micro-contrast.
In 2026, these are among the top-performing Sony TVs on shelves. But depending on your budget, living space and viewing habits, one will be better suited to your needs. Here’s my expert take on how to choose between the Bravia 9 II and 8 II.
The Bravia 9 II is Sony's top True RGB TV for 2026, so its picture is tremendously bright and vibrant. You won't get the perfect black levels we've come to expect from OLED technology, but if you're comfortable with the price, the Bravia 9 II's powerful (and complex) backlighting make it a better choice than the Bravia 8 II for well-lit rooms and daytime viewing.
The Bravia 8 II remains Sony's top OLED over a year after its debut, but its presence on shelves is a blessing for folks who want to experience Sony's take on quantum dot-enhanced, OLED-driven performance. Its picture quality is incredible, but its lower peak brightness makes it a better fit for people with dark, well-calibrated home-theater setups.
Sony Bravia 9 II vs Bravia 8 II: Specs compared
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Sony Bravia 9 II |
Sony Bravia 8 II |
|---|---|---|
Sizes |
65", 75", 85", 115" |
42", 48", 55", 65", 77", 83" |
Ports |
2x HDMI 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.0 |
2x HDMI 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.0 |
Resolution |
3,840 x 2,160p |
3,840 x 2,160p |
Refresh rate |
120Hz |
120Hz |
HDR |
Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG |
Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG |
Smart TV software |
Google TV |
Google TV |
ATSC 3.0 support? |
Yes |
Yes |
Processor |
XR Processor 4K |
XR Processor 4K |
These two top-shelf TVs share many of the same specs. The biggest difference between the specs listed above lies in size availability.
Both TVs come in the ever-popular 65-inch screen size, but the Bravia 9 II offers a more-flexible set of size options for folks who fancy big screens, as it's available in 75-, 85- and 115-inch models, too. The Bravia 8 II, on the other hand, is available in a 55-inch version — something you won't find on the 9 II's side of the ledger.
Beyond that, these specs are a wash. Both TVs support Dolby Vision and are limited to just two HDMI 2.1-compatible inputs. They also support ATSC 3.0 for 4K over-the-air broadcasts and offer a native refresh rate of 120Hz.
Winner: Draw
Sony Bravia 9 II vs Bravia 8 II: Design
Here's my expert guide to the matte or glossy OLED screen debate.
These are two wonderfully engineered TVs, but they each flash some design flourishes that ought to be covered. The centerpiece of the Bravia 9 II's outward-facing design is its so-called Mirage-style stand (seen above).
The center pedestal that props up the panel is outfitted with a special lenticular lens that, when viewed from the front, obscures the sight of any dangling cables behind the TV. Pretty nifty!
The Bravia 9 II's screen sports a matte-style screen, which does an effective job of blunting the impact of direct glare. To my eye, it's not as aggressive as Samsung's Glare Free screen, so there isn't as much of a purplish tint to the slightly raised black levels it creates by scattering light.
The RGB LED-lit panel isn't the slimmest on shelves, but its uniform profile gives the entire package an appropriately premium look. It's one of Sony's most thoughtfully designed TVs to date.
The Bravia 8 II (seen above) takes a different approach to its design, but one that is nevertheless thoughtful, too.
Rather than connect to a pedestal-style stand in its center, the 8 II's panel sits atop a pair of angular, metal feet. The feet can be connected in a couple of configurations: One configuration elegantly places the panel directly on whatever surface is underneath, while the other configuration lifts the TV several inches up to accommodate a soundbar.
Lastly, some good news: Both of these TVs ship with similarly excellent remote controls that deliver excellent form and function. However, the Bravia 9 II's remote control is backlit, which makes a huge difference in the dark.
While I appreciate the flexibility of the Bravia 8 II, I suspect that more people will appreciate the 9 II's twist on a traditional approach. The Mirage stand in particular is a subtle-but-satisfying touch.
Winner: Sony Bravia 9 II
Sony Bravia 9 II vs Bravia 8 II: Performance
Before we dive into which of these TVs is the better performer, let's compare their test results. (Both TVs were set to Sony's Professional picture mode when these tests were taken.)
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Sony Bravia 9 II |
Sony Bravia 8 II |
|---|---|---|
SDR Brightness (10%, in nits) |
101 |
102 |
Delta-E (lower is better) |
3.6 |
3.6 |
HDR Brightness (10%, in nits) |
3,903 |
1,584 |
UHDA-P3 Gamut Coverage |
99.18% |
99.99% |
Rec. 2020 Gamut Coverage |
89.23% |
90.55% |
Input latency (milliseconds) |
9.8 |
16.3 |
I want to get one thing out of the way right off the bat: Both the Bravia 9 II and 8 II serve up sensational picture quality in both SDR and HDR. If you're in the market for top-notch performance with an emphasis on detail, either set will surely satisfy you.
However, there are some significant differences in how these TVs achieve excellency. Depending on how (and when) you use your TV, one will likely be a better choice than the other.
In Sony's most-accurate picture mode (Professional), both TVs strive to hit 100 nits of brightness on a 10% white window in SDR. That they each nail this target is a testament to Sony's dynamite engineering. If you want a punchier presentation, you can always dial-in to a different picture mode.
That being said, the Bravia 9 II has a much higher brightness ceiling for run-of-the-mill SDR content thanks to the power of RGB LED backlighting. As a result, if you do a ton of TV-watching during the day and you typically stick to basic cable, YouTube videos and whatnot, the Bravia 9 II has a significant edge.
It's a similar story during HDR movies, shows and games. Sony's top OLED TV is no slouch in this department, but on the Bravia 9 II's True RGB screen, specular highlights (small, intense areas of brightness) crackle and pop to the tune of around 4,000 nits.
On the Bravia 9 II's True RGB screen, specular highlights (small, intense areas of brightness) crackle and pop to the tune of around 4,000 nits.
But brightness isn't the only story. The visual texture of an OLED-driven picture is something that can't quite be replicated on even a top-shelf Mini-LED TV like the Bravia 9 II. With self-lit pixels, the Bravia 8 II is able to drive over 1,500 nits of HDR brightness to tiny clusters of pixels.
In person, this effect is nothing short of magic. If you're anything like me, in a side-by-side comparison with an LCD TV, your heart will tug you towards this self-emissive magic nine times out of ten.
A wide range of colors flow freely on both TVs thanks to True RGB and QD-OLED technology, but on average, you'll get brighter color performance with the 9 II's LED backlighting. Regardless, they're both among the most-colorful TVs we've ever tested.
Once you factor in the Bravia 9 II's superior input latency, the full picture comes into focus. Simply put, it's a better-performing TV due to its overall versatility. Whether gaming, watching sports during the day or dimming the lights for movie night, the Bravia 9 II will meet your needs better than almost every other TV on the market.
The Bravia 8 II is the TV I'd choose for a home theater-like environment where the ambient lighting conditions are more controllable. It's also not as cut out for competitive gaming. I've had literal dreams about owning the Bravia 8 II, but I can't deny that the 9 II is a better all-around pick for most people.
Winner: Sony Bravia 9 II
Sony Bravia 9 II vs Bravia 8 II: Smart platform and features
Now that we've got the nitty-gritty, performance-related stuff out of the way, let's talk about something a little more straightforward: features.
These TVs offer a similar set of bells and whistles, and both models are built around Google TV. It's one of my preferred choices for everyday streaming, as the interface is easy to use and the library of downloadable apps is seemingly endless.
As mentioned, both TVs are limited to just a pair of HDMI 2.1 inputs and one of those ports is a dedicated eARC port, so folks with multiple gaming devices and a soundbar might feel limited. Fortunately, these inputs support 4K gaming up to 120Hz, which is the top 4K spec for current-generation consoles.
The software experience is nearly identical across both sets (save for some extra enhancements and picture settings on the Bravia 9 II). This category is a draw.
Winner: Draw
Sony Bravia 9 II vs Bravia 8 II: Verdict
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Sony Bravia 9 II |
Sony Bravia 8 II |
|---|---|---|
Specs (25) |
22 |
22 |
Design (25) |
25 |
24 |
Performance (25) |
24 |
23 |
Features (25) |
22 |
22 |
Total Score (100) |
93 |
91 |
Despite the closeness of these final tallies, it ought to be relatively easy to settle on one of these Sony TVs. I recommend the Bravia 9 II to folks who want the brightest possible picture or people who plan on watching a ton of TV during the day. Additionally, gamers are more likely to synergize with the Bravia 9 II thanks to its lower input latency.
But if you love the look of an OLED TV — or if you're looking for a new home theater centerpiece — the Bravia 8 II might be closer to your cup of tea. It's not as bright as flagship OLEDs from LG and Samsung, but its HDR highlights leap off the screen nonetheless.
Regardless of which TV you choose, prepare to pay for the privilege of Sony engineering. The 65-inch Bravia 9 II is $3,599 at Best Buy right now, and despite the fact that it launched over a year ago, the 65-inch Bravia 8 II is still $3,299.
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