Sony's best PS5 TVs are getting a significant free upgrade.
Better late than never: Sony's "Perfect for PS5" TVs were not without flaws, but this update corrects that.
Mike2051
Some of Sony's best gaming TVs were marketed as "perfect for PS5", but they turned out to be anything but: some of Sony's best TVs with LED panels had a Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) issue that caused problems for many PS5 owners.
If you purchased a high-end Sony OLED TV, you should not be concerned because OLEDs did not experience the same issue due to the different way they are lit. However, if your LED TV is one of those affected, it's time to update the firmware.
HDTV Test's Vincent Teoh shared the list of affected models on Twitter. The firmware is version v6.5929, and it applies to 2021 and 2022 Bravia XR LED TVs such as the X90J - which we thought was one of the best mid-range TVs in 2021 - and the X90K series.
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WHY IS IT PERFECT FOR PS5? WASN'T EXACTLY PERFECT ENOUGH
The issue is with the TVs' dimming features, which are unique to backlit TVs - which is why OLED TVs did not have the same problems. Without the update, activating VRR for PS5 gaming would disable the backlight's local dimming. That isn't ideal because your PS5's HDR visuals suffer without local dimming - but if you don't use VRR, you won't benefit from the dynamic syncing between PlayStation and Sony TV.
When you consider how long it took Sony to actually implement VRR support - if I recall correctly, it was approximately eleventy billion years before Sony delivered the VRR promised on my PS5's packaging - you can understand why some PS5 gamers were dissatisfied. Especially given the prices of some of the larger TVs on the model list.
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I'm perplexed that this issue made it past quality control, but at least it's been addressed - so hopefully this update means the end of PS5 VRR concerns. As with all firmware updates, it will not appear on every Sony TV at the same time, so if you own one of the affected TVs and do not see the update, don't worry: it is on its way.
