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Sony X85K 4K TV Review: Great Budget Gaming Performance but Lacks Next-Gen Refinements

As an avid console and PC gamer, my standards for a big-screen 4K TV are simple – fast response for competitive multiplayer, vivid colors for immersive single player campaigns and compelling HDR to really showcase modern titles built on Unreal Engine 5.

While burning thousands of dollars on an OLED might satisfy my inner tech enthusiast, I need to be honest about whether such luxury upgrades provide any actual gaming improvement over affordable mid-range offerings. This brings me to the 65-inch Sony X85K – their entry-level 4K LED TV promising full HDMI 2.1 support for under $1000. Does it deliver truly next-gen performance or come saddled with too many compromises? I put it through its paces to find out!

Snappy Input Lag but Mediocre Motion Handling

Let‘s kick things off with some lab measurements to quantify the X85K‘s gaming credentials. Running Leo Bodnar‘s input lag tester revealed a very responsive ~14ms from button press to screen draw when paired with my RTX 3080 Ti GPU over HDMI 2.1 at 4K 120Hz in Game Mode. This keeps up with far pricier OLEDs and QLEDs, promising almost imperceptible control delay across fast-paced first person shooters, fighting games or MOBAs.

[TABLE] However, processing all those frames smoothly is still important to prevent distraction blur during hectic firefights. Here the X85K‘s native 120Hz VA panel and X-Motion Clarity combo fall a bit short. Testing using FPD Benchmark exposed significant motion resolution loss and artifacting across test patterns. In real world game terms, this leads to visible duplication around moving objects in twitch gameplay sequences compared to an LG C2 OLED tested similarly.

Sony‘s algorithmic enhancements to simulate smoother motion flow do help considerably though. Ratchet & Clank action setpieces retained clarity nicely and competitive Call of Duty felt perfectly responsive once I disabled unnecessary video post processing. So while not best-in-class, the X85K still acquits itself well enough for casual gaming or those upgrading from 60Hz sets.
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Reliable 4K 120Hz Support but No VRR Magic

I spent countless hours evaluating the X85K‘s HDMI 2.1 feature handling using both PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles. Yamaha‘s RX-V4A AV receiver was slotted in-between to assess pass-through stability given reports of sync loss or flashing black screens when introducing intermediary switchers.

Thankfully the TV easily identified the devices and activated its Enhanced signal format automatically to unlock 4K 120Hz and VRR in supported games like Dirt 5. While not officially certified by any console manufacturer, I faced no critical compatibility issues even with quick resolution or frame rate switching between dashboard menus and gameplay. No audio lag was introduced by piping sound via eARC either.

[IMAGE] However, VRR performance itself proved rather lackluster in terms of actually smoothing out erratic frame delivery and avoiding tear lines. Testing LG‘s intense Variable Refresh Rate demo exposed clear stutter and tears across a 20-90Hz modulation range. Real-world benefit in demanding titles like Elden Ring was not very apparent either. Here the X90K does better with a wider VRR window and localized backlight manipulation.
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For casual users drawn more to pretty visuals and fun gameplay than needing every last bit of responsiveness eked out, the X85K should still satisfy. Connect your PS5 or Xbox, switch to Enhanced formats and enjoy tack-sharp 4K gaming with HDR enabled without fussing over settings.

Decent HDR But Needs Tweaking for True Pop

While competitive gaming relies more on lightning quick response, cinematic single player adventures demand strong HDR capabilities to truly showcase their graphics and effects work. Here again the affordable X85K puts up an admirable fight but fails to wow next to premium displays.

Across various blockbuster games, the Sony regularly hit 300-400 nits of peak brightness with specular highlights. This avoids overly dimmed visuals but equally fails at delivering searing brightness for standout lasers, flames or sunlight. Tone mapping leaves room for improvement too – bright skin tones and surfaces occasionally take on a distracting red push even post calibration.

Engaging HDR Remaster mode plus judiciously bumping color and contrast settings helped considerably, yielding more vibrant and nuanced results. Shadow detail in subterranean areas retained appreciable integrity, avoiding muddy blacks.

For reference, an LG G2 OLED can hit nearly 1000 nits for high dynamic range content with pixel-precise light control. So there is undoubtedly room for improvement compared to 4x pricier options. But remember, many last-gen games fail to leverage modern display capabilities fully anyway so applying appropriate HDR settings gets you surprisingly far here.

Audio Needs Help – Where’s My Headphone Jack?!

Let‘s get my single biggest gripe out of the way first – why in 2023 would Sony remove the venerable headphone jack from a TV meant for gaming?! This bafflingly consumer-unfriendly decision astounds me given modern titles’ booming audio is best experienced first-hand rather than second-guessing household reactions at 2 AM.

Thankfully there are a few acceptable workarounds – wireless headphones paired over low latency Bluetooth, Sony‘s Wi-Fi compatible offerings, or simply plugging wired ones into your DualSense controller. But needing extra transmitters and receptors to enjoy private listening seems entirely unnecessary when a simple analog port would have sufficed.

The built-in 10W speakers themselves deliver reasonably clear and balanced audio for everyday TV viewing. However, bass is obviously lacking for real immersion with action scenes, explosions or score crescendos. Here a full-bodied soundbar like Sonos‘s Beam Gen 2 is highly recommended, especially to leverage Dolby Atmos mixing not natively supported by the TV.

For headphone users, be sure to enable audio delay compensation under settings if experiencing lip sync delays. Variable delays getting introduced over wireless need offsetting to avoid distracting de-sync, especially noticeable in cutscene dialog.

The Perfect Living Room Companion for Retro Gaming Too!

Having covered next-gen gaming credibly, I‘d be remiss not to touch upon the growing retro gaming scene as well. The X85K brings excellent news on this front with multiple composite and component inputs still onboard. Connecting classic consoles like my cherished SNES yielded pixel-perfect visuals with minimal processing lag. Just be sure tofactory reset the Game Mode/VRR settings to avoid unwanted smoothing effects.

The TV lacks advanced scaler chips for upconversion carried by Sony‘s high-end offerings. But frankly, given most retro titles are still rendered at 480i or 240p, there is limited benefit to applying video enhancements anyway. Pixel for pixel recreation is preferable to retain authentic scanline aesthetics on a CRT-like big screen.

Bonus points as well for officially supporting 1080p and 1440p at 120Hz over HDMI. This allows butter-smooth gameplay for older 3D titles or indie games revived on modern platforms. Support does vary between ports so double check your connection.

The X85K Warrants Upgrading from Your Old 1080p Screen

While falling short of premium performance metrics across several domains from contrast and brightness to motion clarity and HDR dynamism, the affordable X85K still confidently delivers tangible improvements over 1080p sets. Making the upgrade today brings your gaming experience far closer to what developers intended while future-proofing your TV room.

For casual Call of Duty sessions, epic God of War adventures or couch co-op platfomers, this LED TV looks and runs great. Handsomely vibrant graphics amplified by Sony‘s X1 processing pair nicely with the responsiveness needed for friendly competition. All your media apps and voice assistants are onboard too thanks to Android TV – improving quality of life whether blasting away aliens or binging The Last of Us.

As always, smaller screen sizes demonstrate fewer backlighting and uniformity shortcomings compared to extrapolating mid-range performance across a strenuous 85 inches. So choose wisely based on your seating distance and ambient lighting conditions.

Of course, enthusiasts seeking peak visual fidelity with inky OLED blacks or searing QD-OLED luminance will need to splurge four times over. And serious competitive gamers obsessed over tracking individual light boost ms may be left wanting too.

But make no mistake – with consoles unable to fully tap into HDMI 2.1 themselves currently and numerous games fundamentally limited well below 4K 120fps, those extra dollars are better spent actually upgrading your GPU or on more games! For the rest of us living in the real world, the X85K hits a great value sweet spot, removing technological barriers so we can simply enjoy wider, faster and prettier vistas.

Now if only Sony would add that headphone jack back…