6/10
Open rating explainerInformationWIREDBrilliant colors in some movies and games, especially at high-res 4K quality. Setup and install were intuitive, and Google TV is easy to use.TIREDSony enhancements for picture quality didn’t help a ton. Contrast and brightness are just average for this price. Expensive for a midrange television.The age of mini and micro RGB LED televisions is here, and the Sony Bravia 7 Mark II is one of the first models to hit the market, joining the Hisense UR9 and the TCL RM9L.
Because RGB LED technology is so new, the tech might seem confusing. Particularly so with the Bravia Mark II, given that Sony uses the term “True RGB,” claiming more color volume, superior contrast and brightness, and a better picture overall compared with other televisions. Also, Sony itself had RGB TVs way back in 2004 (though it’s hardly comparable to new models). Samsung and LG have introduced similar models that use the name “micro RGB,” which adds to the confusion over what the class of television actually means.
The distinction is really only something an engineer would love. Mini and micro RGB TVs use tiny red, green, and blue LED lights to emit color through an LCD panel. Micro RGB is (in theory) more advanced than mini because the LEDs are smaller, allowing for more pixel-level control. (Sony reps actually dispute that claim, telling WIRED the LEDs are the same size.)
The Sony Bravia 7 Mark II is positioned as a midrange mini RGB LED television only because its price stands in the shadow of the Sony Bravia 9 Mark II. The Bravia 7 Mark II costs $2,300 for the 65-inch model (with a $300 discount running now), while the Bravia 9 II costs $3,600 at the same size.
The Bravia 9 Mark II has more speakers and better sound, deeper blacks, and a few other perks, but the underlying Mini RGB tech is the same as what you’ll get with the Bravia 7. You’ll also still get bells and whistles on the Bravia 7, like Nvidia G-Sync support for smoother gameplay to the Sony Pictures Core app, which is still one of the best ways to watch Imax Enhanced high-resolution movies at home. You’ll also get your pick among the broadest size range of any mini RGB model, starting at 50 inches and running all the way up to a massive 98 inches.
However, what is essentially a word salad of technical terms propping up the Bravia 7 Mark II can’t hide the fact that it didn’t fare as well as competing mini and micro RGB models.
The Floating Television
Photograph: John BrandonAll black with a thin 2.25-inch bezel, the Sony Bravia 7 Mark II looks remarkably similar to the Bravia 5 we reviewed recently (8/10 WIRED Recommends), with one obvious exception: While previous Bravia models used two traditional feet, the Bravia 7 Mark II has what’s called a Mirage Stand. It’s one foot that attaches to the TV and means that, even for a 65-inch model, you don’t need a massive surface beneath it for table-mounting. There’s a transparent plastic piece that sits directly under the television with the intention of making the TV appear as if it’s floating. Sadly, this feature is a bit underwhelming, since the transparent piece looks too foggy and is, thus, completely visible. (It’s a throwback to the original RGB models from two decades ago.)
The assembly process is a bit complicated, since the legs come in different parts that don’t fit together logically. I prefer how some Samsung televisions don’t even use screws for the feet but just snap into place, and—voilà—you’re done. The Bravia 7 Mark II stand involves attaching prongs to the main stand, then attaching that stand to the TV.
Pairing the remote was easy, but logging in was not without friction: The Bravia 7 Mark II uses Google TV as the operating system, but I wasn’t able to use the Google Home app QR code for initial setup. As a workaround, I manually entered my Gmail email and password—a minor annoyance. Once Google TV takes over, the rest of the setup process is as slick as butter. I selected a few apps to install, but mostly just agreed to all the default options and was up and running in about 10 minutes.
Photograph: John BrandonI love the remote’s small size and obvious buttons for volume and channels. Shortcuts for apps like Sony Pictures Core, Amazon Prime, and Netflix all make sense in terms of button layout; however, I don’t like that the Home button is on the right side instead of centered like it is on just about every other TV remote I’ve used.
When you peek behind the television, you’ll see four HDMI ports, but only two of them support HDMI 2.1. The Bravia 7 Mark II also doesn’t have a DisplayPort connection, unlike the Hisense UR9, so the highest refresh rate is 120 Hz for a connected PC. (The UR9 supports 180 Hz and a variable 330-Hz refresh rate for smooth, low-latency gameplay.) There is a coaxial port for an antenna or cable TV and two USB ports for connecting a hard drive or powering an HD antenna.
Some of the Bravia 7 Mark II enhancements to help improve picture quality fell flat. XR Contrast Booster didn’t really make a big difference, for example. A feature called Reality Creation is supposed to help make older SD content look smoother and clearer, but it didn’t work so well for a few YouTube videos. The TV does have an interesting feature for the mic, though. Under the TV, there’s a switch to turn it on or off, presumably for security reasons.
Pummeling You With Color?
Photograph: John BrandonBefore testing, I had assumed the mini RGB tech would notably improve picture quality. The results were a mixed bag. In applying my typical Spears & Munsil benchmarks, I found the color variation on skin tones wasn’t pronounced enough. Light complexions looked too dark and vice versa. Using the Photo picture quality mode helped somewhat, but mostly by adding brightness.
During a demo reel test, the color quality and contrast weren’t great. Mist over a white mountain didn’t look distinct; grass behind a fence should have looked greener; brown buffalo roaming a field didn’t look varied enough in color. To test contrast, I viewed a scene with dark trees in the foreground, but they blended too much into the background.
Another component of color contrast is that dark colors should look deep and rich, but dark scenes in The Creator and Awake on Netflix both just looked too dull. None of the picture modes helped, including the XR Contrast Booster. In Awake, the main character rides a bike at night, and you can see her face but not the background or a guy in a blue shirt.
The movie Hoppers on Disney+ did sell me a bit more on True RGB. (Though, to be fair, the animated movie with vibrant colors looked great on my iPhone 17 Pro.) The Bravia 7 Mark II’s understated backlighting and average contrast gave Hoppers a more artistic look. Project Hail Mary on the Fandango at Home app looked similarly pulled back, reminding me of the matte display on an art television.
To test the Bravia 7 Mark II’s ability to cast, I streamed Dune II using the HBO Max app. It worked perfectly, unlike the Hisense UR9 Mini RGB, which was a bit glitchy. On YouTube TV, I tested multiple news broadcasts (which appeared flat and slightly washed out) and a few World Cup 2026 games (which had smooth and fluid motion, with mostly vivid colors). A screensaver mode that shows static images and artwork looked too dark with poor contrast, especially when I flipped through some oil paintings of shipwrecks.
To test surround sound, I watched the movie Unbroken because it’s my ultimate benchmark for Dolby Atmos. After I connected Klipsch the Nines II speakers to the television, sounds of planes, explosions, and voices emanated throughout the room. The same battle scene using the same speakers was not as immersive in terms of surround sound using the Hisense UR9 television. However, the built-in speakers on the Hisense UR9 are much better for surround sound than the Bravia 7 Mark II’s built-in speakers.
Let the Games Begin
Photograph: John BrandonLike movie and TV show picture quality, gaming on this model also lacked impressiveness. I started by playing through the Vietnam level of 007 First Light on a PC. This spectacularly vivid segment, with James Bond driving a boat on sun-kissed water surrounded by rocky cliffs, was a mixed bag in terms of quality. In scenes with the sun pouring down, the contrast was amazing and clear, but when Bond drove into a darker area, the contrast suddenly looked washed out. The 120-Hz refresh rate was fine, but not at all as vivid, responsive, and clear as the Hisense UR9 Mini RGB.
Forza Horizon 6 on the Xbox Series X looked slightly dull and matted during a scene driving a white BMW M4 in the snowy mountains of Japan. Sony says it uses anti-glare tech and something called X-Wide Angle to make sure you can see the TV from any seat in your viewing room, and both helped as expected. However, the games Senua's Saga: Hellblade II and Subnautica 2 on Xbox both looked too dark with not enough contrast. Adjusting some of the picture mode settings and bumping up the brightness helped somewhat. I loved the color accuracy. The reds and blues in the game Subnautica 2 looked convincingly real.
While RGB tech is the real deal and colors look accurate, there’s no mistaking that Bravia 7 Mark II is meant to be a midrange television compared to the flagship mini RGB models from Samsung, LG, TCL, and Hisense. Yet, the 7 Mark II does not have a midrange price at $2,300, making me feel it’s overpriced for what you get. If there’s eventually a deal, it will be worth considering, especially if you like Sony products. For now, there are other, more compelling mini RGB models on the market to consider.
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$2,600 $2,300 at Best Buy (65-inch)$1,600 at Best Buy (50-inch)$1,600 at Sony (50-inch)$2,600 $2,300 at Sony (65-inch)
