I quizzed Sony about its mysterious next-generation OLED-killing TV – here are 3 surprising things I learned

Every few years, we see a new panel technology emerge that promises to change the landscape of TVs as we know it.

4K OLED TVs entered the mainstream in the mid-2010s, and Mini LED followed swiftly after in 2019, so we're due for a revolutionary new development that will turn the TV world on its head.

Luckily for us, we have the emergence of RGB Mini LED, also known as RGB LED and Micro RGB, depending on which manufacturer you ask, which first broke cover at CES 2025.

We know that there are four companies currently working on TVs that incorporate this new tech, which involves removing the QLED layer and instead packing minuscule red, green and blue pixels into a tightly-packed panel with granular backlight control, which, in theory, allows for a whole host of picture upgrades.

You can expect higher brightness, improved colour volume and reduced blooming amongst many other upgrades; however, it's a technology that truly needs to be seen to be believed.

While the likes of Samsung, Hisense and TCL have steamrolled ahead with the technology to stake their claim on the cutting-edge technology (and secure early adopters), Sony has taken a slightly different approach.

I caught up with the legendary Japanese AV brand at IFA in Berlin to see a prototype of this new technology in action.

During the meet I was able to ask a few crucial questions to get an idea of what to expect from this advancement in display tech and, more importantly, gauge where it could go when it becomes available to the public.

For the sake of transparency, I should mention that this isn't the first time we've come face-to-face with Sony's pre-production TV, as our TV and AV Editor, Tom Parsons, had an early sneak peek during a trip to Sony's HQ in Tokyo.

I also briefly saw Samsung and TCL's RGB LED TVs in action at CES 2025. However, there was much more uncertainty surrounding these TVs at that time.

This is the first time that I've seen Sony's spin on the panel tech in action, and Sony appears to be opening up slightly, as it offered a bit more insight into what makes its latest TV advancement so special.

There are three standout nuggets of information that put this new panel technology into perspective; so without further ado, here they are:

Sony won't be dropping OLED any time soon...

While it may seem tempting to call this new technology an OLED killer, the truth is a bit more nuanced than that. OLED is a much-loved panel technology and Sony recognises that and still cares about making the most of the tech. Just look at the Award-winning Bravia 8 and five-star Bravia 8 II TVs as proof.

When asked if RGB LED would usurp OLED and QD-OLED, Sony shot down any suspicion by reinstating its commitment to OLED. "The customer believes that OLED is the market leader, RGB is the next level", was the sentiment that Sony shared, which seems pretty cut and dry to me.

RGB LED is expected to sit above OLED in the hierarchy, which makes sense a new display technology tends to launch at sky-high prices and eventually settles after a couple of generations.

That's not to say that down the line we won't see a greater shift to RGB LED, but as for now Sony remains committed to a plethora of different TV display technologies, which takes me neatly onto my second lesson.

...and it's not replacing the Bravia 9 either

Cast your mind back to 2024 and you'll remember that Sony debuted a bold new Mini LED TV in the form of the Bravia 9.

It featured an advanced new backlight that consisted of much more concentrated dimming zones, paired with an advanced Bravia XR processor and powerful backlight drivers. During testing we found the tech gave the accommodated a huge boost in brightness without introducing the standard downsides of Mini LED.

In fact, the Bravia 9 featured impressively convincing blacks and significantly reduced blooming compared to other Mini LED TVs we'd seen at the time; though we still felt it had some catching up to do with OLED when it came to contrast control.

The bottom line is that Sony has invested a significant amount of time and money in developing the new backlighting system for the Bravia 9, and we have yet to see it appear in another TV.

Despite this new RGB LED system appearing to be an advancement over this Mini LED technology on paper, it's not replacing the Bravia 9 in any way.

Instead, the upcoming RGB LED TV that I presume Sony will launch in the near future will sit above the Bravia 9, much like the OLEDs I mentioned above.

Instead, Sony insinuated that it will continue to develop the Bravia 9's backlight and made references to panel technology trickling down in the future.

Could we see a cheaper take on the Bravia 9? If it does happen, imbuing the five-star Bravia 7 with the advanced backlight system could be the key to success for Sony, allowing RGB LED to add some flair towards the top end of its future TV lineup.

Sony doesn't need to be first to prove its worth

I watched a range of clips on this new prototype TV, with animated content and demo reel footage that did an excellent job of highlighting what this TV could be capable of in the future.

The version I saw touted a 4000 nits brightness, which gave me flashbacks to the similarly endowed Bravia 9; though Sony made a point of mentioning that things could change when it rolls around to unleashing this technology onto the market.

Colour volume, black depths and brightness all looked spectacular, completely outshining the Mini LED, Primary RGB Tandem OLED, and QD-OLED sets that Sony had on hand for reference.

That being said, an impressive debut outing hasn't put Sony under any pressure to deliver in the immediate future. Samsung and Hisense may have wasted no time in launching their own sets. Both confirmed that their massive 115- and 116-inch sets, respectively, will launch very soon earlier this year.

Sony, on the other hand, wants to make sure it's got RGB LED right before it makes a full commitment. That, of course, means that it's playing coy when it comes to potential release dates. Will we see an RGB LED model in the company's 2026 lineup? It's entirely possible, but nothing is official until it comes directly from Sony, so we'll have to wait patiently.

What we do know is that, unlike Samsung and Hisense, Sony won't reserve this technology for screen sizes that will appeal more to the average consumer. 100-inch plus screens are fun, and certainly immersive, but signs are pointing towards Sony launching this panel tech in TVs at the more conventional 55- and 65-inch screen sizes.

Ultimately, we'll have to wait and see what Sony officially reveals down the line for any final confirmation.

MORE:

Read our full Sony Bravia 8 II review

And check out our picks for the best Mini LED TVs

As well as the best OLED TVs