The Sony Bravia X95L Mini LED TV is the more premium of the two Sony TVs with Mini LED backlighting coming in 2023 It is an upgrade over previous models in Sony's non-OLED lineup

Sony is still very much in the OLED/QD-OLED market with sets like the Sony A95L OLED TV, but their Mini LED efforts appear to rival Samsung's Neo QLED technology excellent Sony Bravia X reviewed in 2023 A step up from the 95K Mini LED TV, the X95L has 20% more local dimming zones, noise reduction and new built-in sound features It also has a long-awaited dedicated gaming menu

Is this enough to be voted one of the best TVs of the year? Here's how the Sony Bravia X95L Mini LED TV measures up based on my hands-on impressions of its design, performance, and added features

In announcing its 2023 TV lineup, Sony has not announced official pricing or availability of the Sony Bravia X95L Mini LED TV This information is expected to be revealed in late spring

The X95L is only available in an 85-inch configuration; compared to the X95L, there are few improvements over last year's X95K Nevertheless, the X95L will likely be more expensive than the 85-inch X95K

The Sony Bravia X95L mini LED TV has a sleek design The titanium silver bezel wraps around the sides of the screen but does not create a lip on the panel, providing a bezel-less appearance Meanwhile, the 3-way stand offers versatile setup options based on what works best in your space

Like the X95K, the X95L features a checkerboard pattern on the back, and the port array can be hidden by a removable panel Speaking of port arrays, only two of the X95L's HDMI ports are HDMI 21; a full array of 21 ports is the standard for other premium OLED and QLED TVs

In a way, we felt Sony's first-generation mini-LEDs were lacking, so we hope the X95L's performance upgrades will bring real improvements; the X95L has 20% more local dimming zones, which is said to help with upscaling, and Sony's XR Clear Image feature This should result in less blooming and more clarity At least there was definitely less blooming when we looked at the X95L after the X93L

The TV's ambient sensing also adjusts tone mapping and brightness based on the current light conditions in the room Sony has demonstrated how this feature allows the TV to better convey the filmmaker's intentions even when ambient brightness changes

I also experienced a demonstration of the X95L's acoustic performance when paired with Sony's new S2000 soundbar; the X95L has a frame tweeter, and by utilizing the acoustic center sync, vocals can be lifted to a more realistic height From what I heard, the X95L's built-in audio prowess is eclectic

The Bravia XR X95L mini LED TV has two exciting software upgrades Sony is sticking with the Google TV platform, but the interface has two new menus: the Eco Dashboard and the Game Menu The Eco Dashboard conveniently combines all energy-saving settings into one dashboard, while the Game Menu borrows functionality from Sony's InZone game monitor and brings a game-specific settings interface to Sony's Bravia TVs

The TV's remote control is familiar, but with the addition of a dedicated launcher for Sony's own CrunchyRoll Sadly, this TV does not have a backlit remote control

The biggest competitor to the Sony Bravia X95L Mini LED TV is the Samsung QN95C Neo QLED TV Both mini-LED TVs have introduced improvements that make some of the best QLED TVs even better However, we need to run all benchmarks on the Sony Bravia X95L before making any recommendations Stay tuned