- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
SONY BRAVIA 3 II (XR35M2) Review
BRAVIA 3 II / XR35M2
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 120Hz Brand: SONY Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2026
Sony Bravia 3 II is a refreshed version of the Bravia 3 from 2025. The biggest change is a 120 Hz panel, so it is immediately clear that Sony wanted to target gamers more, especially PlayStation 5 owners. We checked what else has been improved and whether the Bravia 3 II is actually a more interesting choice than its predecessor.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Our verdict
7.0
Overall rating
The Sony Bravia 3 II is a TV that quickly reveals the idea the manufacturer had for this model. It's meant above all to be a sensible Bravia for gaming, and in that respect the changes are substantial. After all, Sony has fixed one of the biggest annoyances of its TVs, the presence of only two full-featured HDMI 2.1 ports. Here there are four, and that alone makes the Bravia 3 II a much more convenient choice for anyone who wants to connect a lot of gaming kit. Fortunately it doesn't stop at gaming. The 120 Hz panel performs very well for motion, motion blur is minimal, and the motion-smoothing systems work surprisingly effectively, at times even better than on Sony's top TVs. Sport is therefore another use where the Bravia 3 II feels right at home. On top of that there's Google TV with its full suite of apps and features, so in practical terms this is simply the Sony we've known for years.
The biggest problem with this model, however, is not the TV itself but its current price. The Bravia 3 II is today dangerously close in price to the Bravia 5, and when the extra cost for the higher model is only a few percent, choosing the lower series begins to lose its appeal. The Bravia 5 already offers full Mini-LED backlighting with local dimming, which is exactly what the Bravia 3 II most lacks for evening viewing and in HDR. That's why we view this model through the lens of price. The Bravia 3 II itself is a genuinely successful lower-mid-range TV and with the right pricing could easily be one of the more interesting choices for a gamer or a sports fan. However, if the gap to the Bravia 5 remains small, it will be hard to recommend it with full conviction.
Advantages
Very good motion handling and exceptionally low motion blur for a 120Hz LCD TV
4 × HDMI 2.1 48 Gb/s, finally!
Plenty of gaming features: VRR, ALLM, low input lag
Wide colour gamut, QLED (PFS)
Supports Dolby Vision
Google TV with a wide range of apps and features
Broad audio format support: Dolby Atmos and DTS
Record programmes to USB
Two remote controls included
Disadvantages
High price for what it offers; for only slightly more you can buy the much better BRAVIA 5 model
No local dimming
No proper HGiG support
Average processing of lower-quality source material
Movies and series in UHD quality6.5
Classic TV, YouTube6.3
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)6.7
Gaming on console8.1
TV as a computer monitor7.2
Watching in bright light5.8
Utility functions7.9
Apps9.6
Sound quality6.8
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SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Competing TVs in this price range
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Good
Stand type: Legs
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Base adjustment
Flat design: No
Accessories: Two remote controls, Stand
Bravia 3 II doesn't try to pose as a flagship, but it's hard to fault its build quality. The casing combines plastic and metal elements, everything is well fitted, and from the front the TV looks neat and quite modern. The bezels around the screen are relatively narrow, so at first glance its budget character isn't obvious. The rear tells a different story. The housing is fairly thick, especially where the electronics are located, so when wall-mounted the screen will sit a little further off the wall. The set includes plastic feet with adjustable spacing, which can be useful with a narrower TV cabinet. Bravia 3 II also supports the VESA standard, so it can be wall-mounted regardless of size.
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SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Contrast and black detail
5.6/10
Local dimming function: No
Result
3,050:1
Result
4,650:1
Result
5,850:1
Result
6,400:1
Result
4,350:1
The Bravia 3 II uses a VA panel, a solution that by nature delivers significantly better contrast than IPS or ADS panels. In our sample the native contrast ratio was around 5000:1, which is a pretty good result for a TV without local dimming. In practice that means blacks can look genuinely decent in a lightly lit room. Dark parts of the picture don't immediately go grey, and night scenes have noticeably more depth than on many IPS‑panel TVs. However, the poorer black level quality becomes apparent when you turn the lights off. The Bravia 3 II has no local dimming system, so the entire backlight behaves similarly regardless of what’s happening in a particular part of the image. In a dark room it's easy to see that blacks are no longer truly black but start to take on a dark navy cast. It's not a level that severely ruins the film-viewing experience, but during an evening viewing the difference compared with a Mini-LED TV, and even more so with an OLED TV, becomes very clear.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - HDR effect quality
5.3/10
Supported formats: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
408 nit
Result
430 nit
Result
449 nit
Result
457 nit
Result
455 nit
Bravia 3 II is certainly not a TV that tries to impress with brightness. In our measurements it reached about 450 nits, so it falls well short of the brightest models on the market. That does not mean HDR is just a paper feature. Compared with ordinary SDR material, the brightest elements of the image can already come through noticeably, and reflections, highlights and stronger exposures have a bit more energy and stand out better from the rest of the scene. This is most obvious in simpler shots where the screen displays many bright elements. Then the Bravia 3 II can give a hint of a higher dynamic-range picture. The problem only begins with more demanding content, where much greater brightness headroom is required. There the TV quickly shows its limitations and instead of powerful, striking HDR we get only a competently rendered picture.
Colours
Bravia 3 II uses a QLED-type panel, although technically it does not use a classic quantum dot layer. Instead Sony has used a solution based on PFS phosphor, which performs a very similar role: it allows more saturated reds and greens and thus enables a much wider colour gamut. In measurements DCI-P3 coverage was around 94%, and the very wide BT.2020 around 74.4%. These are good results for this class of hardware, which mean the Bravia 3 II has no problem reproducing sufficiently saturated colours in HDR content. Colours do not look washed out, and more intense hues can look genuinely attractive.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 74.4% | 94.2% | 57% | 62% | 66% |
| Film measurements | 74.4% | 94.2% | 57% | 62% | 66% |
BT.2020
BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Although the Bravia 3 II is not an especially bright TV, HDR material can look surprisingly good on it. It performs best with content prepared for lower peak brightness, that is the typical HDR productions found on streaming platforms, usually mastered to around 1000 nits. In such material the TV remains fairly faithful to the reference image, and the brightest parts of scenes are rendered in an orderly way and without significant loss of detail (e.g. fireworks). Of course, some limitations cannot be entirely hidden. In some shots the picture can be a touch too dark, and the lack of local dimming means contrast is not as striking as in more expensive models. Even so, the overall result still looks attractive. Content mastered to 4000 nits also looks interesting, as that clearly exceeds the Bravia 3 II's capabilities. Here the TV has to compress the brightest parts of the image more heavily, and sometimes you can see it cannot show all the fine details in the highlights. For a model with that level of brightness and without a local dimming system, the tone mapping still works quite well. We expected greater compromises, yet Sony does a good job of keeping the picture looking natural and preserving much of its dynamism.
HDR luminance chart:
What we saw earlier with tone mapping largely comes down to the fairly effective algorithms of the Bravia 3 II. Even with plain HDR10, that is without dynamic metadata, the TV can recover a large portion of detail in the brightest parts of the image and prevents highlights from blowing out quickly. Only a direct comparison with Dolby Vision shows that you can get a little more from this screen. Dynamic metadata help to better tailor HDR presentation to a specific scene, so the brightest areas reveal slightly more detail and the overall image is better organised. The difference is not huge, however, which actually speaks well of how the Bravia 3 II handles regular HDR10. Dolby Vision gives an advantage, but it's not the big gap we often see in TVs of a similar character.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
6.3/10
In Professional mode the Bravia 3 II already delivers a fairly good level of colour reproduction straight out of the box. In SDR the most noticeable issue is a slightly low gamma, which makes the midtones a little brighter. White balance isn't perfect either; as brightness increases the blue and red components become slightly lacking, so whites can at times take on a marginally warmer, faintly greenish tint. These are not faults that immediately catch the eye when watching a film. Average error values hover around 3, so the factory setting can be regarded as quite good. The situation is similar in HDR. Here too there is a slight lack of the blue component, so the image is marginally warmer than the reference, but the difference is not large enough to significantly interfere with normal viewing.
Color reproduction after calibration
8/10
After calibration, there is particularly a lot to be gained from SDR content. The white balance was set almost perfectly, the gamma practically matches the reference value, and the average colour errors fell from around 3 to about 1. That is already a level at which differences from the reference image are, in practice, very difficult to detect. The Bravia 3 II therefore shows that, despite its position in Sony’s lineup, it has quite a lot of potential for precise picture calibration. Improvements are also visible in HDR, although here it is no longer possible to avoid all the limitations of the TV itself. After evening out the colours, it is easier to notice that the EOTF curve in film content runs slightly below the reference value in places, so the Bravia 3 II gently darkens part of the image. This is not an ideal solution from a reference point of view, but in this particular TV it also has its benefits. With no local dimming and average black levels, this behaviour slightly reduces the visibility of the backlight in darker scenes and helps maintain a stronger impression of contrast. So you could say Sony partly masks the limitations of the panel this way, instead of trying at all costs to stick to the reference luminance.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Smoothness of tonal transitions
9.5/10
In terms of the smoothness of tonal transitions, the Bravia 3 II performs very well. In most of the scenes we watched it was hard to notice any problems with blending individual shades. Gradients remain smooth both in bright parts of the image, such as skies or sunsets, and in much more challenging, dark scenes. The only thing that may stand out in our photos, especially in the darkest scenes, is the unevenness of the backlight itself. This, however, is not related to colour gradation. It is rather a consequence of using a backlight without local dimming.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
6/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
The Bravia 3 II is Sony's first TV to use the new MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset, and there are a few changes in image processing. Starting with the basics. The upscaling itself is adequate. The TV can sensibly pull up lower-resolution material and does not have a strong tendency to over-emphasise jagged edges or other source imperfections. With regular broadcast TV or weaker streaming material the picture therefore remains quite pleasing. We have more reservations about the digital image processing. In this model Sony has replaced the well-known "Smooth Gradation" function with a new setting called "Digital Noise Reduction". Its role is essentially very similar: it is supposed to smooth unpleasant tonal transitions and artefacts resulting from heavy signal compression. Unfortunately, this function performs noticeably worse than before. At the "High" setting (the only one that had any visible effect) the TV can smooth away too many elements of the image at once, causing film grain to disappear and the texture of objects or even skin to start looking unnatural. Worse still, the effect is not particularly stable. When a scene contains more motion, the function's effect clearly weakens and at times it looks as if the TV stops intervening in the picture altogether. For everyday viewing we therefore would not recommend using it at a high level. It can help on a static shot, but the price is often an excessive loss of detail.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Blur and motion smoothness
8.2/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 120Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 120Hz (double contours)
BFI function 120Hz: Yes, 240Hz (double contours)
Brightness drop with BFI: 25%
Motion handling is definitely one of the Bravia 3 II's strongest points. The TV uses a 120Hz VA panel, a solution that, by nature, despite the high refresh rate, does not always cope well with motion blur. Here, however, Sony has managed to keep that problem very well under control. Fast-moving objects remain crisp, and the characteristic trails and blurring are reduced to a very low level, if not to zero. It is one of the least motion-blur-prone LCD TVs we have tested. Interestingly, in this respect the Bravia 3 II can even outperform the much more expensive True RGB flagship series, the Bravia 9 II.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
The "Czystość" function, which is actually Black Frame Insertion (BFI), works very well too. When set to its maximum level motion becomes noticeably sharper, but importantly this does not involve as large a drop in brightness as with many other TVs. You also don't get strong edge doubling or any flicker. And for that Sony deserves a big plus. The panel itself doesn't look particularly special on paper, but the way the TV handles motion does. If anyone watches a lot of sport or simply pays attention to the sharpness of moving objects, the Bravia 3 II performs exceptionally well in this regard.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Console compatibility and gaming features
8.1/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 120Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
Correct implementation of HGIG:
No - 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
No
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
Sony Bravia 3 II is a very good TV for gamers, although not everything has been implemented exactly as we would like. The biggest change concerns the connectors. For the first time in a Sony TV we get as many as four full HDMI 2.1 ports with 48 Gb/s bandwidth, thanks to the new MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset. That removes one of the issues that has plagued this manufacturer’s TVs for years. We can connect several devices at once and on each input use the device’s full capabilities, for example VRR or ALLM. There is also a simple Game Bar that lets you view key signal parameters and change a few useful settings, such as black level, when you want to improve visibility in darker parts of a game. However, there are two limitations worth knowing. The first is the lack of support for 1440p at 120 Hz. That will not be a problem for everyone, but people using that resolution on a console or PC, for example to get higher frame rates in certain games, will have to choose 1080p. We have more reservations about HGiG support. Sony does not allow you to disable the TV’s tone mapping on the Bravia 3 II, so the screen is always processing HDR content even when you would prefer to leave that task to the console. This is most obvious during HDR setup — the checkerboard pattern does not disappear at the point that corresponds to the TV’s actual capabilities. That does not mean HDR in games will look bad. You just need to approach the setup a little differently and, instead of relying on the pattern, manually set the peak brightness to around 450 nits. The issue can be worked around, but you should know about it before you start setting up the console.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Input lag
9.9/10
In terms of input lag, the Bravia 3 II performs very well. With a 120 Hz signal the input lag is around 8 ms, while at 60 Hz it rises to about 14 ms, so in both cases the response to controls is very quick and during normal gameplay it would be hard to notice any delay. It's also worth noting the TV's behaviour in Dolby Vision Gaming mode on the Xbox. In that mode input lag remains practically the same, and until recently Sony often had a noticeable problem with this.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 14 ms | 2160p60: 14 ms | 2160p60 DV: 14 ms |
| 1080p120: 8 ms | 2160p120: 8 ms | 2160p120 DV: 8 ms |
| 2160p60: 14 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 8 ms |
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Compatibility with PC
7.2/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Average
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 8ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR
Max refresh rate: 120Hz
G-Sync: Yes
Interaction with a computer is generally good, although again not without a few reservations. The Bravia 3 II properly supports 4:4:4 chroma subsampling, so in typical use text and the system interface look sharp and legible. However, grey fonts are noticeable, with their vertical edges often markedly brighter than the horizontal ones. On a larger screen this is not particularly bothersome, but if someone is considering the smaller variant of the Bravia 3 II as a monitor for working with text, it is worth bearing in mind.
What bothers us more, however, is the lack of additional modes with higher refresh rates. It's not even about 144 or 165 Hz at 4K, but rather the ability to achieve smoother motion at Full HD. This solution is appearing increasingly in competitors' TVs (DLG 240Hz), while Sony still does not offer it, even in its pricier models. For most users, 4K at 120 Hz will of course be entirely sufficient, especially for consoles, but people who also use the TV as a gaming monitor for a PC may feel somewhat disappointed.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Viewing angles
3.3/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 72%
Viewing angles are fairly typical for a VA panel, simply average and, for some, probably poor. The Bravia 3 II looks best when you sit directly in front of the screen. As you move to the side, colours start to lose saturation and blacks become increasingly grey. Unfortunately, that is the price you pay for this panel's high native contrast. Watching with two or three people should not be much of a problem, but on a wide sofa those sitting at the far ends will notice a clearly worse picture.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Daytime performance
5.8/10
Panel finish: Satin
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Good
In daytime the Bravia 3 II performs quite respectably, although a lot depends on where you place the TV. The applied satin coating handles reflections adequately; it doesn't act like a mirror, but strong light sources, especially a window opposite the screen, can be distracting while watching. On the plus side, the VA panel means blacks retain quite good depth in daylight and the picture doesn't immediately go grey or become heavily washed out. The brightness of around 450 nits, which the Bravia 3 II can maintain regardless of how many bright elements are on the screen, also helps. For a typical living room this will be more than sufficient and the picture remains clear during the day. However, if the TV is to be placed in a very bright room with large windows and a lot of direct light, you can find models with a noticeably more effective coating and greater brightness reserve.
Panel brightness
SONY BRAVIA 3 II (XR35M2): 447 cd/m2
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - TV features
7.9/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Good
- HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): Yes
- Recording programming: Yes
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: No
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): No
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Smart TV features: Google TV
The Bravia 3 II runs on Google TV and, in terms of capabilities, is one of the more feature-rich systems currently found in TVs. First and foremost there is access to a very large number of apps, so in addition to the most popular streaming platforms you can also find plenty of less obvious services without much trouble. Sony also supports AirPlay and Chromecast, making it very convenient to cast content from a smartphone. Voice search also performs well, powered by Gemini, which handles commands in multiple languages and can genuinely make using the TV easier. However, during our tests we encountered one problem: the Bravia 3 II would not correctly receive a display from a Windows 11 PC over Miracast. So if you plan to use the television as an external screen for a computer, the most reliable solution remains a connection via HDMI.
Traditional television features
Sony has not forgotten those who still primarily use regular broadcast television. The Bravia 3 II supports recording programmes to USB with the ability to schedule them via PVR, which is rare today, especially in cheaper models. There is also teletext and a clear channel guide, so in terms of basic TV functions we weren't really missing anything, except perhaps picture-in-picture (PiP). A curious touch is that two remote controls are included. The first is modern and simplified (non-backlit version), while the second is a classic design with a full numeric keypad. Although it may seem a little old-fashioned, viewers who watch a lot of traditional television might actually find it more convenient, for example when entering channel numbers.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: Yes
- DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: Yes
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Apps
9.6/10
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Playing files from USB
9.3/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in player in the Bravia 3 II works really well and during our tests had no trouble with most popular video and audio formats. It's hard to point to anything that would force us to install an additional player or use an external device. The only exception might be films with subtitles saved in .txt format, which the TV does not support, but let's be honest, at this stage that would be nitpicking.
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Sound
6.8/10
87dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
In terms of sound the Bravia 3 II performs adequately, but it's hard to say much more about it. The speakers handle dialogue and regular television well, but they noticeably lack low-frequency response. The bass quickly loses energy, so with music, action films or games the sound feels rather light and lacks punch. That's of course nothing unusual for TVs in this class, but if you want a more impressive sound a soundbar is a highly recommended addition.
The supported audio formats are a much better story. The Bravia 3 II handles practically everything we might need, including Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS:X, formats increasingly ignored by other manufacturers. The TV can also pass them through to an external audio setup. The exception is Dolby Atmos encoded in Dolby TrueHD, which the built-in speakers cannot play back directly, but with a suitable soundbar or AV receiver this should not be a major issue.
Acoustic Measurements
87dBC (Max)
75dBC
SONY BRAVIA 3 II - Panel details
Software version during testing: 6140200730
Image processor: PENTONIC 800 4GB RAM
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: PFS LED
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