Match Made in HD Heaven: Sony’s A9G OLED and PlayStation 5
Ethen Kim Lieser
Technology, Americas
But what about the combined cost? Is it worth it?
Gamers worldwide have been waiting patiently for months for the arrival of the next-generation console from PlayStation, which is expected to be released in mid-November.
In the meantime, why not shop around for the perfect HDTV to pair with the PS5? Sure, the top-of-the-line offerings from LG and Samsung quickly come to mind, but perhaps it’s best to keep it in the family and take a long hard look at Sony’s A9G OLED HDTV.
Like all other OLED panels currently on the market, the A9G does not come cheap—$2,300 for the 55-inch model and a grand more for the 65-incher. Despite the high price points, you can rest easy knowing that you will receive all the goodness that OLED TVs can offer.
Some of that includes unrivaled picture quality, perfect deep black levels, precise colors, wide-viewing angles, and outstanding uniformity. And here is the all-important question: Does Sony match up well with LG’s much-vaunted panels? It is a resounding yes.
Moreover, know that the A9G is perfect for an unrivaled PlayStation experience. Just switch over to the dedicated Game Mode and that will help eliminate any screen tearing and stuttering. The end result is noticeably smoother gameplay—no matter how graphics-intensive the games are.
Tapping into the ultra-powerful X1 Ultimate processor, the A9G brings to the table an array of next-generation features, such as Ambient Optimization, which the Japanese tech giant describes as “a new technology that optimizes picture and sound quality in any customer environment.”
Depending on the amount of ambient light in your room, this tech will enable TVs to automatically adjust the picture quality. This will, in theory, cut down on any glare and bring more life to dim images.
One of the coolest features that’s available on any HDTV today is Sony’s Acoustic Surface technology, which utilizes vibrating actuators to transform the entire panel into a giant speaker. The audio is surprisingly clear and balanced and boasts a strong sense of directionality—making voices and sound effects seem to come from their screen’s respective locations.
The A9G makes use of Android TV, a robust platform in terms of apps and content for sure, but does lack the aesthetics and user-friendliness of Roku TV. The TV’s dedicated processor does smooth out all potential hiccups and it also comes with Google Assistant and Chromecast capability.
If you’re in a hurry to hook up gaming consoles and a soundbar to the set, there are plenty of options to choose from. It comes with the usual HDMI and USB ports, a 3.5mm jack for headphones, an optical digital-audio connection, an RF connector for an antenna and an Ethernet port. For wireless connectivity, it is equipped with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2.
Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.
Image: Sony.