Living with Sony’s 98-Inch BRAVIA X90L

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Let me set the scene: It’s Friday night. Pizza’s ordered. Friends are over. We’re about to watch Dune: Part Two, and I’m secretly terrified. Not because of the sandworms, but because I’d just mounted a 98-inch TV in my modestly sized living room. The Sony BRAVIA X90L isn’t just a television—it’s a statement. And after two weeks with it, here’s the truth: it’s either the best decision I’ve ever made or proof I’ve lost all sense of scale.

The Unboxing: “Are You Sure This Isn’t a Billboard?”

The delivery guys laughed when they saw my apartment. “Where you gonna put this? The roof?” Spoiler: It fit. Barely.

The X90L’s 98-inch screen isn’t just big—it’s presidential. But once mounted, it transformed my 12x15-foot room into an IMAX-lite. The bezels are slim, the stand minimalist, and the first time I powered it on, my cat froze mid-lick, mesmerized by the boot-up animation.

The Picture: Like Someone Scrubbed My Eyeballs

I’d heard “4K HDR” tossed around like confetti, but here’s what that actually means:  

- Desert scenes in Dune: Every grain of sand glinted like it was trying to blind me (in a good way).

- Sports mode: Watching soccer felt like I could yell at players through the screen.

- Netflix at 2 AM: Dark scenes in Stranger Things weren’t murky gray voids—they had depth, shadows, and creepy details I’d never noticed.

The Cognitive Processor XR is Sony’s secret sauce. It doesn’t just upscale; it analyzes, tweaking colors and contrast in real-time. My old TV now looks like a flipbook.

The Sound: Who Needs a Soundbar? (Okay, Maybe Still Me)

The X90L’s Acoustic Surface Audio+ makes sound seem to come from the actors’ mouths, not just “around the TV.” When Timothée Chalamet whispered, my friend whispered back, “Why is this so intimate?!”

But let’s be real—for true bassheads, you’ll still want a subwoofer. The TV’s built-in audio won’t shake your walls, but it’s shockingly good for something this slim.

The Smart Stuff: Google TV and My Late-Night Shame

Google TV is intuitive, but it knows me. By day two, it suggested 90 Day Fiancé compilations and a documentary about competitive snail racing. Thanks, algorithm.

Voice search became my lazy superpower: “Hey Google, play Succession” while elbow-deep in popcorn. The 98-inch screen made even YouTube tutorials feel epic.

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 The Downsides: It’s Not All 4K Roses

- Room Requirements: This isn’t a TV for a studio apartment. You need space to sit back (ideally 10+ feet).

- Power Hungry: My electric bill nudged up slightly. Worth it? Debatable.

- Installation Panic: Mounting it required two friends, a YouTube tutorial, and a swear jar.

 The Verdict: Who Is This TV For?

- Cinephiles: If you’ve ever cried during a movie’s opening credits, this is your shrine.

- Gamers: PS5 + X90L’s 120Hz refresh rate = butter-smooth Elden Ring rage.

- Families: My niece said watching Frozen on it felt like “being inside Elsa’s brain.”

Not for: People who think “cozy” means a 32-inch CRT. Or anyone who enjoys subtlety.

 Final Thoughts: Bigger Isn’t Just Bigger—It’s Better

The X90L isn’t just a TV—it’s an event. It made me want to watch movies at home instead of theaters. Yes, it’s overkill. Yes, my friends mock me. But when the lights dim and that screen lights up? Pure magic.

Just measure your wall first.

👉  Check out the Sony BRAVIA X90L 98" – if you dare.