Better Gaming TV: Sony X900H vs. TCL 6 Series R635

The Sony X900H and TCL 6 Series R635 are two of the more popular television sets that were released in 2020. So, how do these TVs fare against each other when it comes to playing games on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S as well as other game consoles? You can find out in this comparison guide between the X900H and R635.

Quick Summary

When compared to the Sony X900H, the 2020 TCL 6-Series (R635) is better at displaying wide color gamut and has brighter HDR brightness levels.

On the other hand, the X900H comes with HDMI 2.1 ports (which means that you will be able to play videogames in 120 frames per second at up to 4K as opposed to being limited to a maximum resolution of 1440p with HDMI 2.0). The Sony TV also has a slight edge when it comes to input lag with game mode.

Both television sets are capable of variable refresh rate although the X900H will require a firmware update.

If you want the best picture quality when playing games, then we recommend getting the R635. If you prefer a slightly more responsive gaming experience, as well as being able to play games at 120 fps in 4K, then we suggest getting the X900H instead.

If you are interested, you can purchase either of the aforementioned television sets on Amazon with the following links:

• Sony X900H 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV
• TCL 6-Series 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV (R635)

Sony X900H vs. TCL 6 Series (R635) Comparison Chart

Screen Sizes

The X900H is available in four screen sizes as you can pick between 55 inches, 65 inches, 75 inches and 85 inches. With the 2020 version of the TCL 6-Series, you can choose between 55 inches, 65 inches and 75 inches. You can take a look at the model number for each screen size of both television sets below:

Sony X900H 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV:

• 55”: XBR55X900H
• 65”: XBR65X900H
• 75”: XBR75X900H
• 85”: XBR85X900H

TCL 6-Series 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED TV (R635):

• 55”: 55R635
• 65”: 65R635
• 75”: 75R635

HDMI Input

The X900H comes with two HDMI 2.0 ports and two HDMI 2.1 ports. The TCL 6 Series R635 includes four HDMI 2.1 ports.

The PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X all support HDMI 2.1, which allows you to play videogames at 120 frames per second in up to 4K. All three new game consoles are also compatible with HDMI 2.0 ports as you can play games at 120 frames per second in up to 1440p.

You can check out the HDMI ports included with each of the television set in this versus guide below:

Sony X900H:

• HDMI Port #1: HDMI 2.0
• HDMI Port #2: HDMI 2.0
• HDMI Port #3: HDMI 2.1
• HDMI Port #4: HDMI 2.1

TCL 6 Series R635:

• HDMI Port #1: HDMI 2.0
• HDMI Port #2: HDMI 2.0
• HDMI Port #3: HDMI 2.0
• HDMI Port #4: HDMI 2.0

Composite Input

Although both the X900H and R635 come with a composite input, you will need an adapter (which is sold separately) to connect consoles that uses the RCA output. These videogame systems include the PS1, PS2, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo Wii and Xbox.

Antenna Input

Both of these televisions feature an antenna input that you can use for your retro consoles such as the Super Nintendo, NES and Sega Genesis.

Wide Color Gamut

While the two television sets support a wide color gamut, the TCL 6 Series R635 has a wider range of color coverage.

You can take a look at the wide color gamut specifications, via RTINGS, for the X900H and R635 below:

X900H:

• DCI P3 xy: 85.71%
• DCI P3 uv: 91.40%
• Rec 2020 xy: 63.39%
• Rec 2020 uv: 70.45%

R635:

• DCI P3 xy: 91.01%
• DCI P3 uv: 94.57%
• Rec 2020 xy: 69.72%
• Rec 2020 uv: 78.81%

Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HDR10+ Support

The Sony X900H and 2020 TCL 6-Series support Dolby Vision and HDR10 but not HDR10+. The PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S (as well as the older PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One S and Xbox One X) are compatible with HDR10. The Xbox Series X and S are also compatible with Dolby Vision.

HDR Brightness

The TCL 6 Series R635 has the edge over the X900H when it comes to HDR brightness levels in all scenes tested by RTINGS, including the real scene peak, all peak window percentages and all sustained window percentages.

To get a good HDR viewing experience, we recommend TVs have at least 500 nits when it comes to brightness levels. The R635 is available to achieve this in all scenes tested. The X900H can reach this threshold in a vast majority of cases with the exceptions being darker scenes of HDR Peak 2% Window, HDR Peak 10% Window, HDR Sustained 2% Window and HDR Sustained 10% Window.

You can find RTINGS’ HDR brightness test results for the X900H and R635 below:

HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness

• X900H: 556 nits
• R635: 869 nits

HDR Peak 2% Window

• X900H: 307 nits
• R635: 641 nits

HDR Peak 10% Window

• X900H: 449 nits
• R635: 982 nits

HDR Peak 25% Window

• X900H: 739 nits
• R635: 1068 nits

HDR Peak 50% Window

• X900H: 683 nits
• R635: 773 nits

HDR Peak 100% Window

• X900H: 552 nits
• R635: 648 nits

HDR Sustained 2% Window

• X900H: 304 nits
• R635: 639 nits

HDR Sustained 10% Window

• X900H: 445 nits
• R635: 977 nits

HDR Sustained 25% Window

• X900H: 727 nits
• R635: 1052 nits

HDR Sustained 50% Window

• X900H: 680 nits
• R635: 771 nits

HDR Sustained 100% Window

• X900H: 551 nits
• R635: 646 nits

HDR ABL

• X900H: 0.050
• R635: 0.031

Native Refresh Rate

The two television sets in this comparison guide have a native refresh rate of 120 Hz. This means that both are capable of playing games at up to 120 frames per second on the PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

Variable Refresh Rate, FreeSync and G-SYNC Support

The X900H and TCL R635 support variable refresh rate (although you have to wait for a future update to the X900H for VRR) but not FreeSync or G-Sync. All three of these features are similar in that they are designed to get rid of judder and screen tearing.

Variable Refresh Rate is currently being supported by the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. VRR will also be coming to the PS5 in a future firmware update. FreeSync is used by AMD graphics cards while G-SYNC is used by NVIDIA’s graphics cards.

Input Lag

According to RTINGS, the X900H has a slight edge over the R635 when it comes to input lag in game mode at 1080p/60Hz, 1080p/120Hz, 1440p/60Hz, 4K/60Hz, 4K/60Hz/10-bit HDR and 4K/60Hz/4:4:4. To get a responsive gaming experience, your TV should not have lag over 30 ms. Both TVs in this comparison are able to achieve easily.

With the PS5 and Xbox Series X, you will most likely play games at 4K/60Hz/10-bit HDR. With the Xbox Series S, you will mainly switch between 1080p/60Hz, 1080p/120Hz, 1440p/60Hz and 1440p/120Hz. Older HDMI consoles (PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360 and Xbox One) will be using 1080p/60Hz.

You can take a look at RTINGS input lag test results for the X900H and R635 below:

Input Lag at 1080p/60Hz with Game Mode

• X900H: 15.4 ms
• R635: 18.4 ms

Input Lag at 1080p/120Hz with Game Mode

• X900H: 7.2 ms
• R635: 8.8 ms

Input Lag at 1440p/60Hz with Game Mode

• X900H: 15.0 ms
• R635: 17.9 ms

Input Lag at 4K/60Hz with Game Mode

• X900H: 15.1 ms
• R635: 17.8 ms

Input Lag at 4K/60Hz/10-bit HDR with Game Mode

• X900H: 15.2 ms
• R635: 18.0 ms

Input Lag at 4K/60Hz/4:4:4

• X900H: 15.1 ms
• R635: 17.8 ms

Input Lag at 1080p/60Hz without Game Mode

• X900H: 91.1 ms
• R635: 144.0 ms

Input Lag at 4K/60Hz without Game Mode

• X900H: 90.9 ms
• R635: 143.7 ms

Input Lag at 4K/60Hz with Interpolation

• X900H: 87.2 ms
• R635: 151.5 ms