CES 2026 is about to erupt into one of the most brutal TV showdowns the industry has seen in years—because Sony is back, and it’s coming out swinging.

After spending far too long on the sidelines, Sony is re-entering the innovation race with chainsaw-level aggression, targeting rivals Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL with a bold new RGB LED technology. At IFA Berlin, Sony spent hours unveiling its comeback weapon: a new system that ditches the standard white or blue LED backlights in favour of dedicated red, green, and blue LEDs. The result? Explosive colour, massive brightness gains, and far less blooming—if Sony’s claims hold up.

Sony has already trademarked “True RGB” in several markets, signalling that its 2026 TVs won’t just compete— they’re designed to provoke.

Meanwhile, Hisense and Samsung are preparing their own RGB offensives. Hisense has new models across multiple sizes; Samsung, fresh off the reveal of a 115-inch Micro RGB monster at IFA 2025, is expected to unveil a more retailer-friendly lineup ranging from 65 to 98 inches. Insiders say Samsung wants real volume this time, with pricing as close as possible to its Neo QLED range. For comparison, Samsung’s 75-inch 8K Neo QLED currently sits around $4,888 in Australia.

Samsung’s display chief has promised pricing that “feels worth it,” but the industry will be the judge.

Hisense is staying silent on numbers.

LG, meanwhile, is under enormous pressure. OLED sales are sliding, Samsung is stealing market share, and LG Display is struggling. Now LG is scrambling to join the RGB LED race with TVs manufactured by TCL but carrying the LG brand. It’s a dramatic shift for a company that has championed OLED as the future while ignoring LED tech advances.

TCL, smelling opportunity, is going harder than ever. Fresh from acquiring LG’s last LED factories in China, TCL is preparing its first RGB Mini-LED lineup, including the high-end Q10M Ultra with a blistering 9,000 nits of peak brightness, thousands of dimming zones, and full BT.2020 colour.

What was once a niche, ultra-expensive technology is finally going mainstream, thanks largely to TCL’s willingness to push prices down and production up.

Industry watchers say 2026 will be the year the RGB LED revolution truly arrives—and every major brand wants a piece of it.

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