We had heard that Hisense’s 2025 TVs were going to go real big, with the Chinese brand announcing that it had launched its first ever 136-inch micro-LED TV for the consumer market, but we didn't expect to be also surprised by a giant 163-inch version of the micro-LED TV at CES 2025 as well.
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Now, don't get too excited right away, Hisense doesn't yet have definitive plans for when the giant 163-inch micro-LED TV might be available, or in exactly which countries – but it's an actual product that will come to some countries, and the UK is likely to be one of them (though not confirmed).
Which made the fact that I was able to see it in-person all the more exciting, and promising for what's to come next. Indeed, just the thought of how many million microscope LEDs are in such a giant display is staggering.
It seems there truly is no limit to making the best TVs bigger – at this rate we're going to need to start changing regulations to make all new houses bigger – and to see this achieved with micro-LED for a consumer market makes it exciting for anyone that wants that cinematic projector size screen in their home without sacrificing brightness and ease of use.
Seeing Hisense's oversized micro-LED TV in person
But what does a 163-inch micro-LED TV look like? Sure, it sounds big, but seeing the set in person is something else entirely. I got to get up close at the Las Vegas Convention Center and was not only blown away by the size of it, but at how the set managed to maintain such impressively rich colors and clarity across the large panel.
Of course, that's down to the millions of micro-LEDs that offer infinitely nuanced control over the contrast, which is what makes the set appear so bright with such vivid colors – micro-LED is essentially the 'ideal' middle-ground where you get the high contrast of OLED with the high brightness of mini-LED.
Such a technically high-performing display technology in such a giant TV is of course going to appeal to only a very specific type of audience, though, which means that only those with home theater rooms and Hollywood budgets are going to likely be in the market for one of these.
In terms of the specs in the 163-inch micro-LED, Hisense says that it is the same as the 136MX. That means that both sets have Hisense's new Hi-View AI Engine X processor to power the millions of micro-LEDs. Powered by this, there's also an 'AI-based' feature to optimize the picture and sound quality, as well as the increased energy consumption.
You're also getting Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ HDR formats. On the audio front, the giant micro-LED sets support both Dolby Atmos and DTS: Virtual X formats, and as for gaming, there are two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz, VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium Pro included) and ALLM.
No exact price or launch date has yet been announced for either micro-LED model, but considering the prices we've seen for giant micro-LEDs from TCL, LG and Samsung, I'm not expecting them to be cheap, if the 163-inch one even launches.
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