You’ve probably been there. You sit down, ready to binge that new show, and suddenly you’re staring at three different remotes like they’re some kind of logic puzzle. It’s annoying. Sony tried to fix this years ago with something they call Bravia Sync. Basically, it’s just Sony’s fancy brand name for HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control). When it works, it feels like magic. You turn on your PlayStation, and the TV just... knows. It switches inputs, wakes up the soundbar, and lets you control everything with one clicker.
But here’s the kicker: not every device plays nice. Finding a reliable bravia sync device list isn't as straightforward as looking at a box. Sony wants you to buy Sony, obviously. But since the underlying tech is a universal standard, the "list" is actually a lot bigger than the marketing suggests, provided you know which settings to toggle.
What's actually on the Bravia Sync device list?
If we're talking official, "guaranteed to work" hardware, we have to start with Sony’s own ecosystem. This is where the handshake between devices is the tightest. Sony engineers design their soundbars and Blu-ray players to communicate using specific proprietary extensions of the HDMI-CEC protocol.
First on the list? The PlayStation consoles. From the PS3 (Slim models and later) to the PS4 and the PS5, these are the gold standard for Bravia Sync. If you have a Sony TV from the last decade, plugging in a PS5 usually triggers an automatic handshake. The TV recognizes the console, labels the input "PlayStation," and enables "Game Mode" without you lifting a finger. It’s seamless.
Then you’ve got the home audio. Sony’s HT-series soundbars, like the flagship HT-A7000 or the more budget-friendly HT-S400, are core members of the bravia sync device list. When you connect these via the HDMI ARC or eARC port, the TV remote suddenly becomes your volume knob. No more juggling. The same goes for their STR-series AV receivers. If it says "Bravia Sync" on the front panel, you’re in the clear.
But what about the stuff Sony doesn't make? This is where it gets interesting. Because Bravia Sync is built on the HDMI-CEC backbone, devices like the Apple TV 4K, Chromecast with Google TV, and Amazon Fire Stick are unofficially part of the family. They won't show up in Sony's marketing materials, but if you go into your TV’s "External Inputs" menu and run a "Bravia Sync Device List" sync, they often pop right up.
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The technical handshake most people miss
It isn't just about the hardware. It’s about the cable and the port. You could have the most expensive setup on the planet, but if you’re using a cheap, non-high-speed HDMI cable from 2012, the sync will probably fail. CEC requires a specific pin in the HDMI connector to be active.
Most modern Sony TVs—think the X90L or the A80K series—have four HDMI ports. Usually, only one or two are eARC/ARC compatible. If you want your soundbar to be the "brain" of the operation, it has to go into that specific port. If you plug it into HDMI 4 and it's not the ARC port, your bravia sync device list will come up empty.
I’ve seen people return perfectly good soundbars because "the remote doesn't work," when in reality, they just hadn't enabled "Control for HDMI" in the device settings. It’s a two-way street. The TV has to be looking for the device, and the device has to be shouting, "Hey, I’m here!"
Real-world compatibility surprises
- Nintendo Switch: Surprisingly, the Switch is quite good at this. If you dock the Switch, the TV will often jump straight to that input.
- Apple TV 4K: One of the best non-Sony devices for this. It can even turn the TV off when you put the Apple TV to sleep, which is surprisingly rare for cross-brand gear.
- Nvidia Shield TV: Highly customizable CEC settings. You can actually tell it exactly which commands to send to your Sony TV.
- Sonos Soundbars: The Beam and Arc work beautifully with Sony’s sync system, often better than some of Sony’s older legacy gear.
Why your device might be missing from the list
Sometimes you run the "Sync" command and... nothing. The screen stays blank. This usually happens for three reasons. One: the device is in a deep sleep mode and isn't responding to the TV's "ping." Two: you have an "HDMI Switcher" or an older receiver in the middle that's stripping the CEC signal. Third: the "Device Power Off" or "Auto Input Change" settings are toggled off in the Bravia Sync settings menu.
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Go to Settings > Channels & Inputs > External Inputs > Bravia Sync Settings. Make sure "Bravia Sync Control" is ON. Then, hit "Bravia Sync Device List." This forces the TV to scan the HDMI bus. If your device doesn't show up there, it’s not communicating properly.
Honestly, some devices are just "noisy." I’ve had certain cable boxes from companies like Comcast or Spectrum that actually "break" the sync list for everything else. They send weird signals that confuse the TV. If you have a device that refuses to show up, try unplugging everything except the one device you're testing. If it works then, you've got a "CEC conflict" from another piece of gear. It's a common headache in the home theater world.
Actionable steps to optimize your setup
To get the most out of your bravia sync device list, stop treating it like a "plug and play" feature and do a quick audit of your setup. Start by checking your cables; ensure they are at least HDMI 2.0 or 2.1 certified (look for "High Speed" or "Ultra High Speed" labels). Next, prioritize your ports. Your most-used device or your audio system must occupy the eARC/ARC port.
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Once the hardware is physically set, dive into the menus of your peripherals. Whether it's a Blu-ray player or a streaming stick, look for settings labeled "CEC," "AnyNet+," "SimpLink," or "HDMI Control" and ensure they are enabled. Finally, perform a "Power Cycle" on the whole chain. Unplug the TV and all connected devices from the wall for 60 seconds. Plug them back in, starting with the TV, then the soundbar, then the players. This forces a fresh HDMI handshake across the entire bus, which often clears up "ghost" devices or connection drops that have plagued your system for months.
Check the Bravia Sync menu one last time. If the device names appear in the list, you’ve successfully integrated them into the unified control system.