Which is better for a bright living room?

The Samsung S95C. Its Quantum Dot OLED panel pushes higher brightness, so reflections and daylight wash out the picture less.

Which has the better picture for movies?

The Sony A80L is the more accurate, natural image out of the box, and Sony's processing handles motion and upscaling well. The Samsung is punchier and brighter.

Which is better for gaming?

The Samsung S95C, with up to 144 Hz, VRR, and Samsung Gaming Hub. The Sony A80L supports VRR at 120 Hz and is still a good gaming set.

Is the step up to the Samsung worth it?

If brightness or 144 Hz gaming matters to you, yes. If you mostly watch films in a dim room and value accuracy, the Sony is the better fit.

Both are OLED sets with similar panel life. Neither brand has a clear durability edge; panel care settings and viewing habits matter more than the badge.

Do either support Dolby Vision?

The Sony A80L supports Dolby Vision. The Samsung S95C does not, using HDR10+ instead.

Samsung S95C OLED TV vs Sony BRAVIA XR A80L OLED TV

The Samsung S95C is the brighter, punchier set, with Quantum Dot OLED color and up to 144 Hz for gaming. The Sony A80L is the more balanced, natural picture with Sony's processing and Google TV, and it has a much larger base of owner ratings. Buy the Samsung if you watch in a bright room or game seriously; buy the Sony if you want the most accurate, cinematic image and Google's app platform.

Choose the Samsung S95C if you want the brightest OLED picture, vivid color, and the fastest refresh rate for gaming.
Choose the Sony A80L if you want natural, accurate picture processing and the Google TV interface.

Prices

Samsung S95C OLED TV: $2,195.00 at eBay (checked today)
Sony BRAVIA XR A80L OLED TV: $3,298.97 refurbished at Amazon (last seen Nov 10)
Difference: the Samsung S95C OLED TV is $1,103.97 cheaper than the Sony BRAVIA XR A80L OLED TV at the latest prices (Nov 10 and Nov 11)