Sky Glass Gen 2 TV review

Sky Glass Gen 2 bundles a Sky box, soundbar and QLED TV into a single unit, letting customers stream live Sky TV and Freeview over broadband without a satellite dish or aerial.

The second-generation model runs on the same platform as Sky Stream, giving access to over 130 live channels including Sky Originals, Netflix and Discovery.

Sky Glass is available in three sizes and three colourways, and can be bought outright or spread across a 24- or 48-month interest-free plan.

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Quick answer: Sky Glass Gen 2 - key facts

Sky Glass Gen 2 is an all-in-one TV that combines a 4K QLED screen, a seven-speaker Dolby Atmos soundbar and a built-in Sky box in a single unit - no satellite dish, no aerial, no extra cables.

The second-generation model improves on the original with a brighter display, better contrast, and an extra speaker. It runs on the same Sky Entertainment OS platform as the Stream Puck, with access to 130+ live channels and a wide range of streaming apps.

Sky Glass Gen 2 starts from £699 for the 43-inch model, with interest-free payment options available - visit Sky's website for current pricing.

Sky Glass Gen 2 is best suited to: households replacing their TV who want an all-in-one Sky TV setup without a satellite dish. It's less suited to budget buyers, those who already own a good 4K TV, or anyone who wants more flexibility outside Sky's ecosystem.

Sky Glass Gen 2 at a glance

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What is Sky Glass?

Sky Glass, first unveiled in October 2021, was the first Sky TV service that didn't require a satellite dish.

It's manufactured by the company behind Philips TV sets, but uses the QLED quantum dot technology made famous by Samsung. While it shares some visual similarities with Samsung's The Frame range, Sky Glass is a distinct proposition - a TV, Sky box and Dolby Atmos soundbar combined in a single unit, with a built-in microphone for voice control.

Design is a deliberate part of the pitch. Sky Glass comes in three colourways - Arctic Silver, Volcanic Grey and Atlantic Blue - with a slim bezel and colour-matched frame designed to sit as a piece of furniture rather than just a screen. It's positioned as a premium product, and the aesthetic reflects that.

The built-in Sky box supports 29+ apps as standard, including Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Discovery+, Paramount+ and Hayu. While Sky Glass now works as a normal smart TV without a subscription, with a Sky TV plan customers also get access to 130+ live channels, Sky Originals and over 30,000 on-demand titles.

The second-generation model brings a brighter 4K Quantum Dot display with new HDR and precision contrast enhancements, plus more local dimming zones to improve contrast and reduce power consumption. An ambient light sensor and dynamic gamma adjustment add further picture refinement.

The built-in Dolby Atmos soundbar has also been upgraded, gaining an extra speaker for a total of seven compared to six on the original model, with upward-firing drivers designed to project sound into and around the room.

The screen supports up to 4K Ultra HD and HDR, and the soundbar is Dolby Atmos-capable - though both require the Ultra HD add-on at £6 per month to unlock fully.

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How does Sky Glass work?

Setup is straightforward - Sky Glass connects to your home broadband over WiFi or Ethernet, with no dish, no aerial and no engineer visit required. The TV arrives ready to activate, and the whole process takes around 10 minutes.

Sky Glass runs on Sky OS, which integrates live TV, on-demand content and streaming apps into a single interface. Rather than switching between inputs or separate app menus, everything - Sky channels, Netflix, Disney+, iPlayer and more - is accessible from one unified guide.

Voice control is built in via a far-field microphone, meaning commands can be given without picking up the remote. A microphone mute button on the TV lets you disable this if preferred. The Sky remote is not backlit, which is worth noting for use in darker rooms.

Sky Glass Gen 2 supports WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and AirPlay 2 for wireless streaming from Apple devices. An Ethernet port is also available on the rear for a wired connection, though this requires the TV to be within cable reach of your router.

Ports include three HDMI 2.1 inputs - one of which supports eARC - plus USB-A and USB-C connectors. The eARC port allows connection to an external sound system, though this replaces the built-in soundbar rather than supplementing it; there's no way to run both simultaneously.

The built-in soundbar uses a 3.1.2 configuration - three forward-firing speakers, dual woofers and two upward-firing height drivers - for a total of seven speakers. Full Dolby Atmos and Ultra HD require the £6/month add-on pack; HD is included as standard.

Sky recommends a minimum broadband speed of 25Mbps, rising to at least 30Mbps for Ultra HD content - in practice, this means Sky Glass works best on full fibre connections, with slower lines more likely to buffer or drop quality. You can check your current speed using our free broadband speed test.

If you're considering Sky Glass, bundling it with Sky broadband can reduce the overall monthly cost - we cover this in more detail below.

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Sky Glass viewing features

Sky Glass runs on Sky OS, which is designed around streaming rather than traditional broadcast TV. Live channels, on-demand content and third-party apps are brought together in a single interface, with content organised by programme rather than source - so whether something is live on Sky, available on catch-up or sitting in a streaming app, it surfaces in the same place.

Unified guide and content discovery

The Sky OS home screen is built around personalised content rails - Continue Watching, recommendations, and live TV - allowing users to move between channels, apps and on-demand without switching inputs. Search results pull from across Sky channels and supported apps simultaneously, so there's no need to check each service individually.

Playlist

Playlist is Sky's cloud-based alternative to traditional recording. Rather than storing programmes locally, Sky Glass saves content in the cloud or links to the relevant on-demand version. Users can add content from live TV, the guide or apps into a single library across services.

The limitation is that Playlist doesn't guarantee permanent access - if a programme is removed from the source service, it disappears from Playlist too.

Voice control

Sky Glass includes far-field microphones built into the set, so voice commands work without picking up the remote. Saying "Play [show name]" launches content directly, and search works across Sky channels and apps. The microphone can be muted via a button on the TV for those who prefer not to use it.

Personalisation

Sky OS supports individual profiles, allowing different members of a household to maintain separate watchlists and recommendations. Suggestions adapt over time based on viewing habits.

Auto-Enhance modes

Sky Glass includes Sky Auto-Enhance, which automatically adjusts picture and sound settings depending on the type of content being watched:

• Sports mode
• Music mode
• Movie mode

Each mode optimises the relevant settings - boosting clarity for music, for example, or adjusting contrast for films.

Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos

Sky Glass supports 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos as standard, but accessing them requires the Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos add-on pack at £6 per month. Without it, content plays in HD.

Given the price of the TV, paying extra to unlock Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos may feel like a paid upgrade for features many buyers would expect as standard.

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Sky Glass on-demand app support

Sky Glass runs on the same platform as the Sky Stream Puck, giving access to live TV, on-demand content and streaming apps in a single interface. Content is organised by programme rather than source, so live channels, catch-up and app content all surface in the same guide.

The apps available on Sky Glass are:

Netflix Standard with Ads and Discovery+ Entertainment are included with all Sky TV plans. Paramount+ Basic (with Ads) is included with the Sky Cinema add-on. All other apps require their own subscriptions, though some are bundled depending on the plan - Sky Ultimate TV includes Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu alongside Netflix and Discovery+.

For a full breakdown of what's included with each plan, see our guides to Sky Essential TV and Sky Ultimate TV.

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Sky Whole Home

Whole Home is Sky's multiscreen service, allowing additional TVs around the home to be connected to the main Sky Glass account via Sky Stream Pucks. It costs £15 per month on a 31-day rolling contract and includes one Stream Puck free. Additional Pucks cost £39.95 each as a one-off activation charge - the Pucks remain Sky's property and must be returned if you cancel.

Sky Whole Home supports up to six Stream Pucks and up to three Sky Glass sets - so a maximum of nine screens in a single household. Connected TVs don't need to be Sky Glass sets; any TV with an HDMI port works.

Sky recommends a minimum broadband speed of 25Mbps for the first device, plus 5Mbps for each additional Puck streaming simultaneously.

Read more in our full guide to Sky Whole Home.

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Sky Glass Gen 2 specifications

The main specifications of Sky Glass Gen 2 are:

Sky Glass also includes an ambient light sensor that adjusts picture settings to the room, motion detection that wakes the set when someone enters and switches it to standby when the room is empty, and speak-to-wake microphones for hands-free voice control.

Sizes

Sky Glass Gen 2 is available in three sizes:

• 43-inches
• 55-inches
• 65-inches

For additional screens around the home, Sky's Whole Home service connects Sky Stream Pucks to the main Glass account, bringing Sky TV to other TVs without needing a full Glass set in each room.

Colours

Sky Glass Gen 2 is available in three colourways:

• Arctic Silver
• Volcanic Grey
• Atlantic Blue

All three colours are available across all three sizes, though availability may vary. The frame bezel is slim, with the soundbar housing sitting at the base - the colour-matched fabric grille is a deliberate design detail that sets Glass apart from standard TV sets.

Sky Glass Gen 2 is available in Arctic Silver, Volcanic Grey, and Atlantic Blue. Credit: Choose.co.uk

Energy efficiency

Sky Glass Gen 2 carries the following energy efficiency ratings:

The ratings are poor by modern standards, though Gen 2 does improve on its predecessor - the 55-inch model moved from an F to an E rating. Sky claims Glass uses significantly less energy than running a separate TV, set-top box and soundbar combined, which is a fair point given the all-in-one design. Sky Glass is also certified as CarbonNeutral by Natural Capital Partners. Home energy efficiency is cumulative, so the comparison holds if you're replacing multiple devices rather than adding Glass to an existing setup.

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How much does Sky Glass Gen 2 cost?

The price of Sky Glass varies depending on the size of the set, with second-generation Glass priced the same as the original.

Sky Glass Gen 2 is available in three sizes - 43", 55" and 65" - and can be bought outright or spread across an interest-free monthly plan. All sizes come with a 2-year warranty and free delivery.

For current pricing, visit Sky's website directly.

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Sky Glass with Sky TV

Sky Glass is sold alongside a Sky TV subscription, with two main plans available - Sky Essential TV and Sky Ultimate TV. The prices below show the TV plan cost when taken with Sky Glass - the cost of the Glass set itself is added on top, with outright and interest-free payment options available directly from Sky.

Sky Essential TV is the entry-level option, including Sky Atlantic, Netflix and Discovery+ from £15/month. Sky Ultimate TV adds Disney+, HBO Max, Hayu and the full range of Sky Entertainment channels. Both plans are available on a 24-month contract or a flexible 31-day rolling term.

Sky Glass + broadband

Sky Glass can also be bundled with Sky broadband, with discounted broadband pricing compared to taking the two services separately. As above, the Glass hardware cost is additional - visit Sky's website for current pricing.

Bundling Sky broadband with Glass brings the broadband cost down significantly. Sky Full Fibre 300 drops to £20/month with a Sky TV plan, compared to £28/month standalone. Read more in our full Sky broadband review.

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Does Sky Glass need a Sky TV subscription?

Sky Glass requires a Sky TV subscription and is sold alongside a Sky TV plan on both Sky's website and at retail. The set itself can be bought outright or via an interest-free monthly plan - visit Sky's website for current pricing.

The key change with Gen 2 is what happens if you later cancel your Sky subscription. Unlike the original Glass, which effectively stopped working without an active plan, Sky Glass now functions as a normal smart TV - apps like Netflix, BBC iPlayer and ITVX remain accessible, and external devices can still be connected via HDMI. What you lose is Sky's live channels, voice control, Playlist and any Stream Pucks running on a Whole Home plan.

It's also worth noting that Sky Glass works as a standard TV via HDMI input - so after a Sky contract ends, it's possible to connect alternative devices such as a Virgin Media box or a smart TV stick like Amazon Fire TV or Chromecast.

For live Freeview channels without a Sky subscription, a connected aerial is required. With an active Sky plan, Freeview channels are streamed over broadband - no aerial needed.

Sky TV plans are available on a 24-month contract or a flexible 31-day rolling term. It's worth being aware that standard pricing after the initial 24-month period rises significantly - Sky Essential TV goes from £15 to £21/month, and Sky Ultimate TV from £24 to £38/month. Negotiating a new deal at renewal is worth doing to avoid the jump.

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Verdict: Is Sky Glass Gen 2 worth it?

Sky Glass Gen 2 is a confident step forward from the original - a brighter screen, better contrast, and an upgraded soundbar make it a more compelling all-in-one proposition than its predecessor.

The core appeal remains the same: a single unit that replaces a TV, soundbar and Sky box, with no satellite dish required. For anyone who can't or doesn't want a dish - renters, flat dwellers, or those who simply want a cleaner setup - it removes a genuine barrier to getting Sky TV.

The second-generation model also addresses one of the original's bigger limitations. Sky Glass now works as a normal smart TV if you cancel your Sky subscription, meaning you're not permanently locked into Sky's ecosystem in the way you once were.

What we like:

• All-in-one design eliminates extra hardware and cabling
• No satellite dish required - streams entirely over broadband
• Brighter 4K screen and upgraded seven-speaker Dolby Atmos soundbar
• Works as a normal smart TV without an active Sky subscription
• 1,000 hours of cloud-based Playlist storage

The main drawbacks haven't changed. Sky Glass Gen 2 is an expensive TV, and the cost of the set on top of a Sky TV subscription adds up quickly. Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos - the features that justify the premium hardware - cost an extra £6 per month on top. Sky also raises prices annually, with a £3/month rise in April 2026 and a further rise expected in 2027.

Worth considering:

• Premium content and voice control require an active Sky subscription
• Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos are behind a £6/month add-on
• Sky's annual price rises apply to the TV plan
• Sky TV plan pricing jumps significantly after 24 months - Essential rises from £15 to £21/month, Ultimate from £24 to £38/month
• External speakers replace the built-in soundbar rather than supplementing it

Sky Glass Gen 2 makes most sense for buyers already in the market for a new TV who want to consolidate their setup. For those buyers, it's a genuinely strong option.

If the soundbar isn't a priority, Sky Glass Air offers the same platform and 4K picture at less than half the price - from £6/month - in a slimmer, lighter design. For those who don't need a new TV at all, the Sky Stream Puck delivers the same Sky TV experience on any existing set, typically for free with a Sky plan.