Sony announces a new gaming monitor & headset! IGN gives the M9 a 9/10!

https://www.polygon.com/23187033/sony-gaming-headset-monitor-pc-ps5-inzone

The brand is called InZone, and pre-orders are open now

Sony Electronics is launching a new gaming hardware brand this year called InZone. The line of headphones and monitors is specifically designed for use with Sony’s PlayStation 5 and with Windows PC games. And those products, for better or worse, match the PS5’s white-and-black aesthetic to a T.

The timing of Sony’s interest in PC-specific hardware makes sense as more of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation exclusives move to PC.

There are two gaming monitors currently in Sony’s InZone lineup, the M9 and M5. The M9 is a 27-inch 4K monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate, while the InZone M5 sports a 240 Hz refresh rate at 1080p resolution. Both models feature HDMI 2.1 and USB-C ports as well as variable refresh rate support — just like the PS5 does — but only the higher-end M9 offers full-array local dimming, which improves image quality by delivering better contrast. The M9 will cost $899 at launch, while the M5 is priced at $529.

Sony is touting special interoperability features for these gaming monitors when they’re hooked up to a PS5. The M9 offers auto HDR tone mapping, which automatically tunes the look of HDR color, and it’ll automatically switch the picture mode depending on whether you’re playing a game or watching a movie.

Two wireless InZone-branded headsets are also coming from Sony — the top-of-the-line InZone H9 and the H7, both with 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity — alongside a wired headset, the H3. They’re noticeably larger and more robust than Sony’s existing Pulse 3D wireless headset for the PlayStation 5. Sony says the wireless headsets will get 32 and 40 hours of battery life, respectively. The H9 will cost $299, while the H7 is priced at $229 and the H3 will go for $100.

Sony said in a news release that the monitors will be available this summer from Sony.com and other retailers. The gaming headsets are currently available for pre-orderon the Sony website.

😮 oh snap! Who’s interested?

Wow, look at this review from IGN! Looks like a Sony winner!

https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-inzone-m9-review

This is a smart move, since Cows dont have any games to buy during this drought, sell them a new TV and headset.

No HDR. Tone maps to SDR. For their HDR console. What a joke.

Lol, surround headset. Because PlayStation 5 is known for its great multiplayer exclusives, right? Should instead do an update for Atmos. Simulated surround still just sounds like stereo in nearly all cases.

We don't need this. There are better and cheaper options elsewhere if you're looking for a 4K monitor.

No thanks, living that 21:9 life and I'm never going back.

*if the game supports it lol

Meh, pass.

Name-branded goods like this are generally a ripoff; you can get the same thing (often literally; manufacturers tend to make the same product for multiple retailers) or equivalent for much cheaper. It will look good on some cute streamers desk, though, I'm sure.

Nice to see them still working with 1080p monitors, though; it's a totally viable resolution for monitors when you're within three or so feet of them, and the performance is just awesome. 4K to me, even now, is still very much a luxury and not worth the hit to performance.

*Woh woh woh they want us to pay 500+ for a 1080p monitor? And 800+ for a 4K monitor? Yeah no thanks. Like I said...ripoff.

You never play older or more visually simplistic games? New AAA all the time?

Ehh, Flawless Widescreen exists.

I’ll pass.

Pass.

Actually I tend to steer way from AAA games given the quality is so poor these days.

I mostly play what you would call "visually simplistic" games.

Out of curiosity, why does it matter?

Because the types of games you play shouldn't be that demanding, allowing 4K at at least 60. But I can't remember if you're one of the ones with the nice graphics cards.

Neither product interests me. I don't remember how much my TV cost, but I got a high end headset for much cheaper -- only $200 (in Canadian currency).

Oh yeah I'm definitely one of those jackasses that spends 3000-dollars on his rig to play 10-dollar indie games 😁

I'm a walking PC Master Race stereotype. If I walked. I actually just sit here for 16 hours and only get up to fetch my doordash. I just wish my mom's basement didn't have so many stairs...

😋

Kidding aside, I do see your point. As someone that hasn't played on 4K for a while, do you think even visually simplistic games benefit from the resolution upgrade? I mean I can totally imagine how playing Factorio on some giant 60+ inch 4K screen might be kind of fun but at the same time maybe not so much?

Sony makes amazing panels but they are always so needlessly expensive.

Factorio looks like a mouse and keyboard (best at a desk) game with UI probably scaled to HD resolutions, so hell no. Was thinking more games built for controllers or compromised for consoles.

To be honest, I bought my TV specifically for my daily dose of movies, but it's nice to have for simple controller games. My next MONITOR will be 1440 as well. No point having a 4K monitor when so many programs are still scaled for HD. Even Windows' UI is uglier in 4K, regardless of the scaling. Just found it curious that you mentioned performance as a reason, like every game is demanding.

Well, depends if I can find a good HDR monitor in 1440. The Asus ProArt series, for example, only has HDR for the 4K monitors. Lame. Might be forced to go 4K when the time comes.

Imagine paying $300 for that POS headset. Jesus. @sealionact likes it, tho. He is into crap headsets because they're wireless and he needs wireless headsets in his life, actually.

@SolidGame_basic: I remember the 3dtv sony tried to milk ps3 gamers with. My friends bought it though, but got it on sale. $700?? Sony can shove it up their rear

Okay, the M9 actually has me excited. I need to see Hardware Unboxed review that one.

@techhog89: you must be rich tech doggie, to spend $900 on a monitor. Sony should be ashamed though. Selling a 4k 144hz monitor when their games don't even hit 4k, let alone 4k 30fps. 144hz is a pipe dream.

That monitor looks cool! I am definitely getting it for my PS4 (and future PS5 when I find it in stock). Headset looks nice too.

Nah doesn't grab my interest. Even with the fact i do want to, at some point, upgrade my monitor to 4k. I want bigger than 27in but glad to see them jumping more into pc focus things

That's nice. I am very satisfied with my 4K Bravia that I purchased in 2018, so I don't necessarily need a new monitor at this point, but I will consider it when I need one in the future.

I also like the design of that headset, it looks very sleek and matches the design of the PS5.

It is always great for us consumers to be able to choose these official monitors and headsets, especially for those who value design and unity over price.

lol is that a positive?

@hardwenzen: Why not? I think it's obvious which has better taste, Sony's simple, sleek design or the typical silly gaming headset with colorful LEDs glowing grotesquely in red, blue, green, etc.

You connect your console to a small 1440p monitor - when your console can’t output 1440p - and recommend second hand wired stereo cans with a standalone desktop boom mic.

Nobody takes your pov seriously.

Sony gets into PC gaming and promptly announces a monitor.

@SolidGame_basic:

Sony thanks you for the shilling,even after all the lies they told you and for defending the constant cash grabs.

A thank you letter has been posted,you will just need to send us 70 dollars when it arrives.

Yours faithfully

Head of milking

Ben dover

Has reviewed well, the negative comments are merely by anti-sony fans. Couldn't care less who made this, but it is actually good spec wise.

Doesn't Sony just make slightly worse things and sell it for slightly more money? Like most big electronics companies who can sell things just by name?

Good for fanboys who ignores quality in favor of fandom, I guess.

@Litchie: Depending on the product, Sony can sometimes be cheaper than the competition. I have some Sony wireless earbuds as a cheaper alternative to Apple AirPods and Samsung Galaxy buds etc. Pretty good quality too. But then again, selling a product cheaper than Apple isn’t very hard to do lol.

I thought PS5 was 4K120? What's this 1080p they're talking about?

And the headphones? Seriously, just buy ANY audiophile grade heaphones, add a boom pro or modmic and you'll have the best gaming headset available.

^ Nobody click that link, it's almost certainly malware

Gaming-branded peripherals... Pff.

I'll stick to my LG OLED and Beyerdynamic headphones thanks

They offer two models: a 4K model and a less expensive 1080p model with a higher refresh rate, which you can choose according to your preference and budget.

• InZone M9 - 27-inch 4K 144Hz for $899
• InZone M5 - 27-inch 1080p 240Hz for $529

Also, these are not only for PS5 but also for PC. The 1080p model is probably targeting mid-range PC users as well. According to statistics I've seen before, quite a few PC users still play with graphics cards for 1080p gaming.

The following video reviews them in detail.

@st_monica: You just owned him bro

lol :P

@SolidGame_basic:

@blaznwiipspman1: It's called saving money.

$900 is a fantastic price for real FALD HDR though. Most other monitors like this cost 2-3x as much.

The real joke is the 27" 4K monitor. For a desktop monitor you're not going to see a benefit in 4K until you get over the 32" mark. So you're halving your potential frame rates for little to no improvement in visual fidelity. Now that's smart.

So delusional. Switch has been on auto pilot since Animal Crossing. Have a seat already.

No thanks Sony. I will stick to my ultrawide QD OLED monitor and AKG headphones. I wouldn't mind the Sony A95K QD OLED TV to replace my LG C9 OLED though. :)

I can't think of a single big title that's released for Switch besides Kirby in the last two years.

Yeah, there's probably some exceptions.

lol, yeah regarding Apple, they're usually selling their stuff for one digit too much. As far as electronics go, I've always completely ignored them. Ridiculous company.

Only when comparing to the 🤢🤢🤢 LED headsets does it look decent.

Funny how last year i said that i game on monitors exclusively, and people were like "LOL get a tv, bro. Consoles are meant to be played on a TV". But here we're, Sony themselves are releasing monitors for the ps5🤷‍♂️You were wrong, and you should feel bad right now.