Sony is trying to reach more than PS5 gamers with its new brand of monitors and headphones for InZone games. I got them in the video embedded above if you prefer to see or hear me talk about these gadgets.
Designed for a PC but with specifications to take full advantage of the PS5, along with the Xbox Series X, the $ 899 InZone M9 is the group’s flagship product. It’s a 27-inch 4K IPS gaming monitor designed to match the aesthetics of the PS5, while having all the possible specs that gamers could want everywhere, without an OLED panel, of course. There is a refresh rate of 144 Hz (this is not so common with a 4K screen), a response time of 1 ms, a variable refresh rate (VRR for both consoles and G-Sync compatibility for Nvidia GPUs), plus DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1 ports. It can also display video via USB-C.
In particular, the M9 features a full 96-zone local dimming array, along with the DisplayHDR 600, both allowing for brighter accents, darker blacks and the ability to juggle both without too much of a halo effect. Some features that are special to this monitor (and that flow from high-end Bravia TVs) include automatic HDR tone mapping, which automatically recognizes the M9 when plugged into the PS5 and claims to optimize the HDR output of the display. There’s also an auto-genre picture mode that can automatically switch to movie mode when you start a video or Blu-ray streaming service, then return to low-latency mode when you start playing again.
In a mind-boggling move, Sony doesn’t include any $ 899 M9 video cables. A Sony spokesman, Chloe Canta, told The Verge that the company chose not to do so because “the required cable type, version and length vary depending on the customer’s use.” I guess Sony isn’t wrong, but not plugging in video cables is just not right.
Games with contrast-rich details and environments, such as Returnal, shine with the M9’s complete local dimming. The rear LEDs can change color in the M9’s on-screen display, but do not support effects – only solid colors.
This winter comes a cheaper M3 monitor for $ 529, which makes some omissions to meet the lower price. It eliminates local dimming of the entire array, drops to 1080p and reduces HDR to 400 nits of peak brightness. Otherwise, the set of functions is similar with one exception: the refresh rate reaches 240Hz.
Moving on to the other product category that Sony’s InZone launches: headphones. The H9 sits at the top of its new range, swings large ear boxes and has the ability to handle both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. The design is not similar to the Pulse 3D headphones that Sony released with the PS5. Instead, it’s more like competing gaming headphones, including highly adjustable side arms, a mute microphone that can offer a healthy dose of side tone (to be heard in the headphones) and ear pads that Sony says that borrows building materials from his latest WH-1000XM5.
The H9 claims to offer 32 hours of battery life on a single charge and is the only model in Sony’s range that has digital noise reduction. During my practical work I tested them against my personal set Sony WH-1000XM3 and they were comparable in quality, with great comfort, effective noise reduction (Sony says it is “inherited” from the 1000X series, but they do not look quite good as XM3) and superb sound quality. One drawback, however, is that they are just huge on your head. In the video above, there is a frame that shows how big they look while they are on my head.
H9 is only available in this black and white color. This toggle audio switch does what you expect.
Like its monitors, Sony has a unique angle with the H9 that other hardware manufacturers have not tried, as far as I know. PC players can install its accompanying InZone app along with Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer to get a more personalized spatial audio profile. Strangely, this requires you to take pictures of your ears, and yes, Sony claims that this will actually improve your sound. In my short practical test of the function I did not notice a difference, but I will certainly test it in more depth for the review.
Sony has another wireless headset, the H7 for $ 229 and the H3 cable headset for $ 100. The H7 has a slightly reduced feature set, but retains the design and dual wireless connectivity. You will not get noise reduction, although removing this feature extends battery life by up to 40 hours of charging. The H3, on the other hand, provides decent sound performance, but is more limited in style compared to the H9 and H7.
Sony’s release of its own gaming monitors wasn’t exactly on my 2022 bingo card, or, well, ever – not that it hasn’t tried before. But his new InZone hardware looks and feels like fully realized ideas that are being realized. It remains to be seen whether Sony plans to replicate these products each year, as competitors do. But what comes out in 2022 seems relatively reliable for the future. Expect the latest reviews soon.
Add Comment