Sony has today unveiled a new gaming sub-brand called Inzone. Three headsets will be made available in July and two gaming monitors (M9 and M3) are coming later this year.
Sony – the PlayStation brand – now has another gaming brand. The new line-up of Inzone products are designed to appeal first and foremost to PC games, but can also be used in some cabacity with PlayStation consoles.
- "Sony announces INZONE – a new gaming gear brand for gamers that sharpens the senses and maximises gaming ability. INZONE monitors feature incredible, high-resolution, and high-dynamic range picture, while the headsets include superior audio and 360 Spatial Sound for Gaming. This new brand embraces Sony’s expertise as a pioneer of audio-visual technology, delivering features that will immerse gamers into the action with total focus," the company said.
With the launch of Inzone, the Japanese gaming powerhouse will challenge established PC monitor makers such as Asus, MSI, LG and Samsung at a time when it is also migrating PlayStation games to PC.
M9 and M3 gaming monitors
Sony's first Inzone gaming monitors are the M9 and M3 models that will be available in summer and winter 2022, respectively.
Sony Inzone M9 is a 27-inch IPS LCD monitor with 4K resolution and up to 144Hz refresh rate. It comes equipped with a Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) system with 96 zones. It also supports HDMI VRR and Nvidia G-Sync Compatible over HDMI 2.1.
Sony Inzone M9
Sony Inzone M3 is a more affordable 27-inch monitor with 1080p resolution and up to 240 Hz refresh rate. It too is equipped with an IPS LCD panel but without zone dimming. It also supports HDMI VRR and G-Sync Compatible over HDMI 2.1.
Both monitors come with built-in stereo speakers, height and tilt adjustability, DisplayPort 1.4, USB ports, anti-glare coating, rear lighting effects (M9 only), and flicker-free LED backlights. HDR (HDR10 and HLG) is technically supported but if you want great HDR for you should go with an OLED display instead.
Sony Inzone M3
PS5 features
If you are using the monitors with PS5 instead of a PC you can get up to 4K 120Hz. Both monitors support the two PS5 features; Auto Genre Picture Mode and Auto HDR Tone Mapping – also known as ALLM and HGiG.
M9 will cost 1099 Euro in Europe. The price for M3 has yet to be confirmed but Sony told FlatpanelsHD that it will likely cost 800 Euro in the Nordics and a little less in other markets.
Specifications
| Sony Inzone M9 | Sony Inzone M3 |
|---|
| Resolution | 3840x2160 (4K) | 1920x1080 (1080p) |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Refresh rate | 144Hz | 240Hz |
| Backlight | FALD (96 zones) | Edge LED |
| Response time | 1ms (GTG) | 1ms (GTG) |
| Contrast ratio | 1000:1 | 1000:1 |
| Brightness | 400 nits typical
600 nits peak | 400 nits typical
400 nits peak |
| HDR | HDR10, HLG | HDR10, HLG |
| DisplayHDR | DisplayHDR 600 | DisplayHDR 400 |
| VRR | HDMI 2.1 VRR, G-Sync Compatible | HDMI 2.1 VRR, G-Sync Compatible |
| Color depth | 10-bit | 10-bit |
| Color gamut | 95% DCI-P3 | 99% sRGB |
| Perfect for PS5 features | Auto Genre Picture Mode
Auto HDR Tone Mapping | Auto Genre Picture Mode
Auto HDR Tone Mapping |
| Anti-glare | | |
| Lighting effect | | |
| Auto KVM switch | | |
| HDMI | 2x HDMI 2.1 | 2x HDMI 2.1 |
| HDMI CEC | | |
| DisplayPort | 1x DisplayPort 1.4 | 1x DisplayPort 1.4 |
| USB | 1x Type-C
1x Type-B (upstream)
3x Type A (downstream) | 1x Type-C
1x Type-B (upstream)
3x Type A (downstream) |
| Headphone output | 1x 3.5mm jack | 1x 3.5mm jack |
FlatpanelsHD
