Sony Inzone M9 specifications
Screen Size: 27 inches
the decision: 3840×2160
refresh rate: 144 Hz
Input: 1 headphone jack, 3 USB-A, 1 USB-B, 1 USB-C, 1 display port, 2 HDMI 2.1
Dimensions: 24.25 x 18.88 x 9.88 inches (with stand)
Weight: 15 lbs (with stand)
The Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor ($899) is an odd thing. It is a Sony gaming console from a new hardware division called Inzone which is independent of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony’s gaming division. And while Inzone doesn’t make hardware specifically for the PS5, you wouldn’t guess it by looking at the M9, which has the same aesthetic as Sony’s newer console. However, Sony is clearly targeting PC gamers (along with PS5 users) with this device.
Brand confusion aside, the Inzone M9 is one of the best gaming monitors I’ve tested. With a vibrant 27-inch 4K LCD screen, 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, VRR support and G-Sync compatibility, PC and PS5 games look and act exceptionally on this monitor. And the best part? You get all this for less than a thousand dollars. This is an easy inclusion in our list of best gaming monitors. this is good.
Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor review: price and release date
- It costs $899
- Launches Summer 2022
The Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor will go on sale for $899 sometime this summer. It features a 27-inch 4K 144Hz LCD monitor with maximum advertised brightness of 600 nits, 1ms response time, HDMI 2.1 support and G-Sync support. It is compatible with PC, PS5 and even Xbox Series X.
Sony also plans to release the Inzone M3 gaming monitor sometime during the winter of 2022. This Inzone monitor is similar to the Inzone M9, except that it has a 240Hz (1920 x 1080) HD display that is rated for 400 nits of brightness. The Inzone M3 will cost $529.
Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor review: Design
- Shares PS5 design language
- Doesn’t take up much space on the desk
- Can not rotate 90 degrees (vertical direction)
The Inzone M9 is a relatively small gaming monitor that does not require much space on the desk. Its design is reminiscent of the PS5 with its black and white casing. Most of the back is white, while the bottom that contains the ports is black. The only source of color comes from the LED strip along the back.
Instead of the usual V-shaped stand that comes with most monitors, the Inzone M9 is more of a tripod — with a central column holding the monitor and two slimmer legs providing support behind the stand.
Because the shaft is set at a 45-degree angle, the screen slides toward you when you drop it away when you move it up. This took a while as I’m used to screens that slide up or down along the shaft of my head. You can’t tilt the screen left or right, which means you’ll have to pan the entire screen to get your preferred viewing angle.
Unlike the Gigabyte Aorus FI32U, you cannot rotate the screen 90 degrees in portrait orientation. This probably won’t be a problem for people who tend to play modern games with 16:9 aspect ratios. However, it does mean that you can’t flip the screen sideways to run a vertical scrolling shooter like Ikaruga with a more realistic aspect ratio.
There are quite a few ports on the back of the screen. This includes a headphone jack, three USB-A ports, one USB-B, one USB-C, a display, and two HDMI 2.1 ports. There is also an OSD (On-Screen Display) joystick behind the screen to enter the menu to configure display settings.
Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor review: Screen
- 27 inch 4K 144Hz screen looks bright and colorful
- Different picture modes make games and movies look good
- PS5 exclusive picture settings
The Inzone M9 has a 27-inch LCD IPS display with a resolution of 144Hz (3840 x 2160) with a response time of 1ms. Preset picture modes include Standard, FPS game, Cinema, Game1 and Game2.
Regarding the first two modes, Standard provides a balanced picture of both games and content. FPS mode improves brightness and contrast to make it easier to see enemies. Maybe because I’m not a competitive player who plays FPS games a lot, but I didn’t feel like the FPS mode gave me an advantage. I’ve been as bad at Call of Duty: Warzone as ever.
Things get dramatically brighter when HDR is enabled. Our tests revealed that the Inzone M9’s display achieved an average brightness of 793 nits.
Cinema mode is a PS5 exclusive feature that turns on automatically when you’re watching streaming content or playing DVD/Blu-Ray/UHD (yes, it’s still there). While Game1 mode (the default setting for games) reduces input lag to make games run better, Cinema mode shifts the focus to image processing to provide an overall stronger picture. This is a great feature that will save you the trouble of creating separate game and picture modes on your TV (as you did on the LG CX OLED 4K TV).
Speaking of PS5-specific features, HDR tone mapping automatically recognizes Inzone game monitors during the initial setup process and optimizes the console’s HDR settings. This is another great time-saving feature that can save you from manually adjusting PS5 HDR settings. Granted, I’m the arrogant type who prefers to calibrate the HDR settings myself, but I love that this feature is there.
In terms of our Tom’s guide test results, we found that the Inzone M9 delivered an average of 395.8 nits of brightness in standard mode. That’s brighter than the Acer Predator XB323QK, which averaged 378 nits of brightness in user mode. Other Inzone M9 modes achieved similar averages hovering in the 390 range; All save Game2 mode, which achieved 445 nits of brightness.
Things get dramatically brighter when HDR is enabled. Our tests revealed that the Inzone M9’s display achieved an average brightness of 793 nits with HDR at 40%.
Pointing our colorimeter at the monitor, we found that it achieved 145% of the sRGB color gamut (100% more accurate) and 102.9% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Delta-E value reached 0.31 (closer to 0 is better). Other modes remained within this range.
In contrast, the Acer Predator XB323QK reached 138.1% of the sRGB color gamut and 97.8% of the wider DCI-P3 color gamut. Both were beaten out by the Alienware 34’s gaming monitor, which achieved 183.2% sRGB color gamut and 129.8% DCI-P3. But given how the latter has a Quantum-Dot OLED screen, it has somewhat of an unfair advantage.
As for my own experience, I felt that the Inzone M9 offered great image quality and brightness. This is especially true of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, with its dense, snow-capped streets of New York City and its shiny glass towers. The subtle details and countless colors of the Elden Ring also come to life on screen. While the Alienware 34 has the best picture quality of any monitor I’ve tested, the Inzone M9 doesn’t slack.
Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor review: Performance
- It can display PC games at up to 144fps and PS5 games at up to 120fps
- Ultra fast response time
- Medium speaker quality
The Inzone M9 is a through and through gaming monitor. Since it supports HDMI 2.1, it can display some PS5 games at 120 frames per second. On PC, you can experience up to 144 frames per second after adjusting the game’s graphics settings. Suffice to say, the Inzone M9 is an excellent monitor for both modern PCs and consoles.
On PC, I tested Doom Eternal and Cyberpunk 2077. Both titles look great, especially Doom Eternal. Blowing demons into bloody bits with a shotgun looks great on this screen. Although Cyberpunk 2077 never hit 45 fps, it also ran very smoothly. The Inzone M9’s G-Sync feature and 1ms response time helped boost the time.
PS5 games like Elden Ring, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro’s Playroom, and Gran Turismo 7 work great on screen. I’m not a big fan of racing simulators, but I actually enjoyed playing the GT7 because of how great it looks – not to mention how awesome it is to race across the tracks. My favorite PS5 game during testing was Miles Morales because it can render at 120fps, although I might also be biased towards this title because I’m a New Yorker.
Non-gaming content like 4K UHD videos from Nature Relaxation Music YouTube channel looks amazing on this screen. I felt like I was transported to the Mediterranean when watching a video about Greece. The sea blue and green looked like the original material on the Inzone M9. Colorful movie trailers like Spider-Man: Cross Shine Spider-Verse, literally and figuratively.
Most monitor speakers tend to have no bass or a low end. Unfortunately, that is also the case here. Whether it was games or YouTube videos, everything looked flat and thin. To their credit, the speakers do a good job of separating sounds so that everything appears clearly. But when using the Inzone M9, I suggest you wear your favorite headphone.
Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor review: Interface
- The screen interface is easy to use and intuitive
- There are many gaming assistance options
The front of the Inzone M9 system features a transparent gray background, white lettering, and a magenta color for the Inzone font. Navigating through the different screen menus was easy and intuitive thanks to the responsive OSD joystick.
On the contrary, you can control the screen settings via the Inzone PC app. Through this hub, you can adjust all the above image settings right from your desktop. The application is very simple and easy to use. When playing on PC, I prefer to use this app on OSD joystick.
There are a few gaming assistance options that you may or may not find useful. This includes a green crosshair overlay designed to aid in FPS titles. I found this option to be more distracting than useful, but it’s there if you need it. You can also enable a frame rate counter and a timer display to keep track of elapsed game time.
Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor review: Verdict
If Sony has been sinking its toes into the PC gaming space by launching PlayStation exclusives like God of War and Death Stranding on Steam, it’s now fully indulging itself with the Inzone brand. Make no mistake about it, the Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor is a direct contender for the best monitors released by the likes of Samsung, LG, Asus and Acer.
Sony is one of the best TV manufacturers in the world, so it’s no surprise that they would release an exceptional gaming monitor. Inzone M9 delivers sharp picture quality that makes PS5 and PC games look their best. The fact that its competitive price tag of $899 makes it almost irresistible, especially if you’re in the market for a powerful gaming monitor that doesn’t take up much space. While there are better monitors like the beloved Alienware 34, it’s hard to ignore what the Inzone M9 has to offer.
But if you’re looking for a more affordable monitor, the Gigabyte M32U is a solid 32-inch 4K, 144Hz gaming monitor that can compete with the $749 Inzone M9. It doesn’t come with PS5-exclusive features, but it’s worth every penny. But as far as I’m concerned, the Inzone M9 is the best monitor because it’s a perfect fit for PC and PS5. This alone is worth the really reasonable price.
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