Sony INZONE: New PC gaming brand launches with monitors and headsets

Sony is attacking the PC gaming market and has now added a new brand to its PlayStation console family and the associated peripherals. Sony INZONE is aimed at PC gamers. At launch, you can expect two hot gaming monitors (INZONE M9 and M3), as well as three headsets (INZONE H9, H7 and H3). We have all the info at a glance.

Sony INZONE brand launches

The manufacturer is attacking the PC market with the new Sony INZONE gaming brand. Here, they present two strong gaming monitors for the start, which are supposed to offer a high-resolution image with a high dynamic range. They are joined by three gaming headsets with superior sound and 360 Spatial Sound, which build on the manufacturer’s expertise in the audio field.

Thanks to headphones like the WH-1000XM5 and the Linkbuds S (our review), Sony has been at the forefront of audio for years, offering the most effective active noise cancellation (ANC) on the market.

“Given our long history of top-of-the-line audio and video technologies, we are confident that our new product line will provide even more options for anyone looking to upgrade their current gaming system,” said Yukihiro Kitajima, Head of Game Business and Marketing Office, Sony Corporation.

Sony INZONE M9 and M3: The gaming monitors in detail

The manufacturer already makes it unmistakably clear which claims it is pursuing with the new PC gaming brand with the Sony INZONE M9 gaming monitor. It offers a 4K resolution and high contrasts thanks to Full Array technology with local dimming, supports HDR and offers a refresh rate of 144 Hz.

Here, Sony relies on an IPS panel with a gray-to-grey response time of 1 millisecond. Adaptive Sync (VESA DP) and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility are also present, as is an HDMI 2.1 port, thanks to which the PlayStation 5 also benefits from a fast frame rate of 120 Hz at 4K resolution.

The maximum brightness is 600 cd/m², which earns the M9 a VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification. The DCI-P3 color space is said to be covered by 95 percent, and various picture modes for different gaming genres are also available.

RGB lighting on the back is also provided, as well as a KVM switch and cable management in the stand. The Sony INZONE M9 is also height-adjustable and can be tilted. However, there is no pivot function.

INZONE M3: 1080p at 240 Hz

If, on the other hand, you’re more after the smoothest possible display, then the Sony INZONE M3 might be something for you. Although this gaming monitor only offers a Full HD resolution, it comes up with a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz.

It also offers HDMI 2.1, but only has a DisplayHDR 400 certification and a maximum brightness of 400 cd/m². In return, the sRGB color space is covered by 99 percent.

Sony INZONE H9, H7 and H3: The gaming headsets

In addition, join a whole three gaming headsets. The Sony INZONE H9 and H7 are wireless models, while the H3 is used wired. All three models are equipped with a flexible, foldable boom microphone with mute function.

They all support Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound for Gaming, which is activated via the INZONE Hub PC software. This allows the headphones to reproduce spatial sound from multi-channel audio signals as intended by game developers.

The 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer smartphone app also adjusts the spatial sound to the individual shape of the ears to perfectly personalize gameplay.

For the INZONE H9 and INZONE H7, Sony used its expertise in headphone technology to give the speakers’ diaphragms a special shape. This allows the headphones to realistically reproduce extremely high-frequency sounds as well as authentic low frequencies, making the gaming experience even more immersive. Special sound channels on the case of all three gaming headsets are also said to further enhance the reproduction of low frequencies and provide realistic bass.

Sony also promises a high level of comfort thanks to wide, soft headband pads. The ear pads are also shaped to fit snugly against the side of the head, minimizing pressure on the ears.

Battery life and ANC

The Sony INZONE H9 gets a maximum battery life of 32 hours, while the H7 is said to get up to 40 hours. In addition, both gaming headsets have a quick-charge function for up to one hour of playback after 10 minutes of charging.

There’s a reason why the top model H9 doesn’t last quite as long: the headset offers active noise cancellation (ANC). And not just any noise cancellation, as the manufacturer has integrated the same Dual Noise Sensor technology here that is also used in the industry-leading 1000X series headphones.

In theory at least, this suggests that the ANC should be superior to that of other gaming headsets like the Razer Barracuda Pro (our review) or the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid (our review), and definitely makes you want more. This is joined by an Ambient Sound mode that amplifies ambient sounds.

40 mm dome drivers and a frequency band from 5 Hz to 20,000 Hz sound extremely promising in the case of the H9 and H7, anyway. Moreover, technically both wireless gaming headsets apparently only really differ in the ANC function, which the cheaper H7 does not offer.

Made for interaction with the PS5

With the INZONE M9, HDR Tone Mapping ensures that PlayStation 5 consoles automatically recognize the monitor during initial setup and HDR settings are optimized accordingly. The monitor also automatically switches to Cinema Mode when you’re watching movies on the console and Gaming Mode when you want to play a round of games.

The INZONE H9 and INZONE H7 also offer on-screen display, so you can easily adjust settings on the headset and then see them on the screen in the PlayStation 5 Control Center.

https://youtu.be/nvKUfFDBd_Y

Both headsets also feature Gaming and Chat Balance, which lets you change the volume balance between game sound and voice chat through the headset. The two wireless gaming headsets also support the PS5 console’s powerful Tempest 3D AudioTech engine.

Prices and Availability

The new Sony INZONE PC gaming brand will find its way into retail stores starting July 2022. The gaming headsets will mark the start. It starts with an MSRP of 99 euros for the INZONE H3, while the INZONE H7 comes in at 229 euros. The top ANC model, the INZONE H9, has an MSRP of 299 euros.

The Sony INZONE M9 gaming monitor will then follow in the summer of 2022 at a recommended retail price of 1,099 euros. For the INZONE M3, the manufacturer plans to announce the availability and price at a later date. More information about the complete lineup can be found on the overview page of Sony.