Sony has finally branched out and released its first gaming monitor with the INZONE series. This collection of tech includes three headphones and two monitors, the crown jewel of which is the INZONE M9, a 27-inch 4K monitor jam-packed and designed with the PS5 in mind.
But what’s really different about the M9? What does it offer that others do not? And is it worth its dazzling £999 price tag? We’ve been using the INZONE M9 for the past few weeks, so let’s work our way through these questions.
What is Sony IZONE M9?
As mentioned, the Sony INZONE M9 is part of a collection of new gaming technologies from the Japanese giant. The M9 is a higher specification version of its M3 counterpart and reflects that premium quality with its UK price of £999 and a slightly cheaper price of $899 in the US.
But what does all that money get you? The M9 is definitely a high-end gaming product, with a 27-inch 4K display with 144hz variable refresh rate (VRR), G-Sync support, HDR and a 1ms response time with 96 dimming zones across the monitor. With these dimming zones, this LCD can essentially mimic something close to a QLED or OLED TV – although it must be said that if you’re familiar with OLED screens, there’s still a huge gap between the two is. There is a difference.
Essentially, the M9 ticks all the boxes you want from a premium gaming monitor to deliver the most responsive and dynamic-looking gaming experience possible.
What’s in the box?
There’s not much to mess with the M9 right out of the box. If you make your way through the polystyrene, all you’ll find is the monitor, the stand, a power cord with a power block, and two screws. The installation is then incredibly easy, as it is just a matter of attaching the two parts to the stand with two screws and inserting the stand into the screen. Plug it in and you have a working IZONE M9.
Design and hardware specifications
Once you get your M9 up and running, you’ll appreciate the monitor’s subtle tribute to the PS5. With its three-sided stand, the central pillar mimics that original black and white contrast. The stand itself allows you to adjust the height and tilt both up and down, and we found the tilt range and easy access were much appreciated. However, the stand consumes a lot of desk shelves, and we can imagine many desk ledges used to support monitors won’t be deep enough for the M9.
The back of the monitor has a total of eight ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. These ports include two HDMI 2.1, three USB-A, one Ethernet, one Display Port, and one USB-C Display Port.
Once you place the M9 on your desk, you’ll appreciate the built-in cable funnel that will keep your setup looking clean. However, the angle of the ports can make them a little tricky to access, and we struggled to squeeze the third cable through the funnel.
On the back right of the screen you have an easily accessible power button and a directional switch, which takes some getting used to. In addition, there is a built-in LED lamp and you can adjust the color. This thing isn’t very powerful though, as we didn’t even notice it was there until we explored the settings.
quality
The screen quality of the M9 will be noticeable from the moment you boot up your PS5. With an almost edge-to-edge display, the PS5 login and dashboard screens also stand out visually, with crystal-clear resolution and fluid presentation. Whether you’re playing games or using the M9 as a PC monitor, the look of the screen is top-notch and all the features come together in a great way.
However, this doesn’t mean it’s all perfection. Searching for sources in particular sometimes takes an annoyingly long time, sometimes it takes about ten seconds to detect a new source. This was especially frustrating when playing games that triggered HDR or changed framerates. Every time you switch modes, you’re staring at a blank screen, patiently waiting to resume your gaming session.
Source detection isn’t the biggest disappointment, though, as the sound quality was nearly unlistenable. Immediately you come back to the idea of playing your games with its tinny sound quality, and in this case a set of speakers, a soundbar or headphones are highly recommended.
Experience playing
Once you actually play games, all of the M9’s previous shortcomings disappear. Playing cinematic games like The Last of Us: Part I looks great thanks to the M9’s dimming zones and HDR600 display. The blacks aren’t as black as OLED, but they’re dark and the dynamic color range makes every shot pop off the screen.
However, as you’d expect from a gaming monitor like this, first-person shooters (FPS) are really where the benefits are felt. Games like Modern Warfare 2 and Apex Legends look and feel great to play. If you’re playing on a TV with a 5-10ms response time, the M9’s 1ms G-Sync will significantly improve your experience (and potentially your performance).
You have to search a bit for games that support 120Hz, like Destiny 2’s Crucible, and in this case there is simply a better gaming experience. When you make the most of its features, the M9 feels like it captures the best of both performance and resolution.
Should you buy the Sony INZONE M9?
With everything said about the INZONE M9, you’d expect the answer to that question to be a resounding ‘yes’. However, the high entry price for this product – especially in the UK – prevents us from fully recommending it. For those looking for high-end monitors, you’ll struggle to find one with all the features of the M9 for less, but the odd sacrifice could potentially save you hundreds.
However, a big sticking point for us is how close the price is to a high-end OLED TV. This writer has been using the LG C1 48” OLED for the past year, which was picked up in the UK for the same price as the M9. This television offers 4K, HDR, 120Hz VRR, 1ms G-Sync and of course the beautiful OLED screen, so in some cases you get a bigger and better screen for the same or comparable price. Sure, big OLED TVs won’t suit everyone, but with prices so close, it’s a point that’s hard to ignore.
our decision
All in all, if you decide to splurge on an INZONE M9, you probably won’t be disappointed. It’s a great looking screen that will take your gaming experience to the next level and make even casual web browsing more enjoyable. At the end of the day it’s a great screen – maybe not £1000 better.
Are you ready to spend a lot of money on a special screen like the Sony INZONE M9? Express your opinion in the comment section below.
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