Sony is jumping into the gaming accessory market with the launch of a new INZONE brand and this will eventually include two new monitors for gamers to choose from. Sony is already a company known for its displays, thanks to its range of Bravia TVs. It is also a company that’s well known for its gaming strengths, thanks to the PlayStation line. In this sense, it is not totally surprising that the company is now looking to offer products that combine these two categories.
Even though there’s no shortage of gaming monitors right now, they are all far from being equal. When in the market for a new gaming monitor, consumers do have to balance multiple factors including the size, resolution, and the refresh rate. While most gamers would probably want the best in all of these categories, price is often going to be an added issue that ensures consumers have to prioritize some features over others.
Sony will be looking to offer these shoppers additional options in the near-ish future, but it won't be solving the problem of having to balance these factors. Essentially, Sony plans to launch two new monitors under its new brand, the INZONE M3 and the INZONE M9. Both monitors do share many similarities and are clearly related products. However, while one is designed to appeal to those wanting the best resolution, the other is designed for those wanting the best refresh rate. Regardless of this preference, interested shoppers will need to wait until later in the year to actually get their hands on either of these new INZONE gaming monitors.
Choosing Between Sony’s INZONE M3 And M9
The INZONE M3 is designed to be the more affordable monitor considering it is due to go on sale in the winter priced at $529 in the US. It offers a 27-inch screen and its main selling point is the refresh rate which caps out at 240Hz. In comparison, the INZONE M9 is the more expensive option, priced at $899, although it will be the one that’s available sooner with an expected release in the summer. The INZONE M9 is also designed for those seeking a higher resolution as its 27-inch screen is the only one to come with 4K support. The compromise here is that the refresh rate caps out at 144Hz.
Price, resolution and refresh rate aside, the rest of the specs and features are common to both monitors. Not only do both the INZONE M3 and M9 come with a 27-inch IPS display, but they both also feature a 1ms GtG response time as well as support for variable refresh rate (VRR) and G-SYNC. As to be expected, they both come with exclusive PlayStation 5 features including Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode. In spite of these Sony added value benefits, they are not specifically designed for the PS5, and Sony is releasing a new INZONE Hub software application that will further fine-tune the experience for PC gamers.
The bottom line here is Sony will soon be offering one gaming monitor that targets the refresh rate and one that targets the resolution, with the price likely to be an additional factor in the decision. Regardless of which INZONE M-series monitor a consumer does ultimately opt for, Sony is looking to provide a consistent experience for both PC and PlayStation gamers, while also establishing itself as a new player in the gaming monitor market.
Source: Sony