Sony's first gaming monitor is under $1,000 and all-in on HDR

Sony is known for televisions, but it is now getting into the PC gaming market with a new InZone brand. Coming this summer and winter are both the InZone M9 and InZone M3, which are Sony’s first gaming monitors designed with PC and PlayStation gamers in mind.

Priced at $900, the InZone M9 is the new 27-inch flagship monitor from Sony, meant to rival other gaming displays like the LG Ultragear 27, as well as the 28-inch Samsung Odyssey G7. The display features DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, USB-C connections, a 4K resolution IPS panel, and 144Hz refresh rate, as well as a 1ms response time.

Since this is a gaming monitor, you’ll also find support for variable refresh rates, G-Sync compatibility, and full-array local dimming. There’s even a KVM switch, and certification for VESA’s DisplayHDR 600. Sony says that full-array local dimming should make for brighter highlights and deeper blacks, for better depth perception in games like Elden Ring or CS:GO where this is important.

Other gaming features on the InZone M9 include an FPS game picture mode that can optimize brightness and contrast, a black equalizer, cross hair options, and a frame rater counter. There’s even automatic HDR tone mapping for PS5 consoles and a feature that will select different picture modes on the PS5 based on what you’re doing. These modes can be used to reduce input lag to make movies and games look more expressive.

As far as the design goes, Sony has kept it simple to match the white design of the PlayStation 5. The monitor has joystick controls for navigating menus, and there’s also an app that can be used on a PC to control image settings. The stand is quite minimalistic, and the monitor has full tilt and pivot controls, where the monitor arm sticks out at a unique angle. Dual 2-watt speakers also come with this monitor along with an LED ring of light at the rear top.

The back stand of Inzone monitor — Arif Bacchus/ Digital Trends

The InZone M9 will be coming this summer, but the budget monitor, the InZone M3, is set for release this winter. It’s also a 27-inch monitor, but with a lower Full HD resolution, DisplayHDR 400 certification, and without features like full-array local dimming. The InZone M3 will cost $529.