After a protracted hiatus, Sony is again within the PC monitor area with the Inzone M9. Given its pedigree for shows, I used to be eager to check it out and muse whether or not it might make the PCGamesN finest gaming monitor record for 2023.
At a advisable worth of $899.99 (£999.99), you would definitely hope so, as that places it in the identical bracket because the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 – a monitor that we rated very extremely. The Inzone M9 additionally brushes shoulders with the MiniLED-equipped AOC Agon Professional AG27QXM, proving that the competitors is hard for high-resolution IPS shows. The Inzone M9 sits above its cheaper sibling, the Inzone M3, a 1080p and 240Hz show retailing for $529.99 (£699.99).
Now that I’ve had it for simply over three weeks, having put it by its paces for gaming, content material consumption, and normal day-to-day duties, I perceive what the Sony Inzone M9 has to supply. Is it the very best 4k gaming monitor for you?
Professionals:
- Very quick response time for IPS show
- Very sharp picture with correct colours
- Glorious SDR and good HDR brightness
Cons:
- Middling construct high quality
- Unimpressive distinction
- KVM change doesn’t work
Sony Inzone M9 monitor specs and options
As Sony’s first foray into gaming screens, the Inzone M9 is feature-packed, providing a 4k native decision, a 144Hz max refresh charge with G-Sync and Freesync help, an HDR600 score, 96 native dimming zones, two 2W audio system, and a wealth of ports with an marketed built-in KVM (keyboard and mouse) change.
| Display measurement | 27 inches |
| Native decision | 3840 x 2160 |
| Max refresh charge | 144Hz (G-Sync and Freesync) |
| Panel sort | IPS (Full-array 96 native dimming zones) |
| Connectivity | 2 x HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C (DP Alt), 3 USB-A, 3.5mm audio |
In addition to the monitor and stand, within the Inzone M9 field, yow will discover a beefy energy brick, energy wire, documentation, and a few Inzone stickers. Cables aren’t included, so you’ll have to buy them individually should you don’t have them already.
Sony Inzone M9 Design
“Can I copy your homework?” requested the newly minted Inzone Division. “Certain, simply change it to make it appear like you didn’t” replied the engineers at PlayStation. “Certain.”
This sums up what I believe the Sony Inzone M9 seems like. It actually does really feel like ‘PS5, the monitor’ and truthfully, I do prefer it. Regardless of its gaming credentials and magnificence, it’s a far cry out of your typical gamer-inspired design and appears nice on my white desk in my aesthetic plant-adorned workplace. Once you look slightly nearer, issues are slightly uglier.
The construct high quality isn’t as premium as different screens at this worth level, which is a bit disappointing. Largely constructed of plastic, the chassis of the monitor feels slightly creaky once you deal with or transfer it round. I’m most involved in regards to the longevity of the plastic bezel, as there’s a slight hole in locations that might see them cracking if pressed down.
At 27 inches, it’s on the smaller aspect of 4K screens, however whether or not this can be a dangerous factor is subjective and dependent in your obtainable area. I can say that the Inzone M9 is depraved sharp, and the pixel density of 163 PPI is a delight for multimedia work, gaming apart. I’d like to see a panel of the identical high quality at 32 inches from Sony. The M9 has a matte display screen which is well-suited for hostile lighting situations, however it does have the impact of softening the picture to a level.
The Inzone M9’s stand – while intelligent in its tripod design – has a restricted vary of adjustability, solely transferring up and down by 70mm and tilting again by 20°. I couldn’t get the monitor at eye degree with out placing it on high of a riser, considerably negating the area financial savings provided by the stand’s legs. There’s no lateral adjustment however it has a VESA mount so this may be remedied however at an additional value.
Cable administration can also be discovered within the stand and it was a little bit of a battle to suit a DP cable by. Whereas sufficient for my wants, should you use each HDMI ports, the DP port, wired USB peripherals, and the DC energy cable, you may run out of room.
On the again is an RGB mild, which you’ll be able to program for a spread of colours. It’s fairly dim, nevertheless, and in case your partitions are something however stark white, you may not discover it. To navigate the OSD there’s a little joystick on the again which is slightly delicate and takes slightly time to get used to however I discovered I used to be capable of scroll by all of the choices fairly simply.
Across the again is a plethora of ports which is nice if you wish to share the monitor between PCs and consoles. The included audio system are nothing to write down house about however given the asking worth of the M9, I doubt anybody potential patrons wouldn’t have already got a sound setup. If not, then take a look at our finest gaming headset or finest laptop audio system information to present your ears the pampering they deserve.
Sony Inzone M9 efficiency
Sony is in fact identified for its glorious Bravia TVs, and the M9, regardless of being a gaming show, is not any expectation. It’s brilliant, sharp, quick, and correct. Inside the Inzone hub, I opted for the ‘quick’ setting for pixel response because it provided the very best steadiness between enter latency and any ghosting from picture retention which grew to become noticeable on the ‘quickest’ setting.
And Sony isn’t kidding right here, quick is quick. While not on the degree of an OLED or CRTs of yore, it has a number of the finest pixel response I’ve seen on an IPS show with the M9 rated for a 1ms gray-to-gray response time so it’s an excellent possibility for individuals who need good movement readability however are apprehensive about burn-in if they’ve static parts on display screen all day.
Coloration accuracy and replica are unbelievable, with content material having a really Sony-trademark pure look. The monitor covers over 95% of the DCI-PC colour spectrum so it’s an excellent selection for the space-conscious video and picture editors on the market. The Inzone Hub app permits for fast and quick access to any controls should you don’t need to fiddle with the joystick and OSD menu. When choosing the monitor, the app does freeze for a second or two however could be very responsive after the very fact.
The OSD menu is thoughtfully laid out and I didn’t have any hassle adjusting any settings after I was in-game and never utilizing borderless windowed mode. In any other case, I caught to the Inzone app. It was simple to put in firmware updates, however throughout set up of the most recent patch from June sixth, 2023, it failed and brought about the monitor to go clean and switch itself off. Turning it on and off on the wall bought the monitor working once more and the replace put in correctly the second time round.
PS5 customers will unsurprisingly be well-catered for by Sony because the M9 has Auto HDR Tone Mapping. Once you plug your console in, the monitor handles all the things and provides an optimized expertise which is fairly nifty for individuals who don’t wish to obsess (like me) over image high quality.
SDR content material was very brilliant at 400 nits and I had no hassle studying, enjoying, or watching something in a brilliant, top-floor, and south-facing condo that sees a number of sunshine. Even SDR video games such because the System Shock remake fared effectively regardless that a lot of the sport takes place in darkish environments.
HDR content material appeared first rate and was very brilliant general, owing to the M9’s HDR600 score. Sadly, it’s held again by the very fact there are solely 96 dimming zones which when in comparison with the current spate of MiniLED shows, is sort of missing. This meant that brilliant highlights didn’t pop as a lot as they might as a result of the realm lined by every zone is sort of massive. Spotlight particulars such because the solar reflecting within the snow have been misplaced barely in Resident Evil Village.
The comparatively low variety of dimming zones additionally hurts the distinction ratio and black ranges are crushed considerably and may seem barely grey. When displaying darkish content material, there’s noticeable blooming too owing to the dimming zones however that is extra obvious in a desktop surroundings and to a lesser extent throughout gameplay. The System Shock Remake appeared suitably moody however was let down by that common distinction ratio. Candles piercing the darkish of Citadel Dimitrescu in RE: Village displayed the awkward blooming in HDR mode however have been nonetheless moderately brilliant.
Maybe the largest thriller of the Sony Inzone M9 is the KVM change, Regardless of quite a few firmware updates, it might not work for me in any respect. I had my Razer Blade plugged in by way of the DisplayPort port and a MacBook Professional 16 M1 Max by way of one of many HDMI 2.1 ports and switching between the 2 inputs didn’t make any distinction. Any peripherals or USB drives would solely register on my Home windows machine it doesn’t matter what.
Do you have to purchase the Sony Inzone M9?
You should buy the Sony Inzone M9 from most main retailers comparable to Walmart, Finest Purchase, and Amazon. However do you have to?
- Sure: The Sony Inxone M9 has an excellent low-latency and color-accurate IPS panel
- Sure: The M9 has an excellent HDR implementation
- No: The Inzone M9 construct high quality is missing
- No: The KVM change doesn’t work
The Sony Inzone M9 is a top-performing show whether or not you’re a PC gamer or a PS5 gamer. Purchase it in order for you a shocking gaming monitor that’s simple to maneuver round, doesn’t take up an excessive amount of room in your gaming desk, and provides a best-in-class expertise.
The Sony Inzone M9 is a good monitor for individuals who require 4K in a smaller bundle. With its unbelievable colour accuracy, sharp picture, excessive refresh charge, and low latency, it feels as if each potential purchaser can have their wants met regardless of the requirement. PS5 house owners who maintain their consoles at their desks will discover much more utility within the M9 with its unique options.
If you happen to’re capable of look previous the construct high quality and focus simply on the display screen then you’re in for an excellent time, although it might be nice to see an M9 successor with a MiniLED backlight.
A giant letdown is as a result of KVM change not functioning correctly and as such I can’t advocate the M9 for a number of machines except you purchase a separate change, however seeing as it’s marketed to have one, it looks like wasted cash.
If the Sony Inzone M9 isn’t for you
Corsair Keneon 32UHD144
If you happen to have been after one thing greater for the same worth, I’d advocate PCGamesN’s high choose, the Corsair Keneon 32UHD144 for $999.99 (£949.99). Whereas it doesn’t provide the identical degree of native dimming, the extra-screen actual property is nice to have for productiveness and immersion.
Alienware AW3423DW
If you would like a real HDR expertise then you definately may need to take a look at the Alienware AW3423DW at round $1,299.99 (£1,099.99). The QD-OLED show provides good blacks for an infinite contract ratio and per-pixel lighting so HDR highlights can actually pop.
For extra monitor suggestions, check out our finest gaming monitor record. And take a look at the Sony Inzone H9 gaming headset.
Sony Inzone M9 overview
The Inzone M9 is a uncommon 4K 27-inch monitor of high-quality. It’s a shocking first outing for the Sony panel with sharp, quick and colourful visuals, however construct high quality and a nonfunctioning KVM let it down ever so barely.
