Sony is expanding its gaming footprint beyond the console with a family of monitors and headphones debuting under a new brand called “Inzone.” To be clear, these are not Playstation products. They are meant for both console and PC gamers, unlike Sony’s “Pulse” headset, which was made exclusively for the PS5. Since these Inzone products aren’t blood (wiring?) relatives to the PS5, they will be competing more directly with the likes of LG, Samsung, Asus, Alienware, and other giants who have already established themselves in the gaming accessories space.
Though Sony is facing a steep climb here, the company has some distinct advantages over its rivals, including a long history in hi-fi audio, outstanding noise cancellation technology (as demonstrated in the Sony WH-1000XM5), and tight hardware and software integration with the PS5. When combined, they make for some compelling products—at least, on paper.
Sony Inzone H3, H5, and H7 gaming headsets
Starting with the headsets, the Inzone H3 is an entry-level model and the most affordable way to experience Sony’s new gaming brand. The $99 wired headphones connect via a 3.5mm headphone jack and come with a USB adapter.
Stepping up to the H7 (there is no H5) gets you wireless connectivity via Bluetooth and/or a 2.4GHz USB adapter. Sony says the H7 lasts 40 hours on a charge, a respectable runtime though nowhere near the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless’ 300-hour battery life.
The most premium model, the H9, adds digital noise cancellation inherited from the excellent Sony 1000X family of earbuds and headphones. In our recent Sony WH-1000XM5 review, we dubbed the noise cancellation best in class, topping even that of the AirPods Max. The H9 also adopts the incredibly soft synthetic leather material from the 1000XM5, and both wireless models can simultaneously be connected to a PC/PS5 via a 2.4GHz USB dongle and a smartphone via Bluetooth. Battery life on the Inzone H9 is rated at 32 hours, a tad longer than the battery life on its non-gaming counterpart.
While they aren’t technically in the same family as the existing Pulse 3D, the Inzone headsets flaunt a similar white-on-black color scheme. Sony is clearly going for a clean, refined design rather than the overly aggressive one of traditional gaming accessories. All three headsets have smooth, egg-shaped white earcups and rounded headband arms. Sony talks a big game about the comfort of these headsets, noting how the earcups provide minimal pressure yet stay stable on your ears. You can read our full review of the H9 headset for details, but fans of the 1000XM5 should be pleased by its comfort.
Like the Pulse, these Inzone headsets benefit from Sony’s Tempest 3D audio tech, which is designed to provide a more immersive listening experience. Another unique feature is the 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer, which analyses the shape of your ear so you can better hear the distance and direction of opponents in games. This theoretically provides an in-game advantage, but you can read our full review of the H9 to see how it fares in practice.
Sony didn’t provide specifics about driver size, frequency range, or other audio-related details. We’ve reached out and will update this article once we learn more.
The Sony Inzone H3 costs $99, the wireless H7 is considerably more expensive at $229, and the H9 adds noise cancellation for $299. All three headsets are compatible with PC and PS5 (sorry, Xbox fans). Sony has not yet provided details on availability.
Sony Inzone M3 and M9 gaming monitors
Hoping to grab a slice of the growing gaming monitor market, Sony also announced today the Inzone M3 and Inzone M9, two 27-inch monitors. Those who want the best picture should opt for the pricier Inzone M9, while competitive gamers in search of the fastest panel are better off with the Inzone M3.
That’s because where the Inzone M3 has a 27-inch, 1080p IPS panel with a 240Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time, the Izone M9 boasts a 27-inch, 4K screen with a 144Hz refresh rate. Both monitors support variable refresh rate (VRR) via HDMI 2.1 and are G-Sync compatible.
For pure image quality, the Inzone M9 is the better (and more expensive) choice. This flagship supports DisplayHDR 600 (the M3 is set to be DisplayHDR 400 certified), covers more than 95% of the DCI-P3 color range, and features full-array local dimming for better contrast and deeper black levels.
Breaking those features down, DisplayHDR 600 means the monitor supports true high-contrast HDR and can reach 600 nits of brightness. Local dimming, which divides the monitor’s LEDs into 96 zones, allows gamers to spot enemies or find objects hiding in dark corners. And such a wide DCI-P3 color gamut should result in vibrant colors.
When connected over HDMI 2.1, both monitors support variable refresh rates to systems with Nvidia or AMD GPUs as well as the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The M9 and M3 have two 2W speakers so you can watch YouTube or casually listen to music without having to connect to external speakers or headphones. Ports include DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, USB-C, and a KVM switch.
This duo of displays comes with a Windows app where you can easily adjust monitor settings, including gamma, sharpness, brightness, contrast, gaming assists like crosshairs, and preset picture modes. You can even assign certain picture and sound profiles to individual PC applications and games. Some of those gaming assists I mentioned include the aforementioned crosshair, timers, a frame rate counter, a black equalizer (for exposing shadows), and an FPS game picture mode that “optimizes brightness and contrast” so you can better see enemies.
When you connect these monitors to your PS5, the console will automatically recognize them and optimize the HDR settings. Sony says this will help you see more details and richer colors even in the brightest and darkest parts of the screen. There is also something called Auto Genre Picture mode, which adjusts things like input lag and picture quality based on whether you’re playing a game or watching a movie.
The Inzone M3 costs $529 and will be available this winter, while the Inzone M9 costs $899 and goes on sale in the summer.