Sony has just made an interesting move today. The Japanese company has presented Inzone, its new brand of gaming devices. Three headset headsets with special gaming features and two high-end gaming monitors, especially the most powerful model, were in charge of launching this brand.
The headsets have been named Inzone H3, H7, and H9, each one more powerful, while the monitors are called Inzone M3 and M9. We will have to wait a bit for them to arrive, so, while they do, let’s get to know them a little better.
Sony’s new monitors show promise and don’t skimp on hertz
We start with the monitors, the Sony Inzone M9 and M3. The first of them is the flagship, a high-end 27-inch monitor with 4K resolution, 144 Hz refresh rate, one millisecond GtG response time, and an anti-flash filter. This monitor incorporates an IPS panel with Full-Array LED and 96 dimming zones.
According to Sony, the maximum brightness achieved by the monitor is up to 600 nits, which makes sense if we take into account its HDR600 certification. The Japanese firm claims that the monitor reproduces more than 95% of the DCI-P3 color space, or what is the same, 1,070 million colors.
The curious design of its tripod is striking, designed to take up less space on the desktop and allow gamers to place the keyboard diagonally, which is normal in shooters. It is also possible to adjust the height by 70 millimeters and the tilt by 20 degrees.
Inside there are some features designed for gaming, such as HDR auto mapping. This function, exclusive to PS5, allows the console to recognize the monitor and adjust the HDR parameters optimally. In the same way, the monitor changes the image mode depending on whether we are playing games or playing content.
Also striking is Auto KVM Switch, which allows you to control up to two PCs or a PC and a console by connecting peripherals to the monitor. In this regard, it should be noted that the monitors have a DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1, one USB Type-C, one USB Type-B, three USB Type-A, and a headphone jack.
The monitor additionally supports NVIDIA G-Sync (not Ultimate) and VRR over HDMI. Interestingly, it does not support FreeSync, something that Sony blames on NVIDIA’s dominance in the graphics market.
So how do the monitors differ? The Inzone M9 has a 4K panel at 144 Hz with HDR600 and 95% DCI-P3 coverage, while the Inzone M3 has a FullHD IPS panel at 240 Hz with HDR400 and 99% sRGB coverage. Otherwise, they share all features except for the M9’s rear RGB, which is unique to that model.
360° sound makes its way into Sony gaming headsets
Secondly, we have the headsets, the Sony Inzone H3, H7, and H9. Since there are several models, we will first look at all the things they have in common. The first thing is the 360 spatial sound, a technology that we already know from other Sony devices and that now comes to these gaming headsets.
This technology reproduces two-channel stereo sound in 7.1 surround sound, which in practice results in a more immersive sound. This is only compatible with PCs and only if the PC software, Inzone Hub, is open. Using the “360 Spatial Sound Personalizer” smartphone app, the user can analyze their ear to generate a personalized profile. It should be noted that they are also compatible with Tempest, the PS5 3D sound engine.
All three headphones have 40-millimeter drivers, but while the ear pads of the Inzone H9 are made of soft leather (like the WH-1000XM5, they are the same), those of the H3 and H7 are made of nylon. Sony claims that their design reduces side pressure to make them more comfortable to wear for several hours.
All headsets have a built-in two-way microphone (which cannot be removed but can be muted by turning it upwards), and they are compatible with PC and PS5 via a dedicated dongle that allows switching between PC and console. And so much for the similarities. Let’s move on to the differences.
The Inzone H3 is wired and is the most basic of the range, while the H7 and H9 are wireless. They connect via a dongle (2.4 GHz) and have Bluetooth support for chatting. These two also have buttons that allow you to change the sound mode, “Game” or “Chat”, to enhance the sound of the game or the voice of your friends, depending on the context.
But without a doubt, the one that takes the cake is the H9, as it is the only one with active noise cancellation and ambient mode. The cancellation is based on a dual-sensor and is designed to cancel the sound of PC fans or the doorbell, for example. The ambient mode, on the other hand, lets the sound of the outside pass through so that we are aware of what is going on around us.
There are also differences in battery life. The Sony Inzone H7s last up to 40 hours, while the Sony Inzone H9s last up to 32 hours with the ANC deactivated. Curiously, the more powerful ones last less and that is due, according to Sony, to the lighting (very testimonial, by the way) that is in the H9. In any case, both models can be used while charging and have fast charging to get an hour of gameplay in ten minutes.
Official price and availability
The Inzone M9 will be available in summer 2022 (no specific date), while the Inzone M3 will be available in winter this year. The headphones, meanwhile, will arrive in July. Prices for all products are as follows:
- Sony Inzone M9: $899
- Sony Inzone M3: $529
- Sony Inzone H9: $299
- Sony Inzone H7: $229
- Sony Inzone H3: $99.
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