If you want to shell out money to improve your gaming desk setup with 4K resolution and some pretty sleek design elements, then the Sony Inzone M9 is the monitor for you. Compared to another platform that has cross-platform use in mind, the ASUS TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A, the Sony Inzone has a higher peak HDR brightness, a better design, and only a slightly higher price tag. The unique backlighting system gives it some of the deepest blacks and brightest whites I've ever seen, as its increased lighting zones allow the Sony Inzone M9 to stand head and shoulders above many other monitors' lighting systems. The Inzone M9 is probably as close as it gets to slotting one of the best gaming TVs into your desk setup, and it's simply, without question, one of (if not the) best PS5 monitors available. It's a gorgeous and functionally impressive gaming monitor that is priced competitively with other 4K-ready monitors of its ilk. If you have the money, absolutely the Sony Inzone M9 provides breathtaking visuals and a thoroughly unique design. Overall - should you buy the Sony Inzone M9? Luckily, with the Inzone M9's multitude of ports and the ease at which you can switch between inputs, you don't need to be accessing those ports much beyond your initial setup. That means that the ports, some of which are somewhat blocked by the cool front stand, can be annoying to reach. You can only adjust the height up and down a few inches, and it can only tilt 20 degrees either forward or backward. I only come across one major issue during my time with the Inzone M9, and that's all due to the monitor's lack of mobility. The deep purpley-blacks of the night sky contrast beautifully against the crumbling ruins bathed in an eerie red light, and I get my ass handed to me several times by Mohg just because I was ogling the shimmering flames. There's something so special about seeing something you've played before on a more vibrant screen that you are physically closer to that really makes a game hit different. Plugging my PS5 in and running through a few attempts at Elden RIng's Mohg, Lord of Blood is especially exciting. It really does perform like one of the best 4K monitors going it's that good.
Firing up some Overwatch 2 beta really lets me enjoy the monitor's fantastically bright colors and crispness - and that 120 frames per second certainly doesn't hurt my competition performance. The moody lighting of FX's What We Do in the Shadows looks especially rich and deep with the Inzone's HDR and full-array local dimming. The Inzone M9 looks fantastic during my time working, watching, and playing with it. This helps with contrast and also helps the monitor make the most of HDR, as opposed to monitors with edge-lit dimming that can only dim areas in horizontal bands. Oh, and the Inzone M9 has full-array local dimming, which means that the monitor's backlighting system is divided into zones, allowing it to dim only certain area that need it while keeping other spots extra bright. That means you can easily swap between Netflix and a round of Apex Legends without having to adjust the settings on your monitor, which is something you often only come across on TVs. It will also automatically swap between media and gaming modes depending upon what you're doing on the PS5. Upon plugging in and booting up your Sony Inzone M9 will optimize its HDR settings. The extra PS5-specific features are also a great sell for Sony fans. It also has gaming assist features you can mess with including a crosshair overlay you can toggle on and off that will make you an absolute menace in any battle royale, and a timer that will show you just how much time you've spent trying to beat the Full-Grown Fallenstar Beast in Elden Ring. The Sony Inzone M9 has five display settings: FPS, cinema, standard, and two customizable game modes in case you want to ensure your brightness isn't that low when playing Resident Evil Village.