Sony's new PS5 headset and monitor game just got a serious upgrade
Here's a look at the Inzone M9 and H9 meant for PlayStation 5 and PC gamers who want Sony's best
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Best Buy deals / Best Buy 4th of July deals (more price drop July 1)
Macy’s 4th of July deals (use promo code FOURTH many items)
32 specific deals + free games listed below ⬇️
Check out my pal Booredatwork for a hands-on video of the Sony Inzone M9 and H9
Hello, your friendly neighborhood Swider-Man here,
Now that PS5 is becoming easier to buy, The Shortcut content Adam and I write will cover adjacent tech reviews and deals (to save you more than the $5 to subscribe to The Shortcut), and track the next big things in tech (like the PSVR 2 pre-order date).
Oh, and if you still are having trouble getting a PS5 restock, subscribe and email me – I’m happy to help. Also do that if you have other tech questions – I’m here.
Let’s jump into what’s next in tech…
Serious Sony gaming monitor + headset upgrade
Move over, PlayStation 3D Pulse headset (that you probably just bought on sale 😬). Sony has announced two new gaming monitors and three new gaming headsets that carry the slick PlayStation 5 design language, even if they aren’t PS5 branded. The company is using the “Inzone” moniker – the Sony Inzone H9 headset and Inzone M9 monitor are the flagship devices – as a pitch to both PS5 and PC gamers who want more eSports-worthy gear at home.
How high-end are they? When are they on sale? How much? What’s my take? That’s all below today’s deals and content links.
🛍️ Today’s deals
⚽ $10 off Nintendo Switch Sports – Walmart already has it on sale and it’s even cheaper than GameStop’s used price!
💻 $199 Acer Chromebook 315 – a 15.6-inch laptop that does the basics
🚲$200 off Super73 eBikes – the eBike brand everyone wants (including me)
This Best Buy deal ends at 1am ET
🧹 $30 off Bissel CrossWave Pet Pro All-in-One Multi-Surface Cleaner
A mouthful of a name, but my mom loved this. Mom approved!
👁️ $25 off Ring Video Doorbell at Amazon – now $75, was $100
💍 $64 off Ring Video Doorbell + Echo Show 5 – now $84.99 was $185
Basically the original price of the Amazon Echo Show 5 alone
📶 $18 off Amazon eero 6 mesh router – now $71, was $89
Showing the discount in smaller print, but it’s there
🍽️ $112 off Whirlpool dishwasher – now $499, was $611
💻 $200 off 14-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro at B&H Photo
💻 $200 off 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro at B&H Photo
🗡️🏹🛡️ $10 off Zelda Game & Watch – includes Legend of Zelda + Zelda 2
This deal is at Walmart. Best Buy’s version still costs $50
🎮 $499 Xbox Series X in stock – No bundle needed (despite tricky language)
🟦 $15 off PlayStation Plus – 1-year membership (never pay $60)
Use promo code: TSCPSPlus
🟩 $20 off Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – (don’t pay $45)
Use promo code: TSCXULTI3
🆕 New launches
⚔️ Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes – just launched for Nintendo Switch
🎧 Sony Inzone H9 gaming headset – pre-order now, ships July 7
🎧 Sony Inzone H7 gaming headset – pre-order now, ships July 7
🎧 Sony Inzone H3 gaming headset – pre-order now, ships July 7
📸 Nikon Z30 mirrorless camera (announced today)
📸 Nikon Z30 + 16-50mm lens included (announced today)
🔭 Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens (announced today)
📸 Insta360 ONE RS 1-inch camera – brand new 360 camera
🍄 Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope – pre-order/get $10 Best Buy gift card
🆓 Free stuff
Free $10 toward Amazon Prime Day – complete four engagements
Apple subscriptions for free from Best Buy – new subscribers only, but with this, you don’t have to buy hardware to be eligible like before
Street Fighter II for free – ends July 21
PS Plus free games – God of War, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker (end July 4)
PS Plus July free games (starting July 4): Crash Bandicoot 4, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man Of Medan, Arcadegeddon
Don’t have PS Plus? Get the PlayStation Plus discount code for $45 (don’t pay $60)
Steam Games for free – Tell Me Why (ends July 1), Capcom Arcade Stadium (ends July 21)
Epic Games for free – A Game Of Thrones: The Board Game (end June 30), Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 (ends June 30)
✏️ The Shortcut’s newly added or updated content
When is Amazon Prime Day? – probably twice this year!
➡️ The Short Stack #1 – Adam column highlights Spiritfarer and more
We need a 🥞 pancakes image to highlight this new column 😉
Amazon Prime Day deals – what to buy early
Sony Direct PS5 invites have been going out almost daily!
PS5 Disc vs PS5 Digital – updated to say only Digital is hard to get
PS5 restock tracker – this gets updated 5 times daily
⬇️ Back to the Sony Inzone hadrware
🖥️ Sony Inzone M9 gaming monitor
💵 Price: $899
📆 Release date: Summer 2022 (UK stores say August 18)
📐 Display size: 27 inches
📺 Resolution: 4K
💡 Display specs: IPS with Fully Array Local Dimming, DisplayHDR 600, HDR10, HLG
⏩ Refresh rate: 144Hz
🏃♂️Other speedy stats: 1ms response time (ideal for gaming), VRR (means variable refresh rate, not virtual reality) with Nvidia G-SYNC
🎮 Gaming: Auto HDR Tone Mapping + Auto Genre Picture Mode tuned for PS5
🪢 Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.1 / 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 / USB-C / USB hub
🗼 Stand: Adjustable stand with rear lighting
🖥️ Sony Inzone M3 gaming monitor
💵 Price: $529
📆 Release date: Summer 2022 (UK stores say August 18)
📐 Display size: 27 inches
📺 Resolution: Full HD (1080p)
💡 Display specs: IPS (no Fully Array Local Dimming), DisplayHDR 400, HDR10, HLG
⏩ Refresh rate: 240Hz
🏃♂️Other speedy stats: 1ms response time, VRR with Nvidia G-SYNC
🎮 Gaming: Auto HDR Tone Mapping + Auto Genre Picture Mode
🪢 Ports: 2 x HDMI 2.1 / 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 / USB-C / USB hub
🗼 Stand: Adjustable stand (but no rear lighting)
Booredatwork’s hands-on with the Sony Inzone H9 pits it against the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
🎧 Sony Inzone H9 gaming headset
💵 Price: $299
📆 Release date: July 7, 2022 (already on sale at Amazon)
📶 Connectivity: Wireless (2.4GHz + Bluetooth)
🔇 Noise-canceling?: Yes
🔋 Battery life: 32 hours w/ noise canceling off, 20 hours with it on
⚡ Flash charge: 10 mins of charging = 1 hour of game time
🧑🚀 Spacial audio: Yes, 360 spatial audio for gaming
🎤 Mic: Bidirectional boom
🎧 Sony Inzone H7 gaming headset
💵 Price: $229
📆 Release date: July 7, 2022 (already on sale at Amazon)
📶 Connectivity: Wireless (2.4GHz + Bluetooth)
🔇 Noise-canceling?: No
🔋 Battery life: 32 hours w/ noise canceling off, 20 hours with it on
⚡ Flash charge: 10 mins of charging = 1 hour of game time
🧑🚀 Spacial audio: Yes, 360 spatial audio for gaming
🎤 Mic: Bidirectional boom
🎧 Sony Inzone H3 gaming headset
💵 Price: $98
📆 Release date: July 7, 2022 (already on sale at Amazon)
🪢 Connectivity: Wired
🔇 Noise-canceling?: No
🔋 Battery life: It’s wired, so…
⚡ Flash charge: It’s wired, so…
🧑🚀 Spacial audio: Yes, 360 spatial audio for gaming
🎤 Mic: Unidirectional boom
🤔 My take on Sony’s new gaming hardware
🖥️ Sony’s two gaming monitors
Sony’s 27-inch Inzone M9 monitor looks superb for PlayStation 5 owners due to its 4K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate and PS5-friendly Auto HDR Tone Mapping ready to go.
It’s also $899 👀, which did give some of my followers who, when I first tweeted this out, thought Sony’s price was eye-popping. But that’s fitting for an eSports-worthy gaming monitor that’s going up against the Samsung M8 4K Streaming TV at $799. Samsung’s M8 has pros and cons: it’s $100 cheaper and 32 inches, but the frame rate is locked to 60Hz and there’s no VRR.
I’m testing out Samsung’s M8 right now and I’ll have to demo the Inzone M9 soon. Sony is making a cheaper version: the Inzone M7 is the same 27-inch size and has the same ports, but dials back the resolution to 1080p and there’s no slick rear lighting. You (and I) have time to decide – the Inzone monitor release dates are just listed as “Summer 2022.” In the UK, the date on Amazon is listed as August 18.
🎧 Sony’s three gaming headsets
Sony’s three new gaming headsets edge out the PlayStation-branded 3D Pulse headset (still a solid wireless headset at $99). The new versions go a bit further with 360 spatial audio and, at the top-end, noise-canceling and ambient sound mode (that’s exclusive to the $299 Sony Inzone H9).
The wireless H9 headset has 32 hours of battery life, but that’s with noise-canceling turned off – it’s 20 hours with noise-canceling turned on, according to the fine print specs. The mid-range $229 H7 goes the distance with 40 hours of battery, but has no noise-canceling, while the $98 H3 headset is wired.
Tomorrow’s issue for subscribers:
Possible God of War Ragnarök PS5 release date reveal
Our ongoing PlayStation Plus Premium review
More free PS5 and PS4 games
Xbox streaming on Samsung monitors