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I can’t help but feel like the side of Sony that’s responsible for the Inzone M10S II is glad it isn’t tethered to the PlayStation brand. At least, that’s the impression I’m getting, seeing as it’s willfully falling deeper down the esports rabbit hole, catering to competitive players by raising its previous 1440p 480Hz panel bar to 540Hz while also dabbling in dual-mode 720Hz capabilities. And, for what it’s worth, I think sticking with its newfound niche is paying off, so long as you’re not a PS5 player.
Yes, the Sony Inzone M10S II is a best gaming monitor contender that’s specifically targeting high-end rig wranglers. That’s not to say you can’t hook up a PS5 to this 27-inch OLED display and have a grand old time, but at $1,099.99, you’re naturally better off checking out 4K options further down the refresh rate food chain. Or, if you’re not particularly fussed about faster speeds, the option for a 1080p 720Hz boost, elevated brightness, and a new anti-glare coating, you could fall back to the OG Sony Inzone M10S during the sales.
Sony has a bit of a habit of framing its screens as successive releases, but I’m not so sure the M10S II is actually a sequel. It’s certainly an improved panel that makes one of my favorite displays from 2024 even better, but it’s not a massive overhaul of the formula. In truth, I am slightly bummed out that the company didn’t come up with a way to make its PC display double up as the best PS5 monitor around too, especially seeing as the vastly cheaper PlayStation monitor is just a vanilla IPS display with a DualSense cradle jammed in the middle, but alas, Inzone screens have picked a separate PC lane.
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Price (MSRP) |
$1,099.99 USD / £1,199 |
|
Panel type |
WOLED |
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Screen size |
27-inch |
|
Ports |
2 x HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1a, 2x USB A, 1x USB B, 3.5mm headphone jack |
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Aspect ratio |
16:9 |
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Resolution |
2560 x 1440 / 1280 x 720 (dual mode) |
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Refresh rate |
540Hz / 720Hz (dual mode) |
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Brightness |
335 nit |
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Viewing angles |
178°/178° |
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Contrast ratio |
1,500,000:1 |
Monitor minimalism manifest
The cliché of “less is more” is absolutely working in Sony’s favor with its Inzone M10S family, as it remains one of the sleekest desktop screens on the market. You could argue all modern gaming monitors are forced into a sense of minimalism since they’re effectively just black rectangles, but it’s what you choose to bolt onto the package that then adds visual identity.
In the case of the Inzone M10S II, it sticks with the exact same low-profile rotating disc pedestal, rather than pandering to whatever monitor gods decided the only options are V-shapes or big flat hexagons. Placing the pivot at the very bottom of a base, one that looks like it’s admittedly defying physics, helps provide freer-flowing 360° motion, and Sony has even added an extra 10° forward pivot, just in case you’re a competitive sicko who likes to peer down at your on-screen prey.
(Image credit: Phil Hayton)
We’re still completely missing the option for portrait orientation, though, which could be a pain if you’re planning to give the screen a day job as a side Discord panel.
The base is still just 4mm thin, helping give a flush desk effect that makes everything look integrated. It’s not just for show; it’s practical too, since it’ll let you slide keyboards and other desk accoutrements over the top, whereas many other screens have a pretty high lip. The discrete, cantilever stand provides the exact same narrow cable management hole as before, leading to those under-lip ports that are always a pain to reach into.
Standing in the way (remote) control
As is tradition with all my monitor reviews, it’s time to dunk on Sony’s decision not to include a remote control. I find it hard to believe anyone wants to fumble around trying to use directions on a nipple hidden at the back, and while the Inzone M10S II’s OSD controls and separate power button are serviceable compared to some, I need companies to start normalizing wireless buttons.
Even in the context of an esports screen, having a remote control to quickly tweak things without reaching around a monitor is beneficial. It’s not just a luxury tied to multimedia users; it’s simply a more direct way to interact with your screen without bashing a joystick on the lines of the Inzone M10S II.
Looking at Sony’s approach specifically, placing the OSD controls off to the side means the Inzone M10S II will wobble as you toggle. You’re not going to topple the screen, but just like with the way bridges move for structural integrity, I’m not a big fan of my screens having a dance, and that could be avoided with even a simple remote in the box.
Be gone, glare!
Just like with my last Philips Evnia review, I’ve still got my monitor testing station pitched next to a very bright south-facing window. That was a nightmare scenario for a glossy display, but the Sony Inzone M10S II laughs in the face of glare.
The fact that the M10S II is a matte screen inherently helps it combat reflections, but Sony’s anti-glare coating is rivalling even the best I’ve tried. Even Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G6, a screen that prides itself on bouncing back rays, has slightly reflective shapes in these conditions; nothing pings back at you on this Inzone panel.
Of course, coating always comes with caveats, and the muckier the M10S II gets, the harder it will be to clean. You’ll want to largely avoid cleaners, instead opting to buff smudges out with a microfiber cloth, as it’s easier than you expect to mess up the film than you’d think. That’s something I’ve encountered with the Steam Deck OLED, and while you can remove any weirdness by buffing, that can reduce the anti-glare properties.
Fnatic-inspired features and thrills
I won’t lie, I’m not the type of person who’ll invest in gaming hardware based on the involvement of online personalities, celebrities, or competitive players. At the same time, I’m trying to keep in mind that Fnatic, the professional esports organization known for its VALORANT efforts, helped Sony nail down the Inzone M10S II’s specs and finer design details, while I assess its overall feature set.
That journey starts with the OSD and all the things lurking within, and while the menu almost looks the same as the 2024 model, there are some new treats in there. We’re not in single refresh rate Kansas anymore, Toto, so you’ll now find a Dual Mode 720Hz mode menu that integer scales up 720p signals so as to enhance speeds. It’s a clever trick that saves you from dealing with the caveats of just feeding sub-HD into a QHD display, and just like Fnatic, I agree that it was worth adding to the sequel screen.
Stowed away in the “gaming assist” dropdown, you’ve also got a VRR Flicker reduction option, which combats strobing symptoms when switching to darker visuals, like shadowy areas of shooters. With that on, you’ll theoretically benefit from being able to track enemies better without any visual interference, all while still embracing Variable Refresh Rate (something many of you will need when trying to boost fps on most GPUs).
The M10S II also adds dedicated Motion Blur Reduction (MBR) clarity tools, and the inclusion feels like it’s really gunning for the same crown as BenQ’s ZOWIE high refresh rate screens. Those include black frame insertion for combating ghosting, a natural boon if you’re trying to gun down combatants at speed, which works in tandem with the existing suite to really clean everything up, even at ridiculous frame rates.
Paying the 720p piper
I’ve got massive reservations about whether modern games can look good at 720p. I’m also not sure if, outside of perhaps VALORANT and Counter-Strike 2, I’d even switch from the default 1440p 540Hz, especially since my shooter of choice, Overwatch, is capped at 600fps.
That said, playing at 720Hz absolutely feels slick, and the trick with trading resolution for wild refresh rates is to not focus on the details. Not that you would be taking a stroll through any of the esports romps the M10S II caters to anyway, as you’ll be too busy twitch-reacting to your opponents and ensuring you embrace all the accuracy perks provided by the panel.
In Overwatch, I still noticed a slight difference between playing at 720Hz and 540Hz, but I’m not so sure it helped me win games. Yes, I am absolutely the bottleneck in this situation, and if I’m being real, I haven’t got the skills in VALORANT or Counter-Strike 2 to say whether it could elevate a pro player to absolute excellence. What I can do is confirm that the screen delivers blistering speeds at both 1440p and 720p with no caveats besides the obvious definition drop with the latter, and that’s exactly what you want from a screen like this.
(Image credit: Phil Hayton)
Ultimately, though, I’m still not sold on dropping back to 720p for a refresh rate boost. Unlike with full HD dual-mode screens I’ve tested, 720p automatically sets screen space to 24.5 inches, and while that suits professionals like Fnatic, I’d prefer the whole 27-inch real estate. I reckon 1080p is my personal line in the sand, and keep in mind this is coming from a retro console expert who fully embraces lower resolutions. I’ll happily play classics on an Xbox 360 or PS3 that have always looked scrappy, but in most scenarios, there are very few “new” PC games you’ll want to do that with.
Retro gaming experiments
On that note, I am starting to put every monitor I get in for testing through some retro gaming tests in a bid to find panels suited to old setups. If you’ve already caught my guide on how to connect retro consoles to modern TVs or monitors, you’ll already know you can hook up to most screens via HDMI. But, I specifically want to weed out the displays that can deal with old resolutions and aspect ratios correctly, and I figured the M10S II’s 720p could come in handy.
The trick is that if you use something like a GBS Control, the upscaler I recommend for working out how to play PS2 games, scaling up to 1080p on a 1440p display isn’t ideal. However, since the M10S II has that aforementioned 720p mode, it could theoretically match one of the gadget’s presets. Or, it could if it didn’t only provide access to the menu when connected to a PC, and that’s not the only caveat disqualifying this screen from the classics.
(Image credit: Phil Hayton)
While 720p looks crisper on this display than mismatched resolutions, the M10S II forces widescreen when connected to upscalers. What’s worse is that if you switch to 1280 x 960, it squeezes the 4:3 aspect ratio, and while 1080p is the right dimensions, the non-integer scaling looks blurry.
Before you raise your hand, just know that I’m aware the Inzone M10S II is for the exact opposite of retro gaming. Still, for over a grand, I reckon it could do a bit more to cater outside its niche, and while it’s not remotely the only screen that can’t handle low resolutions properly, it contributes to a wider issue.
Building upon a brilliant OLED formula
Outside of competitive tests and niche retro nonsense, the M10S II really shines as a successor to its excellent OLED predecessor. It takes the inky blacks and vibrancy of the original and ramps up brightness to really hammer home its colors and HDR abilities, and those make for a lavish experience when playing games at 1440p
That is to say that if you use the Sony Inzone M10S II as your main screen as well as an FPS portal, you won’t be disappointed. It’s going to trade blows with even the most color-rich displays out there, standing tall as one of the top WOLED options around. It does sit under QD-OLED contenders out there purely in terms of color accuracy, but if you prefer your blacks not looking slightly blue, or dealing with glossy screens, you’ll be looking at a traditional panel like this regardless.
A missed multiformat opportunity
It’s a crying shame that Sony has pigeonholed its Inzone M10S, as while its specs naturally fit competitive gaming, it could have been a great console monitor too. The counter to my petition is the fact that the Inzone M9 II is covering the 4K PC side of things, and the PlayStation brand specifically would rather you buy its 27-inch panel for the PS5.
Here’s the thing, though: I’m not sure why Sony is reserving its excellent OLED panel for a niche section of the PC market. It could have helped this sequel shine as an ultra-fast display with multiplatform provisions simply by adding some of its extra “Made for PS5” tricks and some serviceable speakers. For a grand, it could have all bases covered rather than pointing them towards IPS and mini LED alternatives, all while not neglecting the esports crowd it’s clearly aiming to please.
I’m not knocking the M10S II down any point for not including console-friendly perks. However, adding some PS5 perks in there would have helped this Inzone screen inch closer to perfection. Keep in mind that this is meant to be a sequel, and while it refines what its first attempt established, it doesn’t feel like it’s truly expanding its horizons.
Should you pick up the Sony Inzone M10S II?
Those of you who are serious about first-person shooters, extreme accuracy, and blistering refresh rates really should consider the Sony Inzone M10S II. The jury is out on whether a 720p dual mode is the right call, as while 720Hz raises the bar, I almost feel like a 4K/1080p combo would be useful in more games. I know, that’s an awkward thing to say given that one of my only gripes with the original was a lack of said dual mode, but alas, using it in a way that limits its usefulness to 720fps-capable romps like VALORANT is a tad niche.
Don’t get me wrong: the Inzone M10S II is still an incredibly punchy esports monitor, one that defends the honor of its predecessor and achieves the same score as a result. The latter is really due to the fact that it retains the previous MSRP while elevating brightness and sprinkling in some new, competitive-focused features. At the same time, though, it’s placed itself within a niche that bars it from being the absolute best model out there, and yet, it could have potentially snatched that crown by simply considering other platforms outside of high refresh rate PC gaming.
How I tested the Sony Inzone M10S II
For a month, I put the Sony Inzone M10S II through its paces as my main PC monitor. During that time, I used the screen to play high refresh rate shooters like Overwatch while testing non-competitive releases like Cyberpunk 2077. I also specifically tested this screen’s anti-glare properties next to a bright, south-facing window and assessed whether it can properly handle different resolutions for retro console gaming via an HDMI upscaler.
For more information on how we test gaming monitors, swing by our full GamesRadar+ hardware policy for a full rundown.
