Sony in November debuted the PlayStation Gaming Monitor, a 27-inch QHD display with a 240Hz refresh rate and a DualSense Charging Hook for charging your PlayStation controller. The concept makes sense, since many PS5 owners would like to play on PC gaming monitors in addition to or instead of TVs.
However, I’ve tested and evaluated dozens of gaming monitors like the upcoming PlayStation one, and a quick look at the confirmed specs has me thinking Sony’s playing it surprisingly safe. It’s even a little boring. It goes without saying that you can hook up the PlayStation to almost any computer monitor right now. But if you’re in the market for one tailor-made for the PS5’s capabilities, better options—including some you can add to your cart today—already exist.
The PlayStation Monitor Plays It Safe
This isn’t the first time the PlayStation brand has ventured into the world of monitors. All the way back in 2011, Sony dropped the PlayStation 3D Display, a 3D-capable 24-inch LCD. In some ways, it was ahead of its time, but it would be about a decade before we’d see the PlayStation mentioned in the same breath as a gaming monitor.
That happened with the launch of Sony’s Inzone brand. While Inzone targets PC players, the first-generation Inzone M9, launched in 2022, did include exclusive PS5 features like Auto HDR Tone Mapping, which detects your PS5 at startup and optimizes HDR settings. The M9 also featured Auto Genre Picture Mode, which automatically switches the monitor to Game Mode when gaming (to minimize input lag) or to Cinema Mode when watching movies via a streaming service or from a Blu-ray disc.
However, the Inzone branding made it clear that, despite the monitor having PS5-exclusive features and a color scheme that closely resembled the system, it was not a PlayStation monitor.
(Credit: Sony)
My guess is that Inzone is just Sony testing the waters to see if PlayStation-specific features are what people want in a monitor. The answer must be yes, which is why we have the PlayStation Gaming Monitor.
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Now, details are scarce, but we do know that it features a 27-inch QHD IPS display (2,560 by 1,440 pixels) with a 240Hz refresh rate. When it comes to I/O ports, the monitor will include two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, two USB Type-A ports, and one USB Type-C port. Built-in stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio output are also included, but the monitor’s calling card is the DualSense Charging Hook, which is essentially a hinge that docks and charges the PS5 controller.
Is This Really for the Players?
Looking at these specs, they’re just…fine? I’m surprised to see that the monitor won’t have a 4K native resolution, because both the PS5 and PS5 Pro are capable of 4K output. The Auto HDR tone mapping is a nice inclusion, but as I mentioned, it’s not something particularly new and exciting, nor is the charging dock. It’ll pair well with low-end and midrange PC builds, but PC players do have a lot of options to choose from. Even the addition of an OLED screen would’ve sweetened the deal a little bit.
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(Credit: Sony)
Now, I’m not saying Sony should’ve included something like a pair of 3D glasses and a game with the monitor, like it did with the PlayStation 3D Display, because that sort of thing is gimmicky now. But you’ve got many options for gaming monitors that offer exactly what the PlayStation Gaming Monitor is offering in terms of specs (and in many cases, better).
I’d Buy One of These Instead
The LG 27 UltraGear Gaming Monitor (27GR83Q) and the AOC Q27G4ZD are two recent QHD/240Hz monitors now available for under $500. (And the AOC is an OLED display!) While Sony hasn’t announced a price, it almost certainly won’t undercut the existing swath of comparable gaming displays, so the PlayStation monitor is going to be a hard sell.
At any rate, I’m curious enough to test it out when it releases sometime next year. Stay tuned for PCMag’s full review.
About Our Expert
Zackery Cuevas
Writer, Hardware
Experience
I’m a PCMag reviewer and ISF-certified TV calibrator focused on computer accessories, laptops, gaming monitors, and video games. I’ve been writing, playing, and complaining about games for as long as I remember, but it wasn’t until recently that I’ve been able to shout my opinions directly at a larger audience. My work has appeared on iMore, Windows Central, Android Central, and TWICE, and I have a diverse portfolio of editing work under my belt from my time spent at Scholastic and Oxford University Press. I also have a few book-author credits under my belt—I’ve contributed to the sci-fi anthology Under New Suns, and I’ve even written a Peppa Pig book.
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