It makes dual sense
I do love a good display, so when PlayStation announced they were making a monitor made specifically for desktop gaming, my interest piqued. While I have a fantastic display for couch gaming, my monitor is currently capped out at 120Hz. This new PlayStation monitor supports up to 240Hz at 1440p, which is fantastic for desktop gaming. While it doesn’t have an OLED screen or support up to 4K, there are a lot of great features found in PlayStation’s latest hardware.
So, what sets this display apart from others in its field? The basics include a 1440p IPS display that features up to 240Hz, but only for PC gaming, as the PS5 caps out at 120Hz. The design itself is fantastic, it has a flat base, which I prefer, and the monitor itself is light enough to spin around on its base, which gives access to multiple ports.
MSRP: $349
Price I’d Pay: $349
There are quite a few options here, including two HDMI 2.1 inputs, great for having a PS5 and PC hooked up at the same time. There is also a Display Port as well as two USB-A ports, one USB-C, and even a USB-B port. Needless to say, it has everything you could possibly need to hook it up. I do wish the ports were on the side instead of right below the front, that will make them more accessible if your setup makes it difficult to spin around.
Two of the coolest features to this monitor though are the controller charging dock, and auto HDR calibration for the PS5. On the front of the monitor there is a dock you can swing down and dock your Dualsense controller. This is brilliant as it keeps it close and charged at all times. We all know this is a necessity considering the poor battery life of the controller. The Auto HDR Tone Mapping for PS5 is also really cool. It basically tunes the monitor and the system in unison, making it easy to get a great picture.
The design of the monitor is very much PlayStation. It has a black and white color palette with the logo front and center but also muted at first glance. The base is simple to set up, and very sturdy. There is also a Vesa mount if you want to use other mounting devices. I really love the design of this monitor and it looks great on my current desk setup.
The display is 27 inches, which is ideal for a desktop setup. There are four picture modes, all of which are pretty basic. We have Standard, Cool, Warm, and sRGB. You can also adjust the standard settings such as brightness, contrast, and sharpness. There is a gamma slider as well, navigating these menus is pretty simple with a single button that moves in four directions. You can also enable VRR and save picture profiles from the menu. It is simple and intuitive, the monitor also has a set of speakers, which will suffice, but I still recommend a headset when playing.
In practice this thing looks really good. Whether you are playing PS5 or PC, the image quality is fantastic. For an IPS screen it does well, while you won’t get the same black levels of an OLED, the colors and sharpness are fantastic. Playing games like Spider-Man and Saros look fantastic on the monitor. Jumping into PC gaming I tested out several games and the 240Hz response is great. I experienced basically zero lag, which is a must for gaming.
If there are downsides to this monitor it is mostly to do with the lack of having an OLED screen and the ability to display 4K. Neither of these are deal breakers though as 1440p is fantastic at this range. If this was a normal TV display, it might be an issue, but as you are sitting much closer to this, I rarely noticed it. Games were sharp and ran fantastically. The OLED thing is a personal preference. While the black levels are enhanced for sure, it is rarely as bright and vivid. So, depending on your preference this might be a pro or a con.
The price is also in line with other monitors in its range. Coming in at $349.99 this is a solid deal. The dock charger and auto HDR tone-mapping are great features if you are a PS5 gamer. If you are a PC gamer, this is also a solid purchase. If you only play games on PC though, you might be able to find something a bit cheaper. This is really being sold as a dual-purpose display.
Sony has a winner on its hands here. I was really impressed with the image quality in both PS5 and PC games on this display. The charging dock is genius and the options are solid. Performance is the biggest boon here though; everything ran perfectly in my tests whether it was a brand-new game or something from years ago. Definitely a high recommendation if you dual game at your desk.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
