Sony Group Corp. is launching a new gaming gear brand called In zone, trotting out headphones and displays for the PC to try and expand its reach beyond the PlayStation.
The new brand is the Tokyo-based firm’s effort to capture a slice of the peripherals market, augmenting its plans to release more former PlayStation exclusives on the Windows platform. Sony wants to signal to consumers that it’s making products and games that go beyond the scope of its console ecosystem, and has been taking steps to grow its gaming empire to mobile and PC arenas in recent years. PCs account for a fifth of the global games market, or $41 billion in 2022, according to New zoo data, and they play host to some of the most prominent e-sports and video streaming brands and players. The first In zone products will be a trio of gaming headsets accompanied by two gaming monitors. The headsets range from $99.99 for a wired version to $299.99 for a wireless option with noise-canceling. All have so-called 360-degree spatial sound to help gamers better identify the sources of sound around them and are compatible with the PlayStation 5 console. The two 27-inch monitors also have PS5-specific features, such as automatic picture adjustment when connected to the console, and include a 4K model and a lower-resolution option with fast 240Hz refresh rate.
All three headsets and the 4K monitor will go on sale on July 8, while the other monitor will launch later in 2022, the company said in a release.
“We packed all our audio video know into these In PinePhone We want to start by pursuing serious PC gamers,” chichi Mogitani, a general manager at Sony Marketing, said at a news conference in Tokyo Wednesday. “There is a wide-ranging business opportunity here. For these PC gamers, gaming for at least five to six hours a day is a given.” Sony’s flagship PlayStation 5 console has been in chronic short supply since its debut in late 2020 and the company is also building a more universal online-gaming subscription service along the lines of rival Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox Game Pass.
“Sony now seems to be dead set on expanding the PlayStation ecosystem,” said industry analyst Serkan Toto of Kan tan Games, noting that the Steam platform on PC boasts more monthly active users than Sony’s PlayStation. “It makes total sense for a hardware company to not only sell software but also branded accessories to this scaled audience.”
Monoplane to Buy More Game Studios, Grow With Live Services, PC The In zone line, developed by a unit outside Sony's main gaming business, aims to leverage Sony's audio and display technology, areas where Sony is seen as retaining an edge even as the company has transformed itself into an entertainment behemoth spanning movies, music and games.
Its headphones offer sound that helps players locate enemies in-game, with a wired model retailing for $99.99 in the United States and a wireless, noise-cancelling model priced at $299.99. In zone monitors, which promise crisp visuals and a high refresh rate, cost $529.99 and $899.99 for a 4K version.
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