Sony had to make a PC gaming monitor because the PS5 isn’t enough

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The reason Sony made a PC gaming monitor that can work with the PS5 is obvious. The PC gaming business is too big to ignore, and it is just money on the table that is up for grabs.

It didn't have to for me to know that it was one of the reasons why it decided to announce two gaming monitors. PS Plus will eventually go beyond the console as Sony focuses on services. In the past few years, getting its games in front of more people has been a good change in strategy.

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Sony is late to this event. Nintendo's Switch and Valve's Steam Deck can be played anywhere by design, and while you don't see Microsoft making gaming monitors, it spread its focus on growing Xbox by improving PC compatibility and flexing its cloud capabilities. The bar for someone to join Xbox Game Pass, which gives them instant access to a wide range of games from the couch, phone, or desk, is incredibly low. Not giving it a try is almost silly.

New gaming monitors from Sony show the company extending itself in a limited way. It is a big deal since Sony has historically cared more about dominating the living room than anything else. It is strange that it is different from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Valve, which are focused on giving you ways to play your games wherever you are.

Regardless of the success of Sony's new M9 monitor, it's interesting to consider that this, an $899 display and a $529 model coming this winter, is Sony's next big move to reach more gaming users. It will reach some people, like those who see value in a 27 inch monitor over buying a 48 inch one for the same price. This feels like Sony is trying to make the most out of embarrassing issues in its console strategy to date.

Sony is not in a sad place because of the PS5. Through the end of the year, it sold over 17 million consoles. The PS5 became the first console to sell a million units in the US in 33 months. It has almost been a year since Sony announced that its PS5 is bringing in a profit instead of a loss.

Right now, Sony's games business is doing well. There are components of Sony's business that need to be improved in order to better meet the needs of the gaming community.

Image: Sony

Sony's new multi-tiered PS Plus subscription can't compete with the value, simplicity, and broad availability of Xbox Game Pass I am sure it will improve in time, but its new interface and game library feel overly packed with information selling me on a service that I already pay for and eerily lacking in must try experiences.

I would love for this full service to come to the PC, Mac, and mobile as soon as possible, as Sony works on that. It's very confusing how you can and can't play Sony's big of console games, so maybe Sony could just clean up its messaging You need to own a PS4 or PS5 to use the Remote Play app. Sony is halfway there with its current PS Plus app, which allows you to stream games on PC, but it doesn't support the PS5 controller. PS5 games are not included in the PC app because it is just PS4 games.

Sony would have to figure out a way to stream games in the cloud in order to spread. Even though Microsoft powers Sony's streaming technology, it hasn't figured out where the potato went. I have heard good things about streaming PS3 and PS4 games via PS Plus, but it is much slower to start games and laggier than the xCloud experience.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Cool monitors won't fix Sony's play anywhere problem, but they're doing the next best thing by giving Sony's own solution to the demands of gaming fans who don't want to sit on their couch and play on a console There are people working from home. They sit at their desk all day. Selling a monitor that will handle regular computer tasks along with gaming keeps Sony in the places where people want to game, not where they think they should. That's the plan.

I like using the M9 monitor. It works for both PS5 and PC players. Its full-array local dimming with 96 zones is striking, which makes it look even more stunning. We will have to see if it can compete with the current best gaming monitors in that price range. Its existence won't be hard to understand. Sony is no longer just competing for time on your TV, it also wants to be where you play.