Every VCT EMEA Pro Wore This Headset on Stage, and It Costs AED 1,299 in the UAE

Sony has named the INZONE H9 II the Official Headset Partner of the VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA, meaning every pro on the VCT EMEA stage used it during Stage 1. For UAE players, this is more than a sponsorship badge: the headset is already sold here at AED 1,299 and includes Fnatic-tuned VALORANT EQ profiles that anyone can use.

• All VCT EMEA players used the INZONE H9 II on stage during Stage 1 for team comms and noise isolation.
• VALORANT-specific EQ settings, co-developed with Fnatic, are available through Sony’s INZONE Hub software on PC.
• The headset costs AED 1,299 in the UAE with a one-year warranty on authorised stock.

Every VCT EMEA Pro Wore This Headset on Stage, and It Costs AED 1,299 in the UAE

The announcement came from Sony Middle East in Dubai, and the framing is deliberate: VCT EMEA covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Sony clearly sees this region’s esports audience as worth chasing. Mahesh Kodoth, General Manager of Personal Entertainment Marketing at Sony Middle East and Africa, put it plainly — esports is part of the region’s DNA, from Riyadh to Dubai, and Sony wants the H9 II positioned as the headset for that crowd.

That tracks with what’s happening locally. The UAE’s VALORANT scene is growing well beyond spectatorship, with grassroots events like Dubai’s first major female-only VALORANT tournament pulling in new competitive players. A headset that pros are contractually wearing on the region’s biggest VALORANT stage is an easy aspirational sell to that audience.

The partnership also brings TenZ into the fold, with the star player appearing in Sony INZONE content activations across the 2026 VCT season, including behind-the-scenes series and social campaigns. Fnatic’s Boaster, who has worked with Sony on the headset’s development, says he uses it daily at home and will now use it in tournaments too.

What the H9 II actually offers competitive players

Strip away the esports branding and there’s a genuinely capable headset underneath. The H9 II is a premium wireless noise-cancelling headset built around a driver unit in the same class as Sony’s WH-1000XM6, and its ANC is a substantial step up from the original H9, particularly with low-frequency rumble and droning background noise — exactly the sort of thing that fills a LAN venue or a busy gaming café.

The competitive-specific bits are the more interesting story. Sony developed the headset in partnership with Fnatic with team communication as the core design principle: an AI-optimised microphone cuts background noise so teammate callouts come through cleanly, and the INZONE Hub software on PC includes EQ profiles Sony built with Fnatic specifically for VALORANT, tuned to emphasise footsteps and ability cues. Those presets aren’t reserved for pros — they’re part of the software any buyer gets.

Worth remembering that a big brand name and wireless connectivity don’t automatically mean good audio — we’ve seen well-built headsets stumble on exactly that front — but the H9 II’s XM6-class internals give it a stronger foundation than most gaming headsets can claim.

Buying it in the UAE

The H9 II is already on sale in the UAE through Sony’s official UAE store at AED 1,299, covering Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with retail listings indicating a one-year brand warranty on authorised stock. That warranty matters more than usual here — headsets used for daily competitive grinding take a beating, and AED 1,299 is firmly premium territory where you want proper local cover rather than grey-import stock.