Philips 559M1 Momentum Review

The arrival of the current-gen consoles has forced a lot of consumers to upgrade their TV sets. 4K 60fps gaming is no longer an impossible dream for console gamers, but the Xbox Series X, in particular, is pushing the boundaries a bit more with a long list of 120fps capable titles at this point in time.

4K 60fps capable TV sets are a dime a dozen these days, but to get the most out of your pricey consoles, you’ll want something a bit more powerful and that’s only capable with displays that carry an HDMI 2.1 port. OLED sets are a popular choice among enthusiasts because of the stunning picture quality it provides but may be too expensive for the average consumer.

As the first “designed for Xbox” monitor, Philips has released the 559M1 Momentum which is targeted at gamers looking to upgrade their current display to support the latest hardware from Microsoft. It is a 55″ display with an integrated soundbar, integrated AmbiGlow lighting solution, and most importantly capable of 120fps gaming, among other things.

This review will talk more about the gaming experience associated with the display. If you’re looking for a more tech-oriented review with benchmarks, head on over to our sister site Gadget Pilipinas for a full breakdown.

Simple, Sleek, and Easy to Setup

The Philips 559M1 Momentum is designed to be simple and effective, both in form and function. Its slim bezels ensure that there is more screen real estate without adding to its overall size. There’s almost no assembly required out of the box, and unless you consider plugging in the power cable to the TV, then I guess there’s some assembly needed.

The Philips 559M1 Momentum, like the Xbox Series X, is designed to blend in well with your home entertainment setup. There are no loud colors, no sharp edges, no odd curves – this display is simple and elegant with a sturdy finish, and is designed to almost disappear from sight in low light.

The Philips 559M1 Momentum houses a VA LCD panel anchored by a solid base that firmly sets it on any table or desk. Its frame measurements are 1232 x 834 x 308mm or 48.50 x 32.83 x 12.12 inches, so make sure you have enough room for it. As with most TVs, you cannot adjust its height nor can you swivel unlike monitors, but you can tilt it -5 to 10 degrees, which should be fairly standard for TVs.

Out of the box, you can immediately plug in your Xbox Series S or X and get to gaming right away. As you can see with the image below, the Philips 559M1 Momentum is compatible with Xbox Series X output modes save for Dolby Vision, which should be fine if you’re not a stickler for details. Native 4K at 60 and 120fps with HDR10 should be more than enough for the average consumer and this display can handle those settings rather easily.

Next-gen Bliss

Of course, the Philips 559M1 Momentum can easily handle previous generation consoles in case you haven’t upgraded yet, but the display really shines when paired with an Xbox Series X.

During our tests, we played with some of the best games that the Xbox Series X has to offer via Game Pass Ultimate – The Ascent, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. These titles are visually arresting, and Ori, in particular, is capable of 120fps, which was the perfect showcase for the display.

Obviously, capturing images from an external source wouldn’t do justice to the images we saw on-screen, but the display rendered these games in great detail. Since the panel is LCD, expectations need to be tempered a bit. It isn’t as bright and vibrant compared to an OLED screen, but the Philips 559M1 Momentum does a decent job of displaying color-accurate visuals.

While the Xbox Series X carries the most of the weight when it comes to actually pushing out incredible graphics, the Philips 559M1 Momentum shares some of the load especially when it comes to minimizing frame drops.

The Philips 559M1 Momentum is a VRR (variable refresh rate) capable display, which basically means that any minor dips in frame rates will hardly be noticeable, ensuring consistently smooth gameplay. The result, when paired with the Xbox Series X, is a transformative experience, especially coming from the weaker last-gen consoles.

There was hardly any need to change or tweak any setting from the menu as we literally plugged the console in and played off the bat, but those who have particular calibrations in mind will want to adjust some sliders to match expectations.

Speaking of settings, the display is VESA-certified DisplayHDR 1000 and has 3 HDR modes you can utilize – HDR Game, HDR Movie, and HDR Photo.

Audiovisual Experience

Setting the Philips 559M1 Momentum apart from the rest of the crowd are two things, both of which will make this package something worth thinking about despite similarly priced displays.

First, the Philips 559M1 Momentum is equipped with a Bowers & Wilkins soundbar, which is nestled below the display but just above the base. We are no audiophiles by any definition of the word, but what impressed us the most was that it could handle any audio track we played with ease even at the highest volume setting.

At max volume, the audio did not break at all, and it remained crisp and audible. Those of you looking for bass-heavy output may be disappointed, as the soundbar pushes out a fairly balanced amount of bass and treble. As such, impact sounds such as grenade explosions and thumps feel less punchy, but will be enough to satisfy most users.

Its integration into the display is very much welcome, especially for users who don’t have a lot of space to accommodate a separate audio setup. The soundbar has a built-in woofer, midrange drivers, and tweeters, and this simply means that everything is wrapped in a nice package that already works out of the box without additional wires to connect or things to assemble, which is music to the ears (pun intended) for the majority of users out there.

The other feature of the display is its built-in AmbiGlow lighting, which basically means that you don’t have to install separate LED strips or those expensive wall lighting solutions to add ambiance to your setup because it already comes built-in.

Littered across the back of the Philips 559M1 Momentum are small LED strips that adapt to either the audio or video coming out from the display. While playing The Ascent, the strips pulsed with a red glow while a green halo formed when playing Forza Horizon 4. I’m no believer in these lighting gimmicks to be quite honest, but seeing it up close for the first time changed my stance ever so slightly.

In the settings, you can change the behavior of the strips to either follow audio, video, pulse, wave, breathe, and other options. You can even set up a static color of your choice or change it up anytime with a few flicks of the control.

I can guess that this is not for everybody. I understand that it does add to the immersion factor and with all the RGB obsession as of late, consumers just want the latest thing. Philips has integrated a smart system into the 559M1 Momentum and proving to be more than just a gimmick, this is really a nice add-on to the whole package.

You can simply turn it off the same way I did, as I preferred to do my gaming with the lights on.

Both of these features may be achieved with separate home theater and lighting setup purchases, but consumers who don’t have the luxury of too much space will appreciate what Philips has done here.

Built for PC gaming too

Thanks to a plethora of ports tucked neatly behind the display, The Philips 559M1 Momentum can also function as your PC Monitor and as a Type-C charger if you wish.

A quick rundown of ports shows the following:

• HDMI 2.1 x 3
• DP 1.4 x 1
• USB-C x 1 (DP Alt mode, PD 65W)
• USB-B x 1 (upstream)
• USB 3.2 x 4 (downstream with 2 fast charge B.C 1.2)

We won’t really recommend using it as your primary display, seeing as its 55″ screen isn’t suitable for up-close viewing unless you want to wreck your eyesight, so it can certainly take the role of your secondary display where you need more real estate to perform various other tasks like video editing.

The Philips 559M1 Momentum was designed for the Xbox Series X but it can also serve as your PC gaming display since it is capable of a 144Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth gameplay if you have a capable rig.

What we liked:

• Impressive audio from the integrated soundbar.
• AmbiGlow lighting solution provides added value.
• Healthy amount of ports.

What we didn’t like:

• LCD Panel isn’t as vibrant compared to the more preferred OLED.
• Price is comparable to some other OLED TV sets.

Verdict: Wait for it.

There is a lot to love about the Philips 559M1 Momentum. From its stylish design to its 4K 120fps ready screen, current-gen gaming is truly something that’s within reach. The display has a few tricks up its sleeves as it dares to stand out amidst a sea of TVs and monitors.

One point of contention for a lot of people will be the price, which stands at PHP70,490 or around $1,400. For comparison, the highly-rated 2021 LG C1, which is a very popular choice among gamers, is priced almost similarly depending on where you purchase it.

Another thing that the display has going against it is its LCD panel, which results in an image display that could leave something to be desired. It’s not as bright and vibrant, which is a shame considering some of the latest games have overly impressive graphics.

In return though, the Philips 559M1 Momentum offers some nice trade-offs in the Bowers & Wilkins Soundbar and the AmbiGlow lighting solution, both of which should make up the price difference if that’s your thing. Audiophiles may want a bit more out of the soundbar, but it proves to be so much better than the default TV speakers.

Overall, the full value of the Philips 559M1 Momentum places it in a good position considering a ton of other options in the same price range. The no-frills setup makes it an attractive prospect for a lot of users so the choice really boils down on whether an all-in-one package appeals to you more compared to purchasing separate specialized components.

*The Philips 559M1 Momentum was reviewed from a unit provided by Philips Monitors. Xbox Series X used was our own.