Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 review: I want to buy it

Samsung Odyssey OLED G9

MSRP $1,800.00

“Even with some quirks, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a game-changing gaming monitor.”

Professionals

• The most effective OLED shows we have examined
• Unmatched immersive gaming expertise
• Speedy 240Hz refresh fee
• Dense settings choices
• Full Tizen working system

Cons

• Huge and costly
• 32:9 would not play properly with all the pieces

Samsung’s present slate of QD-OLED displays are among the many greatest gaming displays you should buy, so it’s no shock that the Odyssey OLED G9 is a superb gaming show. What I didn’t anticipate going into this evaluation is that I’d really be contemplating adopting the distinctive 32:9 side ratio that I wrote off for thus a few years.

At 49 inches diagonally and occupying the house of two 27-inch displays, the Odyssey OLED G9 appeared too impractical to be usable, and I used to be sure that it could be onerous to advocate alongside the perfect displays. After spending a while with it, nevertheless, it’s clear that the monitor supplies unequalled productiveness prowess and one of the immersive gaming experiences cash should purchase. It received’t be straightforward to return to even an ordinary ultrawide monitor.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 specs

Nonetheless beautiful

The Odyssey OLED G9 appears wonderful. The display screen appears sensible, as I’ll get to later, however the design of the monitor total is beautiful. I’m an enormous fan of Samsung’s Odyssey design this yr, which mixes a stark silver body with simply sufficient aptitude to let you realize that it’s a gaming monitor.

It’s a completely metallic design with a slim silver body. That’s an enormous plus over Samsung’s earlier model of this monitor, which had a chunky plastic again that made the show really feel further massive. That is nonetheless a really large monitor, however the slim body, together with the delicate 1800R curve, makes it really feel extra manageable on a desk in comparison with the earlier model.

One thing Samsung carried over from the earlier model is the CoreSync ring. There’s a layer of subtle plastic round the place the stand connects to the monitor that holds RGB lighting. You’ll be able to set this as a static colour, however it’s also possible to sync it with what’s on the display screen. In a darkish room enjoying Alan Wake 2, the additional little bit of lighting did a ton to attract me into the sport. Nonetheless, the CoreSync ring is pretty dim, so that you received’t discover the impact in brightly lit rooms.

Samsung features a hefty metallic stand within the field that doesn’t take up an excessive amount of further desk house. The stand is nice, however unsurprisingly, it doesn’t provide a ton of room for adjustment. You’ve gotten a slender window for peak adjustment and about 15 levels of tilt, however that’s it. Fortunately, Samsung features a VESA adaptor within the field, permitting you to mount the monitor for extra flexibility in positioning.

Loss of life to mini ports

I used to be a bit frightened in regards to the Odyssey OLED G9 after reviewing the Odyssey OLED G8, which solely relied on mini connections for the HDMI and DisplayPort cables. That’s not the case right here. You’ve gotten full-size HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports, alongside a single Micro HDMI 2.1 port. These are all recessed on the again, too, making cable administration straightforward.

The identical isn’t true for the built-in USB hub. You’ve gotten three USB ports, however they’re all USB-C. Most peripherals aren’t utilizing USB-C cables simply but, so a single USB-A port would’ve gone a good distance right here. It’s definitely higher than the Micro HDMI and Mini DisplayPort connections on the OLED G8, but it surely’s nonetheless one thing to notice.

Picture high quality

After reviewing Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G8 earlier this yr, I wasn’t shocked to see the Odyssey OLED G9 present jaw-dropping picture high quality. This is among the greatest QD-OLED shows you should buy, with unbelievable colour protection, nice colour accuracy, and the deep distinction and inky blacks that OLED panels are recognized for.

Let’s get some numbers out of the best way. In SDR, the monitor coated 100% of sRGB, 98% of DCI-P3, and 95% of AdobeRGB. For these unfamiliar with colour areas, these are a number of the highest numbers we’ve ever recorded, showcasing wonderful protection. The colour error was a bit larger than the Odyssey OLED G8 we reviewed earlier this yr, coming in a 1.36. That’s high quality for colour work, although you’d wish to put the monitor by means of calibration for any extra critical work.

Distinction is infinite as a result of the truth that OLED produces good black ranges, however as we’ve seen with shows just like the LG UltraGear OLED 27, the trade-off is peak brightness. For a ten% window, the Odyssey OLED G9 peaked artwork 237 nits, which is a hair under what we’ve seen with shows just like the Alienware 34 QD-OLED. I used to be capable of hit 283 nits in HDR with a smaller 5% window, fortunately.

Switching over to HDR, colour accuracy unsurprisingly takes a dip with a median error of simply over 4. That’s not the worst we’ve seen for HDR colour accuracy, however there’s little doubt that the HDR expertise is for media consumption, not creation. Distinction was as soon as once more wonderful, although peak brightness simply barely scratched 200 nits for a ten% window on-screen.

A productiveness monster

The picture high quality on the Odyssey OLED G9 is beautiful, however you may get that with 16:9 displays just like the Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM. The distinctive side ratio is the place the Odyssey OLED G9 actually shines. It’s a productiveness machine, supplying you with ample display screen actual property to multitask.

My most popular approach to work is on a 21:9 show the place I can have two home windows facet of facet, however the Odyssey OLED G9 takes that concept to the intense. You’re primarily getting two 27-inch, 16:9 shows. It’s two displays, simply with out the entire issues of multi-monitor setups.

You’ll be able to increase this concept additional, stacking up home windows horizontally to have three or 4 massive views without delay. The Odyssey OLED G9 is a large show, certain, but it surely really saves you some house in comparison with a standard multi-monitor setup, all whereas offering the identical degree of display screen house for productiveness.

Peak gaming (when it really works)

I’ve by no means had a extra immersive gaming expertise than on the Odyssey OLED G9. The large 32:9 side ratio captures your peripheral imaginative and prescient and doesn’t allow you to go. Even at a stable viewing distance, you haven’t any different choice however to soak up the sport world you’re experiencing. One of many first video games I booted up was the current Alan Wake 2, which I needed to flip off after about half an hour as a result of it was too scary in that format.

It’s not remotely near VR, but it surely supplies that very same feeling of immersion. The Odyssey OLED G9 wrestles your senses away, sucking you into video games in a approach that even 21:9 displays can’t handle. I spent almost an hour simply driving round Evening Metropolis in Cyberpunk 2077, ignoring all of my varied aims, using excessive on the sensation of residing on this dense futuristic world.

The side ratio is what issues most, however the Odyssey OLED G9 has loads of gaming grunt in any other case. The 240Hz show delivers unimaginable movement readability with the ultra-low response occasions of OLED, making titles like Doom Everlasting really feel ruthlessly responsive. FreeSync Premium Professional can be right here, supplying you with variable refresh fee no matter your graphics card.

It is best to be mindful how demanding this decision is, although. The monitor has a 5,120 x 1,440 decision, and for those who do the maths, that’s not far off of 4K. It has 7.3 million pixels, whereas 4K has 8.3 million. For reference, a 21:9 monitor with a 3,440 x 1,440 decision has simply shy of 5 million, whereas a 1440p monitor has about 3.6 million. You’ll need a PC geared up for 4K gaming for those who plan on selecting up the Odyssey OLED G9.

When the Odyssey OLED G9 is in prime kind, there isn’t any else that’s near it. The issue is that it usually received’t be in its prime kind. The distinctive side ratio results in constant immersion-breaking eventualities the place it turns into clear simply how foolish enjoying video games with a 32:9 monitor is. Taking part in Alan Wake 2 was terrifying whereas I used to be really enjoying, however the second a cutscene began and the edges of the show grew to become large black voids, I used to be introduced again right down to earth.

It’s not simply cutscenes, both. Each time I opened the menu in Marvel’s Spider-Man, the UI appeared cramped on the display screen because it rapidly adjusted its typical 16:9 side ratio. There are additionally loads of video games that merely received’t assist the 32:9 side ratio. Indie video games like Tunic are nearly universally locked to 16:9, forcing you to both run the sport in windowed mode or sacrifice about half of your display screen actual property to the black bars. This may come up in bigger video games, too, corresponding to Overwatch 2, the place 32:9 resolutions aren’t supported.

The huge subject of view can work towards the gaming expertise, too. Once more, this isn’t VR, however the Odyssey OLED G9 may give you some movement illness relying on the sport. This significantly comes up in video games with excessive movement blur and heavy vignetting, the place lengthy gameplay periods may cause some queasiness. That’s one thing I by no means encountered with this monitor.

For gaming, the Odyssey OLED G9 is an expertise monitor. Spend a number of hours with it, and also you’ll be floored by the immersion and high quality. It’s more durable to settle in for lengthy gaming periods, although. The black bars for video games that don’t assist 32:9 are very distracting, far more so than on a 21:9 monitor, so that you’ll usually need to accept enjoying video games in windowed mode.

That stated, the worst expertise you’ll discover on the Odyssey OLED G9 is solely what you get on a 16:9 monitor, whereas the perfect expertise is way forward what you’ll discover with an ordinary show. And, as I’ll get to subsequent, there are many methods to make the most of the additional display screen actual property.

When 32:9 turns into sensible

I simply spent lots of time writing about how 32:9 is impractical for gaming, however with a bit little bit of effort, it may really grow to be an enormous asset. Numerous that comes right down to Samsung Multi View, which helps you to break up the display screen to show completely different sources. It really works nice on the Odyssey OLED G9, and it’s a function you’ll wish to make the most of in lots of instances.

The principle draw right here is streaming, of all issues. Particularly for those who hook a console as much as the monitor, you should use Multi View to see your sport on one half of the display screen whereas your PC occupies the opposite half, permitting you to see your stream data, seize card particulars, and extra. You don’t have to fret about tabbing out of your sport, both; these are two separate sources.

Even for those who’re not streaming, you may join a console to at least one half of the display screen whereas your PC occupies the opposite half with Discord, a video, or Spotify (or anything you wish to run in your PC on the identical time). The one draw back right here is that Samsung doesn’t assist a ton of apps from the built-in OS for Multi View. You’re primarily restricted to YouTube and Samsung TV Plus. Fortunately, you may add the built-in internet browser as a supply for Multi View, unlocking principally any app you need.

The most important drawback with this setup is discovering one thing to occupy the remainder of the display screen with. In these conditions the place you may’t fill the complete 32:9 side ratio, you’ll need one thing else to fill the rest of the display screen, and it’s potential you received’t have a second supply (like a console and PC). Samsung fortunately lets you mirror the display screen in your telephone or laptop computer (Android, iOS, macOS, and Home windows are all supported), supplying you with extra choices to make the most of the huge show.

Good TV in your monitor

The Odyssey OLED G9 isn’t only a monitor. It consists of Samsung’s Tizen OS TV working system, supplying you with entry to streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu, Samsung Recreation Hub for Xbox Recreation Go and GeForce Now, and even some stay TV with Samsung TV Plus. That’s probably not what’s vital right here, although.

You most likely received’t use the built-in apps a lot — it is a high-end gaming monitor that you simply’ll most likely connect with a high-end gaming PC — however the OS opens up Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. A monitor replace is simply an choice within the menu, not a irritating course of involving a USB drive. And Bluetooth lets you join a controller, or a keyboard and mouse, if you wish to navigate the OS with out the included distant.

It opens up a ton of show choices,as properly. You’ll be able to rapidly entry issues like Samsung Multi View with the distant by means of the short entry menu, as properly dig into image settings that you simply wouldn’t usually discover on a monitor’s on-screen show (OSD). Even with out options like colour calibration with supported smartphones, controlling the monitor this fashion is leagues forward of utilizing a standard OSD.

Samsung constructed some {hardware} for this experiencem as properly. The built-in audio system are surprisingly loud, and so they do a fantastic job at positioning audio in video games with encompass sound. You’ll nonetheless need devoted audio system or headphones for the perfect audio expertise, however the audio system sound wonderful in comparison with what you usually discover on gaming displays (if they’ve audio system in any respect).

The worth issues

The Odyssey OLED G9 isn’t for everybody. It’s for probably the most intensive PC players, who need peak immersion in video games, ample room for productiveness, and a function set that you could’t discover wherever else. The Odyssey OLED G9 delivers on all fronts, all whereas producing among the finest photographs yow will discover on a gaming monitor.

These searching for these sorts of PC experiences know that they often carry some unexpected quirks, and the Odyssey OLED G9 is not any completely different. As talked about, 32:9 doesn’t play properly with all video games, and the deep immersion can rapidly be thrown off when a cutscene performs. Nonetheless, when the baseline expertise is solely what you get with a 16:9 monitor, and the Odyssey OLED G9 can scale a lot larger, it’s nonetheless a exceptional display screen.

Samsung asks for $1,800 at checklist value for the show, however I wouldn’t purchase it for that a lot. It’s not a lot that it’s overpriced — there isn’t one other monitor fairly like this one — however that it continuously goes on sale. On the time of publishing, it’s out there for $1,400, placing it in vary of a number of the 21:9 QD-OLED displays we’ve seen. At that value, it’s a steal for high-end PC players.

Editors’ Suggestions