Samsung's Odyssey OLED G9 is hugely expensive, hugely impressive, and just plain huge

Samsung’s Odyssey OLED G9 is an expensive luxury monitor, but it delivers on image quality.

About the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SC)

Here are the specs of the monitor we tested:

• Price: $2,200
• Display Size: 49 inches
• Resolution: 5120 x 1440 pixels
• Refresh rate: 240Hz
• Peak brightness: 250 nits (SDR rated), 232 nits (SDR tested), 400 nits (HDR rated) 418 nits (HDR tested)
• HDR support: VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, HDR10+
• Color depth: 8-bit + FRC
• Color saturation: 100% sRGB (rated), 99% DCI-P3 (rated); 100% sRGB (rated), 98% DCI-P3 (tested), AdobeRGB 96% (tested), Rec.2020 82% (tested)
• Contrast ratio: 1,000,000:1 (rated), effectively infinite (tested, all modes)
• Pixel response time (GtG): 0.03ms
• Ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Micro-HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x USB-C (upstream and DisplayPort Alternate Mode), 3x USB-A 3.0
• VRR Support: Adaptive Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
• Other features: 100mm x 100mm VESA mount, 2x 5-watt speakers, quantum dots, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Warranty: One-year manufacturer limited warranty

The Samsung Odyssey OG9 is priced at $2,200, which is a lot to pay for any computer monitor. That is a lower MSRP than Samsung’s previous Odyssey Neo G9, a 49-inch super ultrawide with Mini-LED technology, but in reality, the older Neo G9 often sells for around $1,500. The OLED G9 is among the most expensive super-ultrawide monitors ever produced but its performance justifies the cost.

What we like

Excellent image quality

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 has a 49-inch OLED display panel with a resolution of 5120 x 1440. OLED panels can turn individual pixels on (and off) independently, which allows for effectively infinite contrast and perfect dark levels. Scenes that should appear deep and abyssal are exactly that with a minimum brightness of exactly zero nits. Shadow detail is great, too, preserving subtle details in dimly-lit movies or games that are obscured on less capable displays.

The OLED panel is combined with quantum dots, nanocrystals that improve how light scatters through the monitor’s surface and increase the spectrum of colors that can be displayed. It delivers lush, vibrant color that’s immediately appealing and holds up to close scrutiny.

The Odyssey OLED G9 can display 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, 96% of Adobe RGB, and 82% of Rec.2020. Some competitors can stand toe-to-toe with the Odyssey OLED G9’s color, such as Dell’s 6K UltraSharp monitor and the much less expensive Asus ProArt PA279CRV, but Samsung’s results are at the head of the gaming class.

Samsung’s QD-OLED panel also provides a wider color gamut than LG’s Paper White OLED panel, which is found in more “affordable” 27-inch monitors, such as the LG UltraGear 27GP950-B.

Though it has many strengths, the Odyssey G9 shares a flaw common to OLED monitors: unimpressive maximum brightness. I recorded a max full-screen sustained brightness of 232 nits in SDR on a fully white screen. That’s fine for a home office or gaming den but could appear dim in a room with sunlit windows or intense overhead lighting. It doesn’t help that Samsung uses a glossy display coat that tends to pick up fingerprints. Keep a microfiber cloth handy.

While a higher maximum brightness would be appreciated, you still get superb contrast and excellent color. That means a vivid, saturated, and lush image with a superb sense of depth and dimensionality. A high-quality 1440p video can take on a three-dimensional look, even if it doesn’t fill the entire screen.

The Odyssey OLED G9 doesn’t raise the bar on image quality—its overall performance is not much different from last year’s Alienware AW3423DW, which also has a QD-OLED panel from Samsung—but it’s still the most attractive OLED monitor available right now.

Crisp motion clarity

Samsung delivers a 240Hz refresh rate in the Odyssey OLED G9. That’s nothing new for an OLED monitor, but it’s impressive to see it here given the monitor’s resolution. More importantly, the higher refresh rate provides an excellent sense of responsiveness and fluidity in motion. Games that can hit 240 frames per second (assuming you have an RTX 4090 or other graphics card capable of hitting those highs) feel like they’re wired to your brain.

The monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, a technology that keeps your video card’s frame rate output and the refresh rate of the monitor in sync. This helps reduce stuttering and screen tearing, and doesn’t require an active fan like the comparable G-Sync standard.

Pixel response times are impressive at just 0.03 milliseconds. On paper, this is lower than even the fastest IPS gaming monitor, the 500Hz Alienware AW2425H, with a response time of 0.5 milliseconds. A lower response time means pixels switch between colors more quickly. This reduces motion blur and improves motion clarity. And make no mistake: the Odyssey OLED G9’s motion clarity is superb.

While scrolling through test images from League of Legends, I noticed that character names were easy to read, that hit point bars were legible, and character silhouettes were instantly recognizable. In practice it’s not as good as the 500Hz Alienware, but it’s competitive with many 360Hz IPS panel monitors.

Luxurious design

Samsung placed an intimidating price tag on the Odyssey OLED G9. Fortunately, the monitor delivers a luxurious design that’s a cut above even its expensive competitors.

The star of the show is the rear panel, which appears to be made of aluminum and is only interrupted by a plastic cutout around the ports. It’s rare to see metal used to frame such a large span, and the improvement it provides in look and stability is instantly noticeable. The Odyssey OLED G9 is the first 49-inch monitor I’ve handled that didn’t creak and moan when unpacked.

Samsung opts for a reserved, elegant look that helps the monitor blend into a home or corporate office. I much prefer it to the white plastic of Samsung’s previous Odyssey Neo G9, which I found a bit gaudy. However, gamers who still want some flair will be happy to know the monitor retains customizable LED lighting elements on the rear panel that can be set to a preferred color or change dynamically based on the content onscreen.

The monitor has an attractive, functional stand that adjusts for height and tilt only. It provides a compact L-shaped design that keeps the base of the monitor stand flat and level with your desk surface. The new stand minimizes the display’s footprint and makes it easy to fit on a desk despite the huge 49-inch panel.

Useful built-in smart TV features

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 ships with something unexpected: a remote control. In fact, it’s also a fully functional smart display with built-in apps, Wi-Fi connectivity, and Bluetooth. You can watch Netflix and Hulu or stream games through GeForce Now or Xbox Game Pass. I doubt most owners will use the display without a PC or game console connected, but it’s possible.

The remote also lets owners control the display like a smart TV instead of a monitor. It’s more intuitive than the clunky joysticks and on-screen menus most monitors provide. There’s also no need to lean in awkwardly when you want to change the monitor settings. A physical joystick is located on the rear of the display and works as a back-up, but the remote is more convenient.

What we don’t like

HDR performance lags mini-LED

The monitor’s modest SDR brightness also hints at its limitations in showing HDR content. I measured a maximum HDR brightness of 417 nits across a 10% window, meaning that only 10% of the display showed a white square against a black background. That’s not bad for an OLED monitor, but it’s quite far behind mini-LED displays such as the Cooler Master Tempest GP27Q, which can handle up to 946 nits.

A lack of brightness can mean reduced detail in bright luminant areas of the screen. For example, I noticed that the swirling bright gas around the black hole in the movie Interstellar seemed dimmer and more uniform than it did on the Tempest GP27Q.

But this isn’t to say the Odyssey OLED G9’s HDR performance is bad or even mediocre. The monitor performs well when asked to display bright details and highlights like an explosion or a field of stars. The incredible contrast pops in these situations. The Odyssey OLED G9 also has a less abrupt auto-dimming algorithm than most OLED monitors I’ve tried, which means the reduction in brightness in bright scenes is gradual and often unnoticed.

The Odyssey OLED G9 can’t deliver the brilliance of the best HDR monitors but still performs well enough to make HDR preferable over SDR when it’s available.

On-screen menus can be slow

While Samsung’s bundled remote control and TV-like menu system are easier to use and understand than most, responsiveness leaves something to be desired.

On-screen menus can take a few milliseconds to appear once a button is pressed. It’s just long enough to make me think that I hit the wrong button and try again. A similar lag is experienced when navigating menu options. I find this strange because, as mentioned, the display has built-in streaming apps that don’t suffer from this sluggishness

I’m also not a fan of the Game Mode’s quick menu, which provides fast access to gaming-related settings. It looks and works differently from other menus, with a quick-bar setup that consumes significant display space on the lower half of the screen. A small, responsive Game Mode menu would make sense if properly implemented, but Samsung’s large, clunky attempt is frustrating to use.

The monitor also has an elaborate multi-step setup process that will ask for numerous details including login information and requires an internet connection. It’s possible, but not easy, to skip through these screens, and failing to complete the setup will lock users out of most of the display’s smart features.

Sharpness falls short

The Odyssey OLED G9’s resolution of 5120 x 1440 seems excellent on paper, but it’s actually no better than a 27-inch 1440p monitor with a pixel density of roughly 109 pixels per inch. That’s enough to look sharp when viewing movies and games but less impressive on the Windows desktop, where small fonts and tiny interface elements can look blurry.

Sharpness is further reduced by the QD-OLED panel, which uses a subpixel layout different from the usual RGB layout found in most monitors, and which Windows prefers. In a nutshell, the monitor often does not look as sharp as it should given its 1440p resolution. Fonts can seem jagged or pixelated, which can make Word documents and Excel spreadsheets less pleasant to view.

Should you buy the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9?

Yes, it’s the ultimate super-ultrawide gaming monitor

Gamers will easily fall in love with the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9. It has the color and contrast needed to deliver a sense of realism and depth, the sharpness required to provide detail, and the fast motion clarity for fluid and responsive gameplay.

Then there are the unexpected perks. The monitor looks elegant and has a compact, functional display stand. There’s a remote control provided in the box, and the display has Smart TV functionality, including access to streaming apps and even cloud gaming services.

While there’s plenty of reasons to recommend the Odyssey OLED G9, it’s not perfect. The menus are a bit slow to respond, and the OLED panel’s brightness cap and relative lack of sharpness can reduce image quality in day-to-day productivity tasks as well as bright HDR content.

Samsung’s high price of $2200 makes those flaws even harder to accept, but you shouldn’t think twice if you have the pile of cash required (and it’s already dipped to $1,600 for those who pre-ordered). The Odyssey OLED G9 is close to gaming perfection as any monitor I’ve ever reviewed, defeating even Samsung’s previous champion, the Odyssey Neo G9.

And, if you’re not able to swallow the high price tag, consider the 2023 Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 for your next OLED gaming monitor. Though only 34 inches, its image quality is identical in most respects (aside from refresh rate and resolution) and it sells for $1,800.

Samsung Odyssey OLED G9

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 has unparalleled image quality, has a durable and attractive design, and superb motion clarity.

Buy at Samsung

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Meet the tester

Matthew S. Smith

Contributor

@Matt_on_tech

Matthew S. Smith is a veteran tech journalist and general-purpose PC hardware nerd. Formerly the Lead Editor of Reviews at Digital Trends, he has over a decade of experience covering PC hardware. Matt often flies the virtual skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator and is on a quest to grow the perfect heirloom tomato.

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