Samsung’s Odyssey Ark Gaming Monitor has been launched, with specification tables, pricing, and pre-orders now live. The humungous 55-inch curved gaming monitor caught many folks’ imaginations at CES 2022, so it is good to see it scheduled for retail at last. Key news bites from the official Samsung announcement are that the monitor, justifiably described as a “personal gaming theater,” is up for pre-order for $3,499 and will ship in September. As for the specifications, there is a lot to be digested, so we have tabulated the essential data below.
|
Samsung Odyssey Ark | |
|---|---|
|
Screen physical |
55-inch diagonal, 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, matte display |
|
Curve |
1000R curvature |
|
Screen tech |
Quantum Matrix Mini LED with local dimming |
|
HDR |
HDR10+, Quantum HDR 2000 |
|
Contrast ratio |
1,000,000:1 |
|
Refresh rate |
Max 165Hz with FreeSync Premium Pro |
|
Response time |
1ms (GtG) |
|
Ports |
HDMI 2.1 (4EA), HDMI-CEC, RJ45 (1EA) |
|
Sound |
60W array with 4 speakers and 2 woofers, Dolby Atmos support |
|
Stand |
Height Adjustable Stand (HAS) with tilt and pivot, VESA mounting options for 200×200, 300×300, 400×400 |
Though the headlining specs look pretty impressive, there are at least two metrics that are conspicuous by their absence: max brightness and color gamut measurements.
Like many modern gaming monitors, the Samsung Odyssey Ark offers a lot more beyond the specs you typically find in a table, such as above. For starters, the Quantum Mini LED screen is wedded to 14-bit processing and sophisticated lighting control tech and claimed to offer 16,384 black levels.
An unusual feature for a curved gaming monitor is its proposed use in ‘Cockpit Mode’ and the supplied stand which facilitates this towering display aspect. Whether it really is appealing and useful in some games would probably be a matter of personal opinion.
This 55-inch screen with a tight 1000R curve would probably feel very immersive in normal landscape mode. However, Samsung reckons it heightens this feeling into a “personal gaming theater” with the addition of its Sound Dome Tech’ featuring AI Sound Booster and Dolby Atmos.
Samsung also offers a decidedly different way to interact with the monitor OSD with this new display. The Odyssey Ark comes bundled with the solar-powered (and USB-C chargeable) Ark Dial. Think of it as a remote for all the OSD adjustments you might like to do, with the convenience of placing it anywhere on your desk and the fast, intuitive dial and buttons control.
The Ark Dial might be pretty useful, with features such as; Multi View (up to four inputs on one screen), Quick Settings, Flex Move Screen (scale the screen area used between 55- and 27-inches with ambient fill), and Game Bar (FPS, VRR, HDR stats toggles, pictures modes, and more.
Finally, this large monitor features the Samsung Gaming Hub. This allows users to connect directly to game streaming services like Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Google Stadia, Utomik and Amazon Luna – no PC required.
The Samsung Odyssey Ark Gaming Monitor (opens in new tab) can be pre-ordered now for $3,499. Customers will start to receive their monitors in September.
If you are looking to buy a 4K gaming monitor, and the above is not to your taste, please check out our Best 4K Gaming Monitors for PC 2022: 144Hz, Curved and More guide.