Samsung's $1,499 Odyssey OLED G8 Gaming Monitor Ships This Month
Samsung first announced the Odyssey OLED G8 in August 2022.
It’s been over five months since Samsung announced the Odyssey OLED G8 (G85SB) just before IFA 2022 in Berlin. This is Samsung’s first OLED gaming monitor, and the company initially said that it would launch globally in Q4 2022. Samsung once again talked up the Odyssey OLED G8 last month at CES. but still hadn’t launched it (or provided pricing).
That changes today, as the monitor is now available, priced at $1,499. The Odyssey OLED G8 uses a 34-inch QD-OLED panel (3440 x 1440 resolution) with a low 0.03 ms response time and a 175 Hz refresh rate with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support. Samsung also throws in a 1800R curvature to (slightly) wrap the screen around your periphery.
The quantum dot panel is already in use in monitors like Alienware’s AW3423DWF, and we expect to see similar competitors emerge in the coming months. Samsung alleges that quantum dots, when used with OLED panels, lessen the chances of burn-in common with larger OLED panels. However, those claims will need to be tested with long-term, real-world testing.
Regardless, the QD-OLED panel should deliver inky blacks (1,000,000:1 contrast ratio) and vibrant colors to amp up the immersion factor in your favorite games. And for all the RGB-loving fanatics out there, Samsung has you covered with CoreSync and Core Lighting+ via a brilliant glowing orb on the back of the panel that is customizable to your liking.
Samsung employs its Tizen Smart TV platform with the Odyssey OLED G8, which features streaming TV apps (like Netflix and Hulu) along with the Samsung Gaming Hub. The Gaming Hub gives you direct access to game streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now via integrated Wi-Fi. In addition, the Odyssey OLED G8 is loaded with HDMI 2.1, Mini DisplayPort 1.3 and USB-C ports, plus a pair of 5W speakers.
The Odyssey OLED G8 is available today directly from Samsung.com for $1,499. According to the website, the monitor will ship by February 23. We also found the monitor for sale on MicroCenter’s website for the same price.
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Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.
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cknobman Even IF this monitor offered something the Alienware version does not at $1500 its a joke.Reply -
Metteec I am sure this will be a nice monitor and I hope they reduce the price. The AW3423DWF is less than $1,000 in the USA, with similar specifications, and is available now. AW also has a better warranty, with a 3-year advanced replacement warranty. I have the AW3423DW and it is the best monitor I have ever owned and was a nice upgrade from my AW3821DW.Reply -
JTWrenn All these monitors feel like price fixed bs at this point. I feel like the whole industry has decided to stop competing directly and just milk everyone.Reply -
brandonjclark Are these quantum dot screens good for productivity? I.e., do they have the issues with odd-looking text because of the way the "pixels" are arranged?Reply
I'd love to buy into one for the obvious gaming improvements but I also need to WORK on the screen most of my time. -
kaalus The resolution is pathetically low. At that size, 8k would hardly be enough for sharp text.Reply -
Friesiansam Reply
But what's the point? For most owners it will be facing the wall behind their desk.Admin said:And for all the RGB-loving fanatics out there, Samsung has you covered with CoreSync and Core Lighting+ via a brilliant glowing orb on the back of the panel that is customizable to your liking. -
Friesiansam Reply
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:kaalus said:The resolution is pathetically low. At that size, 8k would hardly be enough for sharp text. -
colindog Reply
Yea, not upgrading till we get a 4K 240hz for that price.kaalus said:The resolution is pathetically low. At that size, 8k would hardly be enough for sharp text. -
TJ Hooker Reply
Would you consider 2560x1440 to be "pathetically low" for a 27" monitor? Because that's the same pixel density.kaalus said:The resolution is pathetically low. At that size, 8k would hardly be enough for sharp text. -
helper800 Reply
Right? Apparently 110 ppi is not good enough for a monitor... We need to be looking at our 8k screen from 6 inch's away without seeing pixelation.TJ Hooker said:Would you consider 2560x1440 to be "pathetically low" for a 27" monitor? Because that's the same pixel density.