Games played from a first-person perspective are all about one thing: suspension of disbelief. You want to become part of the game’s environment and feel as if you’re there. That requires a lot of technology to assault the senses of sight and sound. Curved ultrawide monitors achieve this in a way no flat screen can. And the wider you go, the better the experience.
The 49-inch megawide class only has a few members. But short of donning a high-end set of VR goggles, there’s no better way to immerse yourself in a virtual world. We’ve been impressed with the AOC Agon AG493UCX and Viotek SUW49DA, but Samsung’s 49-Inch Odyssey G9 is the best one yet.
The G9 has plenty of pixel density to ensure a sharply detailed image with no pixel structure visible from 2-3 feet away. It delivers super-accurate color right out of the box and covers over 88% of the DCI-P3 gamut for a saturated, lifelike image. Meanwhile, contrast is excellent, thanks to a VA panel and effective local dimming edge backlight. With 1,000-nit capability for HDR content, it has one of the largest dynamic ranges available.
To all this, it adds super speed. 144 Hz monitors are practically a dime a dozen these days, but 240 Hz is where the real fun begins. There’s nothing like watching objects flash by in high resolution with smooth motion and no loss of detail. The Odyssey G9 is the fastest and most responsive large monitor we’ve seen yet. The primary things missing are ultra-low motion blur reduction and a framerate counter. Some good built-in speakers would be nice too. But these omissions do not detract from an addictive gaming experience.
The 49-Inch Odyssey G9 delivers a premium gaming experience that can’t be found elsewhere. It’s expensive, but it’s unique. For players with high-end systems, it’s a great choice.
