Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 49-inch Curved Mega-Wide Gaming Monitor Review: Three Displays In One Giant Screen

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a 49-inch mega-wide gaming monitor with 240 Hz, HDR, wide-gamut color, Adaptive-Sync and built-in streaming apps.

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Samsung Odyssey OLED G9
Editor's Choice
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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When I look back at my history of monitor reviews, there are far fewer Samsungs than other brands. But the examples I’ve had the privilege of testing all push the envelope for performance and specification. OLED is a newcomer to the computer monitor arena and as a premium technology, it’s only natural that companies will try to outdo each other for the title of most extreme.

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a perfect example. Just looking at it inspires wonder. It’s impossible to see it and not have a reaction. It’s large and beautiful, and that’s before you turn it on. The image is stunning in every way and once you start gaming on it, you’ll be hooked.

(Image credit: Samsung)

The OLED G9 delivers a superb gaming feel with its 240 Hz refresh rate and perfect motion resolution. It rivals 360 and 500 Hz LCDs for panel response and low input lag. And since the pixel count is 5120x1440, it can deliver high frame rates more easily than Ultra HD. The 1800R curve provides a VR experience and draws the user into the virtual environment.

Whether the image is static or moving, the OLED G9’s infinite contrast is a sight to behold. Perfect blacks and bright highlights combine with saturated color to produce one of the most realistic pictures possible from a two-dimensional display. It does this with accuracy and precision, enough so that calibration is not required.

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

I also enjoyed the OLED G9’s excellent sound quality. Whether I was gaming or watching TV, the surround effect was believable thanks to well-engineered internal speakers. Speaking of TV, the value of its streaming integration through TV Plus and Game Hub cannot be overstated. You can enjoy it with no external sources, just an internet connection, thanks to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay. And you get a handy remote with voice control. My only complaint is that the menu system is a bit disjointed. You won’t need to interact with it often and there is a built-in manual if you need help. But there is room for improvement there.

The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is a complete desktop entertainment solution packed into a gorgeous OLED screen with premium build quality. It’s extreme for sure, but it’s also addictive as a gaming monitor and personal television. Those looking to turn their desktops into personal media centers should definitely check it out.

MORE: Best Gaming Monitors

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MORE: How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor

Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • cknobman
    At the current sale price of $1099 this monitor is a very compelling option.

    I think the form factor is just a little to wide for me though.

    Spending this much I would want something that can double as a media display for movies and this monitor and its aspect ratio would just waste too much space.
    Reply
  • Ogotai
    " It incorporates Samsung’s TV Plus and Game Hub platforms for seamless access to various streamed content libraries. It delivers shows, movies and games from powerful apps with expansion capability. "

    any chance for a version of this monitor with out that ? maybe for a lower price ?
    Reply
  • razor512
    A large curved display does not replace having multiple separate displays. Try replacing the a use case of having a game in full screen on one display with system stats, discord, and various other info on a separate display, using just the ultra wide display. At best, you would be hoping the game has a windowed mode that you can drag around and then go through the annoying process of positioning windows and getting a less clean and efficient look.
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    theres already reports of other ultrawides like this (not this model ofc) "cracking" towards outer edges as no support for the outer edges and gravity over time is damaging them.
    Reply
  • MaCk0y
    Ogotai said:
    " It incorporates Samsung’s TV Plus and Game Hub platforms for seamless access to various streamed content libraries. It delivers shows, movies and games from powerful apps with expansion capability. "

    any chance for a version of this monitor with out that ? maybe for a lower price ?
    G93SC.
    Reply
  • helper800
    razor512 said:
    A large curved display does not replace having multiple separate displays. Try replacing the a use case of having a game in full screen on one display with system stats, discord, and various other info on a separate display, using just the ultra wide display. At best, you would be hoping the game has a windowed mode that you can drag around and then go through the annoying process of positioning windows and getting a less clean and efficient look.
    With picture-in picture or picture-by-picture modes the monitor can act as two independent displays with zero bezel. What you are describing is actually one of the greatest strengths of such a monitor.
    Reply
  • Raezal
    I learned the hard way that the linked version of the OLED G9 on Amazon is not the same as the version reviewed here. It has a different stand and is not Gsync compatible. It only supports Freesync and there is no option to use it with a nvidia graphics card.
    Reply
  • Collbrothers
    Late to the party, but using the PiP will downgrade the screens to 120hz non-HDR, do not buy this thinking itll perform as painted in the review if you're going to be using PiP
    Reply
  • LWG40000
    I'm looking for a wide screen display that supports three virtual screens to match my current loadout of 3 separate 22 inch monitors. It doesn't seem like this model will do that, it only has one mode for a one third / two thirds split?
    Reply
  • tasneemj
    Hi
    I am looking for a monitor which I can use split screen and connect my Galaxy Book and MBP simultaneously to this monitor. Will this monitor do that?
    Reply