Samsung has announced (opens in new tab)its first OLED gaming monitor, which will be unveiled at the IFA 2022 show in Berlin on Sept. 2. The new Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 Gaming Monitor (G85SB) is a curved ultra-thin 34-inch monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 3,440 x 1,440 resolution.
We don’t have the full specs yet, but Samsung highlighted some of the more exciting aspects of the monitor, including a 175 Hz max refresh rate, a 0.1ms response rate, and a thickness of just 3.9mm (0.15 inches) at its thinnest part. The monitor is also VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black certified and covers 99.3% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
The 34-inch curved panel has 1800R curvature and mixes Quantum Dot (QD) and OLED technology for ultra-vivid color, as well as the fast image response and dense, dark black for which OLED technology is renowned. Samsung quotes the Odyssey OLED G8’s contrast ratio as 1,000,000:1, thanks to the individual pixel lighting characteristics of OLED displays. Samsung reframes this statistic by calling it a “near-infinite” contrast ratio.
The Odyssey OLED G8 is advertised as a gaming monitor first and foremost. It supports AMD FreeSync Premium, but no specific mention of Nvidia G-Sync support was mentioned in today’s press release. Other Samsung Odyssey gaming monitors we’ve looked at, such as the 49-Inch Odyssey G9, also come with gaming features such as genre presets; this model should, too.
Gamers might also appreciate the Odyssey OLED G8’s built-in ambient/surround lighting. Samsung says it has upgraded the Odyssey portfolio’s CoreSync & Core Lighting+ for this new monitor. The lighting can be used for various effects, including syncing with on-screen action for a more immersive experience.
While it is classed as a gaming monitor, the Odyssey OLED G8 has a lot of smart TV style features — and, thanks to Samsung Gaming Hub, you will be able to use it without a PC to play games via popular streaming services. The built-in IoT hub will let users stream video and also check-in/interact with smart home devices. There must be some built-in Ethernet/Wi-Fi networking for these standalone streaming features, but Samsung mentions nothing specific.
The monitor has Micro HDMI (2.1), Mini DP (1.3, and USB-C ports. These mini ports make sense, as the Odyssey OLED G8 is extremely slim. However, Samsung has still found room to include a pair of “crisp” 5W speakers. The monitor comes with a stand that is tilts and is height-adjustable.
According to Samsung, the Odyssey OLED G8 will be available globally from Q4 2022, but did not reveal a specific date or pricing.
It’s looking like Q3 2022 is the quarter in which OLED gaming monitors finally take off. Other OLED gaming monitors/TVs launched in the last week include the 42-inch LG LX3 bendable TV, the 45-inch LG UltraGear gaming monitor, and the 45-inch Corsair Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 OLED bendable monitor.
