Customers are pleased with the 34" Odyssey QD-OLED G8 monitor's impressive picture quality, high refresh rate, and vibrant colors produced by the OLED panel. The curved screen and ultra-wide resolution are also frequently praised for enhancing the viewing experience. While some users noted minor issues with screen brightness, the overall consensus points to a positive experience. The monitor's build quality and multiple HDMI ports are additional features that receive favorable feedback.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 124 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Oled
Cons mentioned:
Price
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Game changer
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
When I say I’ve been through it all in the search for the perfect ultrawide monitor, I mean it. My journey started with the Acer 34-inch—a monitor that, on paper, seemed promising, but in practice, was riddled with frustrations. The most glaring issue? Light bleeding through the edges of the screen. It broke any sense of immersion and made me realize that no matter how budget-friendly a monitor might be, if the quality isn’t there, it’s simply not worth it.
Next, I tried the Alienware 34-inch. I wanted so badly to love it—it’s Alienware, after all. But as sleek as it looked, it didn’t offer any sound capabilities, and for the price, it lacked anything truly groundbreaking to set it apart. It was good, but not great. I needed more, and that’s when I stumbled upon the Samsung Odyssey G8 34-inch.
From the moment I set it up, I knew this was something special. The CoreSync lighting system was a revelation—it doesn’t just sit on your desk; it transforms your entire gaming or productivity environment. The colors sync so effortlessly with whatever you’re doing on-screen that it creates an experience, not just a display. Combine that with the monitor’s stunning design—razor-thin, sleek, and unapologetically premium—and you’ve got a product that feels just as incredible as it looks.
The visual quality is, quite simply, unmatched. The OLED panel delivers vivid, true-to-life colors and perfect blacks that I’ve never seen replicated elsewhere. Every game, movie, or project feels elevated to a new level of immersion. And the 240Hz refresh rate? Absolute perfection.
Initially, I struggled to justify the price, even though it was worth every penny. I returned it after my first purchase, thinking I could live without it. Big mistake. Within two weeks of using another monitor, I couldn’t stop thinking about the G8 and regretting my decision every single day. The moment it went on sale again, I didn’t hesitate—I bought it back and haven’t looked back since.
The Samsung Odyssey G8 isn’t just a monitor; it’s an investment in quality, immersion, and pure enjoyment. If you’re tired of settling for less and want something that truly stands out in every way—design, performance, and features—this is the one to get. I’m so glad I gave it a second chance, and you won’t regret giving it a first.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Build quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Loving it so far
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
hands-down the most beautiful monitor I have ever purchased this replaced two smaller gaming monitors, and I will never go back. The only drawback is the software. It is not the best but once you get it down everything about this monitor is more than great. Amazing build quality as well!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Display, Refresh rate
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
The panel itself is great. Everything else is bad.
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I'm a Samsung fanboy, I have a Samsung phone, tablet, earbuds, and TVs. It being a Samsung monitor, and being my first Oled monitor, I was very excited to get this. I upgraded from an led monitor, and man! I was blown away by the colors and deep blacks! So the panel itself is great, but they ruined it by adding the useless Tyzen OS. It took me longer to sign into the monitor with my Samsung account, go through a bunch of settings, user agreements, and familiarizing with the menus to find the input for my PC than pulling it out of the box and finding a good spot on my desk. It's a monitor! I should not have to go through all that to set up a monitor, that's all on my PC, which I plan to use. It's because Samsung, with their infinite wisdom, decided they needed to make the monitor double as a TV, which is completely useless since people will use it with a PC or even a console. And when I wake my PC, the game menu pops up, then I have to wait for it to go away. The result is a bad monitor and a bad TV. If thinking about getting this monitor, get one that doesn't have Tyzen and doesn't try to be a TV. I already ordered one from LG, with 240hz.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Samsung
Posted .
Thank you for your review. Samsung is committed to providing the best possible product experience, quality, and value. Samsung greatly values our customers’ feedback and we utilize your concerns and opinions in our relentless efforts towards delivering world-class products. We are very sorry to hear this product didn't meet your expectations and hope to have you back as a customer again. If there is anything we can do to assist you and improve your product experience, please don't hesitate to contact Samsung Customer Support via: 1-800-SAMSUNG, available 8AM - 12AM EST (Mon-Fri) / 9AM - 11PM EST (Sat-Sun)
Pros mentioned:
Oled
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
BEST OF THE BEST+
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Most amazing monitor possible. Has everything you can imagine, I had no idea at all the features this monitor has. Take gaming to a new level
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Oled
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Such a beautiful and awesome monitor!
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Man… once you go ultrawide AND OLED you don’t go back… this monitor has been worth it from the start!! I’m so glad I upgraded to it! The blacks and colors are soooo rich and clear! I can game with smaller screen ratios and won’t notice the black bars on the side because of the individual leds that don’t turn on in those spots so it essentially feels like it’s not there!
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Well balanced
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Awesome monitor! 34" is the perfect size for bath dialy tasking and playing!
It has built-in speakers and apps so you can watch movies without the need of a connected device.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A Gamer’s Dream Display!
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This monitor is absolutely stunning! The QD-OLED panel delivers deep blacks, vibrant colors, and incredible contrast. The 175Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time make gameplay buttery smooth, with no lag or ghosting. The 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio is a game-changer for immersive experiences. Whether for gaming or work, this monitor is worth every penny!
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Best Value Under $1000
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Color and brightness is great for an OLED in both a bright and dark environment. The curve isn't aggressive so it's great for first time curved monitor users. Also impressed that I didn't really see any purple tint coming from the panel. Only downside is the Samsung Hub. Feels like it can get in it's own way of just being a monitor.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Amazing monitor
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This monitor supports HDMI 2.1 and it is gorgeous. Unfortunately i returned it because i use PS5 for gaming and ended up going for the 32in. But other than this 34in not supporting PS5 game play in the full screen option, it was amazing to use for work as i program and it allowed me to have multiple windows open and have it split screen as well with another option for viewing. The older models use HDMI mini but this one uses the standard one which was changed because of a lot of backlash which i was grateful for. All of the connections you need are in the box.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
So far, So Good. Really good
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is the first gaming monitor I’ve had and I have so far been impressed. Not only does this get up to 120hz but it also has speakers and built in Apps. A lot of monitors don’t offer all of that. I also really like the wide screen, which did take a bit of time to figure out to how to get the PS5 and monitor settings to allow it, but man it’s impressive.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Oled
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Perfect
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
It’s excellent, very good quality, oled makes huge difference
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Amazing Monitor
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Absolutely an amazing product! I am so happy I decided to get this monitor for work. It feels like a whole new experience. The customer service was also amazing. He knew everything and helped me decide on a monitor that fits my exact needs.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great and Awesome
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I enjoy the ability to multi task with my other Samsung 49 inch OLED monitor
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
What an experience
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The colors are deeper than anything ive ever seen and the apps just make it that much better. Only issues ive had is it taking a while to boot up and randomly going to home or not picking up the display port connection at times.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Oled, Refresh rate
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
Screen flickering
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Honestly it looks like a nice monitor but what people aren't telling you when you buy it is that the g series monitors suffer when it comes to their low quality connector ports. Which causes the screen to flicker on and off on a daily bases when it doesn't flicker its a really nice monitor. But like it said it flickers almost nonstop. For the price of the monitor the amount of problems people talk about on the online forms is crazy.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Display, Oled
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Monitor For Gaming and Productivity
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The G8 is an amazing display, providing phenomenal visuals and performance for both gaming and productivity. After using for about a week, I can confidently say that it has become the best display in my entire house.
Setup of the monitor straight forward; the directions walk you through assembly, which takes all of a minute and the only screen guide helps you get going once you've plugged your monitor in. Adjustments with the included stand are pretty limited; tilt and height. Thankfully, Samsung has included a 100x100 VESA mount for those looking to leverage an existing mount. One area with this monitor has seemingly improved from last year is that Samsung has made the decision to include full size inputs this year. Previously, the connections were mini sized inputs that required adapters; thankfully this is not the case this year. Additionally, Samsung has included a remote which, at first, seemed superfluous, but after using this for a bit has become a integral part of interacting with the monitor for me. It works very well, allowing you to tweak settings, change inputs, and navigate menus with ease. For me, having a remote works so well that it seems obvious that all monitors should come with them.
A large chunk of the time, I've been using this monitor for work. As a software developer by trade, having the extra wide widescreen has been amazing for my productivity. In my case, I'm using this monitor with a Mac, which has been nothing short of a great pairing. I can't speak much to how Windows looks from a text/productivity perspective, but those using a Mac will be pleased with how things render. One thing of note here... being this is an OLED screen which, by its nature, is susceptible to burn in, one needs to be mindful of things like not leaving the monitor on a static image too long. Thankfully, the monitor has some mitigation tactics to help with this; pixel shifting, brightness reduction settings, etc. For me, I've enabled all these settings on my Mac input and reduced overall brightness and contrast to help prevent burn in. Overall, while this is marketed as a gaming monitor, I've found that it's a phenomenal productivity monitor as well. However, gaming...
Gaming has been incredible on this monitor. I'm coming from an Acer Predator IPS monitor, which was very good in its own right, with a 4ms GtG response time and pretty low latency. Plugging in the G8 for the first time, though, it was immediately noticeable how insanely responsive this panel is, owed to the OLED technology. Motion is virtually blur-less, and input is basically immediately registered, giving what feels like a boost in abilities for those that play game types like FPS. It's hard to overstate how much of an upgrade this feels like coming from a stellar IPS panel. Add to that the fact that the aspect ratio has increased from 16:9 to 21:9, and overall this feels like a huge upgrade from top to bottom, even without making the jump to 4k. Realistically, that's the only thing that could improve this monitor, though that would require top of the line gaming hardware to fully utilize the refresh rate. Overall, the hype you've likely seen around OLED gaming monitors is warranted. This thing is an absolute beast.
Finally, I'll discuss quickly the "smart TV"-esque features this display has. Onboard, the screen has a number of apps that allow you to watch various services like Netflix and Youtube. These all work as expected and unlock the full possible picture quality of the screen (versus using your PC which can be hamstrung on full quality video with some streaming services). Additionally, the G8 has some other features like picture in picture and multiview, which enables you to show two sources at once, utilizing the full available width of the screen. These features all work great in my experience and add to the overall experience of using this screen.
The Samsung OLED G8 is an amazing monitor. My time with this thing has been nothing short of an absolute pleasure. It's helped transform my professional workflow, and it's completely transformed my gaming experience. If you're not set on making the jump to 4k, this is an awesome monitor to consider.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Oled
Cons mentioned:
Samsung smart hub
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
You Want It All? You Can Have It All (For a Price)
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Samsung has been a strong name in the display space going back as far as I can remember - even in the late 1990s and early 2000s with their entry-level CRT TVs, Samsung established itself as a brand that focused on value without leaving quality behind. Over the years, and as the market shifted towards the ubiquitous flat-screen displays we use today, Samsung continued their dominance of the field; I’ve lost count how many Samsung displays I’ve had over the years, all of which were among the best of their price class.
Now, Samsung offers displays running the full gamut from budget-conscious office monitors to flagship displays, of which this Odyssey G8 OLED gaming monitor is firmly in flagship territory. This $1,200, 34” curved ultrawide display is a full thousand dollars pricier than my fiancee’s 34” ultrawide display - also made by Samsung - which shares the same physical size and resolution…and not much else. The G8 OLED goes as far up this size class’s market as I can imagine, but it most definitely pulls no punches on its way there. Besides the hit to the wallet, there’s seemingly no sacrifices that were made along the way as this is without a doubt the single best computer monitor I’ve ever had.
A quick disclaimer: it’s difficult to quantify subjective opinions such as image and sound quality. I make my best attempt to express it in reviews, but ultimately I you should sample monitors like this in-person at your nearest Best Buy prior to making a purchasing decision.
- Unboxing & Initial Impressions
Setting up the Odyssey G8 is a straightforward affair whether you’re using the wide-base stand or the VESA plate. The stand comes together firmly with just two screws, and either solution clicks easily into place on the rear of the display. The power brick is sizeable but has a long cord for optimal positioning. Plugging in devices with either HDMI or DisplayPort finishes the job and gets you up and running, using either the power & joystick button on the rear of the display or the remote control to navigate the menus. Most of the included documentation in the packaging is quickstart materials, with setup finishing on the display itself.
Powering on for the first time is a familiar experience to Samsung television owners, as Samsung’s Smart Hub is integrated here to make the display more of a dual-purpose device - it can easily serve as a TV and a computer monitor in space-constrained uses. A few prompts get you going, and once connected to WiFi you can use the common array of Samsung-compatible apps to stream from most major video services.
- Image & Sound Quality
It goes almost without saying that an OLED monitor is a gorgeous display experience - what makes OLED unique among LCD displays is that the brightness of each individual pixel is completely independent to the rest of the display - which means that any pure black pixel emits no light at all. I may have used the phrase “CRT dark” in some of my other screen reviews to express how dim the display can get compared to old tube TVs, but with OLED it’s darker than CRT dark.
And since the Odyssey G8 gets so bright as to hurt my eyes if I crank it to maximum settings…this is the single best monitor I’ve ever experienced. The spec sheet is unbelievably impressive, and for once the numbers don’t tell the whole story - in a good way. With a maximum 175Hz refresh rate, full Adaptive Sync support, and sub-millisecond response times on an OLED panel, I can’t say I’ve used anything like this.
The HDR 400 True Black rating of the display exceeds the specifications of HDR 1000, the latter of which I considered the benchmark for HDR content. What I experienced with this display is not just better color depth than I’ve seen before, but better color contrast and brightness within the same scene as well. I wouldn’t say it’s like looking through a window to another place, but it’s so close I can easily lose myself in captivating content - wide shots of world scenery in clear daylight are breathtaking to behold on the Odyssey G8.
Surprisingly, the G8’s built-in speakers aren’t too bad either. Any sound bar with a small subwoofer will trounce the Odyssey’s built-in speakers, but the integrated speakers deliver surprisingly clear audio that gets decently loud for presenter-type content; I wouldn’t use it for listening to music or intense gaming, but it does the job if you don’t feel like grabbing a set of headphones.
- Gaming Performance
This is where the OLED display stuns me most. I expected something to fall short of the display’s specifications when it came to gaming, but after giving this screen my most obnoxious ghosting and motion blur test (a rhythm game called Just Shapes and Beats - which uses pure black backgrounds and sharply-rendered, bright colored objects to avoid with a player sprite)...I couldn’t find a single fault.
In short, the Odyssey G8’s rated response time of 0.03ms grey-to-grey isn’t as much of a marketing gimmick as it sounds. While true black-to-white response time is greater, the fact of the matter is that it simply keeps up. Any ghosting I experienced on this screen wasn’t a result of the display failing to keep up; rather, it was a failure of my eyes to keep up.
I went through several eSports titles and twitch shooters trying to find what sort of environment would result in a blurred images that couldn’t keep up with the action, but nothing phased this monitor. I’m used to high-refresh-rate displays compromising somewhere but the G8 simply doesn’t - it’s the best of all worlds.
The Odyssey G8 supports variable refresh rate technology through VESA Adaptive Sync - which is a subset of both AMD and NVidia’s branded adaptive refresh technologies. I was able to take advantage of this using my AMD Radeon 6900XT, and I found variable refresh rate helped a lot keeping the action consistent. In testing, I came across multiple games that dipped short of the 175 FPS native refresh of the G8, but Adaptive Sync smoothed out the action when framerates fell dramatically. This range is also wide enough for Low Frequency Compensation to kick in, so that when framerates fell below 96 FPS the action continued to be as smooth as possible by “doubling up” the refresh rate to match the framerate (e.g. at 47 FPS the monitor will switch to 94 Hz, 46 FPS switches to 92 Hz, etc. until framerate recovers to 96 or higher) and avoid screen tearing or stuttering.
- Samsung Smart Hub
As mentioned earlier, if you’ve used a Samsung TV previously then the Smart Hub is going to look and feel very familiar. The Smart Hub acts as the G8’s operating system, incorporating apps, feature toggles, and settings into a single place that [mercifully] stays out of the way when you’re using the screen as a computer monitor.
I have only done some limited exploration of the Smart Hub as I’m using the G8 strictly as a computer monitor, but the convenience of smart TV apps on this display adds value for some users. All the major streaming services are represented here in apps, and with an active Internet connection you can both download and apply firmware updates, and get remote support from Samsung for certain issues with the display.
One nitpick I did have with Smart Hub is that references to “Game Mode” in menus are not correct when the feature is enabled - it becomes Variable Refresh. I spent quite a while figuring out how to disable said Game Mode until I disabled VRR on a whim, which suddenly became known as Game Mode once I did. Consistent labels (perhaps doing some basic UX testing) would’ve helped here.
- Bottom Line
This is a premium monitor that comes at a premium price. But the Odyssey G8 is arguably the best main display I’ve ever used, compromising on seemingly nothing for gaming, content consumption, or simple desktop use alike. The fact I had to dig in so deep as to nitpick a mis-labeled menu option (that may very well be fixed with a future firmware update) speaks volumes. If you’re looking for a no-compromise computer display, or even moreso a centerpiece of a personal media setup, you can’t do much better. The Samsung Odyssey G8 OLED display comes highly recommended!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Display, Refresh rate
Cons mentioned:
Price
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Wish I could give this 10 stars
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have never had a TV that is as impressive in so many areas as this Samsung 34 inch monitor. The sound is incredible so rich and as loud as you need it, the colors are so vibrant both the white and the blocks and it is a very, good TV to listen to music when you want to play your console gaming or to watch football or just regular TV watching. The only difference is that it looks so much more clear and vibrant than any TV that I’ve owned and I’ve owned some very good ones
One thing I did was enable the zoom to fill from the settings and this way it stretches without losing any resolution to fill the screen when you’re gaming and also when you’re watching TV, it seems like for me at least I have enjoyed it and it does not affect the quality of the Screen at all from what I’ve noticed
This TV has made my PlayStation five so much more fun to play with and also whenever my wife is wanting to watch a show on the other larger TV I can just going to my area and watch whatever I want. Also, I use the Alexa voice on it which works flawlessly and what one thing that’s cool. It also has a TikTok App, which I have not seen any other streaming services that I’ve used which is interesting and useful
I love it sooooo much! Will be my favorite monitor/tv for a very long time!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Oled, Refresh rate
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Amazing Gaming Experience
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Samsung Odyssey G8(G85SD)
- What’s in the box-
Ultra high speed HDMI cable
Display port cable
Usb A to B cable
Solar powered remote
Monitor and power cord
-First Impressions-
Upon unboxing the G8 I was pleasantly surprised how intuitive the set-up process was from packaging to staging. Assembling the stand was the easiest I’ve ever experienced and could be done without any extra help. Albeit, a bit on the hefty side, weighing nearly seventeen pounds. As expected, Samsung stuck to their guns with their signature silver color option. I believe it integrates seamlessly with most desk aesthetics, though that’s subjective. The singular median stand is also the perfect way to support the monitor while not taking up much room. As most of us know, desk real-estate is very important. As mentioned above, setting up the monitor was quick and easy, logged into my network, installed a small update to firmware and I was off to the races.
-Design-
The G8 itself is stunning with a beautiful 34” curved display and an exceptional 178 degree viewing angle. The main draw is obviously the OLED panel, and Samsung always knocks it out of the park. The slim outer shell and the rgb ring make it feel premium, more on the rgb later. Instantly upon viewing any content, the crystal-clear colors and darkened areas maintain high quality even in shadows. Detail is crisp and one of my favorite new additions is the inclusion of anti-glare, dubbed, oled glare free. Perfect for sun lit rooms where visibility could otherwise be hindered. Interestingly the paired standard smart remote can be charged via solar so no need for usb charging. Also integrated, are a number of connectivity options, something that was sorely lacking in last year’s model which only allowed native micro hdmi input. The G8 was built to allow more plug ins and less headache.
-Functionality/Features-
As stated, what you’re getting here is a top of the line oled ultra-wide panel with all the bells and whistles like, an impressive 0.03 ms response time, smart tv with smart things, and gaming hub to name a few. Yes, the Odyssey G8 is not just a pc monitor but also a full-fledged smart tv. Samsung believes you can have a best-in-class gaming monitor and a tv experience, and it works. You’ve got all your favorite apps, from streaming, to music, to cloud gaming. It can do it all. Whether I was watching a movie or playing a fast-paced twitch shooter like XDefiant, it all looked incredible and felt great too. A variety of game mode options including vrr and amd freesync, meant I wasn’t sacrificing quality for performance. The gimmick of syncing your content via core lighting can enhance your immersion and turned on/off at any time. With it, you can change the rgb settings of the back of the panel to sync with the on-screen colors, a nice addition but nothing we haven’t seen before. When it comes to audio it’s worth mentioning if you can pair an external speaker, that’s always the better option. Its not particularly great but I always say having native speakers are better than not.
-Performance-
So, you’re probably wondering, with all the extra software running in the background, does it bog down your gaming experience? Short answer, no. You can treat the odyssey solely as a gaming monitor or solely as a smart tv, the choice is yours. The beauty is you get the best of both worlds and the premium price tag is justifiable. The G8 is powered by Tizen and its only gotten better with each new product release. Navigating the various menus always felt smooth and I like the layout of the new interface. I found myself streaming a film on downtime and when I was ready to get back to the game, no extra steps were necessary. Voice recognition is also a nice touch though admittedly, I didn’t experiment with it much like some may.
That’s just personal preference. The ultra-fast 175hz refresh rate isn’t by any means the highest I’ve seen, but it gets the job done. And the clarity of moving objects at said speeds were fluid.
-Overall Thoughts-
Comparatively to last years model of the same size, it’s a huge step forward in all areas, from the responsiveness of the UI/UX, to the gaming hub, to doubling as a standard smart tv. Samsung continues to iterate and perfect their design language and product eco system with every new release. The Odyssey OLED G85SD is no exception.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Oled, Refresh rate
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Not Just Any Ole Monitor
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Samsung 34” Odyssey G8 OLED is one serious gaming monitor. To say it’s impressive is an understatement. And not only is it good for gaming, it’s also setup as a Smart TV.
What It Comes With
Contents include the 34” monitor, power cord (2-pieces), 2-piece metal stand with tilting monitor attachment, 100x100 VESA mount for wall mounting, remote control, 1 HDMI cable, 1 Display Port cable, USB Type A to B Upstream Cable, and some instructional/warranty paperwork.
When setting it up, block out a little extra time and be prepared to run through several menus. Have your passwords ready. It will ask to set up WiFi, link to your Samsung Account, and sign into whatever streaming apps you’d like to use.
The inputs on the back of the monitor include (1) Display Port 1.4, (2) HDMI 2.1, and No USB-C. There are (2) USB 3.0 ports, WiFi, and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
Appearance
The monitor is a large 34 inches of curved screen real estate. It takes a similar style to previous Samsung monitors. The silver color is a nice alternative to the standard issue black. I don’t feel like it stands out in an aggressive way.
Wire management - The stand does have a slot to allow cords to run through and down behind the stand.
The backside of the monitor has backlighting. Samsung’s backlighting feature is called CoreSync & Core Lighting. Core Lighting will allow you to run through several types of pulsing or static lighting scenarios. You can pick colors to match other exterior features in your room. The CoreSync feature will project the colors on your screen behind the monitor for a more immersive experience.
Display / Picture Quality
Picture quality is why we are buying the product, and I have to say that the overall picture is just stunning. It has WQHD (3440 x 1440) resolution and HDR 10, so the images are clear and colorful. It’s an OLED so it’s prone to deep blacks and has a feature called Dynamic Black Equalizer that auto-adjusts to get better black details. The VA panel uses AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, has a 0.03ms response time, and up to 175Hz refresh rate to help to control ghosting and blur, match variable frame rates, and eliminate screen tearing and shuttering. Video streams are smooth and clear. They have a great amount of detail. Games are smooth and sharp with no visible ghosting or blur.
The screen also has a Glare-Free technology which adds to the clarity of the picture. I didn’t have issues using this near a window. To protect the OLED monitor, there are a couple of features called Logo and Taskbar Detection and a Screen Saver. The Log and Taskbar Detection automatically reduce the brightness on static images to prevent burn-in (this feature is not available in PC Mode). The Screen Saver kicks on a dimming feature after 10 minutes of inactivity. Just move the mouse or change input, and it will go back to full display mode.
Smart TV Features
I have a couple of Samsung TV monitors that I use for production work that utilize the Tizen operating system. They have added the same OS to this monitor so that it can be used as a Smart TV. This version appears to be slightly different than what I am used to, so I haven’t figured out all of the features. It adds a Gaming Hub, built-in voice assistant (Alexa or Bixby), and Multi View capability for 2 videos. Tizen allows you to use multiple streaming apps and ties into the Samsung SmartThings app.
The Tizen OS can be a little awkward to get used to. I recommend downloading the full owner’s manual for the monitor to see all of the features that this has to offer. Currently, there’s a link in the Best Buy page at the bottom of the “From the Manufacturer” section. It has already helped me with a couple of things. This monitor is complicated, so the manual is 184 pages.
Overall, the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 is incredible. The screen is great and it has almost every feature that I can think of. There are some things that could be improved (add a USB-C port, add an additional Display Port, make the power cord a foot longer prior to the adapter box), but it’s a short list. I am very happy with it and am giving it 5 stars.