Samsung Odyssey G9 is one of the most interesting and promising gaming monitors on the market. It has a gigantic 49-inch diagonal and will completely immerse you in the world of gaming. The aspect ratio of the Odyssey G9 is 32:9 when the resolution is 5120×1440 pixels. In addition, the panel’s refresh rate is an incredible 240Hz, and the curvature radius is 1000R. Since there is a lot of new technology and unique features, the price is appropriate – 1148$.
But, in reality, the benefits in gaming with this monitor are as huge as the cost? I tried to find out.
Contents
Specifications Samsung Odyssey G9
- Display: Samsung QLED.
- Aspect Ratio: 32: 9.
- Curvature of the screen: 1000R.
- Response time: 1 ms (GtG).
- Refresh rate: 240 Hz.
- Resolution: 5120×1440 pixels, 108.97 ppi.
- Compatibility: G-SYNC, Freesync and Adaptive-Sync.
- Color gamut: sRGB 125%, NTSC 88%, Adobe RGB 92%, DCI-P3 95%.
- 1ms response, grayscale to grayscale.
- Brightness: 1000 nits HDR, 300 nits (minimum).
- Connectors: 2×USB 3, 1×HDMI, 2×DisplayPort, headphone port.
- Modes: High-
- Brightness/Custom/FPS/RTS/RPG/sRGB/AOS/Cinema/Dynamic Contrast.
- Dimensions: 119.9×52.3×35.1 cm (with stand), 119.9×36.8×19.3 cm (without stand).
- Weight: 14.61 kg (with stand), 11.61 kg (without stand).
Design and appearance
Samsung pays a lot of attention to the design of its products, this also applies to the Odyssey G9. It takes only a few minutes to assemble this monster. The stand provides adjustment and optimal placement of the huge screen with adjustable tilt, rotation and height (range 120 mm). Thanks to the built-in cable-hiding device (on the leg) everything looks neat, even if several sources are connected to the monitor.
The back side of the Samsung Odyssey G9 is covered in white glossy plastic with colored LED lighting in the form of rings. It holds everything together, on a stylish stand. Impressive weight is a necessity for such a large device. Setting up the monitor is also easy – the OSD menu is practical and straightforward.
The build quality is generally excellent, and from the connectors we get two DisplayPort, HDMI and two USB 3.0, although the headphone jack is too wobbly and located in an awkward place. Like the Odyssey G7, the G9 has its shortcomings, because there is no support for USB-C or Thunderbolt, and the backlight is inconvenient – you can’t see it from the front.
Features and functions
The Samsung Odyssey G9 is an incredibly wide monitor, it’s perfect for driving simulation games and will also appeal to RPG, strategy and adventure enthusiasts. The wide screen gives you a big advantage.
In addition, the model is very convenient for working with content, and in editors with long horizontal tracks. Placing multiple monitors side by side is now unnecessary. The 1000R curve retains good viewing angles and contributes to a better immersion effect, which is especially noticeable compared to the more traditional 1800R curve (the larger the radius, the flatter the screen).
However, it is worth remembering that the 32:9 aspect ratio will not always be successful. Shooters require more vertical space, when in many competitive games you won’t get the benefits you want from a wider screen. Also, when watching movies, there will be huge black areas on the sides of the panel.
Samsung Odyssey G9 picture quality
The huge 5120×1440 resolution with a pixel density of about 109 ppi is great for any game – only 4K monitors are more detailed. However, there’s another problem here – the fair number of pixels the Samsung Odyssey G9 displays – there are almost as many as on a full 4K screen, so you’ll need a powerful graphics card.
Naturally, you also need a good processor if you want to take full advantage of the 240Hz refresh rate. Such a rate is very appropriate here, it will provide incredibly smooth motion of the picture thanks to the new synchronization technology. However, sometimes I noticed a small ghosting effect and halo effects, although these problems occur in almost all gaming displays, and it is difficult to discern them to the untrained eye. There is also a subtle highlighting around the edges.
Samsung Odyssey G9 image quality
The Odyssey G9 conforms to the DisplayHDR 1000 standard, which is another serious advantage over the competition. Inside there is a ten-bit VA matrix with a response time of only 1 ms. The G9’s actual maximum and minimum brightnesses are 354 and 0.18 nits, giving us a 1967:1 ratio. This is much more than any IPS display, so the picture in games will be deep and saturated.
In addition to excellent contrast, there is a high color temperature (6435 K) and Delta E (2.73), which is also great for gaming. The brightness deviation is only 11%, which is incredible for a 49-inch monitor. The panel also covers sRGB 125%, NTSC 88%, Adobe RGB 92%, DCI-P3 95%. The quality of HDR is also impressive – with it the maximum brightness reaches 1000 nits, and the minimum – 0.05 nits. These figures and allow the monitor to meet the standard DisplayHDR 1000.
Thus, when viewing HDR content, the image becomes deeper and more saturated, and Odyssey G9 in this aspect surpasses most competitive gaming monitors. Admittedly, it is a little disappointing to have only 10 local dimming zones – so HDR mode here is inferior to the best modern TVs.
Bottom line
The Samsung Odyssey G9 can easily be called the best ultra-wide gaming monitor today. It has excellent contrast and image quality, and this is complemented by instant synchronization, a huge resolution and an immersive 1000R curve. We shouldn’t forget about the excellent HDR.
Yes, RGB backlighting is almost useless here, the price is too high, and there are minor drawbacks. You’ll also need a powerful video card, with the fact that most games won’t improve on the wide screen in any way. But there are a lot of situations in which the Odyssey G9 with a 32:9 aspect ratio will be incredibly comfortable, and will be the best model of its kind. Although it is expensive, but copes with its task almost perfectly.
Is it worth to buy?
Quality build, rich, juicy, vibrant colors, factory calibration, high resolution with G-SYNCH and FreeSync, 240Hz and a stand that allows you to mount the monitor to suit your needs make the 49-inch Odyssey G9 a worthwhile purchase. It may be the best gaming monitor of 2020.